LAFOLOT

Gotta LAUGH! At myself! On a regular basis!
I tell people and write all the time: ‘I teach what I need to learn and share the CREATIVE ways I work through my LAUGHABLE Life Lessons!

Many people that meet me say they can see how ‘Passionate’ I am about what I do. What do I do? My intention is to Motivate and Inspire others through speaking, singing, writing and laughter wellness!

So, when I left my State Government job after 28 1/2 years – on a LEAP OF FAITH – with the strong, passionate intention to:

1) Teach all that I had learned by making use of all the wonderful ‘mental/emotional health support offered by my wonderful medical plan

2) Teach laughter wellness, Good-Hearted Living (Steve Wilson), and how to use Creative HEALTHY Triggers and ways to ‘get through a work day’ to my fellow State Employees – as a Commonwealth Vendor

I, once again, was given the opportunity to FORGIVE myself and others due to the hurt I felt when a negative, non-accurate (due to leaving out information about laughter wellness) article was written about my PASSION, of all things!

In my excitement to help others with a creative, medically endorsed/proven health & wellness tool known as Laughter Wellness, Laughter Therapy or Laughter Yoga – I never dreamed it wouldn’t be embraced by others – especially an investigative reporter trained to DIG for the FACTS.

But, alas, that’s what happened. So the HEALING from the HURT began. I started with instant FORGIVENESS. HA HA! ‘I’ had the last laugh! My hurt turned to anger and frustration as I was marked as a non-favorable Commonwealth Vendor – marked as ‘one to not hire’ for FEAR of our local paper pouncing on ‘the waste of tax dollars on a comedienne.’

Well – that was the Summer of 2009, it is now October 2010 and I am BEING BLESSED with the OPPORTUNITY to MOVE PAST THE HURT, THE ANGER and allowing a “Health Section” reporter from the same paper to ‘come into my home’ to interview me about Laughter Wellness.

Biting nails, holding in anxiety, wanting so badly for the FACTS to be printed –
and ‘alas’ – I know I have VERY LITTLE control over what the reporter will write.

But – what is MOST IMPORTANT to me:

1) FORGIVE MYSELF for my ‘human’ way of dealing with it all
2) FORGIVE the newspaper, editor and investigative reporter that I ALLOWED to take me through feelings of hurt, anger, and frustration.

This is HA HA ‘Living HUMANLY’ Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life! and Laughing Often!
Choosing – for this moment – FORGIVENESS

Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of control over a situation and using humor to diffuse anger, frustration, anxiety helps release the tension and bring peace, relaxation and good health back to your body.

There’s a sweet doggie across the road. Since he’s gotten to know me, he doesn’t bark at me anymore. But he barks a lot – so I WROTE THIS SONG!

Ode to Woody

MY NAME, IS WOODY MCBARKEN!
I LOVE TO BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK ALL DAY LONG!
MY NAME, IS WOODY MCBARKEN!
SO YA BETTER JUST MOVING RIGHT ALONG!
I LOVE TO BARK BARK BARK, YOU CAN SEE THAT’S NOT A LARK
‘CAUSE MY NAME – IS WOODY MCBARKEN
I LOVE TO BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK
ALL DAY LONNNNNNNG! *woof!

When life gets rough or brings you lemons –
turn it around with a silly song
and soon you’re body, mind, mental and emotional state will be
Back IN TUNE!

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Keep living life – and when all else fails – laugh off the stress in a healthy way!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

10 minutes later – Update: LOL! At myself!
I write a silly song, write a silly blog – couldn’t figure out why the recycle truck was was sitting outside my place engine running running running – After 10 min and my cats besides themselves … I go out – see that the Recycle guy is inside the Barking Dog Woman’s front porch – sipping coffee – while her dog barks incessantly and the truck engine running. I ask him if there’s a problem or could he turn off his truck engine? He apologizes and leaves – I tell her to grow up and get dog training to learn how to train her dog. SHE JUST STANDS THERE AND SMILES. *sigh … need to forgive myself for getting so worked up. Let me go read my silly song, again. oy vey! That’s why I say – I teach what I need to learn! Live Life! Laugh Often!

Even with the beautiful weather, I was in a ‘ho hum’ mood, so I was thrilled to have a chance to DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY when I stepped out for some groceries (always a fun place to MINGLE!)

At the stop light near the store entrance, I saw a Sports Fan’s personalized license plate in front of me:

NYY GBAY (guess they may be a New York Yankees and Green Bay Packers Fan!)

Then, the car in front and in the left lane to me, had a personalized license plate that read:

JLRYLDY (Jewelry Lady – guess she liked making or wearing jewelry!)

So, thanks to the opportunity to DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY and get out of my ‘ho hum’ mood!

