LAFOLOT

Look at LIFE from a PHresh Outlook! That’s the message I share; because I care!

Sometimes you need to just ‘take a moment’ for yourself. To just be you!

Sometimes you need to get away from it all, and rePHresh!

That is the message I was reminded of, today, while walking and driving through a grocery store parking lot.

The FIRST personalized license plate I saw was: JUST BU
The SECOND one I saw noted: GO AWAY
The THIRD one I saw noted: LIL BIT

I like to encourage people to BE AWARE, STAY ALERT and BE SAFE when out on the roads by TAKING NOTICE of what is going on around them.

Today’s message for ME was: GO AWAY for a LITTLE BIT and JUST BE YOU!

SPIRITIUAL? RELIGIOUS? Just a SMART THING TO DO? Maybe ‘get out to the dessert, or beach, or just be aware on the road and STAY IN the GIFT of the PRESENT. No matter HOW you approach it; NOW is the TIME to DO IT.

TAKE some TIME for yourself right now.
For a LITTLE BIT.
JUST BE YOU.
*breathe in – breathe out – SMILE.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
See LIFE from a PHresh Outlook.

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT

There is a lot (I mean A LOT) of mega, road, sewage, water-line work being done on the roads in the area where I live. Much of it is occurring directly outside my living development; as well as a quarter mile up the road. The community was notified and pre-warned of long delays. Sometimes, it’s a 10 minute wait while traffic is slowly allowed through one-lane driving.

Being human, not everyone deals with it well from day to day. I am human. I can honestly say I got annoyed twice, during the process. Then, I have to laugh at myself. I have used different Outlook Shift Engineering (LAFOLOT.COM Style) processes to help me adapt. One of the highlights was riding down the road (having to drive slowly, anyway) – and holding one of my PINWHEEL STRESS RELIEVER TOOLS out the window as I drove. This helped me, and may have helped folks waiting in in the long, stopped line of traffice, heading in the opposite direction.

TODAY! As I turned a corner to pass the 2nd of two roadworkers who hold the SLOW and STOP signs on a pole – the TIMING WAS PERFECT!

I happened to be the last car through the line that was being let through the single lane of traffic. The temperatures have been in the mid-40s (fahrenheit) – so it’s been chilly for the road workers to stand outside.

As I turned the corner to encounter the 2nd road worker – STOPping the traffic coming in the opposite direction; I saw him standing with his head down and back to me.

THE TIMING allowed me to:

1) Roll down my car window
2) Quickly call out: ‘AWWW… DON’T CRY.’
3) The road worker heard me, LIFTED his head, SMILED as he said: ‘IT’S A BAD DAY.’ (But, the break in his routine from my comment and noticing, allowed him to put a SMILE on his face.)

About an hour and one half later, I was heading back in the opposite direction to return home.

THE TIMING WAS PERFECT! There was no one in front nor behind me on the road!

1) I was able to electrically roll down my PASSENGER side window, this time.
2) Driving slowly through the construction zone; I was able to PUT ON MY CLOWN NOSE!
3) I ‘JUST HAPPENED’ to have 2 PINWHEEL STRESS RELIEVER TOOLS on my passenger seat!
4) I HELD THE PINWHEEL OUT THE WINDOW – wearing my clown nose – and handed it to the road worker!
5) HE REMEMBERED ME … HE TOOK THE PINWHEEL … HE GOT A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE …
6) As I continued on and looked in my rearview car mirror – I SAW HIM HOLDING IT, BLOWING THE PINWHEEL, WITH A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE!

WHAT TIMING! PERFECT TIMING! A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to be able to ‘take the TIME to TURN someone’s day around!’

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com – happy to be able to make-up for the TIMES I wasn’t smiling going through the construction zone.

OH NO! IS IT THE END OF THE WORLD?

or

is it the DAWNING of a NEW DAY!

This THURSDAY is October 10, 2012

In ‘American’ … that would be:   10-11-12           How GREAT is THAT!

