LAFOLOT

I had a big AH! HA! ha ha moment at age 49. At that point, I stopped EXISTING and HIDING and chose Life! I chose to start Living! Hence, my motto: Live Life! Laugh Often! [there's a lot more meat to my motto than meets the eye!]

I wrote a book called: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love!‘ It’s about appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression. I no longer have a fear of insects; where once I would have screamed and hit the person nearest me just to get away from a bee or spider – I can now allow a Bee to buzz near my ear, as I smile – and I can allow it to walk on me freely – to allow it to BE. I can rescue a spider or thank it and appreciate the work it is doing to remove other bugs from my home. I am in AWE of all Life! [keep in mind, I'm still human and still make a fool of myself on occassion!]

I awoke this morning and was inspired to write these words. May you be blessed this day and always with a life filled with Peace. Be Aware of the PRESENT, it’s a GIFT!

LIFE!

I am in AWE! RESPECT!

by: Helen Marie Szollosy 11/9/2010
Living Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Living BOLD and in Italics!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

I go by the name HA HA HELEN – a persona I created for myself and now emulate on a daily basis in my role as a Speaker and Certified Laughter Therapist (Program Facilitator).

I AM – The Ha Ha Helen ;o) LOL! … what can I say? wherever I go, all I hear now is: It’s HA HA Helen!

Well, do you ever wonder if you are following the right path?
Making the right move?
Making the right choices? Wondering if I was right or wrong in giving up a 28 1/2 year State Government job – 5 years early – to take an early retirement and start a business?

hmm? LOL! I’m hearing a bunch of heads bobbing up and down to a laughter beat, on THOSE questions!

Well! This evening, when I parked and headed towards the door of my favorite THAI restaurant – Thai Palace –

I notice the first 3 letters of the license plate on the car to the RIGHT of the door are: HLN

I look at the car next to it – to the LEFT of the door; the license starts with: HHA
HaHA HeLeN !!!!! IT’S A SIGN! IT’S A SIGN!

A million WOWs! on the synchronicity!

I wasn’t even going to go out for dinner!
My computer was hanging up with it’s anti-virus and security software and I was getting sick of dealing with it –
so I hopped in my car and headed out – TO SEE THE SIGN!

STAY WITH THE ‘HA HA’ SPIRIT HELEN!

*big GRIN *big SMILE

DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY! and feeling MOTOR-VATED to ‘keep on keepin’ on!’

In the HA HA Spirit of things …. I AM …. HA HA HELEN

Live Life! Laugh Often
Living Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Living BOLD and in Italics!
www.lafolot.com

Even with the collllld, chilllly, brrrrrr 50 degree F and below weather – I set up my LAFOLOT MOBILE HEALTH-HAPPY-HOUR event
along the road from 4-6pm – rush hour traffic

PURPOSE: HA HA Helen’s DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY Campaign – to motivate/inspire and UPLIFT folks driving by. To bring drivers ‘back into the PRESENT moment’ as they drive home after a busy day at work. To SHARE A SMILE or LAUGH; because of the silliness of the moment and the signs that read: MOTOR-VATION and *SMILE! YOU’RE GREAT!

Well! I’ve been doing this for a couple weeks now –

WOW! I HAD A WAY! MOTOR-VATED DAY!

From the START at 4:00pm – just starting to put out my SMILEY balloon and signs – I got BEEP! BEEP! WAVE! from several vehicles driving by!

I have a buddy who drives by in his sports car every time – keeps his face straight ahead and limply waves at me as he drives by. MAKES ME LAUGH OUT LOUD! He’s consistent! ahahahahaa

I even had several Lonnnng Beeeeeeps and Waaaaves from vehicles driving by on the OPPOSITE side of the road! One guy gave a LOUD BEEEP BEEEEP! AND a *hand crank! ahahhahaa

Wow! How em I doin’? HA HA!