I got to apply my former profession technical support expertise by helping the head cashier and quick checkout cashier troubleshoot a system problem. They thought it was a debit card problem, I noticed it was a problem with slowing down during calculating customer savings and not noting them on the sales slip. A JOB WELL DONE BY HA HA HELEN, DON’T MENTION IT, GLAD I COULD HELP! HA HA

Speaking of humor vs. laughter. I saw an ambulance parked at the store on the way out. I turned to ‘JOKE’ (keep in mind humor is SUBJECTIVE) with a man walking out near me (turned out I knew him!) – saying: Guess someone had a heart attack when they saw the prices! – and I laughed. He agreed and smiled.

Then! I caught myself and said: ‘Oh! That’s not funny at all.’ He agreed. I said: ‘It’s more like dark humor.’ He agreed. Then, he said: ‘I was thinking it was the food!’ I laughed and said: ‘Yes, bad indigestion, that’s all it was!’

So a chance to practice my profession and note the difference between laughter wellness and humor. What one person finds funny, could trigger a negative response in another, due to personal life experiences. Ah! Ha!

As I drove off in my car, I noted the time on my car’s digital clock read: 3:10pm It was a HA HA HELEN OF LAFOLOT – ‘TIME TO LAUGH!’ – upside down and backwards it’s OLE’ – the Spanish Cheer! Translating it to a laugh as: OLE’ HEY! HEY! HEY! ha ha ha ha

So from ‘ho hum’ to ‘ut oh!’ or oops! to OLE’ Hey! Hey Hey! I was having a HEALTHY day!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living Life! and Laughing Often!
never know when it’s TIME TO LAUGH
or DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY
and always good to SPREAD SMILES BY THE MILES!
www.lafolot.com

I made the choice of taking an early, early retirement and living off a very limited income in February of 2008. I decided to start my own business due to my SCHOOL OF LIFE lessons and big AH HA! moment causing me to SHIFT my Perception of my Life and Personal Awareness.

Part of my growth, for the 10 years prior, was to get familiar with 12 Step Programs which involved letting go of anger and frustration with my personal awareness of a GOD. Suggestions came at me to ‘pick my own name’ for my higher power. At one point it was G.U.S. (Guidance, Understanding and Support), it then grew to WILSON (named after the friendly, kind-hearted, always ready with the helpful advice) neighbor on the sitcom HOME IMPROVEMENT. You never saw his face, but he always helped worked out their questions and problems – even if they had trouble interpreting what he was conveying.

Fastforward to September 2010. I am now into MOSEY-ING (is that a word) at my MOBILE Park. I’ve chosen over the years to release more and more material possessions, downsize and release physical as well as emotional baggage.

Lately, I’ve been jokingly saying I’m taking my lifestyle from the ANDY GRIFFITH show. As I was out in the beautiful weather, blue sky, upper 70s (fahrenheit), crickets chirping ‘Weed Whacka HA HA HAing’ my mini-lawn – I thought: I think I’ll rename my higher power ANDY GRIFFITH. HAHAHAHa

What did Andy do when ‘car thieves’ came to Mayberry R.F.D? Well the crooks didn’t know there was only one main road in and out of town. Andy just got in his patrol car, took a back road – and while the car thieves were racing to get out of town – Sherriff Andy was just Sitting on the hood of his car – waiting for them to come to him – since it was the only way out of town.

No stress, no worry, just calm, collected easy-going thinking – addressing the problem (was there a problem to him?) head on.

So, as I weed-whacka-ha ha ha’d my yard and started to clean up. I’ve started to sit on my freshly mowed/whacked lawn, I slowly, easily, no stress start to coil the verrrrry long, outdoor extension cord. I love that everytime I go to reuse it, it unravels easily.

When I did technical support, I saw how FAST technology was progressing. I feel there is good to technology; but that NOW – it’s nice to ‘take the Andy Griffith’ approach and kick back, slowly doing a task like winding the power cord neatly back into place.

I am enjoying doing things MORE SLOWLY and METHODICALLY – SMILING as I do them –
grateful for my mind which helps me to untangle the cord when it does get tangled.
grateful for the ability to weed whack my own yard -
grateful for the mind and physical ability to UNPLUG and work at untangling the weed wacking cord if I haven’t put it back together properly when checking the line feed.

Just like washing dishes by hand, and getting to watch the birds and butterflies outside my kitchen window, little tasks can take on CALMING effects and help to take a break from the FAST PACED technology zooming by us, today.

Just like ANDY GRIFFITH on Mayberry R.F.D. – taking time to SMILE at another driver at an intersection and DRIVE MYSELF and OTHERS happy – helping to deal with road rage, and getting them to get off a cell phone or stop texting –

ANDY GRIFFITH, WILSON, or whatever/whoever you call your Higher Power would enjoy MOSEY-ING at my mobile park, too – I’d like to think. *smile

Have a pleasant day, turn off the cell phone, toss it in the back seat while you drive, and stop and smile at someone at a large, traffic light intersection.

