I don’t believe in the once-a-year stress, mega-shopping, mega-debt, shock of seeing family members where one can’t relate and adjust, where addicts get into their mega-use to avoid it all, etc.
NOW for my OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEERING approach … AH! HA! HA HA!

I BELIEVE in LIVING LIFE! LAUGHING OFTEN!
I BELIEVE in LIVING in the SEASON and SPIRIT of Christmas year round! How does THAT SOUND?

My laughter leader trainer, Dr. Steve Wilson, wrote a wonderful book called: ‘GOOD-HEARTED LIVING’. We’ve seen these values and traits written and spoken about many times over: COMPLIMENTS, FLEXIBILITY, GRATITUDE, KINDNESS, FORGIVESS, and having fun and relaxing (CHOCOLATE).

I don’t DO Christmas … but I did awake this morning to the EXPECTATION, APPRECIATION of a BEAUTIFUL NEW DAY! I didn’t run out to find a tree with wrapped packages… I found the SUN streaming through my bedroom window! YES! A new PHresh Day! A new, PHresh Outlook on Life!

What a GIFT, this NEW day, this NEW start to a NEW outlook. ‘Pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again!’ as the song says.

I get to LIVE LIFE! in AH! MAZEMENT! Each day I get to practice GOOD-HEARTED LIVING! I can awake to realize a NEW FORGIVENESS!

I look out my window as I prepare my healthy breakfast filled with GRATITUDE and see the MIRACLE OF LIFE as BIRDS flitter from branch to branch.

I get to PRACTICE this SPIRIT OF THE SEASON on a MOMENT to MOMENT basis … living in the GIFT of the PRESENT … constantly seeing a NEW SURPRISE … a NEW LESSON … a REASON to be GRATEFUL!

I get to EXCUSE, FORGIVE, RELEASE a minor irritation by a fellow DRIVER or SHOPPER when I am out-and-about.

I get to PRACTICE ‘A Little Kindness…’ and live in AH! MAZING! EXPECTATION of each new occurrence and miracle in my life!

Why only do this for a brief time each year? LIVE LIFE IN AH! MAZEMENT! LIVE LIFE! with EXPECTATION! on a moment to moment basis. LIVE, LIVE, LIVE IN the SPIRIT of the SEASON!

No need to wait for ‘once a year’ to SPEND TIME WITH THE KIDS, or a MISSED family member to BAKE SOME COOKIES or make some Ginger Bread Houses. It’s all about the SPECIAL QUALITY TIME … be creative! This translates to sandcastles and group gardening projects.

No need to wait for the ‘HOLIDAY SEASON’ to make donations or take food to a needy family.

No need to wait for the Holiday Season to take some time for YOURSELF, to ‘take a ME-DAY’ from work and CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF LIFE!

As MAME said: ‘We need a Little Christmas, right this very minute …’ – in life, on a moment to moment basis … living in the moment, in the MIRACLE of each new day and minute … seeing the JOY, LOVE, MAGNIFICENCE around us.

The SPIRIT of the SEASON is about:
EXPECTANCY,
BEING IN THE MOMENT
GRATITUDE and THANKS
FORGIVING
Being a little KIND, a little FLEXIBLE
Enjoying those TREATS
Spending time with someone
SHARING those GIFTS …

Play the HA HA HELEN SMILE CAMPAIGN - GAME!, DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!, take TIME 2 LAUGH … LIVE LIFE LIKE IT’S The Christmas Season!

THAT’S THE SPIRIT! L I V E IT! and share a Healthy Laugh or Smile while you’re at it!

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com – OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER, Hear! Here!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
A little kindness goes a long way …

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

Well! I was driving in a shopping plaza and noticed the obviously weary
Salvation Army Bell Ringer – out in the cold. She was getting up from taking a
rest on the curb.

I am short of funds – but I pulled my vehicle to the curbside -
rolled down my window -
reached over to my passenger seat for the:

Dollar Store FELT, DEER ANTLER HEADBAND WITH BELLS (I had been using the last
two weeks to attract smiles/laughs)

and I HANDED it to her through the window. HER FACE BEAMED A SMILE!

I said: Here, these oughta make you feel better and attract more donations!

You would have thought I had given her gold! She took them and reached her
gloved hand into the car to shake my hand and wish me a Merry Christmas!

*sigh .. last year I gave my tinsel deely bobber headband to the Salvation Army
worker outside the same store and got the same reaction! I wrote a blog called:
Gift of the Tinsel Deely Bobber Headband

This is what I share in my motivational-inspirational talks -

it doesn’t take money to make someone’s day -

the LITTLEST, SIMPLEST things bring the BIGGEST, HEART WARMING smiles.

