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 used to be ORDERED to SMILE! by coworkers. It would bother me or make me angry, since I was JUST BEING ME. I would be in an average mood, thinking, just being, walking – then someone would come towards me and order: SMILE! This didn’t help.

Once I became a Laughter Wellness Program facilitator and started to read and learn about the scientific, medical, emotional, mental benefits of smiling I was skeptical. So, I started my OWN experiment! I needed PROOF! I started to SMILE a closed-mouth smile at everyone I encountered. I made a game of it! If someone smiled back; I gave myself one point! If someone smiled and said Hello! I gave myself 2 points! If I got a smile THROUGH GLASS – like a car or window of a store – I gave myself 5 points for the POWER BOOST SMILE!

A funny thing happened! It no longer was a scientific experiment; it became socially and emotionally heart-warming and uplifting! It was like the Holiday Cartoon: THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS … ‘his heart grew 10 times that day!’ The same thing happened to me!

I would smile, and people not only smiled back; they’d stop and TALK TO ME! I would just stand there, smiling and they would have an entire conversation with me! I would then let them know about my SMILE CAMPAIGN, experiment. I would give them a SMILEY FACE LAFOLOT Bookmark with a positive statement on it. They would SMILE and thank me! WOW! ANOTHER POINT!

So, thus began the HA HA HELEN OF LAFOLOT – SMILE CAMPAIGN! This started in about May of 2008 after I was certified as a Laughter Therapy Leader.

Fast forward: Tonight I earned 20 POINTS! HA HA HAAAA! How ‘em I doin’?

I smiled through the Patio Glass of a local restaurant – an older woman smiled back! 5 points! YES!
I smiled at a young girl driving her car into the parking lot, as I was leaving; she smiled back! 5 points! YES!
I smiled at another young mom, singing in her drivers seat and talking to her toddler in the back seat, while she waited for the left turn signal to turn green. I was wearing my clown nose. She looked up and SMILED! and Laughed! 5 points! YES!
I went to the self-serve Gas Pumps and smiled at the Attendant behind the Cashier Window – he smiled back! 5 POINTS! YES!

WOW! 20 POINTS in an hour! HA HA HAAAA!

When I told the gas pump cashier attendant about the SMILE CAMPAIGN and offered him a LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! bookmark with a SMILEY face on it – he said: ‘Welcome?????’ HA HA HA HA – I smiled and laughed. He smiled back. Another point!

So that’s how it all started! I went from a skeptic, to knowledgeable as far as book-learning to FEEEEEELING the POWER of a SHARED SMILE and seeing how it UPLIFTS
ENLIGHTENS
LIGHTENS THE LOAD of a weary traveler
EASES a day full of frustration and burdens
ERASES a bad day or mood
ERADICATES aloneness
having the POWER to LIFT a persons shoulders, INCREASE their height and – like the GRINCH – grow their heart 10 times bigger by being FILLED with warmth, love and light due to RECOGNITION and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT that you and I are worth being recognized!

View the Levity Project’s One World-One Smile video at: www.youtube.com/thelevityinstitute [see if you notice anyone familiar at the 38 second mark]

SPREAD THOSE SMILES BY THE MILES!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Join my SMILE CAMPAIGN – earn those points – and on a bad day – when someone smiles at you FIRST – ka ching – cash them in!
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blog name: HELENOFLAFOLOT]

It is a HOT, HUMID, MUGGY 90 degrees fahrenheit outside today! One of those oppressive type days! Sun beating down relentlessly! The kind that makes you grateful to have air conditioning, shelter, etc.

So, by now, you can imagine how I was feeling when I left a restaurant and was walking back out to my car, thinking “OH MY GOSH! I’M GOING TO PASS OUT! THIS HEAT IS SOMETHING ELSE!” I am grateful to have air conditioning in my car as well as to have a car. I start driving down the road after making a second stop at the grocery store – the heat/sun was beating through the windshield. I look at the license plate on the vehicle in front of me:

OHMEOMY

I laughed out loud! My sentiments, exactly! I was finally able to RELEASE a LAUGH about the weather!
What synchronicity! What Magic! Some ANGEL or FLUKE put that license plate in front of me to express what I was holding in about the weather! OH! ME! OH! MY!

