LAFOLOT

also known as SYN-CHRO-NIC-I-TY hee hee hee!

I just finished printing out my new t-shirt transfer: SPREAD THOSE SMILES, BY THE MILES … DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

I cut it out, placed it on my bright yellow t-shirt to see how it would look -

Walked over to my stereo to turn on the radio -

the song: ON THE WINGS OF LOVE just started with the line … “JUST SMILE FOR ME AND LET THE DAY BEGIN…”

I walked into my bedroom and the digital clock noted: 9:16 [HA HA Helen's TIME TO LAUGH!] Looks like GIG short for Giggle!

What a MAGICAL, SYNCHRONISTICAL moment!

enough said – I’m smiling…and giggling.

Live Life! Laugh Often!
Spread those SMILES by the MILES!
Drive Yourself Happy!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

UNBELIEVABLE!

An hour or so ago, I was driving through a local Plaza Parking Lot to go get a bite to eat.

I came across a very nice, high end, luxury vehicle parked in front of the Chinese Takeout place. The PERSONALIZED license plate noted:

IM NUD

Now, HOW would YOU pronounce that?

So, being ME, I couldn’t resist. No one was behind me, so I pulled slowly forward, rolled down my passenger side window -

The VERY POLISHED, WELL DRESSED, EYE-GLASS WEARING woman looked at me. I SMILED and said, ‘Well, I just had to check?’ She gave a questioning look. I said: ‘The license plate!’

She said: ‘Oh, you probably think it says I’m nude – but it says I’m Nud (pronounced with American English short U sound as in Nut).

I went silent and drove forward. It took EVERYTHING in me not to LAUGH OUT LOUD!

I give a talk called ‘Seeing with New Eyes’ and shifting personal awareness and perception. Guess she told me!

I Laughed out Loud and giggled in the car. I had to slow down and tell another driver passing me in the other direction. They laughed out loud.

Here’s the big BA DUMP BUMP and *rim shot

The number 5 is pronounced HA in Thai – I looked at my car clock and it noted: 5:55 – - I had to let out another HA:HAHA!

I think some silly laughter angel SET ME UP for THAT one!

Live Life! Laugh Often! Whether you’re NUDE or NUD – uh I mean or NOT!
DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

Gotta LOVE how I’ve turned grocery shopping into a FUN activity – when it’s an activity I like the least!

Since it’s JUST ME and I work from home – I’ve made a fun, effective habit of INEFFICIENT shopping! By stopping by the grocery story every other day or so – for whatever item I currently need – I get more visibility and advertising time!

I have a LAFOLOT magnetic display on my car, a HA-HAHA license plate, etc. – I like getting out of the house and driving around so I get known. I go to a local grocery store where some of the carts still have my LAFOLOT, bright yellow background AD.

Yesterday, I stopped in and had one of my new: FLASH Someone …a SMILE! – iron on transfer – canvas shopping bags I created. I always look for my AD carts so I can ‘mess around’ with the folks and ask them if they recognize anyone familiar, since the AD has my photo.

First fun thing: I encountered a mom with two pre-teen boys. They were doing that thing where they FIGHT and WHINE over WHO gets to PUSH the cart? HA HA – I ran up and said (as I WINKED at the mom) – Nooooo Iiiiiiii Wannnna Push the Carrrrrrt! [the mom laughed, the one boy let go and the other kept pushing it! He wasn't going to give in, even with an over 50 menopausal woman getting in on the game!] Laugh out Loud!

Then, I went into an aisle and BINGO! I turned to my right and THERE I WAS! My AD and FACE were on the back side of the child seat in the cart. I said to the woman (who had a preteen son with her) – WOW! So YOU’RE the LUCKY ones today! She looked as I pointed to the AD. She stepped around the cart and laughed. She said to her son: ‘Come over here, do you recognize this person?’ He smiled (HUMORED us!) HA HA!

I saw a manager walk by and said: ‘WOW! As I pointed to the cart – this store has the BEST CART ADs!’ He laughed.

THEN! A Wonderful thing! I like meeting folks from different countries. I got to talking to a man stocking shelves. He was from GUYANA! What luck! I got to learn a lot about his country, directly from the source of someone born and raised there! I was blessed with his sharing of pride about his country.

Then, at the checkout, I joked with the cashier that I needed ASSISTANCE placing my two items (black pepper and paprika) on the conveyor belt. When she saw my FLASH Someone … a SMILE! canvas bag for my groceries – she exclaimed: WOW! WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THOSE!

