LAFOLOT

I was working at my parttime HALLMARK Helen job, yesterday. I’m helping out a
fellow Hallmark card ‘lady’ while she’s on vacation.

As I walked down the main aisle, I saw a woman ‘SIGNING’ with one hand as she
held her ‘Wireless Device’ out from her.

I love talking to everyone and anyone when I am out and about. I have learned
how to say: Hello, Goodbye, How Are You? and Thank You! in many different
languages and dialects. I like to let people know, I’m willing to take a step
over the barrier to learn more about their culture, etc.

When I saw this woman, there was NO BARRIER, (I have a cousin who is Deaf and
I’ve learned the Alphabet and a FEW signs). I wasn’t READING what she was
saying, because I don’t know enough to be able to do that – and it would have
been an invasion of privacy. For anyone who is concerned.

I walked toward her in AH! MAZEMENT! of this wonderful device – and signed: H,
I (HI!) I indicated I was going to SAY HELLO to her friend on the phone. She
noted they had hung up.

I signed: MY COUSIN IS DEAF (I use this opening line when approaching someone
sho is signing, so they know I can speak, hear and that they may know my cousin
from their community meetings, of which I’m aware.)

We ‘talked a little bit’ – She knew I couldn’t sign MUCH. She helped me with a
few signs. She showed me her ‘phone’ – that there is a new APP known as TANGO
that allows someone who is deaf – to get a FULL SCREEN conversation window – in
order to communicate just as a speaking/hearing person would with a cell phone,
etc.

She was very excited, as was I! We communicated with BIG FACIAL expressions and
minimal signing – she read my lips as I spoke -

I agreed that I was AH! MAZED! Why? Prior to personal computers and e-mails -
the deaf community had to use an oversized, bulky machine in the home known as a
TTY. It limited communication; because of not being able to use phone for voice
communication.

I KNEW INSTANTLY – WHY she was SO EXCITED!

HOW WONDERFUL! This DEVICE – courtesy of Steve Jobs and those in the wireless
technology field – have now:

Brought the Deaf Community and the Hearing/Speaking community TOGETHER -
HEALTHILY – SOCIALLY with this WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL DEVICE!

I had been concerned that cell phones, texting, etc. were creating an
ANTI-SOCIAL atmosphere – taking away proper grammar, developing an entire new
language of TEXTING – etc…

and – once again – I’m learning to BE FLEXIBLE and GROW ALONG WITH IT – seeing
how these WONDERFUL CHANGES are BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER who would not have been able to communicate, before?

Since computers and e-mails – I can now – easily communicate with my cousin, NO
PROBLEM!

and now – we can TANGO! DANCE! and communicate VISUALLY via wireless devices
that allow the DEAF community to wirelessly communicate on the run!

I AM SO EXCITED BY ALL THIS! TALK ABOUT BRINGING THE WORLD TOGETHER!
FEEL THE TINGLE AND THE EXCITEMENT!

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com (Outlook Shift Engineer!) typing with a smile and a big laugh out loud in her heart – IMAGINE THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL!

I was helping my younger sister, by taking my mom to a doctor’s appointment years back. My mom, having reduced lung capacity, started to breathe heavily once getting back into the car. Having a creative mind and strong instinct, I quickly put my Russel Watson ‘The Voice – ENCORE’ CD into my car’s player.

He opened with his pop-raspy voice intro to the first song; and then BURST FORTH into FULL OPERATIC VOICE! What a VOICE! My mom exclaimed: ‘Wow! Buy me that CD!’ and she handed me $20.00 to pay for it! OH! …and her breathing started to calm!

I’m told my own singing voice can be very soothing, comforting, relaxing, and healing. I’ve had people buy my CD ( A Night at the Piano Bar with Helen of LAFOLOT) to give to freinds with health challenges.

The POWER of THE VOICE! With tone, with a look, with a feeling behind a word or statement – we have THE POWER to instantly change a mood, a situation, become a negotiator, an instigator, etc.

The POWER of THE VOICE! In Laughter Wellness and Outlook Shift Engineering talks, I share about ‘empathic response’ studied by Neuropsychologists. This is an area of the brain that receives WORD-VOICE and FACIAL-PHYSICAL transmissions from others with whom we are interracting. AH! MAZING! I say!

