LAFOLOT

As a Certified Laughter Leader (Laughter Therapy/Laughter Wellness), I came to know the value of a SMILE from the physical health benefits; and grew to appreciate the emotional and personal benefits for me and everyone I encounter!

I used to be ORDERED to SMILE! by coworkers. It would bother me or make me angry, since I was JUST BEING ME. I would be in an average mood, thinking, just being, walking – then someone would come towards me and order: SMILE! This didn’t help.

Once I became a Laughter Wellness Program facilitator and started to read and learn about the scientific, medical, emotional, mental benefits of smiling I was skeptical. So, I started my OWN experiment! I needed PROOF! I started to SMILE a closed-mouth smile at everyone I encountered. I made a game of it! If someone smiled back; I gave myself one point! If someone smiled and said Hello! I gave myself 2 points! If I got a smile THROUGH GLASS – like a car or window of a store – I gave myself 5 points for the POWER BOOST SMILE!

A funny thing happened! It no longer was a scientific experiment; it became socially and emotionally heart-warming and uplifting! It was like the Holiday Cartoon: THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS … ‘his heart grew 10 times that day!’ The same thing happened to me!

I would smile, and people not only smiled back; they’d stop and TALK TO ME! I would just stand there, smiling and they would have an entire conversation with me! I would then let them know about my SMILE CAMPAIGN, experiment. I would give them a SMILEY FACE LAFOLOT Bookmark with a positive statement on it. They would SMILE and thank me! WOW! ANOTHER POINT!

So, thus began the HA HA HELEN OF LAFOLOT – SMILE CAMPAIGN! This started in about May of 2008 after I was certified as a Laughter Therapy Leader.

Fast forward: Tonight I earned 20 POINTS! HA HA HAAAA! How ‘em I doin’?

I smiled through the Patio Glass of a local restaurant – an older woman smiled back! 5 points! YES!
I smiled at a young girl driving her car into the parking lot, as I was leaving; she smiled back! 5 points! YES!
I smiled at another young mom, singing in her drivers seat and talking to her toddler in the back seat, while she waited for the left turn signal to turn green. I was wearing my clown nose. She looked up and SMILED! and Laughed! 5 points! YES!
I went to the self-serve Gas Pumps and smiled at the Attendant behind the Cashier Window – he smiled back! 5 POINTS! YES!

WOW! 20 POINTS in an hour! HA HA HAAAA!

When I told the gas pump cashier attendant about the SMILE CAMPAIGN and offered him a LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! bookmark with a SMILEY face on it – he said: ‘Welcome?????’ HA HA HA HA – I smiled and laughed. He smiled back. Another point!

So that’s how it all started! I went from a skeptic, to knowledgeable as far as book-learning to FEEEEEELING the POWER of a SHARED SMILE and seeing how it UPLIFTS
ENLIGHTENS
LIGHTENS THE LOAD of a weary traveler
EASES a day full of frustration and burdens
ERASES a bad day or mood
ERADICATES aloneness
having the POWER to LIFT a persons shoulders, INCREASE their height and – like the GRINCH – grow their heart 10 times bigger by being FILLED with warmth, love and light due to RECOGNITION and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT that you and I are worth being recognized!

View the Levity Project’s One World-One Smile video at: www.youtube.com/thelevityinstitute [see if you notice anyone familiar at the 38 second mark]

SPREAD THOSE SMILES BY THE MILES!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Join my SMILE CAMPAIGN – earn those points – and on a bad day – when someone smiles at you FIRST – ka ching – cash them in!
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blog name: HELENOFLAFOLOT]

This is a TRIBUTE to a Healthy Happy Hour Laughter Club attendee.
I held a ‘Healthy Happy Hour’ Laughter Club at a local, highrise retirement apartment building.
It was a wonderful location, but I couldn’t get regular attendance. The last three months I held the club – my main attendee was HELEN D.