I said: ‘Do you REALLY like it? I just made it this morning!’ She said “yes!”
I said: ‘OK, IT’S YOURS!’ and gave it to her! The smile and thrill on her face was payment enough – of course – I asked her to use it to help me advertise and tell people about it. I also asked her to tell people about my website.

So, once again, I got to have fun, silliness, and get great information about a country, as well as a new fan – during one of my least-liked chores – grocery shopping! HA HA! Success!

Spread those SMILE by the MILES and you never know who you’ll meet while out shopping!

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

YES! I LOVE IT! What a w o n d e r – full time I had going to get my soup/salad at Olive Garden Restaurant this evening!

I was wearing my ‘ME!’ t-shirt. At the entrance were a captive audience of about 20 teenagers waiting to be seated. I walked up and announced: ‘IT’S ME!’ I got such a wonderful response – they just LOOKED, and STARED! [I was SO honored! It's the teenage way! I was thrilled! ... except one teen did laugh and say to his buddy - 'guess you didn't get it, did you? ME, Question Mark?' ahahaha I also got a couple wide eyes and almost an eye roll! I'm smiling, I LOVE teenagers!

Then I went to sit at the almost empty, smoke-free bar to get my soup/salad. A 'Senior' buddy of mine was there! So we got to exchange Hullos! then he had to leave.

Then a man asked if he could have the seat next to mine nearest the crowded lobby. No problem. He noted his wife was shopping and he had the 'buzzer' device with him due to a 45 min wait. He noted it was his wife's birthday.

I said: 'Oh, it's ashame, they don't sing their birthday song here anymore.' He said he knew. I told him I was a Laughter Wellness Leader, and how I had sun the HA HA Happy Birthday song to two women the other day. I said, if you want, I can come over and sing it to your wife, but I don't want to push myself on you.
He laughed and asked me more about what I did.

I described it and told him, maybe he could sing the HA HA Happy Birthday song to his wife! Then his 'buzzer' device went off after 5 minutes! No 45 minute wait! He had to call his wife, since she had gone to the plaza to shop.

Five minutes later he comes back to me at the bar (I'm eating salad with a mouthfull!) and says: 'If I bring my wife in to you, will you sing to her?'
What a silly question! I'm such a HAM! 'YES!' I said! 'No problem!'

Five minutes later, in he comes with his wife and son. I pull my chair out from the bar, sit facing his wife and say: "OK, try to stay with me now, this is a very complex version of the Happy Birthday song. I'm going to try to remember all the words.' She nodded with a smile.

I started at full volume: HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAA ... finished with 'and many more HA HA style' - then the grande finale' of VERY GOOD VERY GOOD YEAH! with a WEEEEE! as I brought my arms down. [the husband even HA HA HA'd along WITH me!]

She said to her husband: ‘Wow! You should pay for her drink after THAT!’ [note - I just had an iced tea - I don't 'drink']
As they walked away, I heard him say to his wife: ‘You meet the MOST INTERESTING people at the bar.’

LAUGH OUT LOUD!

HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Smiling after a wonderful evening of MIRTH-FULL MINGLING and SINGING
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Available for Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT LAF-O-GRAMS!
www.lafolot.com
helenoflafolot@yahoo.com

Wow! What an unexpected TREAT, yesterday when I decided to stop in at Olive Garden for their soup/salad deal! I was sitting in my booth when I heard the server say to his other table: ‘It’s your birthday, today?’ MY EARS PERKED UP! I happened to know that the restaurant had stopped their policy of Servers Gathering to Sing to Guests on their Birthdays.

WELL! I just COULDN’T allow this soul to not be SUNG TO on their birthday, while dining out! *tee hee Super HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT jumped out of her booth (okay, slowly slid out). I had on my: ME! t-shirt. I took one of my HA HA HELEN on a stick “STICK WITH LAUGHTER” items out of my purse as well as a SMILEY FACE bookmark.

I smiled and said, ‘I’m sorry to bother you (as I held up my GIFTS), but I heard it was your birthday and wanted to sing the HA HA Happy Birthday song to you! It turned out to be two, ‘grey haired women’ out having a fun birthday lunch – one treating the other.

Luckily! They both smiled. My intention had been to just give the gifts, sing my little ditty and let them be. Well! They started asking me all types of questions in excitement about what I did! The other woman didn’t want to be left out – so I got HER a Ha Ha Helen on a Stick and a bookmark! She took it ‘hungrily’ even though they had just eaten.