Then, a car drives by in the lane on my left and I see the license plate:

MY3STRZ

I think, God, the Universe, Spirit, Angels, who knows – were REALLY starting to mess with me! I laughed out loud!

MY STARS! IT WAS HOT! OH! ME! OH MY! WAS IT HOT!

Then, I got another laugh and smile, remembering how my dad used to make words out of interesting license plates he would see while driving. This was WAY before PERSONALIZED license plates got popular!

I recall him saying, when I bought a new Subaru JUSTY and the license plate was: BYZ (he walked out to the car to give his nod of approval and announced BE WISE! BE WISE!) ha ha ha

The year he died (August 11, 2000), I got a new car/license plate and the first 3 letters were: DAD [how appropriate!] I kept the license plate, even though I have since upgraded my vehicle and now have a HA-HAHA license plate; of which I feel he would approve!

So, in all this heat and humidity, I once again was reminded how to: DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY!

You can read more about my new DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! Campaign at my website.

Too HOT? Too much traffic? Too agitated about life’s challenges while driving?

Turn off your cell phone, focus on the road, and SEE HOW MANY FUN WORDS you can make out of the license plates driving by you!

DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! and KEEP SPREADING THOSE SMILES BY THE MILES!
Stay Sweet!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blogger name: Helenoflafolot]

I write in my book, ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love’, that we may tend to unknowingly show bias or prejudice, and the best way to deal with it is talk openly. I suggest asking questions and becoming more familiar with cultures, non-average folks so that we may educate ourselves and break down barriers.

Yesterday, I had another ‘OOOPS I DID IT AGAIN!’ moment relating to making an ‘Assumption’ about another human being. Luckily, I was able to talk openly and educate myself, thank goodness!

I was sat at a booth at a local restaurant. About 6 feet across from me, in another booth, was a family consisting of the mom, dad, and two young boys. I already knew what I wanted, so I was just staring off into space. I suddenly noticed ‘more movement’ out of my left eye. The one boy was ‘playing peek-a-boo’ with me! I LOVE playing with kids when they initiate play out in public, being bored with their families. Babies do this a lot, by looking away from their parents and observiing with big, wide eyed looks as they absorb all the ‘new stuff’ they are seeing and experiencing.

So, my first thought was: ‘this boy seems too old to be playing peek-a-boo, but I’ll go along since he is having fun!’ So I put some silly grins on my face, he ducks and hides behind his daddy.
He pops his head out again, and I give him a wide open-eyed look! He ducks and hides.
He makes another appearance and I hide my face with the menu. He is giggling, hiding, popping up, and smiling.
Life gets too serious, too fast – so I love doing my part to allow kids to be kids and have fun!

All the while, I’m thinking – FOR THIS KID’S HEIGHT (here I go with my assumption and LAW OF AVERAGE), he seems to be a 7 or 8 year old playing PEEK-A-BOO like a little two year old!

Well, I’ve had many opportunities to assist parents with crying toddlers by offering them one of my SMILEY Face bookmarks. When the child sees it, their face lights up and they get curious. It usually stops them from crying.
So, in this case, even though this was a happy BOBBING, PEEK-A-BOO child, I offered him a SMILEY Face bookmark (actually my business card), and gave him an extra for his brother. The parents thanked me, and we went back to our own table space.

A little later, I asked the boy (who I ASSUMED was about 7 or 8 years old), ‘did you READ the back of the bookmark?’
[It has wonderful positive statements about having a fun, healthy outlook on life.]
The mother looked over and said:

HE’S ONLY 4, HE DOESN’T READ YET. [There's the LAW OF AVERAGE!] I ASSUMED he was older, even though I thought his behavior a bit juvenile! This child was almost 4 feet tall and was 4 years old!

I could have smacked myself. I said to the mother: ‘My he’s tall for his age!’ [COULD SOMEONE STUFF A SOCK IN MY MOUTH!]

We are all so unique and beautiful, but we have this LAW OF AVERAGE on which everything is based. I got treated differently because I was short, fat and female – when I worked in a technological environment. My age also came into play due to the field in which I worked. I talk a lot about this LAW OF AVERAGE in my book, by giving examples of scenarios experienced by friends.

