It’s been a year of challenges, frustrations, and dissapointment – HOLDING ON – knowing that SEEDS have been planted and are GERMINATING – ready to BLOSSOM and grow my LAFOLOT.COM business. I AFFIRM THIS!

I have newly title myself: OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER! If the TITLE fits, WEAR it!

Heres the AH! MAZING! NARRATIVE of KONTAGIOUS KINDNESS events and OUTLOOK SHIFTS since yesterday!

I had a dental appointment yesterday morning at which I received a coupon attached to an 8 1/2 inch sheet of paper. I was ‘dissapointed’ because I thought the dental hygenist said she would give me a coupon for anti-bacterial mouthwash – all I saw was a coupon for dental floss. But I chose to be grateful.

OUTLOOK SHIFT: I took the coupon sheet to the grocery store, and when I went to fold and tear the coupon at the perforation; I FOUND OUT THERE WAS PRINTING ON THE BACK – and THAT’s where the mouthwash coupon was! SILLY ME! It just took an OUTLOOK shift to discover THE GIFT! When I used the coupon, the grocery store DOUBLED it’s value and the coupon maching SPIT OUT (no pun intended re: the mouthwash) – ANOTHER $1.00 off coupon for the same produce – not expiring for 3 months! Woo Hoo!

Last evening, after leaving my mom’s hospice room and having to help her eat (this is not easy for me emotionally nor physically) – I stopped at a local 7-11 Convenience store to pick up a Hotdog and Fritos for dinner. The owner of the store knows me as a frequent customer. HE GAVE ME THE HOTDOG FOR FREE! What a kindness! We never know what people are experiencing in their lives – that GESTURE was PRICELESS!

I got up this morning and sang my own made-up song, chants about everything I was grateful for. The shower, the water, my hair-blow dryer, etc etc.

When I went to visit my sister in her nursing home I found an older couple sitting near the lobby front door. Even though it was 10 A.M. – he kept greeting everyone with GOOD AFTERNOON because he thought it was funny! I had my clown nose with me – so I put it on and he and his wife laughed!

When I went down the hall towards my sister’s room – the PHYSICAL THERAPY staff were helping a senior woman go through Plastic Cones – to learn how to maneuvre her walker. They said: OH NO! YOU CAN’T JUST WALK BY! YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CONES! I slipped my clown nose out of my pocket – put it on my face and OBLIGED! They laughed and thanked me.

I found my sister, relaxed, content and resting on her bed. She was happy to get her wristwatch back after a recent stay in the hospital. We had a nice visit.

On my way out, I told her PHYSIATRIST that I ‘VALUED’ his intentions and actions in trying to assist my sister with her mobility, etc. I hear THE HOKEY POKEY being played on a piano and followed the music into a senior/group event being held by two women (one singing, one playing the piano). With my clown nose, I entered the event and they stopped and smiled. They allowed me to join in and physically do the hockey pockey for them – while it was replayed.

I left the building feeling good about having entered with a positive outlook shift – my family having been challenged recently re: my sister’s care.

When I got to the grocery store after that – I saw A FANTASTIC deal on a HUGE SIZE box of cat litter. I’m really hurting financially – so it would have been a good buy – but TOO HEAVY for me to lift. I said that out loud in the aisle – JOKINGLY – and another woman shopper – without skipping a beat – LIFTED THE HUGE BOX OF LITTER INTO MY SHOPPING CART!

I told her I have on my website: A LITTLE KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY! She had done a great service and unexpected kindness for me! I gave her 3 LAFOLOT bookmarks. She was thrilled because she had just bought a book at a 2nd hand book store! Since I work at this store, I mentioned HER KINDNESS to one of the management and they said they would offer her a discount coupon for having helped me!

KINDNESS IS KONTAGIOUS!
You never know when THAT SMALL GESTURE is helping someone with BIG BURDENS in their life.

Thanks to ALL THE ANGELS that presented themselves to me this past week! Sending thoughts of healthy laughter and smiles out to all!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!

I thought, ‘how sad’ – this Crow has ‘something to crow about’ and no one – not even another crow, is able to hear.

I then thought, how many times in life do we have ‘something to crow about’ and WE aren’t heard nor noticed.