I live life in A-MAZE-MENT! There was a book written called ‘Don’t sweat the
small stuff.’

On the other hand – I TRULY FEEL it’s THE SMALL STUFF – the Positive Side of it
all – that LIGHTS UP THE WORLD!

“Lots of LITTLES make a BIGGLES of GIGGLES and SMILES!” – my latest Ha Ha Helenism.

…I’m smiling … and it feels good.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM

[it feels good because it's been a stressfull 2 years w/ my oldest brain damaged sister (as a result of being hit by a drunk driver was she was 19 - now age 63) going into a Nursing home and this past week - helping two other sisters get my mom over to an assisted living building. In the middle of it all - the fire alarm went off at the new place IT WAS A MESS! My blood pressure has been all over the place ...]

I REALLLLLLY NEEEEEDED THIS SMIIIIIILE OPORTUNITY – I’m grateful it POPPED into my lap this evening.
Grateful for the gift of the deer antlers with bells! Oh? Wasn’t it for me?

I used to really dislike grocery shopping. Now, I PURPOSELY do ‘frequent’, ‘inefficient’ shopping so I HAVE to go back more frequently! Nuts? Oh, no! There’s a ‘madness to my method!’ HA HA!

Being a newly independent business owner, it give me more visibility! Since I work from home, it gets me out of the house for FUN socialization! Why? because I talk to people at the grocery store, joke and spread compliments and smiles!

Today, I was nearing the end of an aisle when a young woman stops her cart – OBLIVIOUS – blocking my exit. She didn’t notice me and proceeded to slowly walk around her mini-cart and reach on the bottom shelf for the plastic iced tea container. FUNNY PART WAS – the mini-cart was loaded with 6-packs of soda all around the top and bottom edges of the cart.

I ‘just stood there’ watching. I found it funny. She was moving in slow motion, oblivious. She finally noticed me, and apologized. I laughed, smiled and said “Oh! don’t worry – I do laughter wellness for a living and I was getting a kick out of watching the whole thing!” The HILARIOUS part was, she was double-checking that the iced-tea was INDEED sugar free! HAHAHAHA – she had tons of sugary soda in the cart! (I know – it could have been for several different people, it was just funny.) We talked about food carton labeling a few seconds and went on our merry way.

When I got over to the dairy aisle, I noticed a woman with beautiful, long, healthy, black, shiny hair! I have a cosmetology license, so I KNOW healthy hair when I see it! I said: ‘Excuse me, I don’t normally do this, but I have to tell you you have the most beautiful, shiny, black hair I’ve ever seen! What do you do to it?’ She was an woman possibly in her lat 30s or 40s. She said: ‘Oh! I’m getting it ALL CUT OFF for LOCKS OF LOVE!’ [I was impressed!] She said: ‘I never use hot blow dryers on it.’ It was amazing!

Besides making ‘frequent’ trips to the grocery store (on a daily basis), I also walk from one end of the store to the other – not in a down and up the aisle pattern. Why? It GETS ME MORE EXERCISE and I feel SILLY doing it! It’s fun! I make my Grocery List in my head by getting the first letter of each item needed and making a word out of it! For example, yesterday it was WAT or TWA (Trans World Airlines!) HA HA Water, Apples, Tea bags! I just remember the word or phrase and off to shop I go!

IT’S FUN, SILLY and puts a smile on my face as I remember my items without writing them down! It’s a GREAT EXERCISE for THE BRAIN, too!

As I checked out, I wished the Indian/American cashier attendant Hello! in HINDI (I know a couple Phillipine/American women there, also – so I get to with them Hello, Goodbye, Thank you in their languages, too!)

As I walked towards the exit, I see a TALL, Model-like young woman in Shoe Heels that were almost as tall as me! They must have been 4 1/2″ heels! Talk about A HEALTHY WORKOUT while BALANCING on those things! I left the store in my SENSIBLE SNEAKERS with a SMILE on my face!

Here’s to healthy, happy, inefficient, social grocery store shopping! HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT style!

Spread those SMILES by the MILES!

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

‘DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!’ moment! HA HA!

I was heading out of my Mobile Park to turn onto the main road -
I looked at the first three letters of the license plate
in front of me.

GBL – Ha Ha Ha! That’s GOBBLE! for Thanksgiving! How appropriate!