Helen D. was about 96 years old,
full of LOVE, SMILES, LAUGHTER and SPARKLING EYES!
She had a wonderful, scratchy, high-pitched voice – which happens as we age.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED that Helen D. would show up and she didn’t mind if it was just us laughing together!
I said to her: I find it amazing, that the people that show up regularly at my laughter programs at Senior Centers are those over the age of 90! I said: THAT says something for laughter and longevity!

She agreed.

Well! Of all places, I ran into two women that also lived at her apartment building 2 days ago. It was at the DOLLARTREE store where I get supplies – a FUN PLACE. So it was APPROPRIATE that I should hear about my LAUGHING friend Helen D. when I went there.

Evidently, Helen D. had to have the last laugh!
Helen died in her apartment on THE FOURTH OF JULY (Independence Day!)
I’m sure Helen D., sparkling eyes, laughter and smiles is thrilled that

SHE GOT TO GO OUT WITH A BANG! I think her spirit flew to the heavens with all the Fireworks displays going on and she was LAUGHING WITH GLEE!

I miss her greatly, but just thinking of her brings smiles and laughter to my heart and soul!

FLY FREE LAUGHINGLY HELEN D!!!!!!

Just like you to have the last laugh and GO OUT WITH A BANG!

Live Life! Laugh Often! and maybe you’ll live to the ripe age of 96!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life! and Laughing Often!
Next time you see fireworks – think of Helen D – laughing freely!
www.lafolot.com

[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blog name: Helenoflafolot

Not being funny, I was very excited about having completed a milestone in my dental improvements when I was about 42 yrs old.
I was dealing with a realtor at the time -
when she came over to my house, I announced:

I GOT MY IMPLANTS TODAY! and SMILED!

She looked at my chest (in question, since I’m short, overweight and not ‘very defined’ in that area … eh hem….)

NO! I said: DENTAL! DENTAL IMPLANTS!

…COMMUNICATION is a curious creature, is it not? ;o)

Needless to say – my implants will never be featured on the cover of any magazine when I become famous. [unless it's the American Dental Association magazine!]

Or should I say they will – but no one will notice them … other than DUE TO MY FABULOUS SMILE! ;o)

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
and SMILE! and show off that dental work!

[I told my one friend, I'd WILL the implants and crowns to her due to the cost incurred!] ;o) ashame to bury them!
this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blog name: Helenoflafolot

I had the most unusual and rewarding experience last evening! I stopped by a local art gallery’s monthly open house. I got to let a mother, who shows her jewelry there, about an online singing competition for which her teen daughter could participate. I have seen them at a local Coffee House Open MIC, also. The daughter was very interested. I was glad to help boost her ego!

Then, I went to the upper level of the gallery. I had seen a family come in with 3 pre-teen girls. It brought a smile to my face, the were ‘dressed in their Sunday best’, with the thrill of attending a ‘fancy function.’

I encountered 2 of the girls when I reached the top of the stairs. I said: ‘Ah! Two fine art connosieurs!’ They both smiled and the thinner, taller, blonde girl spoke up, noting her ‘friend’ was an Artist! Her friend was slightly shorter, average size, straight brown hair and glasses. The most ODD thing, they instantly reminded me of my grammar school friend Paula and me! I lived vicariously through Paula, a shadow at her side.

I was very shy, withdrawn, awkward, straight brown hair and Paula was tall, thin, blonde and outgoing as well as well outspoken. I was ARTISTIC but not comfortable with sharing my talents. Paula was involved in dance classes, baton, singing lessons, etc. I was the one in the background, doing stage sets or in the orchestra.

Well! I said to these two wonderful young girls (best friends) – YOU REMIND ME OF MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND PAULA and ME! The ‘Spokesperson’ of the two got a twinkle in her eye and smiled. Her quieter friend slightly smiled and noted her mother’s name was Paula (there was no connection).

I said: ‘Well! I see you are the spokesperson, AGENT/MANAGER for your friend, here!’ She laughed and nodded that to be true. I said: You know, there are many types of arts to express. I studied interior design, am more of a scenic painter and also good at Industrial Design. I said, I loved going to see Picasso’s early sketches, because – like me – I saw he had trouble drawing the human form. I said: I can’t draw people.