I am passionate about what I do, ‘Outlook Shift Engineer!’, Laughter Wellness (Healthy Socialization) and Healthy interaction through smiling and kindness – but so many times – I feel like this Crow – in the middle of a busy intersection, not being heard nor noticed.

I was cleaning my office this morning and noticed all the ‘THANK YOU NOTES’ and ‘NOTES OF APPRECIATION’ I have ‘salt and peppered’ around my desk. These ‘PRICELESS FORMS OF COMMUNICATION’ are highly cherished! I keep them around to ‘keep me going’ when I ‘FEEL LIKE THE CROW WHO WAS NOT HEARD.’

The ART of communication is a wonderful, priceless thing!
The ART of listening.
The ART of a kind word, a smile, a simple FREE-ly giving gesture.

I was driving along the road and saw a woman in the lane to the right of me, her window halfway down – and a cigarette in her hand. Normally, I would get very annoyed, because of not wanting to breathe in the smoke and I would be judgemental.

I did an OUTLOOK SHIFT at that moment, put on my CLOWN NOSE – looked to the right in the woman’s direction (my car window was up) and I WAVED and SMILED!

The woman instantly waved and smiled back at me. I felt good that I had ‘changed my outlook’ and chosen to SHARE A HEALTHY SMILE AND A WAVE with this soul – traveling on the same road of life as I.

May you have a day filled with ART-full, Kind, Free-ly given beautiful communication -

and while ‘THE MASSES’ may not HEAR you nor I – perhaps, like me – being the only one noticing the CROW ‘CAWING’ out its message – you, too – will have ‘one special soul’ with whom to share your message.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Outlook Shift Engineer!
Live Life! Laugh Often!

Well! I was driving in a shopping plaza and noticed the obviously weary
Salvation Army Bell Ringer – out in the cold. She was getting up from taking a
rest on the curb.

I am short of funds – but I pulled my vehicle to the curbside -
rolled down my window -
reached over to my passenger seat for the:

Dollar Store FELT, DEER ANTLER HEADBAND WITH BELLS (I had been using the last
two weeks to attract smiles/laughs)

and I HANDED it to her through the window. HER FACE BEAMED A SMILE!

I said: Here, these oughta make you feel better and attract more donations!

You would have thought I had given her gold! She took them and reached her
gloved hand into the car to shake my hand and wish me a Merry Christmas!

*sigh .. last year I gave my tinsel deely bobber headband to the Salvation Army
worker outside the same store and got the same reaction! I wrote a blog called:
Gift of the Tinsel Deely Bobber Headband

This is what I share in my motivational-inspirational talks -

it doesn’t take money to make someone’s day -

the LITTLEST, SIMPLEST things bring the BIGGEST, HEART WARMING smiles.

I live life in A-MAZE-MENT! There was a book written called ‘Don’t sweat the
small stuff.’

On the other hand – I TRULY FEEL it’s THE SMALL STUFF – the Positive Side of it
all – that LIGHTS UP THE WORLD!

“Lots of LITTLES make a BIGGLES of GIGGLES and SMILES!” – my latest Ha Ha Helenism.

…I’m smiling … and it feels good.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM

[it feels good because it's been a stressfull 2 years w/ my oldest brain damaged sister (as a result of being hit by a drunk driver was she was 19 - now age 63) going into a Nursing home and this past week - helping two other sisters get my mom over to an assisted living building. In the middle of it all - the fire alarm went off at the new place IT WAS A MESS! My blood pressure has been all over the place ...]

I REALLLLLLY NEEEEEDED THIS SMIIIIIILE OPORTUNITY – I’m grateful it POPPED into my lap this evening.
Grateful for the gift of the deer antlers with bells! Oh? Wasn’t it for me?

Coming from a ‘challenged’ family with 7 children and being ‘kid number 6′, I had the freedom to ‘be me’ early on. No one was really paying attention. As a result, later in life, I had a few very good friends tell me: ‘I admire that you dare to be different, to be yourself.’ I always remembered those compliments as PRICELESS GIFTS!

I call folks that dare to be different: PICASSOS! Whenever I get to personally know and talk ‘deeply’ with a person who life ALLOWED to be different – for whatever reason – I PRAISE THEM for their PICASSO-nature! re: physical or mental differences – their INNER-SPIRIT daring to ride agains the NORM!