She told me she had COPD, asthma and Depression (as her eyes teared). I jumped in and said: Well, then! Let’s get you laughing! (I told her about the precaution of laughing and asthma – she noted she was OK with laughing.)

I explained the physical/medical benefits and started telling them about my TIME TO LAUGH gimmick: Looking at the clock at 7:07 and seeing it as upside down and LAUGH OUT LOUD, the 4:45 (Shh) quiet laugh, and the 3:34 (hEE) mid afternoon giggle. They both loved it and she was laughing and giggling. I got to hear about her bird bath, and rabbits in the yard, etc etc. Her birthday friend said: THANK YOU, ME! – I laughed.

I ended up giving them a LAFOLOT pamphlet I had on me as well as my FULL BELLY LAUGHTER – Free – donate food item event. Turned out the one woman lived nearby the event!

Sometimes I’m told I’m too forward which has caused me to not approach people as much. But when I TAKE THAT RISK and discover that I:

1) not only got to sing the HA HA HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG (they were surprised I knew all the HA HA words!) to the Birthday Girl!

but

2) got to help a woman, teary eyed over depression, have some HEALTHY LAUGHTER as DESSERT after the meal she bought to help her friend celebrate her birthday –

I find that I am doing the right thing. These moments are priceless – I keep them in my golden heart pocket – where they warm me when I’m feeling the cold effects of criticism.

My lesson – FOLLOW MY HEART. Never know when my heart will lead me to another soul in need.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

All I have to say is yesterday was the total opposite of today! After having a ‘challenging’ morning, I discovered one of my ‘HA HA Helen on a STICK’ – ‘Stick With Laughter!’ promotional items had been defaced, or used as a VooDoo Doll at the restaurant AD board I frequent!

Someone had painstakingly taken the time to wrap a clear plastic straw cover around my head/mouth area and used red sauce to indicate blood dripping out of my neck. Then they had put it back on the AD board ledge. It was upsetting to say the least! The restaurant owner threw it out. We were meeting to organize a FULL BELL LAUGHTER – Food Bank collection event.

Well! Today was the opposite! After a FLUKE of a WONDERFUL opportunity to promote myself with a laughter wellness demo and 5 minute talk to my fellow chamber of commerce members at an A.M. Strategies meeting – the day just kept getting better!

I finished some of the FULL BELLY LAUGHTER promotional items (Press Release and POSTER) to take to THAI Palace and meet with the owner. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed there were at least 5 grey/silver cars parked in a row. As I parked ANOTHER grey/silver car had just pulled in!

Two women and a man got out. The one woman was wearing an ALL GREY dress! The guy had a grey/print shirt on! I said: What’s with all these GREY cars and GREY clothes, today! They laughed and nodded in agreement.

I have to note: Today is a GREY, overcast day but I LOVE IT! I haven’t had to run my A/C, the windows are open and the temp is a comfortable low 70s. At my meeting in the morning, TWO women both showed up with Black Shirts and Grey Pants!

Once I got into the restaurant, I noticed the owner/server was wearing a Black shirt and GREY pants! ANOTHER customer was wearing a BLACK shirt and GREY pants! I didn’t know if the weather had inspired the colors of the day, or lack, thereof!

AMAZINGLY! Remember the VooDoo HA HA Helen on a STICK? Well! Let me tell, ya! As I entered the restaurant, the one guy from the ‘grey’ car held the door open for me (THANK HIM VERY MUCH!). As I passed him, he called out: ‘IS THIS YOU!?’ He was pointing to another of my ‘untarnished’ HA HA Helen’s on a STICK’ AHAHAHA It is a printed photo of me wearing my tinsel deely bobber headband and holding a cheering flag. I’m wearing my LAFOLOT, Live Life! Laugh Often! t-shirt.

I tilted my head sideways and put on a big smile like in the photo. He said, is it you? I laughed and said: ‘WHADAYA THINK?’ He was thrilled! I gave him a Yellow, Smiley Face LAFOLOT Bookmark. I said: ‘Didn’t know you’d meet a local celebrity when you showed up here, today? Did ya?’ He said no, and laughed. I told him about the ‘defaced’ item from yesterday.

When I was getting read to leave, he and the woman in grey said: ‘YOU’RE NOT LEAVING ALREADY?’ I laughed. The ‘woman in grey’ said: I HAVE to tell you! Whenever my daughter and I come in here, I have to look and see what NEW items LAFOLOT has out on the AD board! She said they always make her smile, laugh and brighten her day.

