LAFOLOT

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I was very shy, withdrawn, awkward, straight brown hair and Paula was tall, thin, blonde and outgoing as well as well outspoken.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

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]

I was also going to title this blog entry: THEY REMEMBERED!

When I was first starting my LAFOLOT business back in May of 2008, I hit the ground running with marketing and advertising. I made use of keychains from A.C. Moore Craft store that allow you to unsnap the circle shape, place your own printed design inside and snap it closed/sealed.

When I was entering an Olive Garden Restaurant near me, and a crowd was outside, one particular man stood out. He was Laughing Out Loud, surrounded by several other people. I whipped out one of my: I Love to LAFOLOT keychains, walked up to him and said: ‘HERE, YOU NEED THIS!’ When he read it, he Laughed Out Loud! His family got a chuckle out of it.

Well! Zoom forward to June 30, 2010 -
I’m walking out of Olive Garden Restaurant -
I see an older couple and a younger girl standing around my car, looking at the HA-HAHA license plate;
Live Life! Laugh Often! Bumper Display; and
magnetic side panel advertising: LAFOLOT – Laughter Clubs and Talks; Motivational Speaking…

I was REALLY tempted to use my cars ‘help you find you car in a crowded parking lot’ feature and press the button to set all the lights flashing. The young girl was at the back of the car looking at the license plate.

But, when I’ve done silly stuff like that in the past, it has backfired on me. I thought, watch me do this and it won’t stop! HA HA

So, I crossed the parking lot, they saw me coming (AND THEY DIDN’T RUN! THAT WAS A GOOD SIGN! HA HA).
They had big SMILES on their faces.
I told them what I had planned to do with the car alarm system, they laughed.

The older woman told me: ‘DO YOU REMEMBER US? YOU GAVE MY HUSBAND A KEY CHAIN YEARS BACK!’ ‘YOU SAID, -HERE, YOU NEED THIS!’ when we were standing outside the restaurant talking with our sons!

I laughed, I HAD REMEMBERED! I said: ‘It’s only been since May 2008!’ The lady laughed and said, ‘That’s YEARS ago to ME!’ I guess they were telling their granddaughter about me, the keychain, and she was getting a kick out of my car advertising.

I told them, ‘Well, you made my day!’ You not only remembered me, but gave me the gift of letting me know you remembered!’ I told them how I teach ‘Good Hearted Living’ by Steve Wilson as well as Laughter Therapy/Wellness. I said: I tell people all the time how it doesn’t cost anything to share a compliment or kindness. I asked them if I had given them a bookmark back then and did they each want one? They did! So I gave them each a SMILEY face, bright yellow LAFOLOT bookmark.

So –

THEY REMEMBERED!
They had a PHOTOGRAPHIC memory of the event and it brought them laughter and smiles!
The young girl was PHOTOGRAPHING my license plate! (HA HA)

So I had to: SMILE! It was a PICTURE PERFECT moment!

Share those SMILES BY THE MILES, share your wonderful thoughts, moments and memories and make people’s days. Remind yourself and others how special they have made your life!

Live Life! Laugh Often!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

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

Whenever I present a ‘Laughter? Let’s Get Serious!’ talk, I also present ‘Good Hearted Living Principles’ based on a book by Steve Wilson, CSP. I talk about how you don’t need money to give a gift!

1) Give the Gift of Laughter!
2) Give the Gift of a Smile!
3) Good Hearted Living deals with giving the Gift of: Compliments, Flexibility, Gratitude, Kindness and Forgiveness.

None of the above require the exchange of paper money or the economy to be boosted in order to BOOST SOMEONE’S SPIRITS!

Instead of business cards, I give out Business BOOKMARKS! My bookmarks are bright yellow (yellow agitates the brain and inspires learning!). I included a silly, smiley face on all my bookmarks as well as ways to create a happier, more positive life through my list of suggestions on the back of the bookmark.

Whenever I am out and about, I LOVE sharing my SMILES (part of my SMILE CAMPAIGN) as well as my Bright, Yellow, Silly, Uplifting Bookmarks to brighten people’s days!