I wrote about this in my ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’ Book and continuously bring this to my own attention as well as others. I coined a phrase: PEER POSITIVE as a result. I am very much against going along with the PRESSURE of ADs and MARKETING to ‘BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE.’

Personally, I feel my eyelashes are long enough, thank you. I’m OK as I am – and if I choose to BE A PICASSO rather than the STANDARD LANDSCAPE OR FRUIT BOWL painting, than so be it. I don’t give in to Peer Pressure, I’m a PEER POSITIVE.

There’s no need for a LAND OF MISFIT TOYS – No Need for a Sad ‘Charlie in the Box’ –

I SALUTE the differences and let out a SIGH OF RELIEF for the REFRESHING NATURE of these beautifully, daring expressions of LIFE SPIRIT!

WOO! HOOOO! FOR YOU! and ME! *weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Have fun on this RIDE OF LIFE!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Living Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Living BOLD and in Italics!

I parked my car in a busy hospital parking lot this afternoon. It has my LAFOLOT business display on the side of the car; so people instantly don’t take me too seriously. Imagine that!

I was getting some ‘SILLY STUFF’ out to wear and take into the hospital with me, while going in to visit my mom. A car pulled in next to me – and it ‘wasn’t just WHISTLIN’ DIXIE!’ let me tell ya!

I had to laugh when the high-pitched tone/squeel was coming from the engine under the car hood. The mid-Eastern looking man was puzzled. I said: I think it’s in the ‘KEY OF E’ and I perfectly matched the tone with my voice. HA HA! I know THIS wasn’t what he wanted. LOL!

He said: ‘It just started this morning, I don’t know what it is!’
I said: ‘I’m pretty sure it’s the FAN BELT. ‘ All you need is some wax or soap on it and it will probably stop squeeling.’

He LOOKED at me, but didn’t question. [SMART MAN!]
I said: ‘I used to help my dad with his car fix it stuff, that’s an EASY one.’ I said: ‘Open the hood while it’s running and we’ll be able to tell right away if that’s it.’

He didn’t question and SURE ENOUGH – I said – ‘Here, see – this is the belt and LISTEN TO THAT! THAT’s where the sound is coming out!’ He was thrilled! He closed the hood.

I said: ‘You could just go to PEP BOYS car parts, pick one up and they’ll put it on for you in their garage bays at the store. Low cost!’ I said: ‘Now if your car were to just SHUT OFF – that would be ELECTRICAL – maybe the spark plugs.’ ‘I know THAT much.’

He said: ‘My Air Condition hasn’t been working.’ I said: ‘Is it working at all? thinking Freon’ He said: ‘No, not at all.’ I said: ‘Then I’d think THAT was part of the electrical circuit area, too – I would focus on taking it to an auto electrician.’

He shut off his engine and closed his car door saying: ‘I NEVER THOUGHT A WOMAN WOULD KNOW THESE THINGS!’

[I'm 5'2", 51, overweight, menopausal and heterosexual - just FYI] I responded: ‘I write and talk about not labeling and judging people. You NEVER KNOW what’s beneathe the surface!’ He smiled as he walked towards the hospital entrance.

I finished putting on my: Tinsel Deely-bobber headband, Smile Badge pinback button, gathering a couple Spread Smiles by the Miles Flags and Stress Reliever Pinwheels and headed for the main hospital entrance. OH! and wearing a SMILE on MY face, too!

OOH! WAH! DARN, I’M GOOOOOOD! HA HA!

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
only BEGINNING to skim the surface of my AMAZING CAPABILITIES! Hee! Hee!
www.lafolot.com
Appreciating LIFE in ALL its forms of expression!
Author: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love!‘

I used to really dislike grocery shopping. Now, I PURPOSELY do ‘frequent’, ‘inefficient’ shopping so I HAVE to go back more frequently! Nuts? Oh, no! There’s a ‘madness to my method!’ HA HA!

Being a newly independent business owner, it give me more visibility! Since I work from home, it gets me out of the house for FUN socialization! Why? because I talk to people at the grocery store, joke and spread compliments and smiles!

