LAFOLOT

There’s something about getting a ‘gift’ tossed your way unexpectedly when you’re dealing with a lot of stress! Big Thank You of GRAT-I-TUDE (one of the things I teach that I need to learn) for an AH! MAZING! moment – WHERE? AT THE GAS PUMPS!

My tank was on empty, we had a couple ‘dumps’ of snow last evening and earlier in the day; I have a mother and sister in nursing and hospice care -

so what do I encounter when I finally get out to fill up my tank?

A man stops and smiles after paying for his fuel. He says: Are you a speaker? I answer ‘yes’ and ‘smile’ as I see that he’s noticed my magnetic car advertising.

To make a long story short – in addition – I’ve haven’t been able to keep up with my business handlings as well as I would have like; due to a lot of family needs surfacing (relocating my mom, closing down an apartment, closing out an assisted living apartment, etc.)

WHAT? Do I find in the small container I keep on the floor near my passenger seat (for business supplies) – A FULLY PACKED PAMPHLET about what I do! Miracle of Miracles! So he got to take a lot of information with him; in addition to what I shared face-to-face.

Somebody is watching out for me through all the ‘not fun stuff’ going on (which is one of the things I teach – how to work through or should I say RIDE through, more easily!)

AH! MAZING! Oh! Yes! and due to my radio commercial station forgetting to contact me regarding continuing my AD – they automatically offered me a FREE WEEK of Advertising!

AH! MAZING! Go figure! I certainly DO Live Life in AH! MAZEMENT! Have to shake my head side to side and smile and laugh over this day and this week!

AH! Yes! I can’t forget to mention the DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY moment I encountered, when I stopped at a shopping plaza parking lot; afterwards, and saw the license plate: JOYN-LIFE ‘Joy In Life?’ or ‘Join Life’ – no matter how you SEE it; it was a message gratefully received!

Full of it – GRATITUDE and AMAZEMENT, that is!

May you find – amidst some of the ‘overflowing piles of laundry of life situations’ – that you are being entertained by angels, unawares.

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

Just in case you need a smile – I’m sharing one with you right now.

As a motivational, inspirational speaker – I look at life from different perspectives. It helps me, and this is what I teach, to look beyond appearances; and get out of ruts with set thinking.

Today’s date: January 24, 2011 also written as 1-24-2011 (mm-dd-ccyy format)

I say it’s the day to RESOLVE Issues and toss both arms straight up into the air and announce YES! YES! I am now moving forward and letting go of an old way of thinking about an issue!

WHY?

If you add the numbers in the date: 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 11

The first 5 numbers add up to 9. 9 added to any number cancels itself out – so the RESULT (RESOLUTION) is the remaining number to which it is was added.
In this case, 11!

So 9 ALLOWS us to RESOLVE to the two ones which can look like two arms reaching upward in a YES! I CAN RESOLVE ANY ISSUE ON WHICH I AM STUCK!

YES! I NOW SEE THIS ISSUE IN A NEW LIGHT, FROM A FRESH PERSPECTIVE!

YES! I CAN MOVE FORWARD!

YES! I SEE YOU ACCOMPLISHING THIS TODAY!

1-24-2011 a day of RESOLUTION!

W.O.W! It’s a WORLD OF WONDER!

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Living BOLD and in Italics!
Living Life in AH! MAZE-MENT!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Toss those arms up in the air and Laugh, opening those lungs, taking in fresh air and release it with a healthy, laughing breath outward!

I chose to have a day of GRATITUDE!
I stated, recently, “I need to move forward in the alphabet and move from ‘F’ear to ‘Gratitude’ resulting in ‘H’appiness … ‘I’ say!”