WE, have THE POWER – to diffuse or use! WE, have THE POWER to feel, assess, and SHARE-CARE due to the NATURAL empathy response of our AH! MAZING! BRAINS!

WHAT A GIFT!

I’m listening to my Russell Watson ‘THE VOICE’ CD as I type this. I LOVE the male, tenor voice!

Music, Voice, Word, Facial Expressions have such POWER! When I want to RESET, or have a personal OUTLOOK SHIFT – I often turn to MUSIC! ART! ENTERTAINMENT! SOCIALIZATION! LAUGHTER WELLNESS!

All these are received by the brain and have the power to:

MOTIVATE ME TO GET UP AND MOVE! CLEAN! Get OFF MY SEAT – and MOVE MY FEET!
to, RELAX, INSPIRE, FEEL, HEAL and MEDITATE!

In a slump? Feeling jittery or agitated? Need to relax and relieve stress? Need to get up and move?

Think Music, Voice, Action (Acting) and watch yourself move in a different direction!

Highlighted Helen! ‘Outlook Shift Engineer!’
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Live Life! Laugh Often!

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!

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

Who knew a woman could easily go from VICTIM thinking to EMPOWERMENT just by shopping at Home Depot!

Coming from a challenged family/childhood background; I have a tendency to settle for less-than rather than feeling worthy of more!

A simple think like my Black & Decker GH1000 mega-weed-wacker failing on me the other day, put me in the dumps. Not being able to financially replace the took; just having sent over $13,000.00 into the IRS; and working two additional part-time jobs to keep myself moving forward – this little ‘hurdle’ was the icing on the cake!

So after two days of stewing over it and seeing if the weed whacker would ‘fix itself’ after a few tests – I decided to take action. I didn’t want to get on the phone with Black & Decker and deal with Warranty issues. I don’t have a lot of cell phone minutes so I couldn’t afford a long phone call.

I was out and about and decided to pull into Home Depot to see what they had in replacement electric mowers. They were too expensive. I talked/joked with an associate about the Whirrrrrrr… Click noise my weed wacker was making. I let him know I THOUGHT I had purchased it there, but didn’t have my receipt with me. I decided to drive down the road to Lowes’ – and see if the display was still there. Turned out I was right, I had bought it at Home Depot; but because I had stopped into LOWES to look at their selection of electric mowers and weed whackers, I got empowered!

The associate at Lowes told me that if I had bought it there, I could have brought it in, no questions asked, and exchanged it for a new one!

So, I went back home and FOUND MY RECEIPT! Thanks to my efficient filing system!
I took the receipt AND the week whacker and ‘GH1000 Black and Decker cardboard lid’ that I had saved from the box and went into Home Depot. I had called ahead of time and let them know what Lowes had said.

When I arrived with: Receipt, Proof of Packaging Lid, and Wrrrrr…. click broken motor (less than a year old) weed whacker – I relayed the above story to the customer service associate.

Well! I told FABULOUS NIKKI – the wonderful customer service associate at Home Depot of Carlisle Pike, PA – that I would give HOME DEPOT a SHOUT OUT and FREE advertising in my blog!

I said to Nikki – THANK YOU! from me, and ALL THE WOMEN OUT THERE who might EASILY go into VICTIM STATUS and NOT feel EMPOWERED and BRAVE enough to speak up! Nikki checked their policy and gave me an even exchange on my Black & Decker GH1000 weed whacker! No more Whirrrrr…. click! Just – varooom varooom varooom look out weeds – here comes Ha Ha Helen – EMPOWERED LAWN CARE WOMAN!

Eat my dust!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy
www.lafolot.com
Live Life! Laugh Often! and Weed whack-a-ha ha ha ha ha this grass cutting season!

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

I was blessed with a singing gig at a local assisted living center, this past St Patrick’s Day. While my last gig there on Labor Day had a ‘robust’ audience; this one was subdued. Being a performer, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

So, I gave it my all! After I was done, I mingled with the senior residents a bit and met a woman named MAXINE. Yes! Maxine! I could have SWORN she was the MAXINE the cartoon is modeled after! What a W.O.W! Woman of Wonder!

