I learned something - about myself

Vulnerability seems to be a key thing these days. I hope it continues on...

Over the past few years things have surfaced that I haven't really thought were impacting who I am today, but somehow they have.

Not only that, by those things surfacing I have allowed myself to let go and let other thing come up so I go grow throught the release of stuff that serves no purpose.

Life is a brilliant teacher!

So here is one thing I recently decided to change about myself - if you fancy listening or perhaps rather, reading... it is not meant to be too heavy and in fact perhaps it may help you realise a few things that may be worth letting go of for yourself.

But even if you don't that's fine, too.

I felt I was an awkward young person back millions of years ago which of course is in my opinion although I am sure I was.

When I started partying and dancing as a teenager - thank goodness for the 80s small moves where you didn't really move too much. I could feel the rhythm and sense it but I just didn't have the moves because I was too concerned with other people and their much better moves.

Looking at other people thinking I wanted to move that way too, dance like they did and my friend were amazing. I wanted some of that total self-expression they had on the dance floor.

The mind of Lotte Mikkelsen was overthinking the dance steps and I kept doing my 80s sidesteps.

I kept doing it or simply avoiding the dance floor.

In the 5-day Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher Training we have dance and movement evenings with Laughter Yoga and free flowing dancing. Great!

Since starting teaching the course when I became the Laughter Yoga Master Trainer in 2012 I always stepped back a little on those evening allowing the Teacher Trainees to 'do their thang' and that is absultely how it should be. However, I was also conscious that it was a kinda cushion so I didn't show my lack of connection with the rhythm or maybe moreso wanting to be look good dancing, too much thinking!

When Patch Adams grabbed me and swung me around to the beat of 'Blue suede shose' last year I felt like a sack of potatoes and did my best to pretend I was a little fnuff that was easy to tackle on a dance. Poor Patch but it did not matter because Patch does not judge and it was fun and I was so, so self-conscious thinking I was messing it all up.

Think about the many things we stop ourselves from experiencing because our mind says 'not good enough'. This is not just about dancing it is about holding ourselves back in life when it is time to have a full-on experience!

The fact is, that I am not here to be a Dance Instructor, I am hear to be a great teacher of Laughter Yoga and of ways of living life fully.


Oh dear, I cannot help but laugh when thinking of how we can fool ourselves for so long because this was never in my thinking, this is simply on reflection after I had an awesome experience of letting go and being in the flow of the music with my Larches Group at Larches Community.

Learning disabilities. When people have limitations or inhibitions, whether they are produced by physical or psycological defects or induced by society and community, the beauty of teaching is finding a way of breaking through the barriers.

If you are weighed down by your own self-perceived short-coming and inhibitions how can you teach others to let go and be free and self-expressed, gaining confidence through the work you do with them?

So.

We put on Laugh and Dance Party at Larches Community and I checked out the group and then everything simply unfolded. This beautiful group follows the leader, follows instructions, and if I as the facilitator cannot show the way then the door to self-expression stays closed.

The best dance ever!

And letting go of my own sense of how I should come across to people when I dance was a real breakthrough for me. When you are in the moment it really does not matter and magic happens because the thinking brain takes a nap and lets the sensing brain feel the music and move with the notes.

My Larches gained fantastic confidence from the work they had been taking on over the term; singing, dancing, paiting, experiencing, laughing, writing, reading, drawing, crafting and interacting. They learned a lot and stood up with self-worth and confidence at their Finale Concert.

I learned a lot from them, too, even if I was confident and knew myself already. Being with people with different levels of abilities peeled off a few more layers.

Life is a great teacher when you take onboard its lessons.

This is not about dancing, it is about what we pile on top of ourselves to avoid feeling vulnerable.

I take a deep breath and sigh in relief as I press the Publish button. This is a big deal for me to share as I am the image of max capacity for life and this was a little chip that was less than max - that is how life is, chips and mends that helps us grow and become more caring, compassionate and loving.

Thank you for readind and for not judging me, others and yourself.

Please feel free to visit UnitedMind and/or me!

#laughteryoga #laughteryogauk #LarchesCommunity #magic #laughteryogatraining #youreverydaylaughterqueen #lottemikkelsen #unitedmind

The Rock and the Tree - a short story of friendship.