The quieter girl took a big breath and got out the words: I can’t draw people, but I can draw cartoons!

I said: Carricatures? Great! I went to give my SMILEY Face LAFOLOT bookmarks to both of them and THE AGENT/MANAGER took them both! HA HA I said: Well, here – I’ll give you a commissioned work request if you choose to accept it! I would like a carricature done. Check out my website, see my HA HA Helen character and see what you can do for me! If your parents are OK with it, I’ll buy it from you so I can put it on my T-shirts and use it in my business.

I felt like I was SEEING MYSELF as a shy, awkward child, BUT – was being given a second chance by an older version of myself to have the opportunity to express my artistic talent!

The AGENT/MANAGER outspoken friend noted that her BFF (best friend) was along for the ride with her parents. This was also so amazing, because I always tagged along with other friend’s families, due to coming from a large family with challenges. I tended to get adopted by neighborhood families, and ‘taken along’ to their outings.

It was the strangest thing, like I was seeing a MIRROR REFLECTION of my friend Paula and myself – but – this time – I was being given a second chance, to take a different path – to achieve my childhood dream.

Here’s to all the awkward young souls out there and their OUTSPOKEN, AGENT/MANAGER best friends that help them live vicariously THROUGH them until they are ready to get out there on their own.

In gratitude for having the chance to meet these two wonderful souls -

Highlighted Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life in Amazement!
www.lafolot.com
[this post can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot

WOW! I just LOVE ‘Magical Synchronicity’!

It is a HOT, HUMID, MUGGY 90 degrees fahrenheit outside today! One of those oppressive type days! Sun beating down relentlessly! The kind that makes you grateful to have air conditioning, shelter, etc.

So, by now, you can imagine how I was feeling when I left a restaurant and was walking back out to my car, thinking “OH MY GOSH! I’M GOING TO PASS OUT! THIS HEAT IS SOMETHING ELSE!” I am grateful to have air conditioning in my car as well as to have a car. I start driving down the road after making a second stop at the grocery store – the heat/sun was beating through the windshield. I look at the license plate on the vehicle in front of me:

OHMEOMY

I laughed out loud! My sentiments, exactly! I was finally able to RELEASE a LAUGH about the weather!
What synchronicity! What Magic! Some ANGEL or FLUKE put that license plate in front of me to express what I was holding in about the weather! OH! ME! OH! MY!

Then, a car drives by in the lane on my left and I see the license plate:

MY3STRZ

I think, God, the Universe, Spirit, Angels, who knows – were REALLY starting to mess with me! I laughed out loud!

MY STARS! IT WAS HOT! OH! ME! OH MY! WAS IT HOT!

Then, I got another laugh and smile, remembering how my dad used to make words out of interesting license plates he would see while driving. This was WAY before PERSONALIZED license plates got popular!

I recall him saying, when I bought a new Subaru JUSTY and the license plate was: BYZ (he walked out to the car to give his nod of approval and announced BE WISE! BE WISE!) ha ha ha

The year he died (August 11, 2000), I got a new car/license plate and the first 3 letters were: DAD [how appropriate!] I kept the license plate, even though I have since upgraded my vehicle and now have a HA-HAHA license plate; of which I feel he would approve!

So, in all this heat and humidity, I once again was reminded how to: DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY!

You can read more about my new DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! Campaign at my website.

Too HOT? Too much traffic? Too agitated about life’s challenges while driving?

Turn off your cell phone, focus on the road, and SEE HOW MANY FUN WORDS you can make out of the license plates driving by you!

DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! and KEEP SPREADING THOSE SMILES BY THE MILES!
Stay Sweet!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

I have been having a lot of people share with me lately:

1) I was sitting at a funeral for my mother. They started to play a church song that my mom, disliked. They reached one particular line that she especially hated – I BURST OUT LAUGHING!