Well! it’s been hellish dealing with family challenges these last 2 and 1/2 years (and prior – but it’s all growth opportunity!). The past two years, my brain damaged sister Dolly (hit by a drunk driver at age 19 – now 63) started to fail. I became her Power of Atty and worked with other family members – dealing with hospitals, vacating an apartment she had (what a mess), more hospitals, doctors, social workers, etc etc etc. Then my mom – the last 8 years – but more recently – failing fast. The last month – hospitals, rehab, vacating an apartment, moving her to assisted living, back in the hospital, rehab, hospital and now hospice. Now, vacating both the apartment (finalizing that) and vacating the assisted living. WHEN WILL IT STOP!? Is what you want to scream at times – but you keep on going!

Thank God for my 12 Step Program background, one on one and group counseling, self-help and Ah! Ha! moments! GRATITUDE and recognition of growth amidst it all is a blessing.

Well, while walking out of my mom’s apartment where I had just finished helping my younger sister finalize the cleaning. I was walking across the parking lot and this is what I saw! LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! (www.LAFOLOT.com) on the back of a BIG, SHINY, NEW, YELLOW PICK-UP TRUCK parked next to space number 21! (that’s my birthday in February).

LAFOLOT Bumper Display

Moments before, I ran into a resident at the Assisted Living building. I complimented her on her RED jacket, telling her it was HER COLOR! She said: When’s your birthday? I said: the 21st of next month. She said: Mine’s the 22nd! George Washington’s Birthday! WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
Was an ANGEL sent to put a smile on my face?

Then to see the bright, black and yellow magnetic bumper display for my motto and business on the bright yellow truck! WHAT A GIFT!

WHY? Because I had taken it off my mom’s refrigerator and placed it in the low income apartment housing’s social room for WHOEVER to take. I figured it would end up on someone’s refrigerator – not giving me advertising – but at least making someone happy.

WELL! I COULD HAVE CRIED TEARS OF JOY! It’s been tough – letting go EARLY of a very lucrative State Government job due to stress of dealing with my sister’s needs. It’s been tough trying to get my business off the ground.

Then, to see where my business advertising bumper display had ended up!

I have to shake my head in AH! MAZE-MENT! It’s truly a W.O.W.!!! World of Wonder!

BIG THANK YOU OF GRATITUDE for whoever is ‘looking out for me out there.’

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
SPEECHLESS
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!

If you write the date MM/DD/YY:

IT’S HA HA HELEN’S “GET UP and DANCE and LAUGH day!” 1-23-2011 Waltz, or Polka with a 1-2-3 Step, 1-2-3 Step and smile and laugh while you dance on January (1) 23 *weeee! PICK A PARTNER! DO-SE-DOH! Swing that Partner LAUGH & SMILE!

Must have been the cranberry juice I had before I went to bed –
visions of cranberries dancing in my head?

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Live Life! Laugh Often! and get those HAPPY FEET a movin’

It’s RECOGNIZE THOSE IN SERVICE day or Military Marching Day!

I often share the interesting premonitions I have, that aren’t Earth shattering.

Well, after SEEING 20/20 yesterday – with the date: 1-20-2011 (do you see the 20-20 in the middle indicating the reading for perfect eyesight?)

I laughed when I thought today’s date: 1-21-2011 starts out, 1,2 1,2 I guess it’s like a military marching cadence -
one, two one, two left, right left, right etc.

So, when I went to double check I was seeing it clearly, to look at a Monthly/Daily personal events, white board calendar I have on my office wall – MY EYES WENT WIDE!

I fill out the blocks on this calendar at the beginning of each new month.

Notice on the photo I attached to this note. I PREMONITIONALLY???? is that a WOID? wrote:

18 – 19 – 20 – 20 – 22 and the next line is 23.

LOOKS like I was SEEing the 20-20 BEFORE the event ever occurred!
The THOUGHT just popped into my head yesterday morning.

hmmm…. I find it all INTERESTING is all I can say.

SEEing is BELIEVING! But I ‘COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES’ when I saw what I had done! So I’m sharing it all -
the WONDER of it all!

