LAFOLOT

What a W.O.W. (World of Wonder!) couple of days!
Needness to say, it’s been a SUPER challenging past week (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually!) –
luckily we have a ‘FAMILY TEAM’ working to help my oldest, brain damaged sister ‘Dolly’ (as a result of being hit by a drunk driver when she was 20 – now 63), as well as my 86 year old mom who is currently in hospice.

It’s been a year of challenges, frustrations, and dissapointment – HOLDING ON – knowing that SEEDS have been planted and are GERMINATING – ready to BLOSSOM and grow my LAFOLOT.COM business. I AFFIRM THIS!

I have newly title myself: OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER! If the TITLE fits, WEAR it!

Heres the AH! MAZING! NARRATIVE of KONTAGIOUS KINDNESS events and OUTLOOK SHIFTS since yesterday!

I had a dental appointment yesterday morning at which I received a coupon attached to an 8 1/2 inch sheet of paper. I was ‘dissapointed’ because I thought the dental hygenist said she would give me a coupon for anti-bacterial mouthwash – all I saw was a coupon for dental floss. But I chose to be grateful.

OUTLOOK SHIFT: I took the coupon sheet to the grocery store, and when I went to fold and tear the coupon at the perforation; I FOUND OUT THERE WAS PRINTING ON THE BACK – and THAT’s where the mouthwash coupon was! SILLY ME! It just took an OUTLOOK shift to discover THE GIFT! When I used the coupon, the grocery store DOUBLED it’s value and the coupon maching SPIT OUT (no pun intended re: the mouthwash) – ANOTHER $1.00 off coupon for the same produce – not expiring for 3 months! Woo Hoo!

Last evening, after leaving my mom’s hospice room and having to help her eat (this is not easy for me emotionally nor physically) – I stopped at a local 7-11 Convenience store to pick up a Hotdog and Fritos for dinner. The owner of the store knows me as a frequent customer. HE GAVE ME THE HOTDOG FOR FREE! What a kindness! We never know what people are experiencing in their lives – that GESTURE was PRICELESS!

I got up this morning and sang my own made-up song, chants about everything I was grateful for. The shower, the water, my hair-blow dryer, etc etc.

When I went to visit my sister in her nursing home I found an older couple sitting near the lobby front door. Even though it was 10 A.M. – he kept greeting everyone with GOOD AFTERNOON because he thought it was funny! I had my clown nose with me – so I put it on and he and his wife laughed!

When I went down the hall towards my sister’s room – the PHYSICAL THERAPY staff were helping a senior woman go through Plastic Cones – to learn how to maneuvre her walker. They said: OH NO! YOU CAN’T JUST WALK BY! YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CONES! I slipped my clown nose out of my pocket – put it on my face and OBLIGED! They laughed and thanked me.

I found my sister, relaxed, content and resting on her bed. She was happy to get her wristwatch back after a recent stay in the hospital. We had a nice visit.

On my way out, I told her PHYSIATRIST that I ‘VALUED’ his intentions and actions in trying to assist my sister with her mobility, etc. I hear THE HOKEY POKEY being played on a piano and followed the music into a senior/group event being held by two women (one singing, one playing the piano). With my clown nose, I entered the event and they stopped and smiled. They allowed me to join in and physically do the hockey pockey for them – while it was replayed.

I left the building feeling good about having entered with a positive outlook shift – my family having been challenged recently re: my sister’s care.

When I got to the grocery store after that – I saw A FANTASTIC deal on a HUGE SIZE box of cat litter. I’m really hurting financially – so it would have been a good buy – but TOO HEAVY for me to lift. I said that out loud in the aisle – JOKINGLY – and another woman shopper – without skipping a beat – LIFTED THE HUGE BOX OF LITTER INTO MY SHOPPING CART!

I told her I have on my website: A LITTLE KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY! She had done a great service and unexpected kindness for me! I gave her 3 LAFOLOT bookmarks. She was thrilled because she had just bought a book at a 2nd hand book store! Since I work at this store, I mentioned HER KINDNESS to one of the management and they said they would offer her a discount coupon for having helped me!

KINDNESS IS KONTAGIOUS!
You never know when THAT SMALL GESTURE is helping someone with BIG BURDENS in their life.

Thanks to ALL THE ANGELS that presented themselves to me this past week! Sending thoughts of healthy laughter and smiles out to all!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!

What a W.O.W. (World of Wonder!) moment I had at lunch!

I had stopped into a local SUBWAY owned by a business connection, Kathy George. For a Sunday, there was a crowd! I frequent this SUBWAY because Kathy’s manager, Alicia, put my HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT picture on an 8 1/2 x 11 poster to help promote HEALTHY LAUGHTER along with SUBWAY’s Healthy Eating!