About 5:15pm – I heard a voice call from behind me: THANK YOU!
I had on a scarf and earmuffs; but could still hear her.
I got up out of my chair and saw she had pulled into the parking lot.
I went back to talk to her.
She wanted to THANK ME for what I was doing to MAKE PEOPLE’S DAYS!
She is a nurse, had formerly done hospice work.
She gave me a DONATION towards my LAFOLOT Roadside Ministry ;o)
….people keep telling me I have a ministry. I THINK it’s because I’m not making any money! AHAHAHAHAHAA

She said she’s noticed me several times and purposely came by today. She wants to drive by next time and ‘give me more’. She was sorry she didn’t have more to give today! I SAID: YOU’VE GIVEN ME MUCH MORE THAN YOU KNOW!

I told her about GOOD HEARTED LIVING (Steve Wilson) and the gift of KINDNESS and COMPLIMENTS. I gave her my:
TIME 2 LAUGH and HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN sheet (which also has Steve Wilson’s Good Hearted Living noted on it)

I gave her a couple smiley bookmarks.

SO – It was an ABUNDANTLY PROSPEROUS DAY! Filled with SMILES, WAVES, BEEPS and APPRECIATION!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live BOLD and in ITALICS!

Did you miss your present? hmm?

I was behind a well dressed business woman in a checkout line at a Dollar Store. I looked down and noticed a KEY in the bottom of an empty store-hand basket near her feet. I said: ‘Excuse me? Is that your key?’

No response. I said a little louder: ‘Excuse me? Is that your key?’ [she was INTENTLY Texting someone on her mobile device.] She finally CAME TO – for a BRIEF second to say: ‘WHUH?’ I repeated my question, again – she mumbled ‘neh’ and went back to her texting.

Then, the well-dressed business woman in front of her, just having finished paying for HER purchases echoed: ‘Whuh?’ Her friend didn’t even hear her – and mindlessly walked out behind her, leaving the store.

I was a bit ‘concerned’ that they would both be going out to get into a vehicle and drive! No alcohol, no food, just mental FOG and totally unware of THEIR PRESENT!

[I have a 63 yr old sister who was hit by a drunk driver when she was 19 - she is permanently front left lobe brain damaged as a result. She is now in a nursing home and I'm her representative. So my concern is not a light one.]

I have been marketing myself as well as making the effort to SPREAD SMILES BY THE MILES to rush hour traffic – placing signs out in front of a friend’s restaurant that read: ‘FREE Smiles & Laughs Drive-thru!’

or my other effort: MOTOR-VATION with another sign that read – ‘*Smile! YOU’RE GREAT!’

As I sit or stand along the road – I am AMAZED at the amount of Totally NON-PRESENT drivers going by! Not just from Texting, Cell Phone talking-but from staring off into space etc. [yes, I am guilty of the day dreaming, myself.]

- I found a quarter under a chair at a restaurant today!
- I saw a cloud in the sky yesterday, shaped like a ‘V’ for victory!
- I saw a ‘cloud-like’ X-shape in the sky last week – the residue of two jet paths having crossed one another. It was comical – X marked the spot of the restaurant I had gone to!

- I found a dime on the floor of my hairstylist’s salon a few weeks ago.

I play a smile game where I just look at people with a closed-mouth smile and give myself a point if they return the smile.

I watched a teenage boy talking to his mother in the lobby-waiting area of a restaurant the other week. His mother was focused on her mobile device – reading and texting. The TEENAGER was Talking Away to his mother – and all that came from her was an occassional: ‘Whuh?’ ‘Huh?’ How many parents would be THRILLED to have their teen wanting to talk to them? I watched in amazement!

When walking to my mailbox the other day, I found a beautiful bird feather. I picked it up and saved it! When I was conducting my MOTOR-VATION event, today – I found a TULIP TREE leaf on the ground next to my chair! What a find! I picked it up and saved it!

All these PRESENTs I receive in Smiles, Waves, Beeps, Acknowledgements, and the little GIFTS God, Spirit, the Universe lay across my path as I walk out and about are PRICELESS!

How many PRESENTS did you miss today by not being PRESENT?

I SAID – HOW MANY PRESENTS DID YOU MISS TODAY BY NOT BEING PRESENT!? [this line was just for effect - as a reader - I can tell you are very present..]

