LAFOLOT

Not being funny, I was very excited about having completed a milestone in my dental improvements when I was about 42 yrs old.
I was dealing with a realtor at the time -
when she came over to my house, I announced:

I GOT MY IMPLANTS TODAY! and SMILED!

She looked at my chest (in question, since I’m short, overweight and not ‘very defined’ in that area … eh hem….)

NO! I said: DENTAL! DENTAL IMPLANTS!

…COMMUNICATION is a curious creature, is it not? ;o)

Needless to say – my implants will never be featured on the cover of any magazine when I become famous. [unless it's the American Dental Association magazine!]

Or should I say they will – but no one will notice them … other than DUE TO MY FABULOUS SMILE! ;o)

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
and SMILE! and show off that dental work!

[I told my one friend, I'd WILL the implants and crowns to her due to the cost incurred!] ;o) ashame to bury them!
this blog can also be seen at VIBRANT NATION under blog name: Helenoflafolot

WOW! I just LOVE ‘Magical Synchronicity’!

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 have been having a lot of people share with me lately:

1) I was sitting at a funeral for my mother. They started to play a church song that my mom, disliked. They reached one particular line that she especially hated – I BURST OUT LAUGHING!

2) I was in a very serious situation, I had not been dealing with it well, it’s not a situation where you would normally laugh; and I BURST OUT LAUGHING!

3) I was working on a mechanical problem, lying flat on my face, trying to unscrew a difficult nut and bolt and, suddenly, I BURST OUT LAUGHING UNCONROLLABLY!

As a trained, certified laughter leader – I am required to keep abreast of new studies on laughter and smiling benefits and impacts on the body and mind. I also do a lot of my own observations and testing when I am out and about in public. When I give my laughter wellness talks or motivational-inspirational speaking, I share information and experiences people have shared with me.

When my father was dying, I was blessed with being with him at his last coule breaths. I was also blessed to be from a large family. My mother or other siblings would be with him, at the hospital, during the day; then I would come in the evening. My dad LOVED to joke around, clown around, with kids as well as adults. He had his standard set of jokes. When a non-denominational minister came into intensive care to visit, she started out serious and my dad made a joke. She was so focused on the ‘Here’s a dying man with a family member, I better show respect…’ she didn’t realized he had joked with her. I let her know he was joking. She stopped and looked at me. I said, my dad loves to joke around, and I smiled. ‘WELL THEN, SHE SAID! I CAN STAY RIGHT IN THERE WITH THE BEST OF THEM!’ The rest of her visit was LITE and FLUFFY and my dad had a smile on his face at the end of her visit, giving her a thank you.

When my dad passed on, I went to tell the nurses. They were ready to console me. I said, ‘Oh No! I’m great! It was wonderful to be here, see him let go so peacefully.’ We started to talk about a funny fishing story where my dad had put a safety pin on the end of a string so I could FISH at the canal near our home. We were laughing out loud when my mother arrived. She was also at peace that he had been able to let go and pass on peacefully.

EVERYONE GRIEVES and LETS GO of their own life and of their loved one’s lives in a different way.

I have had more and more people tell me how they laugh and smile when they MISS and GRIEVE their loved ones. I have a minister friend tell me a woman said to her: ‘IF YOU’RE HERE TO HELP ME DIE, DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A** ON THE WAY OUT! IF YOU’RE HERE TO HELP ME ENJOY LIFE WHILE I’M STILL BREATHING, COME ON IN AND PULL UP A CHAIR!’

I had a representative of a Hospice, at a networking event, tell me yesterday (when I was at the event wearing my tinsel deely bobber headband): ‘YOU CAN’T WEAR THOSE AT THE HOSPICE!’ I was instantly shocked. I told her the story I noted above.

I respect everyone’s wishes and beliefs in grieving. Everyone’s wishes and beliefs are different and personal. I know MANY people that would be THRILLED to have me show up wearing Tinsel Deely Bobber Headbands if they were wanting to LET GO LITELY!

I heard of a family who lost their mentally/physically disabled son. They had a PARTY with BALLOONS at his viewing! Why? Because he LOVED PARTIES and BALLOONS! I wore PINK to a friend’s husbands funeral. He was a FUN LOVING FAMILY MAN and HUSBAND! He was KIND and CARING and FULL OF LIFE! He knew how to make you feel better when you were down, just by a kind word. I celebrated his LITENESS by wearing a LITE, BRIGHT COLOR to his funeral.