I always ask permission from a nearby parent; but when a child is crying, fussing or having a bad day – or bad time communicating their needs; I walk, run, or waddle over – put a silly smile and big eyed look on my face and ask: WOULD YOU LIKE SOME HELP GETTING YOUR SMILE BACK?

Usually, the child gets quiet (probably out of the shear fear of encountering a strange adult! HA HA HA), the parent askes if they would like the bookmark, they nod or reach out and I ask: Has this helped you find you smile again? Can you show me you smile? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t and THAT’S OKAY!

So COMICALLY, ECONOMICALLY it doesn’t cost even a PENNY for me to make these colorful business bookmarks that – in a PINCH (if you are PINCHING PENNIES) – BOOST THE SPIRIT, MOOD, DAY of the recipient.

So, one silly, smiley, yellow business bookmark at a time – I’m doing my part to comically boost the Emotional Economy of the public.

It’s a SILLY JOB, BUT SOMEONE’S GOTTA DO IT! Who ‘da THUNK a little piece of yellow cardboard could have so much comical-economical power!

Have a silly, smiley, laughter filled, comically-economically boosted kinda day –
HEY! Why Not? It’s HEALTHY!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Spread those SMILES BY THE MILES and make the inner light SHINE of everyone you meet!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

It’s been a day of discoveries and surprising prosperity!

I started out the day balancing my checkbook and discovering a $10 subtraction error; then still showing a $21.21 difference in MY favor! This was interesting, because the numbers 12 and 21 have been appearing in my daily transactions a lot, lately!

I then gathered together some books I no longer needed and drove them over to donate to my local library; for a book sale they are having in June. Before I drove to the library, I stopped at a business to check in with its owner about a future workshop. I found a note on the door that the owner was at a meeting, but luckily, when I turned around – a person I knew who recently called to refer me to a possible future speaking gig was at the Stop Light near the corner, where I was standing!

I called over a Hullo! and we exchanged a few words, the light changed, and I left smiling at the synchronicity!

I then headed to my favorite Thai Palace restaurant for lunch. I was a little bummed out, because of having left so many magnetic bumper displays there, which get taken, but I never see them on the cars parked at the restaurant. Well – I thought too soon!
I went to sit in a booth and a group of 3 adults and a toddler were sitting in a booth back and to the right of me.
The little girl was fussy and started to cry (which is OK with me, that’s what kids do!). I instantly pulled out one of my ‘REFLECT A SMILE’ popsicle sticks with a little round mirror on the end. I use it to market one of my talks, my smile campaign and my website.
I asked the ‘mom’ if it was okay to give the little girl one? She nodded, okay. When I gave it to the little girl, she was all smiles! I also gave her one of my yellow, Smiley Face bookmarks.

Well what do you think happened? The mom said: ‘ARE YOU THE LAUGHTER PERSON whose advertising is out on the business card board?’ I said ‘Yes!’ She responded how great that was, asked me what I do, and her husband and friend affirmed they’d love to have me come over and host a Laughter Party! I asked them if they minded me talking to them since they were eating, they said no, not at all! They wanted to start having more ‘meaningful’ parties at their home with guest speakers.

I gave them a mini demo of what I do, then I sat down. The little girl’s mom then let me know that she had seen my advertising around the area, at other places, that I was becoming well known to them and that I was almost embedded in her mind! (WHY? was I worried about not seeing my magnetic bumper displays!)
I told her I also teach Good Hearted Living re: Compliments and Kindness. I told her: ‘You made my day! You gave me the gift of a compliment and the kindness to share your appreciation of what I do!’ I said: ‘That is priceless! Thank you!’

