STOP, Breathe, Smile, Imagine…
I read a wonderful comment by a beautiful soul from New Orleans, Louisana (USA) on Facebook!
Heidi Heyns noted that we can use STOP signs today, as reminders to Stop, Breathe in, Breathe out, Smile, and Imagine something that makes you smile!
Well! When I read this, my creative mind just started swirling! I immediately made use of the suggestion!
Being over 50, menopausal, and prone to mood changes at the ‘drop of a hat’, I was THRILLED to have a suggestion to keep me Focused, Centered and Staying Present.
So, what did I do? When I left my home in my car, I started to practice Heidi’s suggestion. Every stop sign I encountered, I had the attitude of being THRILLED it was there! Yes! I got to take a pause, relax, breathe in, breathe out, Smile and know how grateful I am!
I found myself taking ‘the long way home’, or going to shopping plazas that had an abundance of STOP Signs – allowing customers to walk freely/safely to their cars, so that I could STOP, breathe in, breathe out, Smile and know how grateful I am!
I found that I was much more relaxed while driving. I was no longer In A Hurry to get to where I was going. I was no longer agitated, that the person in front of me wasn’t MOVING FASTER!!!!!!
I applied the practice at every stop light, as well as STOP signs. Allowing myself the opportunity to STOP and THINK and FEEL how grateful I am, along with relaxing with a deep breath and a smile!
I thought to myself, ‘WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO DEAL WITH ROAD RAGE!’ What if EVERYONE did this when driving TO or FROM work, events, appointments, etc. We would all be in such a place of imagining, thinking, being grateful for something that makes of happy or smile – PLUS we’d be healthy and relaxed due to all the deep breathing, stress releasing activity –
1) when we encountered other drivers, we’d be smiling
2) when we got to work or our appointment, we’d be smiling
3) when we got home from work at the end of the day – the more backed up the traffic, the MORE RELAXED we’d be AND the more PRESENT and RELAXED and GRATEFUL we’d be for our families and partners!
I feel this would make a GREAT CAMPAIGN for the Department of Transportation or the Local Police Departments.
Wouldn’t this be GREAT to place on billboards? STOP and SMILE!
We’re given the technical, safety instructions for behavior at a stop sign … why not give an instruction that causes the healthy/safe STOP, but allow it to have a healthy, relaxing thought associated with it?
SPREAD THE WORD! STOP, RELAX, BREATHE, SMILE, IMAGINE….
Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
Check out my SMILE CAMPAIGN at my website: www.lafolot.com
[This blog can also be viewed at Vibrant Nation under the Blog Circle Name: Helenoflafolot]
Tags: angels, Camp Hill, Carlisle PA, communication, Connecting, Ha Ha Helen, Harrisburg, Healing, health and wellness, Hershey, lafolot, Laughter, laughter therapy, mechanicsburg, meditation, smile, Steelton, stress relief, Wellness, Women