As for me – I want to LET GO LITELY and be seen with a SMILE on my face as I’m going to my next exciting adventure!

It’s OKAY to LAUGH at a funeral. Laughter isn’t all about responding to a joke. It’s OKAY to SMILE at a funeral. I tell people all the time – GRIEVING sometimes gets STUCK inside your body. Sometimes – planting a SMILE on your face or OPENING your MOUTH and LAUGHING allows the STUCK GRIEVING FEELINGS to SPILL OUT! I have had this happen to me on many occassions. When I feel STUCK – I open my mouth in a grin and sometimes start a tone to help my body let out, whatever it needs to process. Some cultures call this WHALING. It’s a healthy thing, to LET IT OUT and LET IT GO LITELY.

It may not be for everyone, but for those that wish – it should be allowed.

One of my favorite writings is by S.H. Payer: ‘Live each day to the fullest… be yourself, but be your best self… look forward with confidence and back without regrets…’

Another writer I like is: Don Miguel Ruiz who notes: Each day do you best. Each day your best is different, based on how you are feeling. So there are no regrets, because you are always doing your best.

If you need to LAUGH, laugh. If you need to CRY, cry. If you need to make a crack in your face with a smile to start a process, do it. No regrets – it’s your way of processing your feelings.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! until your breath stops -
May you live till you LET GO LITELY with a smile on your face –
May you have the chance to make all your amends, forgive freely and know that you have done your best – and when you are ready to LET GO – LET GO LIGHTLY in the brightest of light with that smile emanating even after your spirit has left your body.

…with peace and a smile Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT and make them wonder WHY you were smiling when you left.

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

Finally settling into my new modular home after letting go of my condo and putting it on the market –
this has been a day full of surprises!

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 was blessed to have the opportunity to give a LAFOLOT Laughter Wellness demo at our local ‘The Healthy Grocer’ store this past Tuesday. They open their lunchroom to ‘alternative healers/wellness’ folks to demonstrate their gifts.

I entered wearing my ‘now unofficially trademarked’ Tinsel Deely Bobber Headband. A store clerk approached me as I went up to talk to my contact and asked: ‘Are YOU the laughter wellness person?’ I said: ‘What makes you say that?’ Greg, ‘The Healthy Grocer’ wellness program coordinator said: ‘She asked how she’d know you. I told her, don’t worry, you won’t miss her!’ HA HA – Good thing I remembered to wear the tinsel deely bobber headband into the store!

I encountered a blonde hair, blue eyed, wide-eyed with a BIG SMILE little toddler as I was waiting for folks to arrive. Kids tend to think I’m a clown just because of my head gear! I had one of my LAFOLOT Stress Reliever Pinwheels with me, and I was making it twirl around. The little girl was EYEing it. When she and her mom and grandmom went to check out – I held the pinwheel out towards her. (I had already given her a smiley face bookmark.) It was hilarious – we started a TODDLER vs. SILLY ADULT PERSON – dance. She took two steps forward, two steps back! So I did the same. She giggled. I started a sideways crab walk movement, continuing to hold out the pinwheel towards her – then I’d step back. She mimicked me. She giggled. So we shimmied forward and back, sideways and back till I finally stretched long and forward so she would take the pinwheel. She accepted it with a big smile! Her ‘mommy’ told her to say thank you! It was the funniest thing! I love playing with kids and their shyness…OR WAS SHE PLAYING WITH ME AND MY ADULTNESS?

I had two wonderful attendees at my program. One was named IDA and she was professionally trained as a clown known as CHARITY! We had healthy fun and they took smiley bookmarks to pass around, LAFOLOT pamphlets, LAFOLOT canvas shopping bags, as well as wanted to bring me to their church to do a program or a Full Belly Laughter Club! It was a success!

When I left, I stopped at our local ARBYs. I ordered a small drink and decided to order the cheese sticks. When I got to the window to pay, the guy asked: ‘Did you get your drink yet?’ Well no – so I answered. (this made no sense but I just went with the flow) I had agreed to donate a Dollar to Big Brothers Big Sisters so I was gathering my quarters together. A girl came to the window and asked if I was a motivational speaker? She had seen my LAFOLOT Magnetic advertising panel on the side of my card. I said YES! and gave her a few SMILEY FACE bookmarks (I don’t use business cards). I let her know it would be fun to bring me in for an emloyee meeting, etc. She was excited. Then, the young guy who had asked about the drink gave me my ‘BAG’ with my order. As I pulled forward I reached into the bag and it didn’t feel like cheese sticks. I had been given a roast beef sandwich! HA HA HA – I just continued on home! There was too big a line of cars at the drive thru to go back and I was tired!