If you look further … THAT date is sandwhiched inbetween:    October  10, 11, 12, 2012

So … there is a 10-11-12   inbetween  October 10th, 11th and 12th!

END of the WORLD or the BEginning of a NEW DAY!

Synchronistically, I just think it is FUN and AH! MAZING!

Maybe it’s a day to get all your DUCKS in a ROW … or all your NUMBERS in a ROW?   :-)

Either way!  Have a HAPPY, NEW D.A.Y!   (Dance And Yodle!)

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com

OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!

I am blessed to have had an AH! HA! Life Changing Moment at age 49 (now age 53). I am now able to appreciate all life expression without fear! I used to have an extreme fear of bees and spiders (as well as other insects) – to the point of almost wrecking my car; or hitting/whacking others if they were nearby when I freaked out!

So, I walked over to our community mailboxes a bit ago. It is overcast and drizzly-rainy out. There tend to be big black and yellow, wood boring bumble bees that live around the mailbox roof covering. I am able to freely walk over, and allow them to BEE *hee hee.

It is interesting that I used to also not relate to the clothing color combination of black and yellow, I didn’t like the way they looked together. Once I had my AH! HA! moment, the IRONY is … my business logo colors ended up being black lettering on yellow background!

I also learned, through color psychology years ago – yellow agitates the brain and inspires learning. It is a good color for schools.

Well, today – when I went to the mailbox, I had mailed a letter and retrieved my incoming mail. As I was walking away from the mailboxes, I heard a familiar ‘HMMMMMMMM’ (buzzzzzz). It wasn’t one of the wood boring bees. I could tell the difference in the hmmmm/buzzzzz.

Listen to me! *hee hee I NOW SPEAK BEE LANGUAGE! HA HA! I realized a little honey bee was ‘checking me out’!

I RESPECTED the BEE, allowing it to EXPRESS its life in its own NATURE – NATURALLY *hee hee

I KNEW it had caught the scent of my hair care products, and was checking to see if I was a flower, etc.

So, I STOPPED
I PAUSED
I SMILED as I listened to its HMMMMM….
I SAW it slowly flying off to my left
I FELT it checking out my hair …

SOMETHING SMELLS ‘FUNNY’ perhaps it was thinking. Well! I AM KNOWN AS HA HA HELEN!

Then, I noticed it flew away.

I SMILED as I continued onward, reviewing my mail, as I walked towards my home.

How wonderful to just BE with the BEE, respect it, and BE at PEACE.

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com
guess I smell FUNNY! HA HA
Outlook Shift Engineer! Hear! Here!

I had the opportunity to ‘take a moment’ at Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs PA (Central Pennsylvania), today.

I slowly approached a wooden bench, near some ducks sleeping at the waters edge. They had their heads tucked into their wings. I was successful, they continued to relax.

As I sat there, enjoying the sunlight reflecting on the water ripples, made by the ducks and geese navigating the water – I had to smile.

I listened to the variety of sounds coming from the geese and the ducks. Every so often, a goose would let out a Phyllis Diller (comic) type laugh. Hehhhhh Hehhhhhh Hehhhhh I ‘HAD’ to laugh!

Every so often, a duck would let out a ‘chatter-type’ laugh, as it vocalized and pecked for food on the water surface.

After a while, it got to be quite comical! Since I am a certified, trained Laughter Therapist/Leader with the World Laughter Tour, Co. – I felt it only NATURAL to ‘take the lead’ from the FOWLS (birds) and join in on the NATURAL LAUGHTER CLUB!

The goose would start its laugh – hehh hehhh hehhh and I would repeat!
The duck would start its laugh – hehhehheh, hehhehheh and I would repeat!

I naturally started to LAUGH OUT LOUD at the beauty, wonder and naturally healthy silliness of it all! GUFFAW!