Have an INTERESTING DAY – KEEP IN STEP – 1, 2 1,2 … MARCH forward – Spring will be here before you know it!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Living Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Live Life! Laugh Often! and STEP TO IT! KEEP IN LINE!

Today is January 20, 2011 – if you write the date as MM/DD/CCYY it ends up being SEEN as: PERFECT VISION DAY!

1-20-2011 – SEE the 20/20 in the middle!

It’s a great day to enVISION a PERFECT World on a PERFECT VISION DAY!

Well, I’ve been TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT IT! I SEE IT as a BEAUTIFUL thing!

So, when I went to lunch at YOUR PLACE – a local stromboli/pizzaria place – for their ‘low cost’ buffet I shared the information.

There is a WONDERFUL man there who works in the kitchen; but also keeps all the windows in the restaurant clean and clear. He creates perfect vision!

The first time I saw him as I was walking out; I said: YOU MISSED A SPOT! He laughed openly and smiled!

The 2nd time I saw him, he was cleaning a another window and I said: I’M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU YOU MISSED A SPOT THIS TIME!

He laughed openly and smiled.

TODAY! I saw him come out with his supplies. I said: Are you familiar with the term 20/20 meaning perfect eyesight?

He said yes.

I said: Do you know today’s date is 1-20-2011 – it has 20/20 in the middle and I’m declaring it PERFECT VISION DAY!

He laughed openly and smiled and said: YOU thought of that? That’s great!

I said: I’ve decided a GREAT nickname for YOU should be 20/20 man since YOU create PERFECT VISION for folks looking out the windows!

HE LOVED IT!

HERE’S TO enVISIONING A PERFECT DAY – NO MATTER WHAT DAY IT IS -

AND TO ’20/20 MAN!’ HELPING TO CREATE PERFECT VISION, EVERY DAY – HIMSELF!

Mr. 20/20 - a TRUE VISIONARY!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

Live Life! Laugh Often!

Living life in AH! MAZEMENT!

Living BOLD and in ITALICS! with a VISION OF PEACE and HEALTHY SOCIALIZATION IN THE WORLD!

I felt so good yesterday! Before my major AH! HA! HA! HA! Appreciation of all forms of life expression moment – in 2009, I had a terrible fear of bugs!

NOW! I can watch a spider in admiration and gratitude!

NOW! I can allow a bee to breezily buzz by me and SMILE!

NOW! I can pick up an ear whig and take it outside!

YESTERDAY! (It is below freezing winter weather here) – I went to grab hold of a pot handle from my dish drainer at the sink. I felt something sort of crunchy. Not till I put the pot on the counter, did I realize it was a stink bug!

IN THE PAST! I WOULD HAVE SCREAMED! JUMPED! ALMOST HURT MYSELF with unwarranted bug fear.

The new AH! HA! Helen stopped – looked at the bug in distress. It had fallen on it’s back and was wiggling its legs frantically.

I didn’t panic.

I tried to gently help it over with my hand; it didn’t work.

I used a fork to go to help it and the LITTLE STINKER GRABBED ON WITH ALL ITS LEGS! TO ONE OF THE FORK TINES!

What a SMART STINK BUG I had stumbled across!

I SMILED!

I walked it out of the kitchen and put the fork near my umbrella plant so it could have a safe haven (it was way too cold outside and with it surviving this long, it deserved to live out its life!)

It didn’t want to let go of the fork tine.

I tried a new position and held the fork upside down underneath the plant branch and SMART STINK BUG walked onto the branch! This bug DESERVED to live out its life!

Here’s to the WONDERFUL, SMART STINK BUG that allowed me the pleasure to REAFFIRM my AH! HA! release of my bug phobia, appreciation of life in all its forms of expression; and demonstration that I was indeed – LIVING LIFE! AND LAUGHING OFTEN! at the miracle of it all!

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Living LIFE in AH! MAZEMENT!
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!