There was a couple with their daughter and her friend, in the line in front of me. The ‘girls’ were having fun picking out their sandwhich combinations. The daughter had on fun toe nail polish and had painted one foot! They were fun, free spirits! I loved it! They were SO POLITE! The daughter took time to ‘apologize’ to me for holding up the line! WHAT A GREAT SOUL! A TEENAGER! I said: ‘No problem! I’m in no hurry! Besides – THAT’S MY PHOTO UP THERE ON THE SIGN BY THE DOOR!

I pulled a couple bright yellow, LAFOLOT bookmarks out of my purse and gave one to the girl and her friend. I noted: I’m HA HA HELEN and on the back of the bookmark, it explains my SMILE CAMPAIGN! I told them: Whenever I give a smile and someone smiles back, I GIVE MYSELF A POINT! They smiled/laughed/thanked me and moved on.

After they paid, I made sure to tell ‘the mom’ I had given them bookmarks and gave her one so she would know where they got theirs, etc.

They family sat down to finish their sandwhiches. As they got up to leave, I smiled at the girl who smiled back. Her friend was directly behind her. The young girl stated loudly: I GOT ONE POINT!

W.O.W!!! My whole world lit up! My whole day had been turned around! I sat there in AH! MAZEMENT! with the BRIGHTEST SMILE ON MY FACE!

Without going into detail – I and other members of my family are very stressed at the moment dealing with a mom in hospice as well as an older, brain damaged sister in crisis.

This PRICELESS, SPECIAL MOMENT TURNED IT AROUND! I just SAT there in AWE!

I sometimes question, struggling financially at the moment, whether I should just CHUCK it all and go back to a cubicle job to pay off debt, bills, etc.

Then – something like this happens and I realize I’m following my PURPOSE!

As I walked to my car (LAFOLOT MOBILE) – I had to walk past the family’s SUV as ‘the mom’ was getting in the vehicle. I saw ‘the dad’s’ face and I SMILED! He smiled back. The back windows were open where the two girls were sitting.

I ANNOUNCED: ONE POINT!

As I made my way around the vehicle to get to my car – the back window rolled down and the daughter smiled at me announcing: I’M UP TO FIVE POINTS!

What can I say! I HAD SOLD HER ON THE BEAUTY OF THE IDEA! SHE APPROVED OF THE HA HA HELEN SMILE CAMPAIGN – POINTS GAME!

I told her: Do you want to know what I do with all my points? On a day when I can’t find my smile; and someone smiles at me first – KA CHING! I CASH THEM IN! She smiled broadly at the idea as they drove away.

ONE POINT! I THOUGHT! – and I let out a loud YES! YAHOO! YEAHHHH! WITH A BIG SMILE – AS I DROVE AWAY!

HA HA HELEN Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM – OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Lighting up the world – ONE SMILE AT A TIME!
Join HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN! E-MAIL ME AND TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RESULTS!
IT DOESN’T COST ANYTHING! JUST SHARE YOUR SMILES!

Being a ‘professional’ (HA HA) laugher – it’s interesting when I’m ‘out in public’ and I’m BEING HUMAN! I tell people, ‘I teach what I need to learn and share because I care!’
I ventured out to see the HARRY POTTER final movie, yesterday.

I checked the theatres and times before I left home. I even purchased my ticket ON-LINE so I wouldn’t have to wait. I left my house early, as the theatre-tickets sight suggested. HA HA HA – THE JOKE WAS ON ME! I’m smiling – because these situations give me GREAT IDEAS for talks and blogs!

I get in line to present my ‘printed proof of ticket purchase.’ There are only 2 ticket buyers in front of me. The show starts at 1:00pm and it’s 12:45pm. I hear the man (with his wife and one kid) at the ticket window. He states: ‘I’d like 7 tickets for the 4:15pm Harry Potter movie.’ Well – 5 minutes go by and he is still at the window and the line isn’t moving????

Yes – I’m getting CURIOUS – it’s HOT – it’s HUMID – I’m MENOPAUSAL – enough said. *smile!

Finally – another employee comes to the second ticket window and sells one ticket – but – YEP – YOU GUESSED IT! THERE’S A PROBLEM! HA HA HA HA HA (no – I wasn’t laughing – but I had to keep myself in check) – I’m HA HA HELEN! of LAFOLOT! *smile

So I say to the mother and son in front of me, in line: ‘I worked at a theatre box office when I was in highschool. All you did was give the money and get the ticket, I’m not understanding what’s going on?’ Basically – there are SO MANY PURCHASE options nowadays, etc. – you can’t just easily walk up and buy a ticket! Evidently, the man buying the 7 tickets had made use of ‘a bunch of options’ from ON-LINE deals, so it was taking the window clerk a long time to process it.

