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 see no recession when it comes to the ability to give a Kindness or Compliment! They are PRICELESS and worth more than all the gold in the world!

While at a business networking mixer, yesterday morning, a gentleman mentioned he had my Helen of LAFOLOT Night at the Piano Bar CD in his car and listens to it frequently! He had won it as a door prize at a previous meeting. I told him: YOU’VE MADE MY DAY!

During the meeting, after we gave our 30 second introduction commercials – I led everyone in a ‘cheer’ to wake them up. This same gentleman gave me a PLUG, suggesting I start off all their meetings with that warm-up! He called me Ms. LAFOLOT! …once again MY DAY WAS MADE!

When I got home to meet some Warranty Repair men for my new Modular Home – they were so EXCELLENT at their jobs, they were very great at explaining everything and answering my questions – I let them know they were WONDERFUL and I COULD TELL they knew and enjoyed their work! When I expressed concern over an issue for which they were not responsible, they were more than willing to check it out for me. Turned out I HAD NO WORRIES – there was no issue. I told the man his KINDNESS was PRICELESS and more VALUABLE to me than he could imagine! I told him: YOU’VE MADE MY DAY!

I later received an e-mail from a new business contact who is honoring my talents by having me speak on Laughter Wellness at her Business Women’s organization. Icing on the cake is that she asked me to SING – in order to promote that part of my business – another KINDNESS!

As if that weren’t enough – she then asked if I’d SING at a photography studio business open house! CAN I TAKE ALL THESE KINDNESSES and COMPLIMENTS!

Then, I received an e-mail from a NEW FAN of my website! He noted he is 26 years old and found my website to be so positive and upbeat, that he has shared it with many of his friends! THE GIFT OF A KINDNESS AND COMPLIMENT! Wow! I e-mailed him and told him: YOU’VE MADE MY DAY!

I have had many ‘young’ souls – highschool and college become fans of my SMILE CAMPAIGN and my book ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’ about appreciating life in all its forms of expression. I am truly blessed!

I see NO RECESSION – there is such an ABUNDANCE of COMPLIMENTS and KINDNESS being shared!

At one of my ‘Laughter? Let’s Get Serious!’ talks to a low income community action council two years ago; I mentioned that YOU DON’T NEED MONEY TO GIVE A GIFT! I talked about a book I read: ‘Good Hearted Living’ by Steve Wilson It talks about giving the gifts of: Compliments, Kindness, Gratitude, Flexibility and Forgiveness. None of these cost money and they can be given in bushel baskets!

I see no recession. I am wealthy beyond my dreams with all these gifts.

Check your HEART POCKETS, I’m sure you’ll find some there!

THANK YOU for reading my blog and believing in my passion.

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION by: Helenoflafolot]

As a child, there can be disappointments during Holidays with rituals of Gift Giving. Those Holidays may have started out with deeping meanings, but became more commercialized – even birthday and anniversary celebration gift giving.

As we get older, some of our friends move away, some of our family start to pass on – more and more we see the value of ‘BEING THOUGHT OF.’

That’s how I came to TRULY UNDERSTAND that phrase – ‘It’s the THOUGHT that counts’.

Think about it. To TRULY be HELD/EMBRACED in someone else’s thought in a warm way. What a GIFT! To know that with all the business and business dealing going on in other people’s days – for that person to have HELD ‘YOU!’ – YES YOU! in their thought for that moment – PRICELESS!

Wheather they bought you a stick of gum, a tacky pair of shoes you’ll never wear, some clothing item that doesn’t fit and ‘isn’t really you’… YOU were THOUGHT of!

*sigh – what a beautiful phrase – IT’S THE THOUGHT, that COUNTS.

May you be and feel thought of in a warm, embraced way – and if you feel you have no one doing this for you – considered yourself thought of by ME as you read this.

Thinking and feeling warm embracing thoughts for everyone in the world -
Highlighted Helen of LAFOLOT
Peace.
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION by: HELENOFLAFOLOT]

I tend to have premonitions. I thought this morning, ‘I need to move some of my LAFOLOT Live Life! Laugh Often!’ inventory’. As I was getting ready to leave my favorite Thai restaurant, Thai Palace – the owner/chef peeked out of the kitchen: ‘Do you have any more of those T-Shirts he asked?’ His cute daughter, Elizabeth was there also. YES! I said! Then, I realized he was talking about the new, ‘ME!’ t-shirt I had created and was wearing.