A little thought I had when I was sat by the Clyde in Scotland last year.

On the shore of the River Clyde laid a rock and a proud tree stood tall by its side, reaching far into the air around them.

It was no ordinary rock it was a boulder that had been sat there for many many years, decades and maybe even centuries perhaps even longer.

The tree was old, too.

It had a wisdom in its branches, roots, twigs, leaves and big trunk. It was a happy tree.

Once it had been a tiny seed bursting through the soil on the shore of the River Clyde eager to live and to grow.

The tree had experienced many seasons of hardship in the rain, the gust, and even from the birds and other animals that had been seeking it out over the years. Yet it was a happy tree, a healthy tree with a lifetime of experience in its ever-growing branch-span.

There was a special bond between the rock and the tree.

For hundreds of years the rock had sat by the shore on its own. Maybe it was pondering on life or maybe not at all because all it knew was being solitary as the days and nights simply rolled along while the rock was watching seasons, life and weather go by.

Sometimes people would rest on the rock and sometimes animals would relieve themselves on its side. To the rock this was the flow of its being.

One day something very special happened in the ground beneath the rock. It felt the movement and the ripples in the soil, the earth and dirt shook gently. Such a small sensation but enough for the rock to notice.

A tiny little seedling broke through the surface of the earth just next to the rock. It was a moment of celebration beyond any past event as this vulnerable life showed its will power and its strength.

The rock felt proud and protective.

The tree was frightened but strong in its pursuit, thinking if it did not make an effort to grow then it would merely sizzle away and become dust. Not even a memory because there was no one around to remember it.

The rock reached out to the seedling and for the first time since its breakthrough it realised that it was not alone. Even a grand old rock had life streaming through its dense being.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The storms and harsh weather from the mountains and the river would often pull and push the seedling and if it was not nature forces then it was wildlife pecking and pulling to feed.

For many years the rock provided shelter and protection for the seedling as it grew stronger and taller until it had become an impressive tree with a wide trunk and stretching branches full of lush green-coloured leaves.

The tree said to the rock, 'you have been my friend and protector for many years. I am now high and mighty and I shall return the friendship and favour. I shall protect you from wind and rain now'.

The rock was moved by this gesture and decided that it would always be there for the tree just the way it had always been in the past whether the words were spoken or unsaid.

Friendship exist beyond time and space, appearance and circumstances.

Even through tough challenges there is support in every part of life and although it may sometimes seem unlikely that backup is there for you.

Never dismiss anyone, they may have that tiny bit of magic it takes for you to feel special and to pull through whatever the challenge is.

Besides, no one knows what goes on in someone else's mind except that person so my encouragement and the point of the story is to let go of judgment and find a way to embrace change and diversity.

One world, one seed, one love.

#lottemikkelsen #unitedmind #thelaughtercompanytlc #laughteryoga #laughteryogauk #onelove #gratitudetsunami #youreverydaylaughterqueen #happinessinjection #friendship #oneworld #peace

That 2017 stress...

Stress is the root of so much bodily malfunctioning and harm.

Back in 2007 I went through a year of tremendous stress in my personal as well as professional life.

It culminated in a visit to my doctor which resulted in an MRI scan and a consultant who told me I had MS in early 2008.

I changed my life around, started The Telephone Laughter Club, left my rather dysfunctional relationship a year later after trying to ignore the breakdown of the relationship, and I decided to be happy with my daughter and focus on good things instead of being stressed out about money I did not have, I spent what I earned and was happy with what was left.

Falling in love again was wonderful.

Sometimes it is not enough to be in love and be happy for yourself and in yourself, if everything else is stressful and is ‘out to get you’, sometimes that is sadly what happens and what gets you down.

So 10 years later 2017 happened.

A year with so many ups and downs and downs that were true downs from my own dramatic point of view. The year was full of my dramas in my life. I felt people were truly out to get me.

Get real – no one is out to get you! Seriously, how self-absorbed can one person be and I laughed at myself.

Although, it felt that way because no matter what I did of good for myself and others I had verbal rubbish blasted back at me to the extent I thought I was losing it but I wasn’t. I was just considering it all from a very human perspective. It stressed me.