I had to drive through the GIANT Food Store parking lot to get to an exit with a traffic light, for ease of getting across the roadway in the opposite direction. I had paid for Shopping Cart advertising at this store for two seasons, but had to stop due to lack of funds. As I stopped at one of the ‘customer crosswalk’ indicators, a mom and her little girl were pushing their cart across the road into the store. The little girl turned and smiled at me. I got a laugh and smile! I saw the cart she was pushing had my LAFOLOT Laughter Wellness big AD on it! I guess they didn’t have an AD to replace it and let mine on the cart from the last season! WHAT A GIFT!

So! Between the little girl toddler who PLAYED with me to get her pinwheel and the little girl showing me that I was getting FREE Advertising – they BOOK-ENDED a perfect evening of healthy laughter, fun and play!

SOMEONE OUT THERE IS LOOKING OUT FOR ME – THANKS! ;O)

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life in Amazement!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
…and don’t be afraid to do the crab sidestep with a toddler once in awhile
[this blog can also be seen on Vibrant Nation under blog name: Helenoflafolot]

It’s been a day of discoveries and surprising prosperity!

I started out the day balancing my checkbook and discovering a $10 subtraction error; then still showing a $21.21 difference in MY favor! This was interesting, because the numbers 12 and 21 have been appearing in my daily transactions a lot, lately!

I then gathered together some books I no longer needed and drove them over to donate to my local library; for a book sale they are having in June. Before I drove to the library, I stopped at a business to check in with its owner about a future workshop. I found a note on the door that the owner was at a meeting, but luckily, when I turned around – a person I knew who recently called to refer me to a possible future speaking gig was at the Stop Light near the corner, where I was standing!

I called over a Hullo! and we exchanged a few words, the light changed, and I left smiling at the synchronicity!

I then headed to my favorite Thai Palace restaurant for lunch. I was a little bummed out, because of having left so many magnetic bumper displays there, which get taken, but I never see them on the cars parked at the restaurant. Well – I thought too soon!
I went to sit in a booth and a group of 3 adults and a toddler were sitting in a booth back and to the right of me.
The little girl was fussy and started to cry (which is OK with me, that’s what kids do!). I instantly pulled out one of my ‘REFLECT A SMILE’ popsicle sticks with a little round mirror on the end. I use it to market one of my talks, my smile campaign and my website.
I asked the ‘mom’ if it was okay to give the little girl one? She nodded, okay. When I gave it to the little girl, she was all smiles! I also gave her one of my yellow, Smiley Face bookmarks.

Well what do you think happened? The mom said: ‘ARE YOU THE LAUGHTER PERSON whose advertising is out on the business card board?’ I said ‘Yes!’ She responded how great that was, asked me what I do, and her husband and friend affirmed they’d love to have me come over and host a Laughter Party! I asked them if they minded me talking to them since they were eating, they said no, not at all! They wanted to start having more ‘meaningful’ parties at their home with guest speakers.

I gave them a mini demo of what I do, then I sat down. The little girl’s mom then let me know that she had seen my advertising around the area, at other places, that I was becoming well known to them and that I was almost embedded in her mind! (WHY? was I worried about not seeing my magnetic bumper displays!)
I told her I also teach Good Hearted Living re: Compliments and Kindness. I told her: ‘You made my day! You gave me the gift of a compliment and the kindness to share your appreciation of what I do!’ I said: ‘That is priceless! Thank you!’

We went about finishing our meals and said our goodbyes. I then stopped at my local grocery store. I’m always looking for restrooms and had too much Iced Tea to drink so I ran to unload! ha ha Last time I used this store’s restroom, I found over seventy five cents on the floor! So, when I entered, I exclaimed – ‘I am prosperous!’ I looked down, no money. ha ha

So I went about my shopping. I had been wanting to buy three new litter boxes and had been having trouble locating them at the grocery stores. I also didn’t want to spend a lot of money due to downsizing and being in the middle of saving money for my move to lighten up my expense load. I couldn’t find the litter boxes in the pet supplies aisle. I finally asked the speedy checkout clerk. A young guy in ‘plain clothes’ (not in the store’s uniform) asked what I needed, when the girl I asked wasn’t sure. He took me to the pet aisle and I explained I hadn’t found any there. Then, I looked UP and saw them on a very high place. He announced, here they are; and they’re only 1.97 each! I said, ‘Well! At that price, I can’t pass it up – give me three!’ I then asked if he worked there. He noted he was a night shift employee. I said, ‘Well thank you so much for your help, HERE HAVE A BOOKMARK!’ HA HA
He laughed. I said, ‘I ‘ll let the manager know how helpful you’ve been.’ I said, ‘Sorry I don’t have more than the bookmark to give you!’ He responded, ‘Hey! It’s more than anyone else has given me today!’ We laughed.