I went to record my FIRST RADIO AD for a small local radio station- WOO HOO! It went well! I used my THEATRE VOICE! Ha Ha! [ fyi - it will air Monday Nov 29 7:41 AM each weekday before the Comedy minute through December 25, 2010 - 1230 AM Fortress - a local - southcentral PA radio station]

Afterwards, I headed out into Holiday shopping traffic to do some food shopping and head over to my favorite office supply store for my 2011 business wall calendar.

When leaving the parking lot to drive home – I looked at the car in front of me. The first 3 letters on the license plate were:

ELV

HA HA! ELVES! How appropriate for the Holiday Season!

Guess I’m ‘DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY!’

Have a Ha Ha Happy THANKSGIVING and Holiday Season! No matter your belief system or options for celebrating or not – just BE!
*Weeeeeee! *tee hee!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Live Life! Laugh Often! and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

‘OK!’ I said – from my booth; ‘Wait a minute. I’m going to have to chime in here.’ *smiling

I bet none of you can eat your Thai Food as HOT as I can! I get mine: ‘THAI HOT! HOT! HOT!’ …and I’m a WOMAN!

When the server came over to take my order, I let her know I had been messing with the 3 guys and I said: ‘I’ll have mine THAI HOT! HOT! HOT! (a bit louder than I ‘needed’ to say it). She laughed.

I know the owners of this particular Thai restaurant; I’ve known them for over 12 years! I’m practically an adopted member of the family – even being of Hungarian background. The previous owner, son-n-law who managed and cooked there, told me he had to wash his hands after cooking my food!

When I went to one of the family picnic/celebrations – for the birth of a new grandchild, one of the relatives recognized me. She had been an part-time server years back and remembered me. ‘CHICKEN W/ RED CURRY, THAI HOT!’ isn’t it? I laughed. She remembered my standard order. She said to her American husband ‘YOU COULDN’ TAKE HOW HOT HELEN GETS HER FOOD!’ AHAHAHAHa It was a bit embarrassing! I spoke up: It’s not sign of manhood or greatness to get Thai food super hot. I just happen to like it that way! It brings out the flavor and cleares my sinuses!

When I went to pay my bill, the 3 guys were leaving. The one put a smile on his face as he waved to me, exiting the door, saying: “SEE YA, HOT! HOT! HOT!” I laughed.

So, today, once again – I had to stand up for EQUALITY in regards to ‘being able to handle’ THAI HOT food -

it’s not GENDER-SPECIFIC! HA HA! It’s a matter of TASTE, not of muscle!

Only MEN should be able to eat THAI HOT food? SAYS WHO?

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT

Live Life! Laugh Often! and this WOMAN likes it HOT!

[ I like noticing the numbers on digital clock or calculator displays as numbers - especially upside-down and backwards or right-side up. They can spell words and give you a healthy break during your day - as healthy 'Triggers' or 'Purposeful Pause Moments' as I like to call them!]

This morning, I noticed it was: 7:27 AM ….hmmm L2L = Laugh 2 Laugh! I LAUGH for the sake of LAUGHING for HEALTH – in my profession!

Then I saw it was: 7:34 = hel – ut oh! I don’t like when I’m feeling like LIFE is Giving me a Hard Time!

So, what do I do?

Next it was: 7:35 = SEL [Sell THAT perception of how LIFE is going 'Buy-in' to a NEW way to look at it!]

7:36 - GEL – Now you can ‘LET IT GO’ and move on with a NEW OUTLOOK, just GELL and RELAX!

This has been a Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – mini motivational moment!

Have a Great Day! Live Life in A-MAZE-ment and Take Time 2 Laugh!
www.lafolot.com

Staying present/focused on the road
Spreading Smiles by the Miles, and
Using my TIME 2 LAUGH system of healthy mood shift triggers!

Having a rough prior evening, but sorting it all out this morning – I headed out to lunch at my favorite Thai Restaurant [ Thai Palace]. I sat in their MIDDLE room because it’s warmer, and the 2 outer rooms have seats along the windows. It’s a cold, rainy, gray weather day.

Being the only one sitting in the middle dining room – I have fun ‘messing’ with the other customers that walk through to go to the restroom or to take a shortcut to the buffet.

When one woman from an outer table got up to walk through, I announced: ‘I’LL ONLY CHARGE ‘YA $5.00 TO GO THROUGH!’

She laughed and said: ‘WOW! WHAT A GREAT RATE! DO YOU WORK FOR THE TURNPIKE COMMISSION? CAN I PURCHASE AN ‘EASY PASS’?