All this time, I was looking for places to hold Laughter Clubs and frustrated when folks wouldn’t show – and here it was – right in front of me, naturally *HEE HEE HEE

I have to tell you, those BIRDS of a FEATHER do FLOCK together! They also know how to get together and laugh and have a good time!

I’m so glad they accepted me into their LAUGHTER CLUB! LAUGHTER, it’s NOT just FOR THE BIRDS!

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT … in gratitude!

It’s been a week of wonderful NEW messages!

1) Driving myself happy, I saw a license plate that started with HBD (that reminded me of HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) Everyday is a good day to CELEBRATE LIFE and New Beginnings!

2) That same day, I heard a little girl tell her dad she would be turning 7 in October! She then, asked, which month she would be celebrating her birthday NEXT year? He let her know if you be the same month and day, each year. Perhaps she would have liked to celebrate her Life and Birth EVERY MONTH! Hearing the conversation made me smile!

3) The next day I received an unexpected call from a woman wanting to hire me to help her CELEBRATE HER BIRTH/LIFE by coming to her birthday celebration as Ha Ha Helen, Outlook Shift Engineer! The wonderful news, was that after a year had passed since her husband’s unexpected death, she was now ready to MOVE FOREWARD and would be CELEBRATING his and her life on her BIRTHDAY, with an intimate gathering of friends! HOW BEAUTIFUL!

4) I received a call, last evening, from a woman who had received a LAFOLOT.com bookmark/business card from me, at a craft show 4 years prior! She said she had held onto it, and decided to call me for some MOTIVATION! I talked to her about my life, and my healthy trigger tool methods wrapped up in silliness, merriment and myrth. She noted she had just gotten joy out of squeezing a sponge and watching the soap bubbles ooze out of it, while washing the dishes. I said: ‘YOU GOT IT! THAT’S IT!’ To find joy in the simple things in life, that allow us to OUTLOOK SHIFT, and move forward! She noted she had been ill, was just coming out of a slump, but had decided to get her craft supplies out – to start MOVING FORWARD, again – when she had found my card!

I told her I was GLAD SHE HAD CALLED, told her about the other call I received to CELEBRATE LIFE, and that I appreciated her AFFIRMATION of the GOOD THINGS I DO and SHARE with people, as my LAFOLOT business!

She noted that ‘tomorrow’ (now today as I write this), Monday – September 17, 2012 – ROSH HASHANAH – is her birthday!

I said: HOW WONDERFUL! I see her as a SHOOTING STAR, moving forward! I see that wish for us all!

5) I had a waking dream with the words of the song running through it: ‘You can stay forever, it’s fine by me … it’s fine by me …’ [I had been 'STUCK' in thoughts of the past Hell of my family challenges - some due to sitting with my mom in Hospice this past year - prior to her passing. I had been drug back down, into memories of the struggles, neglect and challenges - and LIFE LESSONS.]

As morning came, (dreams allow you to do AH! MAZING! things!) I saw myself taking STEEP, BOOKSHELF-LIKE STAIRS, 2 and 3 at a time, flying UPWARD and AWAY from the DARK chasm I saw below me, LEAPING UPWARD and AWAY from it – having LEARNED from it! Like a warrior. I had to laugh, I felt like YODA HA HA HELEN, a five feet, two inch, plump, menopausal woman, LEAPING and RISING UPWARD!

As I awoke, getting out of bed, I recalled a phrase my oldest, brain damaged sister, Dolly – had said on the phone to me, recently. It was quite healthy! She was ANNOYED, and in order to let me know she was done with the phone call, said: ‘HAVE A NICE DAY HELEN! … I SAID, HAVE A NICE DAY!’ This was a healthy response for her, normally not able to control her temper due to the front lobe brain damage.

I took HER LESSON, and said to that DARK, CHASM of OLD THOUGHTS and EXPERIENCES … THANK YOU, HAVE A NICE DAY! I SAID, HAVE A NICE DAY! I am moving upward, outward and onward!