The woman and her son BEHIND me in line said out loud: ‘OH! YOU’VE JUST GOTTA LAUGH!’ I turned around, SMILED and showed her the front of my t-shirt; it noted: FLASH someone a SMILE! www.LAFOLOT.com I said to her: Hey! I’m a PROFESSIONAL Laugher – I TEACH this stuff – and I’M having a bit of trouble! Of course the LAUGHTER was helping us to deal with it.

FINALLY – I was NEXT at the opposite ticket purchase window. Yes – the man buying the 7 tickets for 4:15pm was still waiting for a result on his request. *SMILE BIG! HA HA

What happens? I walk up to the window and the girl starts to walk away! My eyes go big and I quickly step back – concerned I’ll lose my place in line! She says: No, it’s OK – I’m just changing the printer paper.

OHHH! NOOOO! Not that – my mind is saying inside as I keep a straight face.

She takes my PROOF OF PURCHASE printout, my credit card and driver’s license as proof and HITS PRINT on the computer.

OK – GUESS WHAT HAPPENED! OH COME ON! *SMILE! THE PRINTER DIDN’T WORK! No entrance ticket for me!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA – OK, today, at this moment, I’m NOW LAUGHING!

She says: It’s OK – as she sees my eyes go big and my face frozen. I’m realllly trying, really am.

She says: Go ahead in, I’ll let them know it’s OK, you’re OK to go. Ask me why I wasn’t TRUSTING at this point?

YES! I made it in! It was like making a goal at a Football, Hockey or Soccer game!

My INNER-CHILD WAS ROARING! Yes! I had made it past THE DEMENTORS!

THIS HARRY POTTER FAN – a.k.a. GRIFFINDOR SCHOOL – wise woman had OVERCOME the OBSTACLES and TRIUMPHED above the evil ticket window gremlins!- by the way – THE MOVIE ROCKED! YES! WOO HOO! Loved Mrs. Weasley and Neville Longbottom in the movie!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com – Living, Learning and Laughing … through it all.

I had to laugh while DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY, yesterday!

We had been WARNED that ‘the end was near’!

As of 6:00pm California-time, May 21, 2011 -

the Rapture was to BE! (*hee hee!)

While driving down the road to get a bite to eat at Olive Garden Restaurant -
(I tried using THE RAPTURE as a reason to NOT have to PAY for my food –
but … they wouldn’t BUY it! *ha ha ha)

I saw a car license plate to the front and left lane of mine that started with the letters:

END #### (END!!!! OH NOOOOO!)

The car in front of me had a license plate with the first three letters:

HLP #### (HELLLLLLLP!)

THE END! (the rapture) HELLLLP!

Gotta LOVE how ‘nature’ brings a BIT O’ THE HUMOR into the silly antics of US HUMANS!

Are we all N.U.T.S. ??? (Not Understanding The Silliness)

Prior to that, I saw a license personalized license plate: KAT BARF

So, in the END, with a little HELP, we’ll all be able to LAUGH IT OFF!

From one silly human to others …

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! Life, it’s meant to be lived!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
O.S.E. (Outlook Shift Engineer)
www.lafolot.com/drive-yourself-happy

I AM: Helen Szollosy, O.S.E. (Outlook Shift Engineer!)

In an effort to downsize and focus more on my LAFOLOT.COM business; I accidentally incurred a $13,717.00 tax debt to the IRS, State and Local municipalities!

Outllook shift! I have such excellent credit, I was able to instantly get the loans needed through my credit union to pay the debt, with great interest rates! YES!

Outlook shift! I recent aquired 2 separate part-time jobs; which are enabling me to stay ahead of the debt! YES! Outlook shift! continued … the one job is SO flexible – as long as I put in a specific number of hours each week; I can work them around my LAFOLOT.com gig schedule! YES!

Outlook shift! My one job didn’t give me the expected number of work hours this week. I was momentarily blindsided; but when I went into my OTHER – limited hours – parttime job this week! YES! OUTLOOK SHIFT! The CEO of the company was coming to visit the next day; so the manager ASKED if I could put in ADDITIONAL hours to help ready the store! YES!

