LAFOLOT

I had a big AH! HA! ha ha moment at age 49. At that point, I stopped EXISTING and HIDING and chose Life! I chose to start Living! Hence, my motto: Live Life! Laugh Often! [there's a lot more meat to my motto than meets the eye!]

I wrote a book called: ‘Life is a Song in the Key of Love!‘ It’s about appreciating life in ALL its forms of expression. I no longer have a fear of insects; where once I would have screamed and hit the person nearest me just to get away from a bee or spider – I can now allow a Bee to buzz near my ear, as I smile – and I can allow it to walk on me freely – to allow it to BE. I can rescue a spider or thank it and appreciate the work it is doing to remove other bugs from my home. I am in AWE of all Life! [keep in mind, I'm still human and still make a fool of myself on occassion!]

I awoke this morning and was inspired to write these words. May you be blessed this day and always with a life filled with Peace. Be Aware of the PRESENT, it’s a GIFT!

LIFE!

I am in AWE! RESPECT!

by: Helen Marie Szollosy 11/9/2010
Living Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Living BOLD and in Italics!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

Did you miss your present? hmm?

I was behind a well dressed business woman in a checkout line at a Dollar Store. I looked down and noticed a KEY in the bottom of an empty store-hand basket near her feet. I said: ‘Excuse me? Is that your key?’

No response. I said a little louder: ‘Excuse me? Is that your key?’ [she was INTENTLY Texting someone on her mobile device.] She finally CAME TO – for a BRIEF second to say: ‘WHUH?’ I repeated my question, again – she mumbled ‘neh’ and went back to her texting.

Then, the well-dressed business woman in front of her, just having finished paying for HER purchases echoed: ‘Whuh?’ Her friend didn’t even hear her – and mindlessly walked out behind her, leaving the store.

I was a bit ‘concerned’ that they would both be going out to get into a vehicle and drive! No alcohol, no food, just mental FOG and totally unware of THEIR PRESENT!

[I have a 63 yr old sister who was hit by a drunk driver when she was 19 - she is permanently front left lobe brain damaged as a result. She is now in a nursing home and I'm her representative. So my concern is not a light one.]

I have been marketing myself as well as making the effort to SPREAD SMILES BY THE MILES to rush hour traffic – placing signs out in front of a friend’s restaurant that read: ‘FREE Smiles & Laughs Drive-thru!’

or my other effort: MOTOR-VATION with another sign that read – ‘*Smile! YOU’RE GREAT!’

As I sit or stand along the road – I am AMAZED at the amount of Totally NON-PRESENT drivers going by! Not just from Texting, Cell Phone talking-but from staring off into space etc. [yes, I am guilty of the day dreaming, myself.]

- I found a quarter under a chair at a restaurant today!
- I saw a cloud in the sky yesterday, shaped like a ‘V’ for victory!
- I saw a ‘cloud-like’ X-shape in the sky last week – the residue of two jet paths having crossed one another. It was comical – X marked the spot of the restaurant I had gone to!

- I found a dime on the floor of my hairstylist’s salon a few weeks ago.

I play a smile game where I just look at people with a closed-mouth smile and give myself a point if they return the smile.

I watched a teenage boy talking to his mother in the lobby-waiting area of a restaurant the other week. His mother was focused on her mobile device – reading and texting. The TEENAGER was Talking Away to his mother – and all that came from her was an occassional: ‘Whuh?’ ‘Huh?’ How many parents would be THRILLED to have their teen wanting to talk to them? I watched in amazement!

When walking to my mailbox the other day, I found a beautiful bird feather. I picked it up and saved it! When I was conducting my MOTOR-VATION event, today – I found a TULIP TREE leaf on the ground next to my chair! What a find! I picked it up and saved it!

All these PRESENTs I receive in Smiles, Waves, Beeps, Acknowledgements, and the little GIFTS God, Spirit, the Universe lay across my path as I walk out and about are PRICELESS!

How many PRESENTS did you miss today by not being PRESENT?

I SAID – HOW MANY PRESENTS DID YOU MISS TODAY BY NOT BEING PRESENT!? [this line was just for effect - as a reader - I can tell you are very present..]

THANK YOU for your gift of reading my blog(s) – YOU are APPRECIATED!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com
Living in the moment …
Living in A-MAZE-ment
Live Life! Laugh Often!