I went to the checkout and let the girl know how thrilled I was with his assistance and that the cat litter pans were only $1.97 each! Well! She was on the ball! I didn’t even notice. She stopped me after I self-scanned two of them. They weren’t coming up at $1.97.

To make a long story come to a close (ha ha), she discovered they ‘were’ on sale but for $2.51 bonus buy with the store’s club card – which I had. So, 2 other cashier clerk supervisors later, I ended up getting one cat litter pan for FREE (for my troubles) and the other two at $2.51 each (normally $2.98)! I asked for a customer comment card, and put all their names on the card, giving them credit for their SUPER SERVICE!

So, I guess I was right after all! I AM PROSPEROUS AND WEALTHY! Clear out the emotional and physical clutter and open yourself to the gifts waiting to come your way in Speaking Gigs, discounts and Free Items!

Have a day full of surprising, magical discoveries!
Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in Amazement!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blog name: Helenoflafolot]

I headed out to a Coffee House Open MIC night last Wednesday. On the way, I stopped by a local discount store to pick up some potting soil. At the shopping plaza, I saw about 7 baby geese being attended to by 3 adult geese! I thought this odd, since I had heard that geese mate for life. I was wondering if the mate to the new mother had died, and two other geese stepped in to help. Either way, the support and mothering going on for the 7 baby geese was endearing.

As I headed down the road to the Coffee House, I had to pass some ongoing major roadwork construction. There was a huge, 20 feet high crane next to a highway overpass. Traffic was being managed by the usual STOP/SLOW road construction workers. As I approached, I had a SLOW sign being held by the roadworker in front of me. So, I slowed down to let ‘HER’ know I saw it and wouldn’t run her down. Because I had stopped pretty far back, I gradually allowed my vehicle to creep closer to the worker, with plenty of room to spare.

Then, SHE held up 3 fingers and mouthed something to me. It looked like she was saying 3 Minutes and holding up 3 fingers. I appreciate road work managers/sign holders and had no problem with waiting. We had an incident where a local woman was killed due to having a steel highway support beam dropped on her car as she drove under an overpass. I wasn’t in any hurry and was just waiting.

Well, the female roadworker continued to hold up the 3 fingers and mouthed 3 minutes. I started to think there was a concern, so I rolled down my window and poked my head out the window with a questioning look. The female roadworker came over to my window and said: ‘It will just be 3 minutes.’ I said: ‘That’s fine.’ She started to tell me more about why I and the other traffic behind me had to wait. I smiled and said, ‘I’m okay with it, really!’ She said: ‘Well it looked like you were mad.’ I laughed and said: ‘That’s just my face, my mouth turns down at the corners, naturally.’ I said: ‘Don’t read people’s faces, their faces don’t always show what’s going on inside.’ She said: ‘Yes! I have that problem, too! People always think I’m mad!’ I laughed out loud and said ‘Hold on a minute!’ I pulled a SMILEY Face LAFOLOT bookmark out of my purse and handed it to her. She looked at it LAUGHED/SMILED and said: ‘THANKS!’

I had to laugh. If it would have been a man holding that sign, he would have just held the STOP/SLOW sign and not worried.

Put a CARING, NURTURING WOMAN behind the sign and she makes sure the folks in the cars in front of her understand WHY they are being inconvenienced and is concered about THEIR FEELINGS!

I had a nice time at the Coffee House Open MIC night. When I headed back home in the same direction, the same woman was there holding the STOP/SLOW sign. As I S L O W L Y drove by on the opposite side of the road, I rolled my car window down and waved S L O W L Y back and forth so she could see me. My car has LAFOLOT.COM advertising on the side, so she new it was me. She gave me a big SMILE, LAUGH, and a WAVE!

I’m sure she had CARINGLY told her next group of WAIT-EES that it would only be 3 minutes and not to worry!

Interesting ….