Today, I was nearing the end of an aisle when a young woman stops her cart – OBLIVIOUS – blocking my exit. She didn’t notice me and proceeded to slowly walk around her mini-cart and reach on the bottom shelf for the plastic iced tea container. FUNNY PART WAS – the mini-cart was loaded with 6-packs of soda all around the top and bottom edges of the cart.

I ‘just stood there’ watching. I found it funny. She was moving in slow motion, oblivious. She finally noticed me, and apologized. I laughed, smiled and said “Oh! don’t worry – I do laughter wellness for a living and I was getting a kick out of watching the whole thing!” The HILARIOUS part was, she was double-checking that the iced-tea was INDEED sugar free! HAHAHAHA – she had tons of sugary soda in the cart! (I know – it could have been for several different people, it was just funny.) We talked about food carton labeling a few seconds and went on our merry way.

When I got over to the dairy aisle, I noticed a woman with beautiful, long, healthy, black, shiny hair! I have a cosmetology license, so I KNOW healthy hair when I see it! I said: ‘Excuse me, I don’t normally do this, but I have to tell you you have the most beautiful, shiny, black hair I’ve ever seen! What do you do to it?’ She was an woman possibly in her lat 30s or 40s. She said: ‘Oh! I’m getting it ALL CUT OFF for LOCKS OF LOVE!’ [I was impressed!] She said: ‘I never use hot blow dryers on it.’ It was amazing!

Besides making ‘frequent’ trips to the grocery store (on a daily basis), I also walk from one end of the store to the other – not in a down and up the aisle pattern. Why? It GETS ME MORE EXERCISE and I feel SILLY doing it! It’s fun! I make my Grocery List in my head by getting the first letter of each item needed and making a word out of it! For example, yesterday it was WAT or TWA (Trans World Airlines!) HA HA Water, Apples, Tea bags! I just remember the word or phrase and off to shop I go!

IT’S FUN, SILLY and puts a smile on my face as I remember my items without writing them down! It’s a GREAT EXERCISE for THE BRAIN, too!

As I checked out, I wished the Indian/American cashier attendant Hello! in HINDI (I know a couple Phillipine/American women there, also – so I get to with them Hello, Goodbye, Thank you in their languages, too!)

As I walked towards the exit, I see a TALL, Model-like young woman in Shoe Heels that were almost as tall as me! They must have been 4 1/2″ heels! Talk about A HEALTHY WORKOUT while BALANCING on those things! I left the store in my SENSIBLE SNEAKERS with a SMILE on my face!

Here’s to healthy, happy, inefficient, social grocery store shopping! HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT style!

Spread those SMILES by the MILES!

and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! to the grocery store!
www.lafolot.com
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT

‘DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!’ moment! HA HA!

I was heading out of my Mobile Park to turn onto the main road -
I looked at the first three letters of the license plate
in front of me.

GBL – Ha Ha Ha! That’s GOBBLE! for Thanksgiving! How appropriate!

I went to record my FIRST RADIO AD for a small local radio station- WOO HOO! It went well! I used my THEATRE VOICE! Ha Ha! [ fyi - it will air Monday Nov 29 7:41 AM each weekday before the Comedy minute through December 25, 2010 - 1230 AM Fortress - a local - southcentral PA radio station]

Afterwards, I headed out into Holiday shopping traffic to do some food shopping and head over to my favorite office supply store for my 2011 business wall calendar.

When leaving the parking lot to drive home – I looked at the car in front of me. The first 3 letters on the license plate were:

ELV

HA HA! ELVES! How appropriate for the Holiday Season!

Guess I’m ‘DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY!’

Have a Ha Ha Happy THANKSGIVING and Holiday Season! No matter your belief system or options for celebrating or not – just BE!
*Weeeeeee! *tee hee!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Live Life! Laugh Often! and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

‘OK!’ I said – from my booth; ‘Wait a minute. I’m going to have to chime in here.’ *smiling

I bet none of you can eat your Thai Food as HOT as I can! I get mine: ‘THAI HOT! HOT! HOT!’ …and I’m a WOMAN!

When the server came over to take my order, I let her know I had been messing with the 3 guys and I said: ‘I’ll have mine THAI HOT! HOT! HOT! (a bit louder than I ‘needed’ to say it). She laughed.