When I got out of bed, the words of this song came to mind: ‘The sun goes UP, the sun goes DOWN; The UNIVERSE goes ALL AROUND; My UNIVERSE, will never be the same … I’m glad you came, I’M GLAD YOU CAME!’

To all the spiritual, earthly, TEACHERS who took me through those sometimes dark chasms to help me to FEEL, LEARN, HEAL, FACE and REPLACE … THANK YOU, YOU HAVE A NICE DAY! I’m GLAD you CAME to pass … on messages and lessons … Have a Nice Day!

HERE’S TO LIFE! Happy JEWISH NEW YEAR! Happy NEW YOU! … thanks to all the ANGELS that came across my path this past week.

YODA HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT.COM – OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!

In numerology, the number 5 represents ‘work’.   In the language of Thai, 5 is pronounced HA!

When I present my laughter wellness programs, I ‘play around’ with the fact of HA, HO, HEE being a full body workout!

I have folks take a deep breath and truly FEEL the DEPTH of the exhaling of the air with the HA, HO, HEE sounds.  I tell them it’s like working your core!

I was driving down the road, yesterday, and saw a roadside AD that noted a phone number ending in -5555.   I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD – the number being HA, HA, HA, HA!    Work it! Work it! Work that core!  Roar with laughter!  Just for the health of it!

Being an OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER, I instantly saw the OTHER SIDE of the number 5!

Work seems like drudgery or it can be done with GRATITUDE and a POSITIVE attitude of appreciation and exhalation!

YES! I have work to do!

YES! I get paid for my work!

YES! People appreciate my work!

YES! I am able to work!  … and so on!

5 (five) – it’s all in how you see it!   Work or ‘Workin it’!

5555555555 (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha)  ’Whistle while you work … ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!) to recall a fun tune.

Have a happy day! Work that core!  It’s not a chore!

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com

Outlook Shift Engineer! Hear! Here!

Had a visual, while awaking this morning – a thick, full, bunch of CRABGRASS blocking my view!
What’s new? I’ve been down, dealing with a lot, coming out of the dark …

had finally started to ‘get out of my physical house’ to do some weeding on my lawn. Not only does it do the lawn good, does the body and mind, as well!

Message received! WEED the CRABGRASS out of your MIND, if you don’t mind! Don’t MIND if I DO!

Depression is ANGER turned INWARD. In order to move OUT of DEPRESSION and MOVE FORWARD in LIFE … the old, angry, unprocessed thoughts need to be WEEDED to ALLOW LIGHT TO COME IN!

So, I was just out pulling, pulling, pulling, lots and lots of weeds and crabgrass out of the ground. With depression, it’s a WIN/WIN situation! Physical movement as well as Emotional processing can take place at the same time!

Feeling down, feeling blue? see what REMOVING PHYSICAL and EMOTIONALLY-OLD-THOUGHTS can do for you!

Try it! If you don’t have a yard – offer to help someone in the neighborhood, someone senior, etc.

It’s AH! MAZING! … the power of WEEDING!

One, two .. one two … feel the burn … and learn … as you work your body and free your mind!

Be kind to yourself …

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com

Calling upon angels for a sign that things will be ‘F-I-N-E’ (some folks will understand the humor in that)…; I can across a 91 year old angel.

I was exiting a local grocery store, crossing the parking lot with my cart, and noticed a woman sitting in her car – driver door open – legs out – pausing to exit the vehicle. To be KIND, just in case there was an issue, I called over: ‘Do you need any help? Just checking. … as I stepped over in her direction at the handicap parking spot.

‘No’ she responded… ‘I’m just giving myself some time to adjust, I just took off the sock the doctor had me put on my foot – it was too tight and my foot is swollen.’

