I always say, I ‘teach what I need to learn’ – I feel it’s how I come across as AUTHENTIC – sharing what I DO to WORK THROUGH my ‘OFF MOMENTS’ in the event it helps someone else.

For example: TODAY! All I can say is, my menopausal hormones, addictive behaviors are certainly having two year old temper tantrums inside me! I could tell since early this morning. I am AWARE – thank goodness!

1) Even though I was driving down the road to drop off a demo music CD that had been requested – my mind started to come up with negative scenarios of running into all sorts of problems. 12 Step Program folks will relate to that.

So – I had to – even though FEELING and being AWARE of that – place a SMILE on my face to ‘help me work through it.’ I also made myself AWARE of my AGITATED state of mind and became MORE PRESENT while driving.

Then – I had a WONDERFUL time at the Art Gallery where I dropped off the CD. It went beautifully and I shared a few laughs! *pfew! Thanks goodness I was aware and didn’t give into it.

2) I stopped at the grocery store to drop off a couple Full Belly Laughter flyers and pick up two items. I was doing REALLY WELL! Still feeling the ‘Mount St. Helen’s’ Volcano brewing inside of me from hormones, cravings, etc. – but being AWARE.

HOW WONDERFUL! As I was leaving the store with my mini-cart – a young man walking towards me FLASHED ME A SMILE! It immediately REFLECTED off my face back to him! [SMILE CAMPAIGN GAME PAID OFF!] Here I was, have a CRAPPY moment and I had CASHED IN MY POINTS I had earned from giving smiles! *sigh – it was a wonderful moment …

BECAUSE – I start to head out the automatic/electric doors and a guy in front of me in on his cell phone. He is STRUGGLING to take bags out of his mini-cart, while kicking the cart with his right foot to move it away from him – people walking all around him…

my MIRACLE MOMENT was gone in a blip of a second! I vocalized in a judgemental tone: ‘IF YOU GOT OFF THE PHONE, YOU COULD PUT YOUR CART BACK.’ I did a kindness and put his cart back with mine.

*sigh … As I turned to leave through the exit doors, he turned to me and said: ‘WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO SAY THAT? I MEAN WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY? IT WAS A BUSINESS CALL!’

I was SO PROUD of myself! I immediately planted a SMILE on myself and just SMILED back as he expressed himself to me. We we’re heading in opposite directions, so I just HELD MY SMILE and allowed him to express what he needed.

Did we agree? No. But there was no need to get into an argument over it.

WOW! What a rollercoaster up ‘feeling like crap, being aware, receiving a smile and a moment later going into another crappy moment but choosing to not allow it to escalate.’

Then, after I dropped flyers off at two other venues, a woman HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR ME as I exited! I SMILED and THANKED her.

So, why am I sharing this? I like to share the GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY along with the miracles of how I go through my day. It’s not always perfect, I share a lot of the fun stuff –

But, perhaps, now you’ll see the PERSONAL POWER of my SMILE CAMPAIGN and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY CAMPAIGN which help me to make my own world and other’s worlds a little brighter, moment by moment …

whether I’m the GIVER or the RECEIVER of the SMILE or Healthy Driving Moment.

Live Life! Laugh Often!
Spread those Smiles by the Miles! and
DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

Keep earning and saving those HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT SMILE CAMPAIGN points! Like me, you never know when you’ll need them!

Stay sweet!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

Or should I say – getting through a menopausal, hormonal Helen kinda’ day? Oy Vey!
I feel like I’m on a scary Amusement Park ride with the ups and downs of the menopausal, hormonal cycle! Whew!

So, to start the day off, I got myself out of the house, to get myself ‘out of my mood’ and tried promoting myself, as far as being a singer, goes! Success, I made 4 new Helen of LAFOLOT sample singing demo CDs and dropped them off at 3 places! On the way to the one coffee house, I encountered some road construction. I like to ‘mess’ with construction folk when I drive by, to make their days a little more interesting. I’m SURE they love it! eh hem

On the way back home from the coffee house where I promoted my singing to the owner, I saw the heavy duty road equipment being maneuvered to place one of those cement segments used to redirect traffic on a highway. I saw them c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y trying to place the one concrete segment up against another. All I could think of is the old scenario where a person has a piano delivered and keeps telling the delivery guys to move it a little this way or that.

So, I rolled my window down to indicate that to the workers, but the equipment was too loud. Since no one was driving behind me, I slowly pulled up to the two workers, standing a little farther down the road, and hollered out the window; “I think they need to move that a Leeeeetle more to the left!” The workers smiled and laughed and I got out of there quickly. Ha Ha!