For starting out, Ho Hum, my Saturday turned out to be especially silly and Smile Provoking!

Headed out to DENNYS’ for lunch. After parking and engaging my car alarm – WOOP WOOP WOOP! a car alarm (thinking it’s mine) is SCREAMING its head off. I pull the key fob out of my purse and proceed to press every button available, the alarm won’t stop. I look to see if the car lights are flashing, then realize it’s the vehicle next to mine. Then it stops. WONDERING if someone in a nearby store was messing with me?

DENNYS’ was packed, but I got a nice table. Heard the table behind me tell the server they had a birthday. When the server left, I got up (taking two SMILE Face, yellow, positive saying bookmark business cards with me) – excused myself to the 3, gray-haired ‘young folks’ sitting there – said I overheard there was a birthday? The man and woman pointed to the man on the other side of the booth. I said: ‘If you don’t mind, IT’S FREE, I’ll sing the ‘Ha Ha Happy Birthday song to you?’ They smiled in approval. I said: ‘Pay attention, the words are tricky!’ …so I went on with the ‘ha ha ha ha ha Haaa…’ At the end, the woman asked how to pronounce my last name, as she looked at it on the card. I said: ‘VERY CAREFULLY!’ She laughed out loud, saying that was funny. [I try.]

I went back to my table, and heard [from the very closely placed table of 6 college-age men & women sitting directly to my right] ‘…yeah, he was laughing in his sleep!’ I reached in my purse and whipped out a Smile Face ‘Laugh Yourself Healthy’ bookmark – gently passing it to the ‘accused laughing/dreaming guy’. They looked at me a bit cautiously. I said: ‘It’s OK, you don’t have to keep the bookmark if you don’t want to.’ – and I smiled. They kept it.

About 5 minutes later, a woman stopped at my table as she was leaving. She said: ‘You have a beautiful voice! That was lovely, what you did for his birthday!’ I smiled and thanked her for mentioning it and being so kind. She said: ‘You have an infectious smile!’ I said: ‘I want you to know how SPECIAL it was that you stopped to tell me this and I note ‘a little kindness goes a long way’ – you’ve just made my day with your kindness.’ She smiled, and her ‘daughter?’ smiled as they went up to pay their bill.

I drove up the road and beeped/waved as I passed the two CHIC-FILET fast food COW MASCOTS standing along side the road and waving at traffic.

When I got to A.C. MOORE crafts to make use of my 50% off coupon – I got in line behind a woman at the cash register. I heard the song: ‘THE TIME WARP’ [Rocky Horror Picture Show] playing on the P.A. System

I couldn’t resist. It was just at the part: ‘IT’S JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT’
so I – JUMPED TO THE LEFT (ha ha!)

The woman in front of me turned, smiled, laughed and DID THE SAME!

PRICELESS MOMENT! We both – standing one in line behind the other, continued the ‘time warp’ dance steps as the instructions were sung in the song.
SHE WAS GOOD! She knew it perfectly! I was a beat behind, waiting for the instructions.

When it was done we had a chuckle.

This has been an ‘ESPECIALLY SILLY SATURDAY SERIES OF EVENTS!’

Now I can go about my chores for the rest of the day with a smile on my face.
… an maybe take ‘a jump to the left and a step to the right’ if I need recharged!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com
ADDENDUM: forgot to add at the end of my Especially Silly Series of Events blog – posted earlier … after leaving A.C. Moore crafts – I passed an SUV in the parking lot with the glamour plate: 2NOTY4U ;o) LOL!

Well! As I wrote – yesterday’s HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT Mobile Healthy Happy Hour success … did not flow over into this evening! ha ha

gotta ROLL with the WIND GUSTS – especially when –
even after you use your car as a wind-shield – and set up your tent
- it collapses on you as you are attaching the deflated Smiley Face Balloon to a hanger with pants clips .. ahahahaha – what can I say – I’m innovative!

So – I managed to get the tent down – set up my signs –
but traffic was flowing beautifully (nice for the drivers) – no backed up traffic as an audience, today. Clear, sunny skies and THE MOST HORRENDOUS WIND GUSTS I’ve felt in awhile!