2) I was in a very serious situation, I had not been dealing with it well, it’s not a situation where you would normally laugh; and I BURST OUT LAUGHING!

3) I was working on a mechanical problem, lying flat on my face, trying to unscrew a difficult nut and bolt and, suddenly, I BURST OUT LAUGHING UNCONROLLABLY!

As a trained, certified laughter leader – I am required to keep abreast of new studies on laughter and smiling benefits and impacts on the body and mind. I also do a lot of my own observations and testing when I am out and about in public. When I give my laughter wellness talks or motivational-inspirational speaking, I share information and experiences people have shared with me.

When my father was dying, I was blessed with being with him at his last coule breaths. I was also blessed to be from a large family. My mother or other siblings would be with him, at the hospital, during the day; then I would come in the evening. My dad LOVED to joke around, clown around, with kids as well as adults. He had his standard set of jokes. When a non-denominational minister came into intensive care to visit, she started out serious and my dad made a joke. She was so focused on the ‘Here’s a dying man with a family member, I better show respect…’ she didn’t realized he had joked with her. I let her know he was joking. She stopped and looked at me. I said, my dad loves to joke around, and I smiled. ‘WELL THEN, SHE SAID! I CAN STAY RIGHT IN THERE WITH THE BEST OF THEM!’ The rest of her visit was LITE and FLUFFY and my dad had a smile on his face at the end of her visit, giving her a thank you.

When my dad passed on, I went to tell the nurses. They were ready to console me. I said, ‘Oh No! I’m great! It was wonderful to be here, see him let go so peacefully.’ We started to talk about a funny fishing story where my dad had put a safety pin on the end of a string so I could FISH at the canal near our home. We were laughing out loud when my mother arrived. She was also at peace that he had been able to let go and pass on peacefully.

EVERYONE GRIEVES and LETS GO of their own life and of their loved one’s lives in a different way.

I have had more and more people tell me how they laugh and smile when they MISS and GRIEVE their loved ones. I have a minister friend tell me a woman said to her: ‘IF YOU’RE HERE TO HELP ME DIE, DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A** ON THE WAY OUT! IF YOU’RE HERE TO HELP ME ENJOY LIFE WHILE I’M STILL BREATHING, COME ON IN AND PULL UP A CHAIR!’

I had a representative of a Hospice, at a networking event, tell me yesterday (when I was at the event wearing my tinsel deely bobber headband): ‘YOU CAN’T WEAR THOSE AT THE HOSPICE!’ I was instantly shocked. I told her the story I noted above.

I respect everyone’s wishes and beliefs in grieving. Everyone’s wishes and beliefs are different and personal. I know MANY people that would be THRILLED to have me show up wearing Tinsel Deely Bobber Headbands if they were wanting to LET GO LITELY!

I heard of a family who lost their mentally/physically disabled son. They had a PARTY with BALLOONS at his viewing! Why? Because he LOVED PARTIES and BALLOONS! I wore PINK to a friend’s husbands funeral. He was a FUN LOVING FAMILY MAN and HUSBAND! He was KIND and CARING and FULL OF LIFE! He knew how to make you feel better when you were down, just by a kind word. I celebrated his LITENESS by wearing a LITE, BRIGHT COLOR to his funeral.

As for me – I want to LET GO LITELY and be seen with a SMILE on my face as I’m going to my next exciting adventure!

It’s OKAY to LAUGH at a funeral. Laughter isn’t all about responding to a joke. It’s OKAY to SMILE at a funeral. I tell people all the time – GRIEVING sometimes gets STUCK inside your body. Sometimes – planting a SMILE on your face or OPENING your MOUTH and LAUGHING allows the STUCK GRIEVING FEELINGS to SPILL OUT! I have had this happen to me on many occassions. When I feel STUCK – I open my mouth in a grin and sometimes start a tone to help my body let out, whatever it needs to process. Some cultures call this WHALING. It’s a healthy thing, to LET IT OUT and LET IT GO LITELY.

It may not be for everyone, but for those that wish – it should be allowed.