But all is good that ends good and if you can laugh at yourself in stressful situations then you are already miles ahead!

If you love yourself everything and anything is enough. Yet sometimes your world can be shaken. Other people cannot be fixed by your own good intentions and good wishes.

Change has to come from the self.

• If your ego is hurt your ego will hurt others. 
• If your heart hurts you will comfort yourself and others. 

At least that is what I learned about myself and what is true for me.

If you cannot see your ego is hurt but think it is your heart then hurtful things will be communicated and expressed through the connection you make with the centre of your hurt bursting out. I never believed that bad and nasty things should be said in anger between people who love each other, friends or love partners, angry things perhaps but never deeply hurtful, untruthful things. The thing about this is that those very hurtful things are often a reflection of the person saying them and their own issues and personality. It doesn’t hurt less having this thought. When it is people you love and care about who say hurtful things it will affect you in some ways.

It took me almost a year to let it go, let go of fixing something that didn’t want fixing. And it happened in 2017 in all areas of my life.

It almost sounds like I have been upset and stressed for a year hahaha - I haven't I have simply been on a rollercoaster and laughter has been a great companion to help me see through the mists that at times seemed like thick pea soup. At the end of the day I am a jolly person and it takes more to truly push me off my path.

I let it go.

The impact of stress on our wellbeing cannot be dismissed in any way. We all know this because we are constantly bombarded with stress relief messages, exercises, medication, events, gurus etc. because we all know what stress can do to us or how we can make stress our negative companion.

My only say in this matter is, listen to your own body wisdom.

Don’t take other people’s word for it because they DO NOT KNOW what it is like for you. And they may call your stress a nervous or mental breakdown when in fact it is just going through some tough dealings and you handle it the way you do without breaking down. The things that cause people to ‘decide’ you are breaking down may be the fact you swear a bit more, you speak a bit less, you seem more introvert, or you may even rage more.

It is human to let emotions out and it is human to seek solitude when things are causing deep reflection.

None other than yourself knows what it is like being you so don’t let someone judge you and do not take their word for granted. Respect yourself and move on with your honesty and integrity intact.

In 2017 my health was impacted by this stress. Almost a decade to the date.

I continue to believe that MS is a myth of the past for my life but I also know that when the immune system suffers through the constant pressure of stressful events there is no guarantee it doesn’t hit you in some physical, emotional or mental way.

No matter what the stress brings with it – there is always laughter, love and nice deserts to be had.

Laughter got me through many challenges in the past and I continue to enjoy telephone laughter with lovely people who are on the same 7am laughter wave, deserts and wonderful people far and near are not to be underestimated either.

Life is life!

Nothing is going to stop me and no one is going to break me.

I share laughter and Laughter Yoga because it creates instant change. I have been accused of many things over the years including being all about the money and those who have made those decisions about me are wrong – it only shows how little they have listened over the years and how little interest they actually had in finding out who I am and what I am about. You cannot work together if you have no interest in knowing who you work with - especially not in Laughter Yoga where connection is key.

My life’s mission is to share laughter because it has a real positive impact on us, our health, our connections, our ability to cope, and when you share it honestly, truthfully, authentically and in integrity then you cannot be someone you are not.

You cannot pretend anymore.

It is no one’s fault that my health got a kick in 2017 – if I wasn’t invested in my work with a real passion I would just have ignored everything and gone into hiding. But I DO care, I care about the people who have trusted me as their teacher and I care about those who have decided that I am no longer worth their time. Love was there when we met and I will never change my heart.

My physical health experienced a set back because I didn’t honour myself and didn’t look after my own self, I let other people’s negative energies get the better of me - AND it didn't kill me!

As simple as that.

I will probably never change so I will probably do it all again.

However, I know who my people are and I know we are in it together supporting each other and loving people and positive change. I have not had a nervous or mental breakdown regardless which whisperers are whispering. I do not need anyone telling me I need help. I have the best help in the world inside me and around me – as we all do. I cry, I laugh, I scream, I quieten – it is not having a breakdown, it is being human.