I want to give a special ‘Shout Out!’ to STELLA, 98 years of boldness, who got me out of my slump!

While stopping in to visit my sister Dolly (hit by a drunk driver at age 19 and living permanently brain damaged – now age 63) at her nursing home on Sunday, I encountered a VIBRANT, BOLD, CHARACTER named STELLA! Let me tell ya’!

While sitting at my sister’s dining table with her 3 dining partners, I got to meet STELLA! The one dining partner was a SPUNKY, Full of Life woman who was there temporarily – healing from a heart attack and surgery. She was ‘the commentator’ of the bunch. This woman told me she had retired 3 times! She was TRULY LIVING LIFE!

Another dining partner was Sarah. A wonderfully KIND woman, who was constantly offering to assist STELLA! with her meal. STELLA! Let me tell ya’! announced I’M 98! She said she came from a family of 10 children and was the lst surviving one of the bunch. She announced her mother had lived to be 104! WOW!

The wonderful thing is, the ‘commentator’ was making the best of her time at the nursing home and got a real kick out of STELLA! Let me tell ya’! She let me know that every meal consisted of STELLA! coming to the table and BOISTERLY announcing her opinions about the food every time. I was told she usually ended up accidentally dropping it to the floor and Loudly Announced how Disgusted she was about it.

The amazing part was – after I had finished offering to assist my sister Dolly with cutting up her turkey, etc. (she has trouble with her partially paralyzed right side and her left hand now has weakened strength and shakes) – Sarah announced she couldn’t get her roll apart to butter it. I ASKED if she would like MY help – especially since she had been offering to help STELLA! Sarah said OK.

Well! Let me tell you! Not until I got up to help her, did I see that her left arm was at her side and totally unuseable! SHE HAD BEEN OFFERING HELP TO STELLA! So I broke open the roll and buttered it for her. She thanked me and smiled. WHAT A BOLD, BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL BUNCH OF WOMEN I HAD JOINED! WOW! I never even noticed Sarah’s limited physical capability due to her GLOWING KINDNESS towards STELLA!

I had given each of them one of my Bright Yellow, SMILEY FACE, Positive Statement bookmarks when I first sat down. I gave STELLA! one when she showed up, not to be left out.

Here’s the kicker! When STELLA! Let me tell ya’! was finished – she Pulled The Shirt Away from the Top Of Her Neck and STUFFED THE BOOKMARK DOWN THE FRONT to store in her Bra! My eyes went big! The commentator looked at me with a smile and shake of the head!

STELLA! Let me tell ‘ya! was CERTAINLY going to give a SURPRISE to whichever Aide or Nurse came in to change her for bed that evening!

So in getting down in the dumps yesterday from a lot of stress, having locked myself out of the house in the morning, the very cold weather; I have to GIVE A SHOUT OUT to STELLA! Let me tell ya’! for being the ANGEL that made me laugh and SNAP OUT OF IT – this morning – when I recalled her stuffing the bookmark down the front of her shirt!

Here’s to all the BOLD, BEAUTIFUL, BOISTEROUS WOW! WOMEN! out there who TELL IT LIKE IT IS and bring a smile, chuckle, laugh and loads of kindness to the world!

WOW!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Living Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Live Life Laugh Often!
Live BOLD and in Italics!

My family is in the process of vacating my mom’s apartment, now that she’ll be in assisted living. She’s currently at a Rehabilitation facility, recovering from pneumonia. Here’s how to get through the stress with a smile and a chuckle.

PILLOWS AND CUSHIONS LIKE PLAYING ON THE ELEVATORS, TOO!

When I was entering my mom’s former apartment building (to meet the Salvation Army donation pickup folks) – there was a sports car parked with the license plate: V8 HAHA ;o) I’m thinking V8 cylinder engine and the driver is laughing about ‘eat my dust’. ;o)

It put a smile on my face!