THANK YOU for your gift of reading my blog(s) – YOU are APPRECIATED!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
Living in the moment …
Living in A-MAZE-ment
Live Life! Laugh Often!

For starting out, Ho Hum, my Saturday turned out to be especially silly and Smile Provoking!

Headed out to DENNYS’ for lunch. After parking and engaging my car alarm – WOOP WOOP WOOP! a car alarm (thinking it’s mine) is SCREAMING its head off. I pull the key fob out of my purse and proceed to press every button available, the alarm won’t stop. I look to see if the car lights are flashing, then realize it’s the vehicle next to mine. Then it stops. WONDERING if someone in a nearby store was messing with me?

DENNYS’ was packed, but I got a nice table. Heard the table behind me tell the server they had a birthday. When the server left, I got up (taking two SMILE Face, yellow, positive saying bookmark business cards with me) – excused myself to the 3, gray-haired ‘young folks’ sitting there – said I overheard there was a birthday? The man and woman pointed to the man on the other side of the booth. I said: ‘If you don’t mind, IT’S FREE, I’ll sing the ‘Ha Ha Happy Birthday song to you?’ They smiled in approval. I said: ‘Pay attention, the words are tricky!’ …so I went on with the ‘ha ha ha ha ha Haaa…’ At the end, the woman asked how to pronounce my last name, as she looked at it on the card. I said: ‘VERY CAREFULLY!’ She laughed out loud, saying that was funny. [I try.]

I went back to my table, and heard [from the very closely placed table of 6 college-age men & women sitting directly to my right] ‘…yeah, he was laughing in his sleep!’ I reached in my purse and whipped out a Smile Face ‘Laugh Yourself Healthy’ bookmark – gently passing it to the ‘accused laughing/dreaming guy’. They looked at me a bit cautiously. I said: ‘It’s OK, you don’t have to keep the bookmark if you don’t want to.’ – and I smiled. They kept it.

About 5 minutes later, a woman stopped at my table as she was leaving. She said: ‘You have a beautiful voice! That was lovely, what you did for his birthday!’ I smiled and thanked her for mentioning it and being so kind. She said: ‘You have an infectious smile!’ I said: ‘I want you to know how SPECIAL it was that you stopped to tell me this and I note ‘a little kindness goes a long way’ – you’ve just made my day with your kindness.’ She smiled, and her ‘daughter?’ smiled as they went up to pay their bill.

I drove up the road and beeped/waved as I passed the two CHIC-FILET fast food COW MASCOTS standing along side the road and waving at traffic.

When I got to A.C. MOORE crafts to make use of my 50% off coupon – I got in line behind a woman at the cash register. I heard the song: ‘THE TIME WARP’ [Rocky Horror Picture Show] playing on the P.A. System

I couldn’t resist. It was just at the part: ‘IT’S JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT’
so I – JUMPED TO THE LEFT (ha ha!)

The woman in front of me turned, smiled, laughed and DID THE SAME!

PRICELESS MOMENT! We both – standing one in line behind the other, continued the ‘time warp’ dance steps as the instructions were sung in the song.
SHE WAS GOOD! She knew it perfectly! I was a beat behind, waiting for the instructions.

When it was done we had a chuckle.

This has been an ‘ESPECIALLY SILLY SATURDAY SERIES OF EVENTS!’

Now I can go about my chores for the rest of the day with a smile on my face.
… an maybe take ‘a jump to the left and a step to the right’ if I need recharged!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
ADDENDUM: forgot to add at the end of my Especially Silly Series of Events blog – posted earlier … after leaving A.C. Moore crafts – I passed an SUV in the parking lot with the glamour plate: 2NOTY4U ;o) LOL!

As I write this, my loveable, Alpha Male cat, ‘Buddy’ is happily meowing and playing with his collection of cat toys in the kitchen. Brings a smile to my face!

My cat, Buddy, has many roles; one of them being Personal Workout Coach.

He has me TRAINED to toss toys to him, while he sits atop kitchen cabinets, or countertops so he can EXPERTLY (like YODA) bat the toy back at me to catch; or GO RUN, BEND and FETCH!