My world is created by my word and my outlook, and I am done with negative ‘impacters’. Besides...

...it is none of my business what happened in the opinion of others anyway but slagging others off behind their back is NOT okay and that IS my business when it is about me and when people avoid saying things to my face about me, to me. More so laughter is my business and I am here for and with those who are up to something with laughter and Laughter Yoga.

Laughter cannot be separated from my life.

Challenge me!

When I allowed the opinions and the hurtful egos of others to have their effect it shook me up and it is the same for everyone when we let stress get to us. It is detrimental to our health.

Growth happens when we learn from our experiences and apply the lessons of life. There will always be someone behind you disagreeing or disrupting  when you are committed to move forward for the good of everyone because we all have our own pace of learning in life and ideas are individual not always to everyone's liking.

The important message in this is…

Remember yourself, your tribe, your people, your chosen and your blood.

And remember your body is awesome and it is also so complex that it does not know right from wrong and will do what it does best, react to the energy and release what is suitable in the given situation.

So, make sure you feed it love in all thoughts, words and actions.

I got spirited away…and now my body tells me it is missing my care and attention.

Remember who you are.

I remembered who I am on 31 December 2017.

And now I am off to indulge on B12 and D vitamins along lots of laughter to support a healthy and strong immune system and life spirit - 2018 is already a dance with life!

A reflection on teaching from the heart

What makes you ready to teach Laughter Yoga Leader Training?
And what makes you a good teacher? Or even a great teacher?

In the past many Laughter Yoga Teachers in the UK have learned on a 5-day training with me in Hemel Hempstead or Durham.

I am extremely grateful and feel truly blessed that this has even been possible. Some have even come directly from Laughter Yoga International and Dr. Madan Kataria.

There are now many Laughter Yoga Leader Training courses being offered in the UK and I am really excited about this because it means we have wider reach and share more laughter.

 But what makes you a teacher? A teacher who can teach Laughter Yoga?

Well. Many things, figures, and one really important thing is of course the drive, the passion, the excitement to share laughter because it is so great for us all. However, it is a passion from a selfless giving, loving heart as opposed to one of selfglory and selfpromotion.

When we teach from a selfless heart we share a bit of ourselves.

This training is not just what is in a user manual - it is what is in our hearts and how we each have created change in our lives through the mindful practice of Laughter Yoga.

How can we be teachers who teach from the heart?

• Practicing Laughter Yoga every day is the first step to being in tune with the changes that extended, deep, hearty, unconditional laughter offers
• secondly running a laughter club is essential for teaching others to do the same and to share the experience of running a laughter club, the benefits of doing this are tremendous when you become a new Laughter Yoga Leader
• Thirdly, running community workshops and networking events, charity and other events
• The next one is about getting experience you can share with your students from professional workshops run in workplaces and paid for by the client.

Without all of these experiences in Laughter Yoga there will be areas you cannot by any chance get across to new leaders and teachers. Of course, we are all constantly learning...

Laughter Yoga cannot be learned from a book, it is an experience and you cannot know other people's experiences, you have to do it, and be there, be Laughter Yoga, learn what works and what doesn't work, who likes it and who don't, the setup, the share, the laughter, the whole experience from leading for the greater good of the group. 

There is amazing and wonderful feedback on my workshops and courses, and sometimes less good feedback, too, I take it all onboard and learn to be a better leader and teacher. I listen to my groups and individuals - and grow wiser and humbler. 

The great words do humble me but I could not do it without you, without the people laughing and sharing in my training courses, workshops, events and laughter clubs. 

Experiences and lessons are what create the future Laughter Yoga Leaders and Teachers, and what touches, moves, and inspires each of them and us as well to move forward with new laughter clubs and other events. 

Great teachers and leaders share openly no matter what and act as an example with open minds and hearts - on training courses, and in life. 

We are creating history as we teach - creating World Peace through Laughter!

Knife Crime is Life Time

I did not know the young man who brutally got stabbed in St. Albans nor did I know the circumstances of this sad, sad event.

What a waste!

However, I know some of the young people who were in his friendship circle - young people who I hold in high regard and respect, young people who are close friends with my daughter who knew of the young man from her time in secondary school.