We went about finishing our meals and said our goodbyes. I then stopped at my local grocery store. I’m always looking for restrooms and had too much Iced Tea to drink so I ran to unload! ha ha Last time I used this store’s restroom, I found over seventy five cents on the floor! So, when I entered, I exclaimed – ‘I am prosperous!’ I looked down, no money. ha ha

So I went about my shopping. I had been wanting to buy three new litter boxes and had been having trouble locating them at the grocery stores. I also didn’t want to spend a lot of money due to downsizing and being in the middle of saving money for my move to lighten up my expense load. I couldn’t find the litter boxes in the pet supplies aisle. I finally asked the speedy checkout clerk. A young guy in ‘plain clothes’ (not in the store’s uniform) asked what I needed, when the girl I asked wasn’t sure. He took me to the pet aisle and I explained I hadn’t found any there. Then, I looked UP and saw them on a very high place. He announced, here they are; and they’re only 1.97 each! I said, ‘Well! At that price, I can’t pass it up – give me three!’ I then asked if he worked there. He noted he was a night shift employee. I said, ‘Well thank you so much for your help, HERE HAVE A BOOKMARK!’ HA HA
He laughed. I said, ‘I ‘ll let the manager know how helpful you’ve been.’ I said, ‘Sorry I don’t have more than the bookmark to give you!’ He responded, ‘Hey! It’s more than anyone else has given me today!’ We laughed.

I went to the checkout and let the girl know how thrilled I was with his assistance and that the cat litter pans were only $1.97 each! Well! She was on the ball! I didn’t even notice. She stopped me after I self-scanned two of them. They weren’t coming up at $1.97.

To make a long story come to a close (ha ha), she discovered they ‘were’ on sale but for $2.51 bonus buy with the store’s club card – which I had. So, 2 other cashier clerk supervisors later, I ended up getting one cat litter pan for FREE (for my troubles) and the other two at $2.51 each (normally $2.98)! I asked for a customer comment card, and put all their names on the card, giving them credit for their SUPER SERVICE!

So, I guess I was right after all! I AM PROSPEROUS AND WEALTHY! Clear out the emotional and physical clutter and open yourself to the gifts waiting to come your way in Speaking Gigs, discounts and Free Items!

Have a day full of surprising, magical discoveries!
Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in Amazement!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blog name: Helenoflafolot]

The subject of this e-mail is a motto on my website (-when I’m not menopausal and acting like a fruitcake!) ;o)

I got to share my Helen of LAFOLOT Variety Show Singing and Humorist stories at a Mother’s Day event at Country Meadows Senior Living. There were only about 12 to 14 people there. The smaller audience was welcome, since larger audiences can’t always hear the karaoke and microphone combo unit I use.

There was a man named Marty and a woman named Mary sitting side-by-side. No connection, just happened to be sitting next to one another. WELL! They were singing out loud, right along with me! I sing songs from the 20s, 30s, 40s through the present. They know the words better than I do!

At the end, I had a spontaneous thought – I said: ‘I’m going to make t-shirts for the two of you! They’ll say M & on one t-shirt and M on the other!’ Marty and Mary LOVED the idea! They said they would wear the t-shirts and make sure to sit side-by-side if I came back to sing.

I made sure to tell them it would likely take a week, but I’d get the shirts to them. I got their sizes – L and M.

So, I DESIGNED the M&M logo – I made it a little different and with more color. One note: Marty of M&M with dancing musical notes underneath and the other said: Mary of M&M – it was within a red outlined circle with my LAFOLOT logo underneath.

WELL! I drove down and dropped them off this morning. I thought I’d just give them to the Activities Director but there sat a group of seniors waiting for an activity to start. MARTY’S EYES BEEMED! He even got a little teary eyed!

He was so thrilled! He said: ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU REMEMBERED!’ I said: ‘I WOULDN’T HAVE PROMISED AND NOT STUCK TO IT!’

He was soooo moved – he shakily stood up out of his chair – used my hand to steady himself and ASKED if he could thank me with a hug! I thought that was so nice that he ASKED – I said sure!

Then – they told me where Mary’s room was – I encountered Mary in her wheelchair – heading back towards her room. Mary is very hard of hearing – so I bent towards her ear and HOLLERED that I had made her the shirt. She was ECSTATIC! She was so thrilled and couldn’t thank me enough! Mary told me, once again, how much she enjoyed my singing and hoped I would be back soon! WOW!