When the Salvation Army truck arrived and the 2 guys decided to take the sofa and love seat loose cushions and throw pillows first; along with the 2 end tables …

the one guy pressed the HOLD button on the elevator; and they went back to get one more pillow and cushion. When I went out to follow them down from the 8th floor – they were both still standing outside the elevator.

It took me a few minutes, after I went to get on the 2nd elevator – to realize – THE DOORS HAD SHUT AND THE STUFF WENT DOWN ON ITS OWN- TO THE NEXT ‘CALLED’ FLOOR!

the HOLD button hadn’t worked! The guys were standing there helpless.
I told them I’d follow it down –
problem was – people trying to get on the FULL elevator with pillows/cushions/ tables – were stopping the elevator I was on – HA HA!

The one guy got on and said … there are … I SAID, I KNOW I KNOW – LOL! it’s mine … *smile

When I got to the lobby – there were other seniors socializing and talking. One woman hollers over: IS THAT YOUR STUFF…
I interrupted Yessss – It’s mine! LOL!

When I pressed the button to try to get the elevator to come back – the doors were just opening and a SMILING SALVATION ARMY guy was now on the elevator with the stuff!

IT WAS SO COMICAL – LIKE A SCENE OUT OF THE CAROL BRUNETT SHOW with Tim Conway!

Nothing like getting a GIGGLE when dealing with Family Stress (moving an 85 year old mom’s stuff who is currently in Rehab – recovering from pneumonia).

PRICELESS! The story – not the assisted living and medical care! *pfew!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Live Life! Laugh Often! Even when the pillows and seat cushions decide to take a joy ride on the elevator!

Not having found 12 Step Programs and Group Counseling sessions till age 30 -

and seeing the world filled with:

people with UNRESOLVED emotional and mental health issues

using Bombs, Guns, and other self-destructive and outwardly destructive

ways to HEAL their ISSUES in a non-sensical way – -

I feel MORE AND MORE -

we need to provide a 12 Step Program type program in kindergarten thoughout college …

It doesn’t have to be 12 Step but – GROUP DISCUSSION oriented.

In addition to classes -

Giving a HEALTHY – circle of chairs environment for children to

COMMUNICATE

SHARE

AND HEALTHILY RESPECT one another in a SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

For them to learn to communicate with:

I FEEL …

I NEED …

statements

Many Bullies and GUN TOTING, RAMPAGING ADULTS

never learned how to TALK, EXPRESS and PROCESS feelings, frustrations …

They need a safe place to LEARN how to LET GO … TURN THINGS OVER …

MAKE LISTS of PROs and CONs of behaviors and thoughts that can be

run-on and unhealthy.

WHY WAIT UNTIL THEY USE DRUGS?

WHY WAIT UNTIL THEY COMMIT A CRIME?

WHY WAIT UNTIL THEY HARM THEMSELVES or OTHERS?

TO EXPERIENCE A HEALTHY SOCIALIZION or 12 STEP or

OPEN COMMUNICATION process?

Why not TEACH it and HAVE IT AVAILABLE from the get go -

So many children come to kindergarten, gradeshool (grammar school)

and HAVE NO IDEA how to HANDLE frustration, low self esteem,

strong character peers -

many bullies come from homes where the adults just don’t know

how to deal with life themselves.

HEAL THE WORLD WITH OPEN COMMUNICATION

GETTING FOLKS TO NOT BE AFRAID TO FEEL -

TO HEALTHILY EXPRESS -

TO SHARE-

TO WRITE and JOURNAL

in order to live HEALTHY, HAPPY LIVES!

THIS IS MY AFFIRMATION, MY PRAYER, MY WISH …

We need more trained GROUP COUNSELORS, GROUP LEADERS,

HERE AND ABROAD to help people to FEEL, HEAL, and LIVE!

IT’S TIME!

Highlighted Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

Motivational-Inspirational Speaker, Singer, Writer and Author