Twenty Points! WOW! Big SMILE!
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]
Tags: angels, awareness, Camp Hill, Carlisle PA, communication, Connecting, Ha Ha Helen, Healing, health and wellness, Helen Szollosy, Inspirational Speaker, lafolot, Laughter, laughter therapy, Laughter Wellness, mechanicsburg, mentors, smile, smile campaign, stress relief, toddler, Vibrant Nation, Wellness