AW SHUCKS! I did it because I thought it would be a fun idea – and might get me back for more singing!
The reaction was PRICELESS! What a GIFT!
What more can I say!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this can also been seen at Vibrant Nation Blog Circle name: Helenoflafolot]

I had a little 7 lb Malti-Poo (Maltese-Poodle) named Freddie; who is now in doggie heaven. He was pure love! He loved being held! Family and friends loved watching him when I traveled. My one niece, Emily, wouldn’t put him down when she came to visit. Freddie was a ‘wonder dog!’ It was fun to watch him get lost in the snow due to his size and white fur.

Now, the important thing to note is, a dog is a dog, no matter what the size. One day, when I was attempting to groom him, he SNAPPED at me and growled. Well! I had taken a previous dog through training and knew I needed to not allow him to see my fear. So, what did I do? When Freddie Snapped, Bared his Teeth, and Growled;

1) I got a look of surprise with a smile on my face! [I DID NOT RUN AND COWER.]
2) I exclaimed: OH! YOU WANNA PLAY, DO YOU?
He stopped growling and baring his teeth. He looked at me with curiosity.
3) I had been drying him with a towel, so I got the towel and started to play ‘get the towel’ – I said: ‘You wanna play? You wanna play? Freddie immediately went into PLAY MODE! He forgot the growl and teeth baring; he learned that DOING THAT wasn’t going to threaten me and make me run.

I was then able to continue drying his fur after his bath.

The wonderful thing is, because other people expected him to be this cute, fluffy, bundle of joy; I had to remind them that he was first, a dog. So, when my mother watched him while I traveled; I let her know about the OPPOSITE reaction action if she decided to bathe or goom him, etc.

When I returned, my mom was excited to tell me that IT HAD WORKED. She said: ‘I did just as you told me and he started to play and stopped growling!’

I learned a big lesson by taking this approach with my Wonder Dog Freddie! I started to apply this same OPPOSITE REACTION ACTION when dealing with people.

If someone was angry or yelling at me, I wouldn’t cower in fear; I would take an oppposite reaction action and it would diffuse the situation, confuse them, and get them back on track.

I started a HA HA HELEN OF LAFOLOT SMILE CAMPAIGN when I first became a laughter leader and started my LAFOLOT business. I saw that if I SMILED at those approaching me; if they did not have a smile on their face – it created one. I started a Page out on Face book: I JOINED HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN! I love seeing the OPPOSITE REACTION ACTION it creates on a person who is having a bad day; or walking with a frown.

My one sister commented that when her husband dropped her off at a building before going to park, a man who felt she was walking in front of his car started to wave angrily and indicate his dissatisfaction. My sister noted: “I decided to not react to his anger, I stopped and gave him a smile, and he stopped – confused.” Her opposite reaction action threw him off due to not being able to continue with his anger. He no longer had a recipient to the anger.

I don’t always practice this as well as I would like. On days when I’M THE GIVER OF THE UPSET, ANGER, OR FRUSTRATION – I am VERY APPRECIATIVE if the RECIPIENT gives me an OPPOSITE REACTION ACTION to help me to not continue in a negative direction.

So let’s all get out there and JOIN MY HA HA HELEN SMILE CAMPAIGN and practice OPPOSITE REACTION ACTIONS in our daily interactions. Let’s throw a little confusion into the mix and cause one another to ’shake off the growls, teeth baring, and snapping’ – causing it to diffuse and end in a SMILE.

None of us wants to stay in those ‘OOPS DID I JUST MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF’ modes.

Have a FUN day filled with OPPOSITE REACTION ACTIONS – for the better, of course!

Give a Smile, Get a Smile …
Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

Having had the wonderful opportunity to become a Certified Laughter Leader, WLT; I learned of the many health benefits of Laughter Wellness. The one that I’m talking about in this blog is: Extended/prolonged laughter ‘LIBERATES INTERLEUKIN-2 AND OTHER IMMUNIE BOOSTERS.’ Basically, it’s like the high you get from jogging or the relaxation you get from basic exercise done on a regular basis.