I know the owners of this particular Thai restaurant; I’ve known them for over 12 years! I’m practically an adopted member of the family – even being of Hungarian background. The previous owner, son-n-law who managed and cooked there, told me he had to wash his hands after cooking my food!

When I went to one of the family picnic/celebrations – for the birth of a new grandchild, one of the relatives recognized me. She had been an part-time server years back and remembered me. ‘CHICKEN W/ RED CURRY, THAI HOT!’ isn’t it? I laughed. She remembered my standard order. She said to her American husband ‘YOU COULDN’ TAKE HOW HOT HELEN GETS HER FOOD!’ AHAHAHAHa It was a bit embarrassing! I spoke up: It’s not sign of manhood or greatness to get Thai food super hot. I just happen to like it that way! It brings out the flavor and cleares my sinuses!

When I went to pay my bill, the 3 guys were leaving. The one put a smile on his face as he waved to me, exiting the door, saying: “SEE YA, HOT! HOT! HOT!” I laughed.

So, today, once again – I had to stand up for EQUALITY in regards to ‘being able to handle’ THAI HOT food -

it’s not GENDER-SPECIFIC! HA HA! It’s a matter of TASTE, not of muscle!

Only MEN should be able to eat THAI HOT food? SAYS WHO?

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT

Live Life! Laugh Often! and this WOMAN likes it HOT!

[ I like noticing the numbers on digital clock or calculator displays as numbers - especially upside-down and backwards or right-side up. They can spell words and give you a healthy break during your day - as healthy 'Triggers' or 'Purposeful Pause Moments' as I like to call them!]

This morning, I noticed it was: 7:27 AM ….hmmm L2L = Laugh 2 Laugh! I LAUGH for the sake of LAUGHING for HEALTH – in my profession!

Then I saw it was: 7:34 = hel – ut oh! I don’t like when I’m feeling like LIFE is Giving me a Hard Time!

So, what do I do?

Next it was: 7:35 = SEL [Sell THAT perception of how LIFE is going 'Buy-in' to a NEW way to look at it!]

7:36 - GEL – Now you can ‘LET IT GO’ and move on with a NEW OUTLOOK, just GELL and RELAX!

This has been a Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – mini motivational moment!

Have a Great Day! Live Life in A-MAZE-ment and Take Time 2 Laugh!
www.lafolot.com

I set my MOTOR-VATION and *Smile! YOU’RE GREAT! signs out -

tinsel deely bobbers on, clown nose in hand, and Smile Spatula!

Where else can a 51 yr old, overweight, menopausal woman get:

BEEPS, WAVES, and Hand/arm cranks and peace signs from some REAL STUDS driving by! ahahahahahaa How ‘em I doin’? ;o)

Feeling the Freedom and Fun of Being Over 50! ha ha

…afterwards, I met my younger sister for dinner, then stopped over to a GIANT’s Grocery Store on my way home. I was JOKING with the ‘bored’ male cashier clerk and older woman ‘bagger’.

I brought my ‘very light’ one item – up to the conveyor belt and said: Oh Oh !!! Could someone help me with this please …. the guy did a quick turnaround – ready to help! – and the woman laughed saying: ‘Would you like help out to your car with that?’ ;o)

in continuing to joke with them and giving them each a yellow, smiley LAFOLOT bookmark – one of the CART Rounder Uppers (who is my buddy ’cause he took a pair of my tinsel deely bobber headbands from me last Christmas and now calls me HONEY!) – came over – smiling – saying: HEY! HONEY! ahahhaaa

the Woman Grocery Bagger shouts out: ARE YOU THE WOMAN THAT STANDS DOWN BY THAI PALACE ALONG THE ROAD?

LOL! I’M OFFICIALLY FAMOUS! YAHOOOOO! Yipppeee! Hooray!

I ‘flashed’ my t-shirt emblem from out of my sweater that reads: FLASH Someone! …a Smile!

It’s ME, I said! Check out my website! and, no – I’m not crazy and I’m not homeless – just an enterprising business woman!

Once again, AMAZING! Beeps, waves, smiles, peace signs, hand-cranks from HUNKS and Smiles and HEY! HONEY!s ;o)

I’M HOT! (oh wait … must be a heat flash!)
LOL!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
WOW! WHAT A RIDE!
LIFE, THAT IS!Live Life! Laugh Often!