My deepfelt sympathy goes out to those near and dear to the 19-year young man.

Circumstances.

There should never be any circumstances where it is necessary to carry a weapon on a night out for fun and light hearted squirmish. Sadly, the nightlife culture dictates a different story, a different mentality.

It has got to stop!

We go on and on and on about how horrible war and suffering is and yet, we fail to avoid the fighting and killing at our doorstep.

It could have been avoided.

No matter how much someone gets to you there is never an excuse for plunging a knife into the depth of someone's flesh - watching the pain, the hurt, the terrible, terrible suffering and death too soon.

There is no excuse.

The event triggered memories from five years ago when my close friend was pointlessly stabbed and nearly died on a night walking home from St. Albans train station. This was a random attack - not triggered by heated discussions or fights but simply someone who held a grudge that got rammed into action that evening believing someone else was at the receiving end of the knife.

It does not stop when the knife drops to the ground.

It does not only involve two people, the killer and the victim.

Knife crime is for life.

For the perpetrator as much as the families, friends, and everyone who is touched by the event.

It never goes away.

So how do we move on from here? Move on from those sad moments, moments of regret, moments that cannot change back to how things were before someone died?

Back to the Future is not real.

However, we are all superheros who can make profound differences through our choices! Wear your invisible cape at all times and make a stand for the good stuff in LIFE!

And I worry - I am a mum, that is what I do. My daughter and her bessies go out on the evenings and I pray that I will never get a call like the one the young man's parents received.

If ever there is a dark moment where it seems pointless and without reason find someone to talk to - someone who has no vested interest in the story that is building up but instead can find ways out before it all crashes down into something too overwhelming.

Speak to someone who can make you laugh, someone who can help tap into joy, someone who can get the tears rolling and get back to the laughter and to what is important.

No matter how dark it may all look, it only takes a tiny spark to initiate something bigger than the ego.

And I do know that we are not all born into the same 'circumstances' but one person regardless of background can change the flow of events - only one person gives the first punch.

Remember what it is all about!
Remember community and friendship.
Remember joy and love.

Peace.

Laughter Yoga Conference 5-7 June 2015 www.unitedmind.co.uk 0800 1214 714

Limerick of the Pit Yacker and his Love

Today it is just a bit of meaningful romancing or random nonsense - depending on your perspective.

It so happened that I was in a romantic mood and started poetic pondering...

It may not follow all the rules of Limerick's wicked or fun rhymes but read it an weep is all I can say.

T'was a girl who would sing, laugh and dance
She found herself caught in a love trance
His blue eyes would stare
Bewitch, smile and snare
And they'd promise her more than a glance.

The distance was never a bother
Each other with love they would smother
They'd laugh, kiss and play
And they'd never betray
Their love for the sake of another.

The sound and the chimes of the bell
A beautiful tale they would tell
Of love on a beach
Where two hearts would reach
And echo 'I do' in a love spell.

The story of Lotte and Kris
Has a moral that's true which is this
Don't leave it behind
If ever you find
True love full of fun, sex and bliss.

I'm a poet and I didn't know-it!

Have a fantastic week, everyone, and embrace your inner poet!

Life goes on and on and on and on...

It has been almost one and a half month since last time I wrote in these pages.

Why?

No apparent reason other than life happening in many ways - also the once that need attention that takes the mind off thinking strange, weird and wonderful thoughts.

However, the thoughts never stopped - only the fingers glued to the keyboard.

No matter how busy life gets with all its happenstances there is ALWAYS time for good thoughts and good shares of whatever springs to mind or rather out of the mind.

It so happened that with everything that went down and up over the past few months, including a great conference, two car accidents, a prom, three training courses, 12 workshops, a house move, mostly love, and all the other normal events that create our life experience, and in this case, MY life experience.

It may not sound a lot...

At the end of the day, everything is just that, every thing - only material items that can be replaced even if it may take a while or even if it seems less great than what was there. It really doesn't matter!

As long as there is love and friendship, caring and compassion, and to be honest!? My life is complete.

On top of it all I am ever-so-fortunate to work with people who feel the difference of the stuff we do together in workshops and training courses.