I am making a judgement about myself. My book is about AWARENESS and Appreciating Life in All its Forms of Expression. I just had another dose of, ‘step out of your Law of Average awareness and open your mind to other possibilities’ Helen. I’m glad the mother was comfortable enough to talk with me. I’m glad the boy was COMFORTABLE enough with himself to feel free to PLAY LIKE A FOUR YEAR OLD even though people may see him as a seven or eight year old.

Like Forest Gump said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates’ – there’s a wide variety, full of wonderful flavors. Life is a Song in the Key of Love, full of wonderful variations on musical themes, with a wonderful mix of musical notes.

I got to HEAR THE SOUND of a TALL FOUR YEAR OLD while he MOVED FREELY in life, BOBBING up and down, around his daddy, feeling free to play PEEK A BOO with an over 50, menopausal women.

He held no bias towards me! He just saw a PLAY PAL – not a short, fat, 51 year old, menopausal woman!

Thank you beautiful four year old boy for accepting me as I am and showing me how to do the same. Angels come in ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!

Highlighted Helen of LAFOLOT
Be in AWE of it ALL!
Make Life a Song!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog may 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]

I like going out to eat on my own, which allows me to be open to meeting new people, and getting involved in interesting discussions. The Olive Garden Restaurant where I dine, has a complex design with 3 more intimate dining rooms vs the open seating area. I’ve been sat in one of those rooms, when it has been totally quiet, with just me BEing there. I’ve loved it because of the wide-high windows with the flowering trees outside. It’s fun to watch the birds fly in and out of the trees doing their ‘bird stuff’.

Well, yesterday, when I got sat in one of those dining areas, there was a couple at the table to my right and 20 or more beautiful young women excitedly talking about LIFE! I smiled as I started to review the menu. I had to look over at the couple to my right and smile – they smiled back. The room sounded FULL of CHIRPING BIRDS! I LOVED IT! It was abuzz with excited chatter!

It was wonderful to be amidst the beautiful, high energy of youth! I was so thrilled to be able to recognize that and soak it up! Around age 49, I had a big ‘Ah HA!’ moment which allowed me to let go of my fear of bears, spiders and other insects. I can now allow a bee to walk on my hand or face; explore this ‘interesting find’ and then buzz away without feeling threatened.

As a result, I was able to sit amidst the BUZZ of chatter from these lovely souls! I had to get up and walk over to the couple’s table and joke, ‘IT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF CHIRPING BIRDS!’ They nodded in agreement as they laughed.

Then, a wonderful thing happened; one of the girls a couple tables away LAUGHED OUT LOUD! It was so loud she actually followed with a giggle and put her hand over her mouth. It had FILLED the room! Well! I WAS GOING TO HAVE NONE OF THAT!

I quickly pulled an ‘appropriate’ LAFOLOT Smiley Face/Postive Statement bookmark out of my purse; jumped up out of my seat with a sly grin and ran it over to give to the girl. She looked up questioningly and accepted the bookmark with her friends looking on.

‘What does it say?’ they excitedly asked as I hurried back to my seat with my smile on my face. ‘YOU’VE GOT A GREAT LAUGH!’ the young woman announced! They smiled and laughed with her. Then, a wonderful thing happened; another girl at a table farther back LAUGHED OUT LOUD! Well! I dutifully jumped up out of my seat and ran a bookmark over to her! She smiled with pride as she graciously accepted the reward!

There was an adult woman with the Chirping Birds, so I quickly introduced myself and gave her one of my cards so she could feel safe knowing who had sprung into her flock of twittering birds, for whom she was responsible. She thanked me a couple times.
A couple other young women politely asked for a Smiley Bookmark, then we resumed our previous positions.

So often, young women are told to: SIT, LOOK PRETTY, DON’T WRINKLE YOUR DRESS, AND SPEAK SOFTLY. This type of behavior is carried into womanhood, into higher education, into the workplace and into their roles in relationships. Have we forgotten the song by Helen Reddy: ‘I am woman hear me roar, see me standing ‘cross the floor…’?

I am not into ROARING, but I AM into letting young women know it is OK TO LAUGH OUT LOUD! It’s OK to have a great idea and share it BOLDLY! It’s OK to EXPRESS your soul’s purpose that is yearning to get out and present itself to the world!