One of my favorite writings is by S.H. Payer: ‘Live each day to the fullest… be yourself, but be your best self… look forward with confidence and back without regrets…’

Another writer I like is: Don Miguel Ruiz who notes: Each day do you best. Each day your best is different, based on how you are feeling. So there are no regrets, because you are always doing your best.

If you need to LAUGH, laugh. If you need to CRY, cry. If you need to make a crack in your face with a smile to start a process, do it. No regrets – it’s your way of processing your feelings.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! until your breath stops -
May you live till you LET GO LITELY with a smile on your face –
May you have the chance to make all your amends, forgive freely and know that you have done your best – and when you are ready to LET GO – LET GO LIGHTLY in the brightest of light with that smile emanating even after your spirit has left your body.

…with peace and a smile Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT and make them wonder WHY you were smiling when you left.

[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

WOW! Double, Triple WOW! WOW! WOW!

I just got back from presenting a ‘Laughter? Let’s Get Serious!’ Laughter Wellness (a.k.a. Laughter Therapy, Laughter Yoga) program to a beautiful, HEARTY, HAR HAR HARDY bunch of generous, amazing women in a small mountain town about 20 miles from my home.

My HEART is SO FULL OF WARMTH from the ‘HEARTY’ reception I received after I presented the program to these women. They were not afraid or shy about responding to my suggestions with a HARDY HAR HAR HAR – laughing with me on fully on their own!

Their event was to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness and known as: ‘Paint the Town Pink’ – a Longaberger Basket fundraising event. There were at least 3 Cancer BEATERs there!

When I was done with the program and they finished their raffles – during which we all had fun using my LAFOLOT Cheering Flags to HOOT, HOLLER AND CHEER each winner of the many items raffled – they headed over to my LAFOLOT table of goodies for sale.

I have to say – I have never seen a more WARM, HARDY, HEARTY, GENEROUS bunch of beautiful souls! My heart welled up with warmth as they took turns telling me their personal stories –

One woman is a veteran who is no longer in active service due to injury. She explained she is home alone with two young children while her husband works. She note: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I’LL BE ABLE TO APPLY SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU SHARED! I WON’T HAVE TO SMOKE IN THE CAR ANY MORE! I’LL JUST WHIP OUT THIS PINWHEEL STRESS RELIEVER EVERYTIME I WANT A CIGARETTE!

Another woman came up to me and told me about her older friend who had a stroke and couldn’t make it. She asked if she could take ONE additional pinwheel stress reliever to give to her friend. I made her take three! I also gave her one of my Helen of LAFOLOT a Night at the Piano Bar music CDs so her friend could listen to the mellow sounds and heal from her stroke. I told her to laugh and listen to the music with her friend, it will help her mind to heal.

Another woman came up and said: WOW! WE COULD SURE USE THIS PROGRAM AT MY WORKPLACE! I was thrilled! She works at a local company whose attention I had been trying to get. I gave her a brochure and more SMILEY bookmarks and thanked her.

These women were so generous! Did I not say that already! I put my hand to my heart and sent it out to them one after the other. They just kept coming up, and giving me more than I was asking for my products to help my cause! My heart was welling with warmth and gratitude!

It was one story after the other, about how much they had gotten out of it, how wonderful it was, how they were going to apply it. I sold many Live Life! Laugh Often! Magnetic Bumper Displays. I normally give them to people that put them on their cars since it is advertising – but they insisted on paying!

These were the most AMAZING, HEARTY, HARDY HAR HAR LAUGHING FREELY, AS WELL AS FREELY SPREADING WARMTH AND GENEROSITY BUNCH of women I have ever met!

THANKS SO MUCH TO THE DUNCANNON, PA LONGABERGER BASKET – PAINT THE TOWN PINK WOMEN’S FUNDRAISING DINNER – YOU HAVE WARMED MY HEART MORE THAN THIS 100 DEGREE HEAT WAVE WE HAVE BEEN HAVING!

WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE -
HA HA HELEN Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often! and
PAINT THE TOWN PINK!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]