This year I have been booked solid and my thought a few weeks ago was 'how am I going to find a place when I have a moving deadline and no time to look' and with no time to look even a thing like moving would be challenged come the day. I quickly apologised to the Universe as I did not mean to complain because I DID in fact ask for lots of workshops and lots of students (I love workshops and students), and I would like to keep the flow...please...

So, anyway.
With friends and family there is always a place to go.

So back to what is essential.

The conference in Manchester full of Laughter Yoga people showed a true sense of community and friendship, and I was blessed with being there with my life partner to share this atmosphere of fun and play - a special event where my mentor, teacher and friend along with his beautiful wife shared the space and wisdom of joy.

We are quite good at that in our own time and space but it was great to share a different fun with likeminded people.

Through thick and thin - or sick and sin, I will be there for you and you will be there for me - in love.

Love is what gets you through life...

...and adds sparkle and glitter!

Love life!

Trains, strikes, and stern faces

I started writing my post a few weeks ago but never got around to publish it...

My post started on the Wednesday I went to London while the train staff was striking away and somehow got stuck in 'Thought Alley' for additional days...

Just a reflection of my mischievous mind on the train

As I was heading back to St. Albans on the very slow train that Wednesday afternoon I just sat pondering, minding my own business, noticing people getting on and off.

The elderly gentleman sat across from me, his fierce Vinnie Jones face set in some serious folds but as the phone rang reality took a drastic turn as his cheerful 'hello-oo' sounded into the air almost like  a melodic symphony.

How looks can be deceiving and I wondered how often people don't get a second chance because we all KNOW for a fact that first impression lasts.

The past few weeks since this journey have been manic in an exciting and also challenging way, and it makes me wonder if I have been at the receiving end of judging minds when my faces has been laid in serious frowns, hiding smiles and laughs as I have been going about sorting and considering options and decisions.

Probably.

But then - no one has uttered any comments or opinions.

My face is definitely not built for frowns and seriousness which became blatantly clear when my daughter requested my assistance in completing her A-Level Art work.

I was to model a variety of expressions, from various artists, most of which were frowning, angry, fierce and agressively shouting.

Lesson learned, it hurts to put my face into unfamiliar position and aren't I lucky that for me, those unfamiliar positions are those of expressing anger, frustration and hate.

My face is definitely made for grinning, smiling, laughing and a bit of mischievous chuckling.

What is your face telling you?

No matter what we deal with in terms of house, transport and other big materialistic challenges it is always worth remembering that where there is a heart that beats with love, there is a home and room for a smile.

Easybeats, Vanda & Young notes thread

The gentleman on the train jovially burst out 'well caught' as he made a clumsy attempt to pinch his pen off the woman's chest with his thumb and index finger. She didn't look amused...

When you drop a pen and it lands on a co-passenger's chest shouldn't you let the woman hand it back?

He had pushed himself onto the seat next to me and I had only caught a glance of him from the corner of my eye thinking he was an orthodox Jew with his hat and suit but he turned out to be an eccentric music critic or professor of some sort. Don't know.

I couldn't help but laugh at this little interlude unfolding at my feet, literally, as the gentleman regained momentum and made his way to the exit.

Eccentricity seemed to be pouring out of him as he ventured on, leaving the train - the kind of assumption I made without any other reason that having watched the pen drop on the chest of the woman sat opposite me, listened and watched.

The other misconception on the train is that when you look out the window and observe the world flying by people often mistake it for watching them in the window mirror.

Suspicion and paranoia thrive on the train and all you can do is shrug your shoulders and get on with your observation, ignoring the turning heads and stolen gazes to check your do-abouts. Tut tut tut is all I can say, relax!

People are judged by appearance and action every single moment of each day. Didn't matter anyway because it was simply a brief happenstance on an overcrowded train to London and not even deemed an encounter. When you are awake on the train there can be lots of fun experiences to be had - even if it's by yourself and no one else shares the joke...

...which possibly where I enter the category of eccentric passengers who make a small communication transfer on the rush hour train and subway, e.g. smiling, grinning, thanking or sorry'ing when none of it is necessary or expected.