So to ALL the beautiful, spirited CHIRPING, BUZZING, LAUGHING OUT LOUD birds (I mean young women) out there in the world: LAUGH OUT LOUD and there’s no need to cover your mouth and shush, afterwards! Associate and mingle with Peers who embrace your passionate ideas; and SOAR TO THE SKY LIKE A BIRD spreading your ideas and laughter like SEEDS spread around by bustling chirping birds.

BE

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
Living in AWE of it ALL! Living Life in A-MAZE-Ment!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
LAUGH OUT LOUD!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under Blog Cirlcle name: Helenoflafolot]
Motivational-Inspirational video by Helen of LAFOLOT can be seen on You Tube at Channel: Helenoflafolot

I talk about appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression; being in AWE of it ALL!

I have been hearing back from women, men and teens all over the world about their appreciation of my self-expression in video and blog form.

It’s funny, because I look at the videos and photos and see a short, fat, woman with no lips, a big menopausal abdomen, large forearms and gobble gobble neck –

BUT! When folks see me they say: YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!

So I KEEP ON spreading my message of ACCEPT LIFE in ALL its forms of expression –

don’t crawl into a hole because you don’t FIT THE NORM.

GET OUT THERE AND BE THE ‘ME’ YOU WERE MEANT TO BE!

Here’s my Creative, Menopausal Woman over 50 video I submitted to The ELLEN Show for her: Write a World Domination Theme Song contest.

Not bad for a White Hungarian Rapper? My darker complected friends get a kick out of my rhythm and rapping abilities! I get it from my HUNGARIAN ANCESTORS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Gm37ku7zw

I hope you can get to the video link, above! If not, my channel on You Tube is HELENOFLAFOLOT – just type it in the search box and look for the video called: DomEducate

I’M VERY PROUD OF IT!

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often! (Live in AWE of it ALL! and Make Life a Song!)
www.lafolot.com
This blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blog circle name: Helenoflafolot

The first clue about this Sunday being SILLY and SPECIAL was the fact that BOTH my Alpha female cat ‘Kitty’ and my Alpha male cat, ‘Buddy’ decided it was OK for both to come and sleep on the bed with me at the same time! Is the world coming to an end? What a miracle!

I spent the morning relaxing and listening to the Sunday morning jazz stations ‘mellow music’ show. Ahhhhhhh -
While listening to the music, I opened Facebook and checked on my ‘Life is a Song‘ coupon special, book AD. I was getting ‘clicks’ and all was well. I hone my marketing and advertising skills by making general observations about Facebook activity, so I spent some time doing that.

Then it was time to get out of the house and make use of my A.C. Moore Craft store, fifty percent off coupon, that so diligently gets e-mailed to me every Sunday morning! I’m a VALUED A.C. Moore club card holder, you know! I AM SPECIAL! But first, lunch at Olive Garden! Going out to eat works well for visibility in my marketing and advertising.

I like to park farther out in the parking lot when I make the trip to these two places so I get some exercise. So I treck over to the restaurant which has a 15 minute wait; but that’s okay because I get ‘face time’ and unexpected advertising when I sit in the lobby and wait with the crowd. Marketing marketing marketing! While waiting, we heard ‘CRASH’! I announced: ‘YEAH!’ The one host looked at me. I said: ‘Well, it’s done, why get worked up? Just sweep up the glass! He revealed to me that it is such a common occurrent, when he is waiting on tables and entire trays go crashing to the floor, he doesn’t miss a beat with his order taking!

I had been given one of those beeper disks that is supposed to light up and buzz when it is your turn to be seated. One of the friendly hosts called over to me: ‘Helen, you should have ‘GONE OFF’.” I looked up and laughed! I pulled the device out of my pocket, it wasn’t flashing or buzzing. I respond: ‘Well, I’m in a good mood at the moment, I don’t have any need to GO OFF on anyone!’ (insert smile or laugh here) When I handed it to her, THEN it started it’s commotion! Too late buzzer-lightup thingy, I’m already getting seated!