Mentally sitting on my porch, rocking and widdling and singing the Mayberry R.F.D. theme song …

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Stay Sweet!
Live life in A-MAZE-Ment – it’s how it’s meant to be lived – I think…
What do YOU think?
www.lafolot.com

Hmmm? How do you get off the Pitty Pot and out of the Pitty Pit?

1) Take a walk and see the beautiful sky I viewed yesterday, while walking to my mailbox! Just had to take this photo!

GLORIOUS Sky by Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT

2) Phone a friend – E-mail, works!

3) Read your wonderful e-mails from caring, witty friend, and funny comments shared by your Facebook friends!

4) Get some Healthy Laughing friends, whether they’re CERTIFIABLE, uh I mean Certified Laughter Leaders, like yourself, or not – to LAUGH with you!

5) Send a THANK YOU and note of gratitude for the laughter, smiles, and comments of concern to ALL.

6) Take a photo of your pretty plate of THAI food at lunch, and cause those around you at the restaurant to smile and laugh with you as you do so!

Ha Ha Helen's THAI Lunch

So, how do you get out of the Pitty Pot Pit? With all the Love, Gratitude, Compliments, Comments, Silliness and Laughter POURING into the PIT; you can’t HELP but FLOAT to the top and get SCOOPED out by all the LOVE!

Thanks to ALL!

Ha Ha ‘HUMAN AFTER ALL’ Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

BEWARE! I’ve got a SMILE and I KNOW how to USE it!

This is HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – making a suggestion to help your daily people passing experiences (PPEs) by FLASHING a SMILE!

For health reasons: A SMILE works better than a HANDSHAKE because it doesn’t spread germs or colds!

For confrontational meetings: It softens the expectations of the recipient of your request!

For Healing Reasons: A SMILE can instantly warm a heart/soul and make a person’s brain respond in a happy, healthy way – sending warm/fuzzy healing feelings within and without!

A SMILE warms the giver and the receiver!

Watch my latest mini HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT motivational/inspirational moment called: ‘SMILE at the OK Corral!’

I’ve got a SMILE BADGE and I KNOW how to use it!

SPREAD THOSE SMILES BY THE MILES!
DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

I tell people there is a LOT more MEAT to my MESSAGE than MEETS the Eye!
Live Life! Laugh Often! – as well as my Ha Ha Helen’s SMILE CAMPAIGN and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! Campaign

I always say, I ‘teach what I need to learn’ – I feel it’s how I come across as AUTHENTIC – sharing what I DO to WORK THROUGH my ‘OFF MOMENTS’ in the event it helps someone else.

For example: TODAY! All I can say is, my menopausal hormones, addictive behaviors are certainly having two year old temper tantrums inside me! I could tell since early this morning. I am AWARE – thank goodness!

1) Even though I was driving down the road to drop off a demo music CD that had been requested – my mind started to come up with negative scenarios of running into all sorts of problems. 12 Step Program folks will relate to that.

So – I had to – even though FEELING and being AWARE of that – place a SMILE on my face to ‘help me work through it.’ I also made myself AWARE of my AGITATED state of mind and became MORE PRESENT while driving.

Then – I had a WONDERFUL time at the Art Gallery where I dropped off the CD. It went beautifully and I shared a few laughs! *pfew! Thanks goodness I was aware and didn’t give into it.

2) I stopped at the grocery store to drop off a couple Full Belly Laughter flyers and pick up two items. I was doing REALLY WELL! Still feeling the ‘Mount St. Helen’s’ Volcano brewing inside of me from hormones, cravings, etc. – but being AWARE.

HOW WONDERFUL! As I was leaving the store with my mini-cart – a young man walking towards me FLASHED ME A SMILE! It immediately REFLECTED off my face back to him! [SMILE CAMPAIGN GAME PAID OFF!] Here I was, have a CRAPPY moment and I had CASHED IN MY POINTS I had earned from giving smiles! *sigh – it was a wonderful moment …

BECAUSE – I start to head out the automatic/electric doors and a guy in front of me in on his cell phone. He is STRUGGLING to take bags out of his mini-cart, while kicking the cart with his right foot to move it away from him – people walking all around him…

my MIRACLE MOMENT was gone in a blip of a second! I vocalized in a judgemental tone: ‘IF YOU GOT OFF THE PHONE, YOU COULD PUT YOUR CART BACK.’ I did a kindness and put his cart back with mine.

*sigh … As I turned to leave through the exit doors, he turned to me and said: ‘WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO SAY THAT? I MEAN WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY? IT WAS A BUSINESS CALL!’

I was SO PROUD of myself! I immediately planted a SMILE on myself and just SMILED back as he expressed himself to me. We we’re heading in opposite directions, so I just HELD MY SMILE and allowed him to express what he needed.