Enjoy your train ride and if all else fails, pick up your phone and pretend someone is telling you a joke on the line - perhaps that will make you grin and it feels almost legit.

Ho ho ha ha ha - Laughter Yoga is so much fun!

It lets us play and have fun as our sense of humour and joy grows daily!

Besides there are little shops who nurture our sense of feeling good - even at the train stations.

Awesome thoughts, mate.

I don't want to sound full of myself but I was reading through some of the pages I have written in the past and to be honest, there were some quite cool things put in words and sentences amongst the rest of my sometimes unlikely blurb.

Many of my shared thoughts are not unique. However, my words have been spun around my own thinking and shaped into those lines which make them individual.

I am a strong advocate for shaping our own thoughts but I also listen and ponder, I become an info magnet and contemplate what's shared.

And then I decide.
We decide what's worth our attention.

I love when other people's words are shared in individual phrases and streamed with added intellect or varied vibration instead of plainly sharing what has already been said in the exact same letters and structured in the exact same way.

Having said that, there are so, so many fabulous quotes by famous people that are inspiring me daily and no douth inspiring you, precious reader, so they are worth sharing in their original flavour, too.

As long as we think when we read what's so then we are not too far off the track.

And don't just swallow it all - raw and unsweetened (perhaps another Danish transmorgryph, not sure).

So to finish this whole self-indulgent nonsense off I'd like to quote one of my early life idols and bring you to where we need to be in order to grow and learn - and don't forget to add your 12 hugs per day...

In the undying words of Bruce Springsteen, 'Mister, I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man, and I believe in the Promised Land' (which may have been taken completely out of context but never mind for now)...

The Promised Land, Paradise, Nirvana or any other name we use to describe something magical and perfect, which we continuously strive for and yearn for outside the self, while we forget to stop and listen to our heartbeat and listen to the peace within, relaxing into the safe haven and becoming one with the void where all these wonderful aspirations and places become one with here and now and you!

Be at peace with yourself and peace will come to us all - no nonsense and no religion either.

Just think what's worth your fretting and what's not!
I think that's it for now.

Books.

As the train was rolling steadily along its tracks I experienced the full range of emotions from laughing loudly to sobbing. My fellow travellers gazed regularly in my direction and I wondered if they thought I was not normal.

But what good is a book if the story does not engage you and entrall, lure you into its depth and allows you to feel. Feel as if you are the storyteller yourself.

These is My Words by Nancy Turner.

I lived the life of Sarah Prine as she told her story in her diary through the years from being a settler during unsettling times of cowboys and Indians to being an Officer's wife and running her own ranch in the territory. These clumsy lines, written by an uneducated child becoming a studied woman.

Yup. I liked the book.

So books.

I was reminded that lives are changing and our perception, our views, our world are constant and ever evolving elements throughout time. My Kindle was tugged away in my bag because My Words was not available for Kindle, so instead I had to add the bookweight to my luggage. One of these things I will always happily do because a nice companion on a long journey cannot be weighed up in grams or ounces.

I cannot imagine life without books.

And I am certainly one who hasn't often picked up a book over then past many many years except for those relating to my work whether this was in technology companies yonks ago or those about my passion and present work, holistic health and laughter, joy and communication.

The cult classic Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury published in 1953 sprung to my mind as I was thinking of books and their impact. The novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and so-called "firemen" burn any that are found.

Well, it's a job just like any other. Good work with lots of variety. Monday, we burn Miller; Tuesday, Tolstoy; Wednesday, Walt Whitman; Friday, Faulkner; and Saturday and Sunday, Schopenhauer and Sartre. We burn them to ashes and then burn the ashes. That's our official motto.

Fahrenheit 451 - the temperature at which books burn!

The people who have formed the resistance to this atrocity memorise one book each and become that particular story.

So much information is available every moment of every day and sometimes it blurs our view of what is in fact true and false. The information posted on the internet is written by people and sometimes twisted to suit whoever wrote it - just like it is with any journalistic representation. We engage our minds in other people's lives via blogs and real-time messages.

Pick up a fictional novel from time to time. It really clears the mind in a wonderful way when you open a book on the first page and prepare yourself for the journey. Clears the mind to be ready for the world of the author who ransacked his mind to come up with lines of enchantment or perhaps it just flowed into a captivating story.