Outlook shift! After putting in 5 hours at my parttime job today, upon arriving home – with dark, rain clouds looming overhead, I commented to a neighbor: ‘I FORGOT I had hung out my laundry! I’d better go bring it in!’ I had to walk to get my mail; then unload groceries from my car; headed out the back door; went to take the laundry off the line and – JUST AS I WAS TAKING DOWN THE LAST FEW ITEMS! The RAINDROPS started!

Perfection in motion! What TIMING!
Lookout! It’s Life! With a PHRESH OUTLOOK!

Need to orchestrate/engineer an Outlook Shift? Just contact Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOFOL.COM!

Living Life in Ah! Mazement! What a DAY OF PERFECTION IN MOTION!

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

While at a ‘quick checkout’ at the grocery store, after a young gentleman noted to his buddy that he needed a penny to finish his payment, he said: ‘Pennies don’t have any value any longer, I wonder why we still use them?’

Being openly friendly when out in public, I turned, smiled and said: ‘Ohhh! But they have GREAT value! When you FIND a LUCKY PENNY, and you give it away to someone else the penny becomes PRICELESS!’ The gift is in the giving.

He smiled, agreed with me and repeated as he wheeled his cart out past me, PRICELESS!

Value, worth, of ourselves or an object – it’s all in how you LOOK at it.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Specializing in rePHRESING thoughts and New Outlooks!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in AH! Mazement!
www.lafolot.com

Guess what? I just realized my AGE now equals my HEIGHT! That’s RIGHT!

I just turned 52 and my height is 5 feet 2 inches!
Reminds me of the phrase I heard as a child: ‘Oh! Act your AGE, not your SHOE SIZE!’

Being creative minded, the minute I told someone about my age and height being equal, I realized – I am now on the opposite side of the 1/2 decade mark!

FROM NOW ON – *Drum Roll

My AGE will INCREASE and my HEIGHT will gradually DECREASE!

Isn’t that the UPs and DOWNs of life? Early on, we are:

Growing in Height and Age -
Then we stop growing in height but our age continues to increase –
Then are age continues to increase and our height diminishes!

It’s kind of like those Birthday Noise Makers that Roll Out and Roll Back in (retract).

Oh my, now I’m getting depressed. My life has been reduced to a Birthday noise maker.

Wait a minute! HOW WONDERFUL! MY LIFE IS LIKE A BIRTHDAY NOISE MAKER!
WHAT FUN!
Blow out – make a *woooooooo! noise and retract. It’s like the EBB and FLOW of life!

Forget about: Life is like a box of chocolates.

For HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – Life is like a birthday noisemaker –

It’s all about the UPs and DOWNs of Age and Height and the INs and OUTs of the Birthday Noisemaker! The Rise and Fall, the Ebb and Flow – when it stops, you never know – SOOOOOOOO ……

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Live Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Live BOLD and in Italics!
As I told my 85 year old mother the other day: Ya’ keep on LIVING until you’re not LIVING anymore! She responded: THAT’S IT!

I am ‘SO’ honored! For my 2/21/2011, Monday birthday – all State and Federal Offices are closing and stores are having MEGA Sales in honor of ME! I feel SO SPECIAL!

It’s TRUE! It’s ALL over the newspapers, on the radio ADs and I see the SALE signs in all the stores! I guess it’s HA HA HELEN SALES DAYS!

I guess we never truly know how SPECIAL, UNIQUE and WORTHY we are until we see this type of celebration in honor of our birthday?

You’re not buying it? WHAT? YOU DON’T THINK I’M THAT SPECIAL! (mimic Lucy from the cartoon PEANUTS)

What about YOU? Don’t you think you’re special enough to have State and Federal Government offices shut down and MEGA SALES DAYS at businesses?

WELL, LET ME TELL YOU – YOU ARE! I say YES! Y.O.U. ARE GRRRRRRREAT!
You don’t have to be ‘TONY THE TIGER’ to realize THAT!

Just because YOU are YOU! I hand out CHEERING FLAGS at my talks. I invite people to wake up, go to the bathroom mirror, get out their cheering flag and say: YEAHHHH! Y.O.U.!!! YOU – ARE – GREAT! WOOOO! HOOOO!

YES! YES! YES! OWN IT! KNOW – DEEP DOWN INSIDE! YOUR VALUE! YOUR WORTH!
YOUR SACRED SELF THAT KNOWS – YOU DESERVE THE BEST THAT LOVE AND LIFE HAVE TO OFFER!

As one of my favorite mentors – Mary Copp – Cart/Bag lady said to me years ago (with a smile): STAY SWEET!

and DON’T FORGET TO GET OUT THERE AND CELEBRATE HA HA HELEN SALES DAYS (a.k.a. President’s Day)!! For all those State and Government Employees out there – TAKE THE DAY OFF ON ME! HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT.COM!