What size? I asked. XL – Yes – I had one in my stash in the car! So I sold him a ME! (LAFOLOT) t-shirt as well as an “I Love to LAFOLOT and GIGGLE, too!” shirt for his daughter, in exchange for a free lunch, tomorrow! I love bartering t-shirts for Thai food!

Then, I headed up the road to complete a few more errands. On the way home, I stopped at a Burger King drive-thru for a soda. My throat was feeling crappy from the hot/humid/allergin-ridden air. It was really hot, even with the A/C, waiting behind one other car. Seemed like it was taking awhile for their ‘fast food’ order. I got my money ready, pulled up to the window and the girl announced: ‘HERE! IT’S FREE! SINCE YOU HAD TO WAIT SO LONG!’
WOW! What a nice surprise!

I instantly thought of the ‘Good Hearted Living Principles’ by Steve Wilson, CSP (my Certified Laughter Leader teacher). I thought, Thursdays may be for Kindness; but we need a day for SURPRISES! Then, I realized, the SURPRISE is the RESULT of the KINDNESS for the recipient!

As I got to a major intersection traffic light, traffic in front of me was doing the usual STOP, Look and make a RIGHT turn on RED – which is allowed in my neck of the woods. So, I did the same. Well, BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
I automatically screamed and my hands almost flew off the steering wheel! A car was directly on my bumper! From WHERE had it come?

That was my LAST SURPRISE! All I have to say is, it’s best not to do a strong, loud, BEEP when something like that happens. I certainly didn’t pull out in front of anyone on purpose. It looked like I had the ‘all clear.’ Plus, traffic was at a stand still due to another red light up the road and traffic having to merge. No one was going anywhere fast.
So, I don’t really know why the vehicle that beep, did so loudly and aggressively, since we both had to slowly merge into the congested traffic.

So SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE as Gomer Pyle used to say! Some from a psychic premonition, some from a treat for being nice and waiting patiently and some from aggressive, angry drivers –

either way – my blood is pumping and my heart is functioning fine! Thank you very much!

Have a happily, surprising day!
HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!

[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

I got to share my Helen of LAFOLOT Variety Show Singing and Humorist stories at a Mother’s Day event at Country Meadows Senior Living. There were only about 12 to 14 people there. The smaller audience was welcome, since larger audiences can’t always hear the karaoke and microphone combo unit I use.

There was a man named Marty and a woman named Mary sitting side-by-side. No connection, just happened to be sitting next to one another. WELL! They were singing out loud, right along with me! I sing songs from the 20s, 30s, 40s through the present. They know the words better than I do!

At the end, I had a spontaneous thought – I said: ‘I’m going to make t-shirts for the two of you! They’ll say M & on one t-shirt and M on the other!’ Marty and Mary LOVED the idea! They said they would wear the t-shirts and make sure to sit side-by-side if I came back to sing.

I made sure to tell them it would likely take a week, but I’d get the shirts to them. I got their sizes – L and M.

So, I DESIGNED the M&M logo – I made it a little different and with more color. One note: Marty of M&M with dancing musical notes underneath and the other said: Mary of M&M – it was within a red outlined circle with my LAFOLOT logo underneath.

WELL! I drove down and dropped them off this morning. I thought I’d just give them to the Activities Director but there sat a group of seniors waiting for an activity to start. MARTY’S EYES BEEMED! He even got a little teary eyed!

He was so thrilled! He said: ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU REMEMBERED!’ I said: ‘I WOULDN’T HAVE PROMISED AND NOT STUCK TO IT!’

He was soooo moved – he shakily stood up out of his chair – used my hand to steady himself and ASKED if he could thank me with a hug! I thought that was so nice that he ASKED – I said sure!

Then – they told me where Mary’s room was – I encountered Mary in her wheelchair – heading back towards her room. Mary is very hard of hearing – so I bent towards her ear and HOLLERED that I had made her the shirt. She was ECSTATIC! She was so thrilled and couldn’t thank me enough! Mary told me, once again, how much she enjoyed my singing and hoped I would be back soon! WOW!