I note at the top of my website: ‘A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way …’ Well, MAXINE was not only a spunky, W.O.W. woman; but full of compliments and kindness!

Maxine was just visiting for the day. She had come by to spend time with her husband, who is a resident there, and to ENJOY THE Helen of Lafolot show!

Maxine informed me she had taken piano, and voice lessons for a good many years and later BECAME a voice teacher. So, when I walked over and Maxine FREELY piped up: ‘You have a BEAUTIFUL voice! You have a very BROAD range!’ I was dumb struck!

I said to Maxine – WOW! YOU not only MADE MY DAY – you MADE MY LIFE! She responded with a smile and further affirmation. When she told me her background; I told her about my ‘little kindess goes a long way’ affirmation. I told her I had been feeling doubtful about my talents and struggling with ‘getting gigs’. I told her it meant SO MUCH that she had felt free to TELL ME how she felt about my singing.

Then she said: ‘I TELL IT LIKE IT IS!’ A TRUE Maxine!

I told her of other meetings I had with people where I had only met them for a matter of seconds or minutes; and how they had GREATLY impacted my life. I told her about Mary Cop – the Cart Lady from Harrisburg – another W.O.W.! woman I talk about in my Bea Gaude’ video. I told her about another woman I had met, who recently died of cancer. When I had met this woman months before, she never mentioned she had cancer. She was full of kindess and praise and booked me for an event! I didn’t find out till December that she had passed. I wrote a blog about her. She left a lasting impression on me, just from a few minute meeting!

I let her know I would never forget her. We talked about how we can go through our entire lives not knowing how STRONGLY we impacted another life. I wanted her to know she had made a big impact on me!

Here’s to all the MAXINE’s in the world who TELL IT LIKE IT IS!

May you be FREELY FLOWING with your compliments and have an instant impact on all those you meet, in a positive way! Just like MAXINE!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
O.S.E. – Outlook Shift Engineer
Living Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Live Life! Laugh Often!

I was doing my usual, inefficient food shopping trip … (I go frequently; because I love to mix and mingle with people when I shop!)

I was maneuvering my cart up the Pet Food aisle when I heard a woman give the COMMAND to her husband:

STAY! there (he was in charge of the oversized shopping cart)

She turned and saw me and I said: ‘I’m sorry, I’m laughing and smiling – what an appropriate COMMAND for the Pet Aisle!’ She laughed as she whizzed past me to get an item she had forgotten; and her husband turned, saw me and laughed and smiled also.

I LOVED IT! Is THIS the secret to a long healthy marriage? Able to HAVE FUN while shopping and laugh with one another?

I told them, ‘Oh My!’ I’m a laughter wellness instructor and a humorist writer; you just don’t KNOW all the stuff that’s running through my head right now!’ We went in different directions with our carts.

Oh, YES, she DID release her husband from the STAY! command.

So I headed for the Self-Scan checkout. All the stations were being used. A nice gentleman saw me with my 3 items and pulled his slightly more filled cart back and said: Here, you can have this one.

I started to moved forward, thanking him, when I saw there was a woman there who had JUST PRODUCED her store SHOPPER CARD for discounts. She looked up momentarily confused; I looked and then he said:

‘I DIDN’T KNOW HOW LONG SHE WAS GONNA TAKE SO I FIGURED YOU COULD GO!’

She had a VERY LARGE-OVERSIZED purse and must have been DIGGING for the discount card for awhile.

I stopped, laughed and said: ‘OH, messing with me were ya!?’
She looked then, laughed and said: ‘IS HE STARTING AGAIN!’ LOL!

I told them what had JUST happened in the Pet aisle with the SIT! STAY! command.
They laughed. I said: Must be the day for SILLY SPOUSE SHOPPERS in the store!

So, I’m wondering, being single … is THIS the SECRET to a happy marriage?

The SILLY SPOUSE SHOPPER METHOD? Hey! It’s worth a try? I’m not DEAR ABBY – but it seems to be working for these couples! I’m just sayin’ … ha ha

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Live Life! Laugh Often! and do some silly shopping once in a while .. it’s healthy!
Live Life in Ah! Mazement!
Attention shoppers, attention shoppers… MOOD PICK-YOU-UP in aisle 5!

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