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

The subject of this e-mail is a motto on my website (-when I’m not menopausal and acting like a fruitcake!) ;o)

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]

Feeling down, feeling blue? Use a coupon! Menopause, allowing my Condo Board to ‘get to me’, etc etc etc

Been feeling like crap the past few weeks, some of it my own fault due to past dealings with my Condo Board and allowing myself to project even worse reactions from them …

So I go to my local office supply store: Office MAX

I’m excited because I have a ‘Buy $50 worth and get $15 off!’ This was great because my FINICKY printer/scanner was acting up! I had placed a new color cartridge in it a week or so ago and it was now REJECTING it!

Having a tech support background, I just didn’t feel like dealing with it anymore after much troubleshooting.

So, I’m thrilled that EVEN though I have to buy a new color cartridge, at least I’ll save $15! The cheaper brand was out of stock, so I had to buy the HP brand.

Well! I go to the checkout with my $15 off coupon card. The cashier goes to another drawer and pulls another card out to scan. She forgets to scan my $15 off card and doesn’t bother to scan my Office MAX Rewards club card.

Being over 50 and menopausal, I start to get instantly annoyed (good thing I kept myself in check)! She announces the price (without the $15.00 off!) I let her know.

She says: ‘Oh, I ALWAYS forget to scan those when I put them down.’ I kept my mouth shut – thank goodness!

Then, I also say – ‘You didn’t scan my Office MAX Rewards card!’ She responds: ‘OH! That’s OK, I scanned this other card!’ She was very proud of herself.

I said: ‘Well, how is the store going to know it’s MY rewards card if you scanned another one!’ Luckily – I’m still keeping myself in check.

She announces: ‘OH! THIS ONE IS FOR A $10 GIFT CARD SINCE YOU PURCHASED THE HP PRINTER CARTRIDGE!’

Thank God I hadn’t blown up at her! I’M SUDDENLY THRILLED!

WHAT A MOOD SHIFT! WOW! WAS THAT COUPON CARD POWERFUL! Whin the moment it took to swipe the bonus card, my Condo Board Problems went FLYING OUT my head and the $25 SAVINGS I was going to receive gave me an instant: ENDORPHIN BOOST!

I was all smiles when I left the store and got very productive when I arrived back home to my office!

So, feeling down, feeling blue SEE WHAT A COUPON CAN DO FOR YOU!

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often! and hold on to those coupons!
www.lafolot.com
[can also be viewed at Vibrant Nation under blog name: Helenoflafolot]

Having had the wonderful opportunity to become a Certified Laughter Leader, WLT; I learned of the many health benefits of Laughter Wellness. The one that I’m talking about in this blog is: Extended/prolonged laughter ‘LIBERATES INTERLEUKIN-2 AND OTHER IMMUNIE BOOSTERS.’ Basically, it’s like the high you get from jogging or the relaxation you get from basic exercise done on a regular basis.

Having had the wonderful opportunity in life to take advantage of mental and emotional health services, I learned so many wonderful TOOLS for staying on track and staying healthy! One of those tools is journaling. I enjoy reading a regular article written by Dr. James Rouse (naturopathic physician) in a monthly periodical I receive. I was THRILLED to discover the wonderful health benefits of JOURNALING!

Dr. Rouse notes: ‘Taking as little as thirty minutes on four consecutive days to write about emotional topics helped raise the IMMUNE-BOOSTING LYMPHOCYTE count in chronically ill patients. This powerful study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Psychosomatic Medicine, may help to illustrate how holding toxic emotions inside ourselves can breed desease.’

So, when you are worrying, obsessing, out of focus due to run on thoughts or just plain sluggish, depressed, ‘in a blue mood’ GOING MENOPAUSAL, etc

HAVE AN EXTENDED LAUGH
HAVE A HEALTHY CONVERSATION/THOUGHT DUMP WITH YOUR SPECIAL TABLET AND PEN

Basically – TAKE A LOAD OFF!

We get our physical household trash picked up weekly;
We separate the ISSUES, I mean plastics, paper, biodegradable trash -

Why not take a daily or weekly RECYCLING – TRASH THOUGHT ORGANIZING few moments to TAKE THAT LOAD off and make room for the next round of thoughts and activities that is waiting to CYCLE or RECYLCLE through your mind.

GET READY FOR YOUR HA HA HELEN OF LAFOLOT daily workout:

LAUGH
JOURNAL
BREATHE
RELAX
…have a New or Creative thought!
(recycle as needed)

This has been a Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT ‘non-medical/unofficial – just some thoughts’ blog moment.
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation blogpost name: Helenoflafolot