Having had the wonderful opportunity in life to take advantage of mental and emotional health services, I learned so many wonderful TOOLS for staying on track and staying healthy! One of those tools is journaling. I enjoy reading a regular article written by Dr. James Rouse (naturopathic physician) in a monthly periodical I receive. I was THRILLED to discover the wonderful health benefits of JOURNALING!

Dr. Rouse notes: ‘Taking as little as thirty minutes on four consecutive days to write about emotional topics helped raise the IMMUNE-BOOSTING LYMPHOCYTE count in chronically ill patients. This powerful study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Psychosomatic Medicine, may help to illustrate how holding toxic emotions inside ourselves can breed desease.’

So, when you are worrying, obsessing, out of focus due to run on thoughts or just plain sluggish, depressed, ‘in a blue mood’ GOING MENOPAUSAL, etc

HAVE AN EXTENDED LAUGH
HAVE A HEALTHY CONVERSATION/THOUGHT DUMP WITH YOUR SPECIAL TABLET AND PEN

Basically – TAKE A LOAD OFF!

We get our physical household trash picked up weekly;
We separate the ISSUES, I mean plastics, paper, biodegradable trash -

Why not take a daily or weekly RECYCLING – TRASH THOUGHT ORGANIZING few moments to TAKE THAT LOAD off and make room for the next round of thoughts and activities that is waiting to CYCLE or RECYLCLE through your mind.

GET READY FOR YOUR HA HA HELEN OF LAFOLOT daily workout:

LAUGH
JOURNAL
BREATHE
RELAX
…have a New or Creative thought!
(recycle as needed)

This has been a Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT ‘non-medical/unofficial – just some thoughts’ blog moment.
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation blogpost name: Helenoflafolot

Friends and family have been encouraging me to put my creative characters and motivational/inspirational messages out on You Tube.

I talk about appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression; being in AWE of it ALL!

I have been hearing back from women, men and teens all over the world about their appreciation of my self-expression in video and blog form.

It’s funny, because I look at the videos and photos and see a short, fat, woman with no lips, a big menopausal abdomen, large forearms and gobble gobble neck –

BUT! When folks see me they say: YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!

So I KEEP ON spreading my message of ACCEPT LIFE in ALL its forms of expression –

don’t crawl into a hole because you don’t FIT THE NORM.

GET OUT THERE AND BE THE ‘ME’ YOU WERE MEANT TO BE!

Here’s my Creative, Menopausal Woman over 50 video I submitted to The ELLEN Show for her: Write a World Domination Theme Song contest.

Not bad for a White Hungarian Rapper? My darker complected friends get a kick out of my rhythm and rapping abilities! I get it from my HUNGARIAN ANCESTORS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Gm37ku7zw

I hope you can get to the video link, above! If not, my channel on You Tube is HELENOFLAFOLOT – just type it in the search box and look for the video called: DomEducate

I’M VERY PROUD OF IT!

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often! (Live in AWE of it ALL! and Make Life a Song!)
www.lafolot.com
This blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blog circle name: Helenoflafolot

Each day, I am more and more amazed at the synchronicity happening in my life! I am to the point, when I get up in the morning and experience what I see as a challenge/block/frustration, by the time lunch comes around; I am reading about the SOLUTION in my daily meditation magazine! Then, I have to laugh out loud! It’s gotten to the point that I want to PEEK in the daily meditation magazine to SEE what is in store for the day; BUT that would spoil the surprise! Kinda like read the last page of a book before you get to enjoy the journey within! Some days I feel like I’m in the ‘Groundhog Day’ movie with Bill Murray!

I had a BIG AH HA, part II – today. It’s said we ‘teach what we need to learn’; I am doing this big time! Around age 49, I had a big AH HA! moment; as a result, I was able to move forward in my life, stop hiding, see my life as the gift that it is, and START LIVING!