*SMILE! YOU’RE GREAT!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in Ah! Mazement!
why? because you’re Y.O.U. YOU! YEAH!

There’s something about getting a ‘gift’ tossed your way unexpectedly when you’re dealing with a lot of stress! Big Thank You of GRAT-I-TUDE (one of the things I teach that I need to learn) for an AH! MAZING! moment – WHERE? AT THE GAS PUMPS!

My tank was on empty, we had a couple ‘dumps’ of snow last evening and earlier in the day; I have a mother and sister in nursing and hospice care -

so what do I encounter when I finally get out to fill up my tank?

A man stops and smiles after paying for his fuel. He says: Are you a speaker? I answer ‘yes’ and ‘smile’ as I see that he’s noticed my magnetic car advertising.

To make a long story short – in addition – I’ve haven’t been able to keep up with my business handlings as well as I would have like; due to a lot of family needs surfacing (relocating my mom, closing down an apartment, closing out an assisted living apartment, etc.)

WHAT? Do I find in the small container I keep on the floor near my passenger seat (for business supplies) – A FULLY PACKED PAMPHLET about what I do! Miracle of Miracles! So he got to take a lot of information with him; in addition to what I shared face-to-face.

Somebody is watching out for me through all the ‘not fun stuff’ going on (which is one of the things I teach – how to work through or should I say RIDE through, more easily!)

AH! MAZING! Oh! Yes! and due to my radio commercial station forgetting to contact me regarding continuing my AD – they automatically offered me a FREE WEEK of Advertising!

AH! MAZING! Go figure! I certainly DO Live Life in AH! MAZEMENT! Have to shake my head side to side and smile and laugh over this day and this week!

AH! Yes! I can’t forget to mention the DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY moment I encountered, when I stopped at a shopping plaza parking lot; afterwards, and saw the license plate: JOYN-LIFE ‘Joy In Life?’ or ‘Join Life’ – no matter how you SEE it; it was a message gratefully received!

Full of it – GRATITUDE and AMAZEMENT, that is!

May you find – amidst some of the ‘overflowing piles of laundry of life situations’ – that you are being entertained by angels, unawares.

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

Just in case you need a smile – I’m sharing one with you right now.

It’s been a bit rough the past two weeks, with my being POA and nursing home rep for my 63 yr old sister who is now in a nursing home (she was hit by a drunk driver at age 19 resulting in permanent brain damage.) As well as, a mom (my younger sister is her rep/POA) coming down with pneumonia, just after another older sister assisted with getting my mom to assisted living.

I stopped into my favorite, local, family-owned THAI Palace restaurant Sunday evening. I like to sit at a booth in an inner room away from the cold windows and doors. Another couple was seated in that room, who had brough their (approx 8-10 month old) baby in her carrier.

As I was eating, they were trying to figure out what they wanted off the menu … I suddenly realized ONE EYE was staring at me from across the room – around the baby carrier handle edge. I looked over, it was a good 12 feet distance, and I smiled. SHE SMILED! (what GREAT EYE SIGHT!)

This quiet, casual play went on … and then the mom put down the handle. The litte baby SMILED big and giggled! I giggled/laughed/smiled back – just because I couldn’t help myself! She was PLAYING with ME from across the room! The mom looked over. I said, WOW, what great eye sight and a great laugh! She’s been ‘giving me the sneaky eye’ the whole time!

Well, then the little baby purposely shook her head side to side quickly back and forth and laughed out loud – as if performing for me! I had to laugh even more, it was hysterical! MY BLUES were starting to MELT at the interaction of this LITTLE LAUGHING ANGEL who had been sent to help me find my smile!

Then, she PULLED herself into a seated position and looked over and smiled and laughed easily. It was such a JOY! I was laughing harder now, it was amazing!

After about 10 minutes, I was done with my meal and I took one of my LAFOLOT Smiley Face bookmark business cards over. I said: ‘This isn’t for the baby – but I want you to know I’m a certified laughter leader, I’ve been having a rough time lately with family needs and I think this LAUGHING ANGEL was sent to help cheer me up; so I want to THANK YOU! I really needed it!’

The mom thanked me, the baby continued to smile and I left with laughter and a smile inside.

I think when we are down and out, if we pay a little attention – we may find a Glimmering, Glistening, Peek-a-boo eye, peering from around a corner or space, ready to help lift our spirits. Mine came in the shape of a rolly, polly bundle with a great giggle, glimmer and laugh.

Thanks to that Laughing Baby Angel -

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

‘A Little Kindness goes a Long way …’ as well as a little giggle …