He developed this PLAY routine so that I wouldn’t realize I was exercising (CAT-ERCISING).

*he’s now doing his daily RUN and DASH across the house. I think he’s trying to get me to learn to sprint. I’m playing dumb …

Anyway – I digress …

So, this morning – I start to pick up ALL the cat toys from the floor so that I can vacuum. Oh, I guess this is another BUDDY METHOD – CAT-ERCISE routine; making me walk, bend and stretch to pick up the toys!

I gather them all, and place them on the kitchen table to clear the vacuuming area. SILLY ME! CAT-ERCISE time! Alpha Bud – Personal Cat Trainer Coach starts to pick up each piece, shake it around in his mouth and TOSS it back onto the kitchen floor.

FA-GED-A-BOUD the vacuuming! I spend the next ten minutes BENDING, RUNNING, FETCHING, LAUGHING as he tosses EVERY toy back onto the floor!

Ahhhh – WHAT A WORKOUT! or is it a PLAY OUT – BUDDY METHOD STYLE?

*MEOW! HOW he worked my muscles, today – with play!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment
www.lafolot.com

Well! As I wrote – yesterday’s HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT Mobile Healthy Happy Hour success … did not flow over into this evening! ha ha

gotta ROLL with the WIND GUSTS – especially when –
even after you use your car as a wind-shield – and set up your tent
- it collapses on you as you are attaching the deflated Smiley Face Balloon to a hanger with pants clips .. ahahahaha – what can I say – I’m innovative!

So – I managed to get the tent down – set up my signs –
but traffic was flowing beautifully (nice for the drivers) – no backed up traffic as an audience, today. Clear, sunny skies and THE MOST HORRENDOUS WIND GUSTS I’ve felt in awhile!

My new signs: [promoting my MOTIVATIONAL speaking and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY campaign]

www.lafolot.com
MOTOR-
VATION (motivation, get it? *wink wink) ahahahahaha relating to my DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY campaign…

and

*Smile!
YOU’RE
GREAT!
were being blown down to the ground from the wind gusts.

Another motivational moment where I needed to turn it around and give myself a *pat on the back – for at least getting out there and trying.

Sometimes I just BLOW MYSELF AWAY! ahahahahahahahaha *whoooosh!

…stay tuned

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

WOW! WOW! WOW! – A VERY SUCCESSFULL HEALTHY-HAPPY HOUR!

What a WONDERFUL evening filled with magical, fun, healthy results at my LAFOLOT HEALTHY HAPPY HOUR – FREE SMILES & LAUGHS DRIVE-THRU!

After 2 days of chilly, overcast, windy-rainy weather, THE SUN CAME OUT!
The SKY CLEARED!

As I set up my signs, I noticed bright, yellow dandelions by each sign! I had to take a photo!

As I sat waiting for the traffic to build, I saw a YELLOW butterfly visit the YELLOW Dandelions. It brought a SMILE to my face, as it flittered from one flower to the next.

Two Bees visited, taking the same path as the earlier butterfly.

Then, there was a commotion with 3 crows and a smaller bird. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I looked up and saw, A HAWK! It was sitting directly above my chair on the lamp post and power line pole! WOW! How magnificent!

I got out my cell phone camera and took two photos.

I was IN A-MAZE-MENT of all the wonderful, beautiful expression of LIFE going on all around me! The Sun, the clouds, the blue sky, the dandelions, butterfy, bees, crows, hawk and then came: THE SMILES, LAUGHS, BEEPS

and best of all? Three of the DAIRY QUEEN Ice-Cream and Grille employees crossed the busy road to TAKE A PHOTO with the NEAT LADY they saw across the road – sitting and collecting Smiles and Laughs with her SMILE Spatula and occassional clown nose!

Priceless, Blessed, Beautiful, Magical moments.

Ah! The wonder of it all. In gratitude -

Highlighted, Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
www.lafolot.com

Being a motivational speaker and laughter wellness facilitator, I found the priceless gift of a SMILE the past two years.