I got one of the young, handsome, great smile, servers and had a nice lunch. Over the half-wall from the niche where I was seated (containing 3 other tables) was a family with toddlers. You could hear the fun, giggling, and squeels of the kids. A new couple got sat when I was almost finished. At one point, the little girl let out such a squeal of GLEE that it shreeked through the area. I just laughed out loud, because I thought it was fun. The lady across from me winced. My handsome, friendly, great smile server brought me my check along with a ‘Comment Card’. This was new. ‘OOOOOOH! A CHANCE TO WRITE SOMETHING SILLY’, I SAID! He just laughed, not being worried.

I had my daily meditation magazine with me, so I joked I was going to pull a profound quote out of the periodical and write it on the card. I was laughing and chuckling as I wrote on the back: ‘THE OBSTACLE IS THE PATH.” Tao Then I noted he was a friendly server and had a great smile! ha ha ha Enough SILLINESS there, I left and headed over to A.C. Moore Crafts to use my coupon!
woo hoo!

While getting my walking exercise in, returning my periodical to my car so I wouldn’t have to take it into the store; I heard a vibrating, rumbling noise. I looked up. I saw a truck with an appliance in the truck bed, with bubble wrap all around it. The bubble wrap was making a buzzing noise like when you put a baseball card clipped to a bycycle tire spoke as a kid.

I waited for the man to get out of his truck and hollered: ‘Sir! You ought to drive your truck all around more and have some fun with the bubble wrap making that buzzing noise!’ He smiled and laughed, agreeing with me. He said he had heard it and it reminded him of the baseball card bit on bycycle tires, too!

As I got to the A.C. Moore store entrance, a husband was DUTIFULLY leaning against the stone pillar in front of the store. His wife was shopping in the bins outside the store. I called out: ‘Sir! Just keep holding that column up for me while I shop in the store!” He smiled and said he’d do his best!

I got the chance to give a plug for my book, when I went to the checkout! I forgot I was wearing my AD button: ‘LIFE IS A SONG IN THE KEY OF LOVE’ by Helen Marie Szollosy, www.lafolot.com. The cashier was looking at it with a quizzical look on her face.

[an aside: When I was in a woman's clothing store the day before, the sales clerk said, as she prepared a changing room for me: 'Your name's Helen?' 'Yes.' I answered. Wondering how she knew? Then, last evening, I went to an art gallery showing. An artist I was talking to said: 'I know I've seen your name in an e-mail I received recently.' I laughed and said: 'Oh! You're reading my book advertising button!' I forgot my name was on it! Plus, I was thrilled someone had forwarded and e-mail or youtube video of mine to her!]

I said, ‘OH! That advertises my book.’ She was excited, ‘You wrote a book?’ ‘Yes!’ I was thrilled for the opportunity to toot my own horn! It ‘just so happened’ – tee hee – that I had my mini-marketing tools for my book in my purse! I whipped one out and gave it to her; explaining it was about ‘appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression.’ I mentioned it was an autobiographical/philospophical discussion on learned but not felt, bias and prejudice. Her face lit up! She was a caucasian woman and told me her husband is African-American. I let her know that book was about ALL types of bias. I gave her a couple more marketing cards and told her to feel free to pass it on.

She asked if the book was in stores, and I let her know it was self-published, it could be gotten at my website, that I had had a book signing in Carlisle, PA , recently, etc. She thanked me and I left.

When I made my next trip to the grocery store, I got to have more fun. When I got to the dairy section to pick up eggs, an employee had a HUGE cart filled with eggs, as he was stocking the area. I walked around the cart, he was sitting on the floor. I said: ‘I SEE YOU ARE UP TO YOUR ARMS AND LEGS IN EGGS!’ He started to laugh and said: ‘Hey! I like that! That’s egg-actly what I am!’

So, finished with my SILLINESS, I headed home, with a smile and a chuckle.

MAY YOU ENJOY A SILLY DAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
and let your silly side out and keep your sunny side up!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blog circle name: Helenoflafolot]

I had a BIG AH HA, part II – today. It’s said we ‘teach what we need to learn’; I am doing this big time! Around age 49, I had a big AH HA! moment; as a result, I was able to move forward in my life, stop hiding, see my life as the gift that it is, and START LIVING!