About 10 minutes later, she had to come through again, she made a motion into the air as if she was SWIPING HER EASY PASS CARD! Ha Ha Ha!

I smiled and laughed! She said: ‘I’m using my EASY PASS!’

I was just about done eating, so when she got back to her table with her 3 other friends; I stopped by – put 3 Yellow, Smiley Face LAFOLOT Positive Statement bookmarks in front of her and said:

‘I’M GONNA HAVE TO GIVE YOU SOME TICKETS FOR AN ILLEGAL WALK-THRU!’

She Laughed Out Loud and her one friend said – ‘What?!’
I heard her explaining as I walked out to pay for my meal.

On the way home, I got behind a car that had the license plate: P-OUI

DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY! It translates to: Pee Wee (for anyone that doesn’t know that OUI is YES in French).

It made me laugh so I had a chance to WEE WEE WEE *tee hee hee ALL THE WAY HOME!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living in the moment!
Living Life! and Laughing Often!
TURN THE BEAT AROUND!
www.lafolot.com

I set my MOTOR-VATION and *Smile! YOU’RE GREAT! signs out -

tinsel deely bobbers on, clown nose in hand, and Smile Spatula!

Where else can a 51 yr old, overweight, menopausal woman get:

BEEPS, WAVES, and Hand/arm cranks and peace signs from some REAL STUDS driving by! ahahahahahaa How ‘em I doin’? ;o)

Feeling the Freedom and Fun of Being Over 50! ha ha

…afterwards, I met my younger sister for dinner, then stopped over to a GIANT’s Grocery Store on my way home. I was JOKING with the ‘bored’ male cashier clerk and older woman ‘bagger’.

I brought my ‘very light’ one item – up to the conveyor belt and said: Oh Oh !!! Could someone help me with this please …. the guy did a quick turnaround – ready to help! – and the woman laughed saying: ‘Would you like help out to your car with that?’ ;o)

in continuing to joke with them and giving them each a yellow, smiley LAFOLOT bookmark – one of the CART Rounder Uppers (who is my buddy ’cause he took a pair of my tinsel deely bobber headbands from me last Christmas and now calls me HONEY!) – came over – smiling – saying: HEY! HONEY! ahahhaaa

the Woman Grocery Bagger shouts out: ARE YOU THE WOMAN THAT STANDS DOWN BY THAI PALACE ALONG THE ROAD?

LOL! I’M OFFICIALLY FAMOUS! YAHOOOOO! Yipppeee! Hooray!

I ‘flashed’ my t-shirt emblem from out of my sweater that reads: FLASH Someone! …a Smile!

It’s ME, I said! Check out my website! and, no – I’m not crazy and I’m not homeless – just an enterprising business woman!

Once again, AMAZING! Beeps, waves, smiles, peace signs, hand-cranks from HUNKS and Smiles and HEY! HONEY!s ;o)

I’M HOT! (oh wait … must be a heat flash!)
LOL!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
WOW! WHAT A RIDE!
LIFE, THAT IS!Live Life! Laugh Often!

I AM – The Ha Ha Helen ;o) LOL! … what can I say? wherever I go, all I hear now is: It’s HA HA Helen!

Well, do you ever wonder if you are following the right path?
Making the right move?
Making the right choices? Wondering if I was right or wrong in giving up a 28 1/2 year State Government job – 5 years early – to take an early retirement and start a business?

hmm? LOL! I’m hearing a bunch of heads bobbing up and down to a laughter beat, on THOSE questions!

Well! This evening, when I parked and headed towards the door of my favorite THAI restaurant – Thai Palace –

I notice the first 3 letters of the license plate on the car to the RIGHT of the door are: HLN

I look at the car next to it – to the LEFT of the door; the license starts with: HHA
HaHA HeLeN !!!!! IT’S A SIGN! IT’S A SIGN!

A million WOWs! on the synchronicity!

I wasn’t even going to go out for dinner!
My computer was hanging up with it’s anti-virus and security software and I was getting sick of dealing with it –
so I hopped in my car and headed out – TO SEE THE SIGN!

STAY WITH THE ‘HA HA’ SPIRIT HELEN!

*big GRIN *big SMILE

DRIVING MYSELF HAPPY! and feeling MOTOR-VATED to ‘keep on keepin’ on!’

In the HA HA Spirit of things …. I AM …. HA HA HELEN

Live Life! Laugh Often
Living Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Living BOLD and in Italics!
www.lafolot.com