I had been LOOKING FOR A SIGN (playing my usual license plate game) – but nothing had appeared. Guess ‘someone out there’ thought I needed a ‘talking to.’ HA HA. Dealing with family and life challenges can be a bit much, at times – IT’S LIFE – but, just sometimes – you want a break from it. I haven’t been able to take a break from it since 2008, due to a slew of circumstances, one after the other.

So – having been on my PITTY POT the last couple days – I think this 91 year old ANGEL was sent to GET THE JOB DONE!

What a beautiful soul! 91 years old, white-fluffy-curly hair – wearing Bright, Colorful, Floral-print slacks, a Pink Shirt – looking GORGEOUS! This woman had the WISDOM OF THE AGES in her!

I had a wonderful conversation with her. She told me about her husband, who was an extremely healthy eater, but had died of a staf infection. She said: THAT’S LIFE! We talk about ‘when it’s YOUR TIME, it’s YOUR TIME! I told her about my oldest sister Dolly, and my mom – with their super strong spirits!

She told me about a form of BONE Tuberculosis she had in her early years – that caused her to be in a full body cast from age 10 to age 18. She noted how they didn’t have visiting nurses, and the task was all on her mom to manage it all. BUT WE DID! she noted. We DID, because we HAD to! My mom used to say the same thing about her family, and THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

Well! I had been in a DEPRESSION – and the universe sent this SPIRITED ANGEL to SNAP ME OUT OF IT! DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO – she was noting – LIVE WISE – NO NEED TO RUSH (as she comfortably waited for the right time to stand).

I told her I was grateful I got to meet her. I told her she helped to turn my day around. She returned the compliments.

When I got in the car, PAT BENATAR’s song: ‘WE BELONG’ was playing on the radio. I never, truly heard those words before.

WHAT A STRONG, SPIRITUAL MESSAGE in that song:

Many times I’ve tried to tell you, many times I’ve cried alone
Always I’m surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone
Don’t wanna leave you really, I’ve invested too much time
To give you up that easy, to the doubts that complicate your mind

Close your eyes and try to sleep now, close your eyes and try to dream
Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean
We can’t begin to know it, how much we really care
I hear your voice inside me, I see your face everywhere, still you say

Gratitude and Thanks for this ANGEL -

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com

I wrote a book called: Life is a Song in the Key of Love or Growing Up with the Embarrassment of Prejudice. I note that bias, prejudice and stereotype may be ‘handed-down’ through generations; without being questioned. The bias, stereotype, or prejudice statements or actions may be repeated over and over; but not FELT. I suggest doing a self-review of how YOU feel or THINK based on your own life experiences, and not based on something held onto by generations past.

I like using right brain, creative methods to get serious points across. In my book, I make reference to sheet music.

Now, I’d like to suggest another method! WHAT Fairy Tales, Fables or Labels are you receiving or giving out, that you may want to RE-VIEW? rePHresh your thinking, reLOOK, reVIEW, step back and SEE aNEW! WHO are YOU? How do YOU feel?

Get rid of the False Fairy Tales, Fables and Labels, OH MY! Why? Because Fairy Tales and Fables are written to TEACH LIFE LESSONS. Are the ones you are holding onto, or creating, a TRUTH for YOU; or were they handed to you by a peer, family member, etc. who had a life experience that doesn’t resonate with you?

I give a talk called: PEER POSITIVE! I talk about letting go of the PEER PRESSURE and PEER FEAR and becoming PEER POSITIVE! Peers may hold one another back due to personal life experiences that caused them to shrink back or give up a goal. Their own fear translates into an intention to protect you from having their same, fearful or uncomfortable life experience. But! It doesn’t have to be yours.

So, what are your FAIR TALES, FABLES AND LABELS? OH MY! Make a list, check it twice, and see if the Action/Reactions in your life are FALSE Fables or Tales that need to be ‘TAIL WAGGED’ and swiped away from your everyday interactions. Create peace within you, and work towards a world of peace.

… and they lived happily ever after!

HA HA Helen Szollosy, OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER! Hear! Here!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com