My new signs: [promoting my MOTIVATIONAL speaking and DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY campaign]

www.lafolot.com
MOTOR-
VATION (motivation, get it? *wink wink) ahahahahaha relating to my DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY campaign…

and

*Smile!
YOU’RE
GREAT!
were being blown down to the ground from the wind gusts.

Another motivational moment where I needed to turn it around and give myself a *pat on the back – for at least getting out there and trying.

Sometimes I just BLOW MYSELF AWAY! ahahahahahahahaha *whoooosh!

…stay tuned

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living BOLD and in ITALICS!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com

Being a motivational speaker and laughter wellness facilitator, I found the priceless gift of a SMILE the past two years.

I had wanted a place to set up a FREE Smiles & Laughs Drive-thru – but it was a whim, or so I thought!

I got the opportunity to set one up at a local Thai Restaurant who wanted to attract more customers by allowing me to set up my ‘stuff’ in their parking lot – during rush hour traffic that backs up in front of their place.

Well! There I planted my ‘H’ signs in the grass on either side of the ENTER lane into the parking lot.

HAPPY HEALTHY HOUR and the other sign: FREE SMILES & LAUGHS DRIVE-THRU

So I sit or stand with a smile planted on my face, holding my GIFT from a friend: a Smile Spatula.

The reward? What a THRILL I get when I receive a wave, smile or double-take!

Today, a young motorcyclist driving a black/yellow painted bike and wearing black/yellow riding gear – gave me a helmet NOD as he drove by! Woo Hoo! How ‘em I doin’? ;o)

My signs are yellow background with black lettering. My business magnetic bumper display is Yellow Background with Black Letters ‘Live Life! Laugh Often!’

When I went out to get ready to sit down, I had left my Yellow Smile Spatula sitting upright.

I saw a big, MAGENTA COLORED SPLAT on it! I had to LAUGH OUT LOUD! and SMILE! too.

I had been blessed with good luck and great complimentary color – by a FOWL FLY BY! ha ha

I’m told this is a sign of good luck! Driving home, I was behind an SUV that had a magnetic display on the back that read: OGW – underneath it noted ‘One Good Woman’ HA HA!

Yes! I AM! I affirmed! and Lucky, too! [I received two contacts today for possible future gigs.]

AIN’T THAT LUCKY! BIRD POOP DOESN’T LIE! ;o)

Live Life! Laugh Often! and look straight ahead, not up – you never know when LUCK will FLY by!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in a-MAZE-ment!

The SMILE PROJECT has dubbed 10-10-10 ‘SHARE A SMILE DAY!’

As HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT – I grew, in a healthy way, with my Socialization skills, by developing the: HA HA HELEN SMILE CAMPAIGN! Along with slogans such as: ‘Drive Yourself Happy and SPREAD SMILES BY THE MILES’ as well as ‘Light the World with SMILE POWER!’ and my favorite – ‘FLASH Someone … a SMILE!’

I was inspired this morning, by a song pouring into my mind which I have called: SHARE A SMILE TODAY [words and music by Helen Szollosy]. See the words at my SHARE A SMILE SONG page or hear and see it sung by clicking here.

I like the number 10 because it makes your mouth look like a SMILE when it is pronounced! Try it: 10-10-10 ;o)

I like October because it has two Os in it which can be SMILEY faces!
October 1st is also a day to celebrate smiling!

So with all the Os and the 3 Zeroes – which can be smiley faces in 10-10-10 –
it’s a GREAT month to honor the healthy effects of SMILING on the body, mind, and socialization aspects!

I have seen a person grow inches taller, their face light up, and a smile and hello automatically pop out of them just because of receiving a closed mouth smile from me. IT WARMS MY HEART!

It started out as a scientific experiment for me. But, like the scene in THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS – where ‘his heart grew 10 times bigger that day …’ – such was it with me: I learned the more I smiled and saw the HEART WARMING response from others – my own heart started to soften and warm!

A-MAZ-ING THING – SMIL-ING!

May you have a smile-filled day – both in your heart and soul and activities!

Ha Ha Healthily Healing Helen – one smile at a time
Living Life in A-maze-ment!
Live Life Laugh Often!
Spread those Smiles by the Miles!
FLASH someone …. a SMILE!
Light the world with SMILE POWER!
www.lafolot.com

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

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