I said: ‘THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU’VE MADE MY DAY!’ I told her about my motto: ‘A little kindness goes a long way.’ I said: ‘You’ve shown me a kindness today and BLOCKED out all the negative stuff from yesterday!

I told her about the ‘defaced’ HA HA Helen on a STICK –

She asked me my name. I jokingly said: HA HA HELEN! She said: I guess that makes me: SH SH SHERYL! I said: ‘OH! You have the QUIET LAUGH name!’ I then demonstrated the Quiet Laugh and told her what a great laugh it was to be named after! I told her it was very isometric and toning! She laughed and smiled and I gave her a Yellow, Smiley Face LAFOLOT bookmark.

So I always tell people I am a person of opposites. It may have been a GREY, OVERCAST, COOL DAY – BUT IT WAS ‘WAY OKAY’! It was totally FLIPPED around from the previous day!

A little kindness goes a long way …
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – ‘Stick with Laughter!’
www.lafolot.com

I was feeling ‘crapped on’ this morning. I find the best way to turn that around is to effectively/healthily ‘speak up’ and then pass on a kindness or make a Drive Yourself Happy, run. ;o)

I headed out to my favorite Thai restaurant for lunch which causes me to drive through a quiet, shaded, stop-sign at every corner development. I came up a group of 5 people, standing around and leaning on the back flat-bead of a pick-up truck parked in their driveway. I couldn’t resist as I came to a proper STOP at the sign – rolled down my window and said: ‘YOU KNOW, IF YOU PUT THE EMERGENCY BREAK ON, YOU WON’T HAVE TO ALL STAND AROUND IT HOLDING IT IN PLACE!’ They laughed and smiled! Thank goodness!

After lunch, I stopped at a Crowded, Heavily Traffic Grocery Store. There are stop signs on either side of the white-lined customer walkways going in and out of the store – but it is still intimidating.

I reached the walk-way into the store as an elderly couple was coming up on my left. I said: COME ON! STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! WE’LL CROSS TOGETHER! The wife laughed. Another woman was crossing with her cart from the other side, but a woman with a VERY LARGE CART-FULL of stuff was hesitantly looking from the store curb. I said: WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO BE YOUR CROSSING GUARD? She laughed and said: “I guess I SHOULD go while everyone else is!’ She made a run for it! ha ha

When the older couple and I got into the store entrance, there were only 3 ‘tiny’ carts and 3 oversized carts. I had wanted a ‘tiny’ cart but saw that the other two carts were WEDGED together. The older gentleman and I tried to pull it loose with team effort, but no luck. Then the older woman and I tried another method – tipping the carts upside down, but couldn’t pull them apart. While this was happening, another customer took my tiny cart! ahahaha The older couple felt so bad. I told them not to worry, I’d take a large cart – but – THE OLDER WOMAN WENT OUTSIDE AND FOUND ME ANOTHER SMALL CART, that another shopper had just released! Warms the heart when these things happen!

We entered the store with smiles on our faces and warm hearts as we had each shared a KINDNESS.

On my way to my car, I go to do another random act of kindness by cleaning up the carts spilling out into the parking lot driving lane. I pushed a bunch together and got them nestled into the cart storage area.

OH! and when I got into my car, the digital clock read 1:01pm that’s LOOK like LOL! Laugh Out Loud! So I did … have a healthy laugh!

So, feeling crapped on? Not by birds but by a negative encounter – DO A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS or DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! Turn your day around.

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

Thrilled to have earned my ‘ten cents off a gallon of gasoline’ from my preferred grocery store, I headed out to the gas pumps due to the deal expiring the next day. I forgot it was ‘rush hour’ since I work from home.

I was SO THRILLED that I was in a NON-MENOPAUSAL mood; because when I got to the store’s gas pumps, they were PACKED with cars lined up! I was SO THRILLED when I found a line with just one car ahead of me. The guy was filling about 5 plastic portable fuel containers; BUT I DIDN’T CARE! I had a SAFE SPACE in line. [in a menopausal mood, I wouldn't have handled this that well! So I was SO grateful!]