This resulted in me taking early early retirement from my 28 1/2 year job on a leap of faith, starting my LAFOLOT business, starting my website and setting the intention to Motivate and Inspire others through Speaking, Singing, Writing, and Laughter Wellness.

My first big talk was called ‘Seeing With New Eyes!’. This talk was an off-shoot of my big Ah Ha! moment. I saw that the talk was so flexible as to be given in many different venues. My ‘teaching what I needed to learn’ was coming out no matter HOW I expressed myself! I realized today, when talking with a friend, that it EVEN came out in my book: Life is a Song in the Key of Love OR Growing Up With the Embarrassment of Prejudice. The intention of the book is to appreciate life in ALL its forms of expression; to be in AWE of it ALL. Once again, as I talked to my friend, I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD at the synchronicity! It seems no matter what I undertake, the idea and lesson appears to come out as: SEEING WITH NEW EYES!

As I read my daily meditation today, the first quote JUMPED out at my EYES! “We are all like flies crawling across the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. We cannot see what angels and gods lie underneath the threshold of our perception.” William Irwin Thompson
I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD! There it was, again!

I then recalled how I spent a majority of my life Doodling EYES whenever I was bored in school. Everytime I had a chance to doodle, I was doodling eyes! I wondered WHY I had chosen THAT particular doodle, but then the thought would leave. Then, I had the AH HA moment PART II! Was my life purpose or intention to SEE things from a DIFFERENT AWARENESS; a DIFFERENT PERCEPTION? This is what I talk about in my presentation.

The songs I sing have to do with SEEING life in a NEW LIGHT; SEEING things turn around. I was in total A-MAZE-MENT today as this new AH HA came flying at me!

I had been very depressed the past couple days. I choose to be aware of depression, talk and write through it. I also choose to cry in order to process my feelings; as well as whine if necessary. I feel by going through the process; just as with a cold or flu – I can then move forward. I feel if I HOLD IT IN, it never leaves. So, I allowed myself to feel the depression and cry at breakfast as well as whine. When I allowed myself to whine, I started to LAUGH; realizing how I sounded like a little two year old. But, it was OK, because of the AWARENESS and being able to SEE myself from a DIFFERENT ANGLE or PERCEPTION. I could SEE myself depressed, FEEL for myself in that moment and help myself to LAUGH and start to LIGHTEN myself up!

I was able to START MOVING FORWARD and prepare for my next day’s event. Then, as I read the daily meditation at lunch; the day even got better! It talked about not giving one’s power and personal energy to people and things outside ourselves. I immediately thought of how I was giving my energy/power to the Condo Board where I live. I was allowing my frustration with the board to take hold of my feelings. AH HA moment! I then realized, when I had gone to Boiling Springs, PA (USA) Children’s Lake, yesterday – I was SEEING another solution by watching the fish in the area feeding water into the lake.

I was standing on the bridge, watching the fish just hover in the water as the inflowing CURRENT (energy) washed around and THROUGH them (their gills). They didn’t FIGHT the CURRENT, but allowed gentle movement (as they used GROUP ENERGY by clumping together) to stay in one place while the FOOD, WATER, CURRENT, ENERGY flowed around and through them.

I thought! Smack myself in the forehead! OPEN MY EYES! There I was HIDING from the Board, RUNNING from the Board, ALLOWING them to EXPEND my energy! I was ALLOWING them to MOVE ME in directions I didn’t want to go, zapping me of my energy!

Once I read this, realized about the doodling eyes, was REMINDED of the lesson I TEACH, but also need to LEARN; I GOT MY ENERGY BACK!

So, after having finished packing my ‘stuff’ for my event tomorrow; as well as having had the ENERGY and TIME to get organized, make more items to GIVEAWAY and advertise my LAFOLOT business –

I’d say THE EYES have it! … focused in the right direction of thought, for the moment, until I decide I need another lesson!

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life in A-Maze-Ment!
Being in AWE of it ALL!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be found at Vibrant Nation under Blog Circle name: Helenoflafolot]

I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel,
about the Sacraments -
he got so excited
and ran into a hollow in his tree and came
back holding some acorns, an owl feather
and a ribbon he found.
And I just smiled and said, “Yes, dear,
you understand
everything imparts
His grace.” –St. Francis of Assisi

No matter WHERE you get your inspiration or place your beliefs; I have personally observed how animals and insects can teach us wonderful life and spiritual lessons!