I had wanted a place to set up a FREE Smiles & Laughs Drive-thru – but it was a whim, or so I thought!

I got the opportunity to set one up at a local Thai Restaurant who wanted to attract more customers by allowing me to set up my ‘stuff’ in their parking lot – during rush hour traffic that backs up in front of their place.

Well! There I planted my ‘H’ signs in the grass on either side of the ENTER lane into the parking lot.

HAPPY HEALTHY HOUR and the other sign: FREE SMILES & LAUGHS DRIVE-THRU

So I sit or stand with a smile planted on my face, holding my GIFT from a friend: a Smile Spatula.

The reward? What a THRILL I get when I receive a wave, smile or double-take!

Today, a young motorcyclist driving a black/yellow painted bike and wearing black/yellow riding gear – gave me a helmet NOD as he drove by! Woo Hoo! How ‘em I doin’? ;o)

My signs are yellow background with black lettering. My business magnetic bumper display is Yellow Background with Black Letters ‘Live Life! Laugh Often!’

When I went out to get ready to sit down, I had left my Yellow Smile Spatula sitting upright.

I saw a big, MAGENTA COLORED SPLAT on it! I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD! and SMILE! too.

I had been blessed with good luck and great complimentary color – by a FOWL FLY BY! ha ha

I’m told this is a sign of good luck! Driving home, I was behind an SUV that had a magnetic display on the back that read: OGW – underneath it noted ‘One Good Woman’ HA HA!

Yes! I AM! I affirmed! and Lucky, too! [I received two contacts today for possible future gigs.]

AIN’T THAT LUCKY! BIRD POOP DOESN’T LIE! ;o)

Live Life! Laugh Often! and look straight ahead, not up – you never know when LUCK will FLY by!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment!

OK – so if you take acting classes – you learn to find personal thoughts, feelings, and mannerisms to take on an ‘on stage’ persona to make the character believable to the audience.

Many performers, sportsmen/women, singers, actors all do this to bring about the best enjoyment for their audiences. Think of Mohammed Ali and most recently Beyonce’ who noted: ‘takes on the persona of a character known as Sasha Fierce’ when on stage.

Well, there is a positive, healthy way to make use of this in everyday life. I’m not talking about denying your feelings and not being in touch with reality. There are just times when ‘ACTING AS IF’ can help to take you from Gloomy Gus mode to a more positive outlook mode.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE bicycle riding, the challenge of conquering a steep hill and then WHOOOOOSH! feeeeeeling the reward by flying down the other side of the hill; especially on country roads with little traffic.

I was driving up, down, up, down a curvy, fun road today – it’s a BEAUTIFUL weather day in late September. Car windows open, breeze flowing in through the windows, sun shining – I was DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY!

Then, I thought of a FUN Name! and Alternate Persona to FIT the moment!

PHUN RIDINGWEATHER! At that moment, in the car, with a smile on my face, in my heart and in my soul – I WAS – PHUN RIDINGWEATHER!

So to add a new pitch to the ACT AS IF or FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT philosophy – take it a step further and get in touch with your: James Bond, Sasha Fierce, Alice Cooper or whoever you wish to dream up and let out!

On a cold, winter day – wanting a beautiful Spring or Summer drive – without even leaving my home – I can get in touch with the PHUN PHEELINGS AND PHABULOUS HEART AND SOUL WARMING character known as PHUN RIDINGWEATHER.

‘Go on and take a free ride…yeah yeah yeah yeah …’ It’s all in how you choose to FEEL. It’s all about CHOICE. You know, you can also use this method for dealing with overpowering personalities in the workplace or other areas of everyday life!

Feeling mousy? Imagine yourself taller, in a power business suit and taking on Donald Trump! Then go in and talk to your boss about that raise! For example.

Just THINK of all the ways you can apply it in your life!

Feeling groovy … just kickin’ back on the cobblestones…
PHUN RIDINGWEATHER [see her in action, at this You Tube video!]
a.k.a. Highlighted, Healthy, Hollywood, Healing, Happenin’, Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Stay Sweet!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in AMazement!
Live BOLD and in ITALICS!
www.lafolot.com