I turned off my car engine and saw a woman pull into the wait/line to the right of me. I had put on my CLOWN NOSE to see how many smiles/reactions I could get. The woman’s face had a ‘Map of Her Life’ on it. I felt she had EARNED every one of those wrinkles and GOOD FOR HER! She had the jaw line of the character BEAKER from the MUPPETS! I thought, I’ll bet she’d be a real character to talk to and meet! I could see her hands flying, the annoyed look on her face – almost HEAR the possible curse words and words of disgust coming out of her mouth. [this is how 'I' would have been if I were in a menopausal mood - again, I noted my gratitude to myself!]

So I had a long wait, but had fun focusing and mentally encouraging her to look my way, to her left. It took a while but – YES! She turned and looked!

AH HA! HA HA!! Wonderful! She laughed! She did a double take! She laughed some more shaking her head in amazement at me! YES! I had succeeded in helping someone else deal with the backed up line at the gas pumps!

Once done, I headed to Olive Garden for a snack. I said to a woman as she held the door for me: ‘I heard if you wear a clown nose, they give you a discount!’ She laughed. I told the two hostesses, ‘Don’t you get a dollar off if you wear a clown nose?’ Just then, a man walked up and said: ‘WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR EYES!’ I laughed out loud and so did the hostesses. I said, ‘He must be a professional clown to have come up with THAT line!’

So, I was SO SO glad I was in the right frame of mind and fun, calm emotional state to be able to PLAY with others who may have been having trouble dealing with the long lines and rush hour.

Here’s to earning KINDNESS points that will hopefully come back to me – next time I’m in a grumpy mood during a stressfull situation! DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY, even when you’re sitting at the fuel pumps!

Live Life! Laugh Often!
and carry a clown nose wherever you go!
Never know when you’ll need one to help out a fellow traveler in life!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION by: Helenoflafolot]

I’ve already written a few blogs on my DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY campaign. Well, today’s SYNCHRONICI-TEE boggled my mind; made me more alert while driving and brought a laugh out of my mouth and smile to my face!

I had just finished making a SPECIALLY designed t-shirt for my niece who is on her Cross Country Team. I found out this past year, that it is abbreviated XC.

So, when she excitedly posted a message on Facebook about XC I was creatively inspired! I made a t-shirt for her that notes:

XCellent
XCiting
XCeptional

I placed the transfer on a grey/athletic t-shirt and had it with me in the car so I could get some lunch first, and then take it to the local post office.

Well, as we all know, our minds can wonder while driving; hence my Drive Yourself Happy campaign, to AWAKEN drivers. I get to a major intersection, and I start to ‘drift’. I suddenly look at the driver’s license plate on the car in front of me as the light turns green! It starts out with the first three letters:

EXC

How SYNCHRONISTIC and XCeptional, XCiting and XCellent was THAT!

Gotta LOVE the Snchronici-TEE!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often! and Drive Yourself Happy, Awake and Alert!
www.lafolot.com

[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION by: Helenoflafolot]

I have to laugh at myself! Laugh myself HEALTHY, that is! *wink

Whenever I dislike a chore, I find something silly or fun to make it more bearable. For example, when I when I came in from ‘weed whacking’ the yard, just now; I could ‘smell’ that my cat had used the litter box. *pfew!

So, I went over to ‘scoop’ it out. My cat was following behind; they always like to investigate what I’m going to do with their litter box! ha ha

As I approached to do this ‘not so pleasant’ but ‘necessary’ chore – a CHEER popped into my head!

‘LET’S GO CLEAN THE BOX, LET’S GO!’ *clap clap clap
‘LET’S GO CLEAN THE BOX, LET’S GO!’ *clap clap clap
[it comes from a sports cheer: 'Let's go BIL-LEE Let's Go!' you insert whichever name fits at the moment - for the person about to SCORE!]

There I was, bending over, ready to scoop up cat poop and I’m LAUGHING at this CHEER that pops into my head!

When I was weed whacking a month ago, I shared how; after sweating and dealing with numb, aching arms – I started to LAUGH to relieve the stress by thinking up a Weed Whacking Laugh! Weed Whacka-ha ha ha ha haaaa

I’ve shared in the past, when I have to go grocery shopping [another chore I dislike] I make up a WORD out of the first letter of each item I need – so I remember my shopping list!

Write it down, you say! Oh, that’s so ‘been there, done that!’ ha ha ha
I like the non-sensical words I come up with.
This puts a smile on my face –

then I go to the store and start playing my SMILE CAMPAIGN GAME!

Got some CHORES to do? CHEER yourself through!
Any CHEER will DO! Woo! Hoo!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! and CHEER-O-LOT Too! Yes! Yeah!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION by: Helenoflafolot]