This morning I was awakened by my cats to; meow! meow! get up and seize the day! (They don’t speak latin, so it wasn’t Carpe’ Diem!) It was 5:55 when I looked at the clock! I like turning on the patio light so my cats can watch any critters going by the sliding glass doors. I noticed a brown rabbit sitting 10 feet out from the patio. I immediately shut off the light; allowing the rabbit its peace.

As dawn broke and I sat at my office computer, I saw the brown rabbit continued to ‘just sit’ in the grass. I put on my distance glasses (being over 50 and now wearing tri-focals), and noticed it was just BEing. I went about my BUSY-ness, and occassionally noticed the rabbit was still there. I avoided eating my healthy breakfast; being too caught up in wondering why the updates on my computer were taking so long! Again, the rabbit was JUST BEing. I noticed it decided to take a little ‘munch’ out of the grass.

I took the rabbits advice around 6:00 AM and started my healthy breakfast. I sat in my comfy sofa with my accent table containing my healthy breakfast items; and had breakfast while just BEing with the rabbit. When I was done, and continued to sit as the rabbit was, it started to twitch its nose. I realized I was tapping my finger on the sofa in time with the rabbit.

Was the next clue to ‘get moving now’ since I had finished my breakfast? I went back to my computer to see if the updates were completed, so I could access my e-mail; it was now about 7:09 AM. The rabbit stretched its legs by going into a partial sit-up position then went back into resting mode. It took a few more nibbles out of the grass; and at 7:11 AM it hopped off to its right, across the back lawn.

I wished the rabbit a HOPPY day and thanked it for inviting me into its EARLY MORNING RABBITATION (meditation/prayers).

I have a ferrel cat named Fonzie; who was rescued from under a local playhouse, after its mother had been hit by a car. The meows were heard by actors in rehearsal at the theatre. I got Fonzie (so named for his softness and survivor abilities), to be a ‘playmate’ to my Alpha Male cat Buddy. Fonzie wasn’t more than 4 inches long and high, and STOOD UP to Buddy (arching his back) when he first met him. What a brave cat! I thought! Fonzie saw himself BIGGER than his body gave him credit for! (John Maher)

It has taken 4 years, but Fonzie has taught me a lot. Be Brave, Be Cautious, Be Bold and Be a good friend to Alpha characters; you never know when you’ll need their help! Fonzie went from constantly hiding in the closets, under the bed, to finally showing himself. He then went from jumping, running and hiding EVERY time he saw me, to now ALLOWING me to sit near him on the sofa without running away. He now comes to me to ALLOW me to pet him! (ha ha ha) I watch the way he slowly approaches Buddy and then gets groomed and allowed to cuddle with Buddy for a nap. I got to watch how GENTLY Buddy introduced Fonzie into the family. Buddy would gently give ‘fake nips/bites at Fonzie and then follow with gentle licking’. I saw the message he was giving Fonzie, ‘it’s OK, don’t stress, relax’. I saw how he could calm Fonzie with his Alpha Male Cat wisdom and gentleness.

I saw a duck ‘just sitting’ out in our parking lot yesterday. It was raining, and puddles were forming. We RUN from the rain; this duck said ‘bring it on!’ – YES! I’ve got more puddles!

When I’m spending too much time at my computer, my Alpha femal cat ‘Kitty’ jumps up on the desk and insists I pet her. Not only that, she plops down and insists I scratch behind her head and also gently rub her belly. She then, shows me TOTAL TRUST, closes her eyes and goes into a sleep. ‘Enough of that computer!’ she is gently telling me; time to take a break and rest. She has total trust while she allows me to cradle her; since she would surely slip off the desk if I wasn’t supporting her while she rests.

I am grateful for all the creatures and insects that present themselves to me, each day, to teach me life and spiritual lessons.

Allow me to give a SHOUT OUT to the mammal and insect world: Meow! Woof! Buzzz! Rabbit Nose Twitch! Tweet! Chirp! etc.
Thank you for taking the time to allow me to attend your classes. Where can I sign up for the next lesson?

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 under Blog Circle name: Helenoflafolot]