Then, as I approached the first stop light in the town/borough where I live; it was backed up a couple blocks. I rolled down my car window and put on my clown nose. I wanted to play with the guy who had his car hood open for maintenance while his girlfriend looked on. The traffic was stopped, so even though I didn’t end up getting their attention; a couple handymen working on the front porch of a house just behind my car saw what I was doing. I turned, and they were looking and laughing at me; poking my clown-nosed face out of the car window. Mission accomplished; I got a smile and laugh!

Well, being hormonal Helen, when I got home my mood instantly shifted from 0 to 60 and I got to make a fool of myself with the business dealings of all things. *sigh

Since I had a call from my accountant to pick up my tax forms, I thought it best to, once again, change my environment. I left to pick up the forms, review, sign and mail them. I headed over to my chiropractor appointment, he allowed me to ‘dump my frustrations’ about my hormonal mood swings and making a fool of myself on a daily basis. No extra charge!

Then, of course, I went to our local Red Robin restaurant to WALLOW in self-pity and order one of the mega-apple crisp with ice cream desserts!

Well, let me tell ‘ya! If you are ever ‘down in the dumps’ – go to a family/kid-oriented restaurant with birthday celebrations, a mingling mascot and balloon character artist! By the time I left that place, I was all smiles!

First, what luck! My server was a young, pregnant girl! I told her about my HORMONAL day and she said: no problem – I’m pregnant, I understand! I said, ‘thank goodness’ – so just ignore me if I snap at you. What a miracle this was!

Then, how wonderful, the Red Robin mascot was mingling with customers! Red Robin came over to my table. I had on my I LOVE TO LAFOLOT IT’S HEALTHY! Pin-back Button. I asked her if she remembered me from the summer when I met her at a park across the road. She had me stick my ‘LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!’ Bumper sticker on her bird tail! She said YES! Giving me a Thumbs up with her mascot hands.

Then, it got really funny! She started talking to me through her mascot beak! I gave her some of my LAFOLOT Smiley Face bookmarks to hand out to folks. She thanked me, because she said there is a family that comes in often, and they have a young daughter with juvenile diabetes. She gave me a ‘thumbs up’, because she likes giving gifts out to folks.

She got her box of goodies and gave me a GUMMY WORM! Hooray! I told her how I like worms, because they loosen the soil and help crops. She gave me a Red Robin thumbs up! We were talking more – her through her beak, and I laughed. I said it reminded me of the ‘GET SMART’ television show where ‘Agent 86’ used to talk to his informant ‘Heimie’ – who would hide in building air vents, etc. I told her she was an UNDER-COVER BIRD! This RUFFLED HER FEATHERS! Ha Ha

So she continued her mingling. When a dad came in with his wife and 3 daughters, she went to their table. She gave one of my smiley bookmarks to the mom, I think. I saw the mom and dad looking at it curiously. Why had Red Robin given them a LAFOLOT bookmark? Ha Ha

I got up and went over to explain. They laughed. I gave them 4 of my ‘REFLECT A SMILE’ Popsicle sticks that have a little mirror glued on the end. I told them all the silly uses for it, and they got a kick out of the gifts.

Then, a woman came to my table and said her mom was getting jealous and curious, wanting to know what I was handing out! WOW! I FOUND A NEW PLACE TO MARKET LAFOLOT! So, I got out some bookmarks, singing business cards, my LAFOLOT pamphlet and I still had a REFLECT A SMILE Popsicle stick. This lady was great! She said she was very aware of the health effects of laughter and we exchanged all our knowledge.

I showed her how to do my friend Kelly’s ‘Clap Clap Stomp Stomp Wiggle Wiggle’ remove snow before you go in the house dance. I told her where to find it at: www.youtube.com/Helenoflafolot
She told me she still loves to catch snowflakes on her tongue. I said, ‘Don’t forget jumping in puddles!’ ‘Or, through piles of leaves!’ she shared.

She had to run to the women’s room, so I went over to her mom at their booth. I only had the I LOVE TO LAFOLOT it’s Healthy! Button I was wearing. I asked her mom if she would like it? Her face lit up and she said ‘Yes!’ I gave her the pin. When I saw them leaving the restaurant, her mom was wearing the pin!

By the time I left Red Robin restaurant, I didn’t need the mega dessert. My mood had pleasantly shifted.
There’s a book by Don Miguel Ruiz called ‘The Four Agreements’. He notes that each day we do our best. Some days, our best is better than other days, but as long as we do our best, there’s no need to beat ourselves up. So, with all the hormonal Helen moments going on today; I guess I have to say I made many efforts to TURN IT AROUND and in the end got: ROCKIN’ WITH ROCKIN’ ROBIN and the rest of the gang!

Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment!
This has been a Ha Ha Highlighted Helen of LAFOLOT series of moments…
www.lafolot.com