AW SHUCKS! I did it because I thought it would be a fun idea – and might get me back for more singing!
The reaction was PRICELESS! What a GIFT!
What more can I say!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this can also been seen at Vibrant Nation Blog Circle name: Helenoflafolot]

Being in the throes of menopause as well as dealing with a week of overcast skies; yesterday was a bit gloomy. I went to my favorite Thai Palace restaurant for lunch. The owners Lily and Xay are always friendly and accommodating as well as their servers Heli, Pen, and Mai. I feel like a Queen while dining there. So, having a gloomy day – what a surprise it was when Lily brought my lunch special with a side of rice in the shape of a Heart! It put an instant smile on my face, and I let her know it was appreciated!

Another friend sent me an e-mail the other day about going through life and not saying ‘I love you’ to the people you cherish. I had to laugh, because that phrase wasn’t mentioned in my household. I’m not saying there wasn’t caring and concern, just not the verbal mention. Hence, I don’t relate much to the phrase. I feel actions speak louder than words.

I remember tagging along with my mom to my grandparent’s house when I was 4 or 5. My grandfather would sit at the kitchen table; a stocky, dark haired-bald in front, dark brown eyed man with glasses. As a child, I was afraid of him. I was afraid of a lot of people that were taller and bigger than me. I remember my mother telling me to go say ‘Hello’ to Grand Pop and he would hold out a quarter for me.

It didn’t relieve my fear; and shortly after – he passed on of a heart attack while sleeping, around age 62.

Growing up in a household with challenges of alcohol, prescription drugs, and brain damage (amongst family members), I am grateful I had a roof over my head, meals and got my High School diploma. I realized later on, one of my mom’s ways of expressing her love was to give money to her kids.
Initially, as a teenager and young adult, it angered me; because I felt I was being bought. As I got older, I realized it was her way of expressing her love.

So, when I entered 12-Step programs for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Overeaters Anonymous, I sent my sponsor a card one day. I wrote inside: ‘I feel you are worth the money I spent on the card and the stamp!’ She laughed when I told her that was worth all the gold in the world coming from me, with my strong budget-mindedness! Ha ha, she let me know she would cherish it.

When my friend sent me the e-mail the other day, I let her know some of the above information and responded with: AND HERE’S SOME CASH FOR YOU, TOO! I mean it, from the bottom of my heart!
I forwarded the e-mail to another friend that would understand, and sent her an e-mail with VIRTUAL CASH, from the bottom of my heart! She wrote back, ‘I LOVE you, too!’ *smile

When I got the Rice Heart the other day; I could accept it as a gift of LOVE from a local restaurant owner, along with her husband. Xay makes sure to prepare my food ‘just the way I like it!’ Even if Xay says he has to wash his hands to get all the hot pepper off after he makes it! I like my food No. 10, Thai Hot!

So, to all my friends reading this out there; here is some virtual cash, and I mean it, from the bottom of my heart!

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
…have a virtual quarter and a Rice Heart to go along with it! I’m feeling generous!
Feel the LOVE!

Addendum: The GIFT of GIVING keeps on giving and giving and giving!

When I went to dine at Thai Palace for lunch, I let the owner and staff know I had written about them on my blog, due to their kindness. When I was done eating lunch, I passed two diners in a booth. The woman mentioned that her male friend admired that I was sitting in the booth with all the sunlight. He noted that I was glowing in the light. I said, WOW, I just wrote a blog on this very thing! I told her, ‘You made my day!’ I said: ‘I’ve been a bit down, because of the overcast weather, and you’ve given me a gift with that compliment!’ She smiled and thanked me. The, she noted that she knew me from a Summer event where I had my LAFOLOT table set up. She gave me ANOTHER gift by sharing that she still had my ‘Live Life! Laugh Often!’ bumper display on her vehicle! I was thrilled, and told her so. I told her I was feeling down that my message wasn’t getting out there, and she just assured me that it was!

So, when you give the gift of a compliment and noting how people have impacted your life in a positive way; it comes back to you ten times over!

Feel the love… in a compliment and sharing of a kind word!
[This blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation, a website for women over 50. It's full of wonderful information and sharing.]