This resulted in me taking early early retirement from my 28 1/2 year job on a leap of faith, starting my LAFOLOT business, starting my website and setting the intention to Motivate and Inspire others through Speaking, Singing, Writing, and Laughter Wellness.

My first big talk was called ‘Seeing With New Eyes!’. This talk was an off-shoot of my big Ah Ha! moment. I saw that the talk was so flexible as to be given in many different venues. My ‘teaching what I needed to learn’ was coming out no matter HOW I expressed myself! I realized today, when talking with a friend, that it EVEN came out in my book: Life is a Song in the Key of Love OR Growing Up With the Embarrassment of Prejudice. The intention of the book is to appreciate life in ALL its forms of expression; to be in AWE of it ALL. Once again, as I talked to my friend, I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD at the synchronicity! It seems no matter what I undertake, the idea and lesson appears to come out as: SEEING WITH NEW EYES!

As I read my daily meditation today, the first quote JUMPED out at my EYES! “We are all like flies crawling across the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. We cannot see what angels and gods lie underneath the threshold of our perception.” William Irwin Thompson
I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD! There it was, again!

I then recalled how I spent a majority of my life Doodling EYES whenever I was bored in school. Everytime I had a chance to doodle, I was doodling eyes! I wondered WHY I had chosen THAT particular doodle, but then the thought would leave. Then, I had the AH HA moment PART II! Was my life purpose or intention to SEE things from a DIFFERENT AWARENESS; a DIFFERENT PERCEPTION? This is what I talk about in my presentation.

The songs I sing have to do with SEEING life in a NEW LIGHT; SEEING things turn around. I was in total A-MAZE-MENT today as this new AH HA came flying at me!

I had been very depressed the past couple days. I choose to be aware of depression, talk and write through it. I also choose to cry in order to process my feelings; as well as whine if necessary. I feel by going through the process; just as with a cold or flu – I can then move forward. I feel if I HOLD IT IN, it never leaves. So, I allowed myself to feel the depression and cry at breakfast as well as whine. When I allowed myself to whine, I started to LAUGH; realizing how I sounded like a little two year old. But, it was OK, because of the AWARENESS and being able to SEE myself from a DIFFERENT ANGLE or PERCEPTION. I could SEE myself depressed, FEEL for myself in that moment and help myself to LAUGH and start to LIGHTEN myself up!

I was able to START MOVING FORWARD and prepare for my next day’s event. Then, as I read the daily meditation at lunch; the day even got better! It talked about not giving one’s power and personal energy to people and things outside ourselves. I immediately thought of how I was giving my energy/power to the Condo Board where I live. I was allowing my frustration with the board to take hold of my feelings. AH HA moment! I then realized, when I had gone to Boiling Springs, PA (USA) Children’s Lake, yesterday – I was SEEING another solution by watching the fish in the area feeding water into the lake.

I was standing on the bridge, watching the fish just hover in the water as the inflowing CURRENT (energy) washed around and THROUGH them (their gills). They didn’t FIGHT the CURRENT, but allowed gentle movement (as they used GROUP ENERGY by clumping together) to stay in one place while the FOOD, WATER, CURRENT, ENERGY flowed around and through them.

I thought! Smack myself in the forehead! OPEN MY EYES! There I was HIDING from the Board, RUNNING from the Board, ALLOWING them to EXPEND my energy! I was ALLOWING them to MOVE ME in directions I didn’t want to go, zapping me of my energy!

Once I read this, realized about the doodling eyes, was REMINDED of the lesson I TEACH, but also need to LEARN; I GOT MY ENERGY BACK!

So, after having finished packing my ’stuff’ for my event tomorrow; as well as having had the ENERGY and TIME to get organized, make more items to GIVEAWAY and advertise my LAFOLOT business –

I’d say THE EYES have it! … focused in the right direction of thought, for the moment, until I decide I need another lesson!

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life in A-Maze-Ment!
Being in AWE of it ALL!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be found at Vibrant Nation under Blog Circle name: Helenoflafolot]