Did we agree? No. But there was no need to get into an argument over it.

WOW! What a rollercoaster up ‘feeling like crap, being aware, receiving a smile and a moment later going into another crappy moment but choosing to not allow it to escalate.’

Then, after I dropped flyers off at two other venues, a woman HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR ME as I exited! I SMILED and THANKED her.

So, why am I sharing this? I like to share the GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY along with the miracles of how I go through my day. It’s not always perfect, I share a lot of the fun stuff –

But, perhaps, now you’ll see the PERSONAL POWER of my SMILE CAMPAIGN and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY CAMPAIGN which help me to make my own world and other’s worlds a little brighter, moment by moment …

whether I’m the GIVER or the RECEIVER of the SMILE or Healthy Driving Moment.

Live Life! Laugh Often!
Spread those Smiles by the Miles! and
DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

Keep earning and saving those HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT SMILE CAMPAIGN points! Like me, you never know when you’ll need them!

Stay sweet!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

also known as SYN-CHRO-NIC-I-TY hee hee hee!

I just finished printing out my new t-shirt transfer: SPREAD THOSE SMILES, BY THE MILES … DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!

I cut it out, placed it on my bright yellow t-shirt to see how it would look -

Walked over to my stereo to turn on the radio -

the song: ON THE WINGS OF LOVE just started with the line … “JUST SMILE FOR ME AND LET THE DAY BEGIN…”

I walked into my bedroom and the digital clock noted: 9:16 [HA HA Helen's TIME TO LAUGH!] Looks like GIG short for Giggle!

What a MAGICAL, SYNCHRONISTICAL moment!

enough said – I’m smiling…and giggling.

Live Life! Laugh Often!
Spread those SMILES by the MILES!
Drive Yourself Happy!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

Wow! What an unexpected TREAT, yesterday when I decided to stop in at Olive Garden for their soup/salad deal! I was sitting in my booth when I heard the server say to his other table: ‘It’s your birthday, today?’ MY EARS PERKED UP! I happened to know that the restaurant had stopped their policy of Servers Gathering to Sing to Guests on their Birthdays.

WELL! I just COULDN’T allow this soul to not be SUNG TO on their birthday, while dining out! *tee hee Super HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT jumped out of her booth (okay, slowly slid out). I had on my: ME! t-shirt. I took one of my HA HA HELEN on a stick “STICK WITH LAUGHTER” items out of my purse as well as a SMILEY FACE bookmark.

I smiled and said, ‘I’m sorry to bother you (as I held up my GIFTS), but I heard it was your birthday and wanted to sing the HA HA Happy Birthday song to you! It turned out to be two, ‘grey haired women’ out having a fun birthday lunch – one treating the other.

Luckily! They both smiled. My intention had been to just give the gifts, sing my little ditty and let them be. Well! They started asking me all types of questions in excitement about what I did! The other woman didn’t want to be left out – so I got HER a Ha Ha Helen on a Stick and a bookmark! She took it ‘hungrily’ even though they had just eaten.

She told me she had COPD, asthma and Depression (as her eyes teared). I jumped in and said: Well, then! Let’s get you laughing! (I told her about the precaution of laughing and asthma – she noted she was OK with laughing.)

I explained the physical/medical benefits and started telling them about my TIME TO LAUGH gimmick: Looking at the clock at 7:07 and seeing it as upside down and LAUGH OUT LOUD, the 4:45 (Shh) quiet laugh, and the 3:34 (hEE) mid afternoon giggle. They both loved it and she was laughing and giggling. I got to hear about her bird bath, and rabbits in the yard, etc etc. Her birthday friend said: THANK YOU, ME! – I laughed.

I ended up giving them a LAFOLOT pamphlet I had on me as well as my FULL BELLY LAUGHTER – Free – donate food item event. Turned out the one woman lived nearby the event!

Sometimes I’m told I’m too forward which has caused me to not approach people as much. But when I TAKE THAT RISK and discover that I:

1) not only got to sing the HA HA HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG (they were surprised I knew all the HA HA words!) to the Birthday Girl!

but

2) got to help a woman, teary eyed over depression, have some HEALTHY LAUGHTER as DESSERT after the meal she bought to help her friend celebrate her birthday –

I find that I am doing the right thing. These moments are priceless – I keep them in my golden heart pocket – where they warm me when I’m feeling the cold effects of criticism.

My lesson – FOLLOW MY HEART. Never know when my heart will lead me to another soul in need.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Live Life in A-MAZE-MENT!
Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

All I have to say is yesterday was the total opposite of today! After having a ‘challenging’ morning, I discovered one of my ‘HA HA Helen on a STICK’ – ‘Stick With Laughter!’ promotional items had been defaced, or used as a VooDoo Doll at the restaurant AD board I frequent!

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