Honestly, take time out.
Whether it's with a book or just being sat on a tree stump pondering...

No pressure, just leisure!

Baring it all...

...and feeling happy about it!

Last week saw a campaign for battling cancer which involved posting make-up free selfies on FaceBook and Twitter.

Interesting.

Well, in my book of interesting things it was but perhaps it was just rather random to you...

A once in a lifetime moment captured on camera

Anyway, the part that was interesting to me was the uncomfortable feeling of letting go. Letting go of the image I have held onto for many years - and it will still be there even after more than just one nomakeupselfie, that's for certain.

It was for a good cause and the campaign stirred up a lot in the media and was altogether successful. I am in awe of everyone who really bared it all, so to speak.

A great reminder that in order to be our authentic self we sometimes need to show some of what we hide... And it made med think of my teacher, mentor and good friend, Dr. Madan Kataria, who some odd years ago decided to shave his head and step out of the image-zone in order to be who he is.

The authentic, unconditional image of compassion, love and laughter!

Vanity rules a many a mind in our materialistic society and it was a great exercise in letting go of the familiar - even if just for a moment or two.

Happiness in a flowerpot

Last week also saw the International Day of Happiness taking place. It tied very well in with the idea of being the self and as I was pondering on the quote from Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon about how 'happiness may have different meaning to different people but we can all agree that it means working to end conflict, poverty and other unfortunate conditions in which many of our fellow human beings live' it surfaced in my thoughts; the truth in the words stating that as long as we are at war with the self in our own stressful ways, that is how long we will have war outside the self and the stiving for peace and happiness is all it is, striving.

Happiness is a choice in the here and now and tapping into the inate joy everyone is born with can deeply and profoundly aid the process of being in a state of happy-happy-happy.

However, I do empathise with Ki-Moon's statement although in my opinion it is in the realm of the measures of the happiness index and based on the social, economic and environmental well-being which cannot be separated, as it goes, and this in itself makes the happiness a chase outside ourselves.

Definining wealth by measuring material prosperity and GNP etc are measures of the past and Bhutan have long known this - and that's what UN and everyone else have realised, and that's what The International Day of Happiness is about!

Woopeedoo!
Going back to my roots!

What!!??

I exclaimed fiercely just at that very moment when I answered my phone. The phone went silent and I realised I had just let my initial reaction to being cut off in traffic be expressed as I picked up the phone - my unknowing client was at the other end...

Laughing as I was explaining the traffic situation on the M1 I felt completely rediculous as this is what I teach in my Laughter Yoga Coaching and Laughter Yoga Training classes... Don't get affected by traffic, just laugh it off or speak Gibberish.

Hahaha - even Laughter Yoga Professors have their moments!

The beauty in the awkwardness is that people understand perfectly well these situations and the awesomeness in the moment is that we can all let it go and laugh it off.

Besides, even if traffic does get the better of me, there is no reason why I can't be polite and instead of a frustrated 'WHAT!?' perhaps take a deep breath and play with it while exclaimin 'Snurfy bubchi zook!'.

Yes.

It is definitely more fun when we play with life and everything life is and everything we make life mean.

Less stress, less upsets, better health, better mood, more fun, more play, more love, more laughter - improved quality of life altogether.

Choose Gibberish and choose laughter - today!

Why? Because you are worth it (as they say) plus the fact that people are people and not sheep.

And remember today is also tomorrow and the day after etc. - it is always worth noting that when you arrive tomorrow it is today!

Finally, no matter what, the traffic doesn't move faster just because you wave a fist and shout profanity at it - worth remembering...

Springtime.

The wind, the sun, the hair knots - Spring is here!

Spring is here.

Funny - everytime we get to this time and I think about spring the first song that comes into my mind is the original The Producers song Springtime for Hitler and Germany.

It may not be very politically correct but I am so sorry I just can't help my mind. The even funnier thing, in my book of funnies in this context, is that last week I met a German lass who brought up this song in conversation and we were both in stitches. You don't get more unpolitically-correct or politically-incorrect do you?

Yeah.
We laughed a lot that afternoon.

We laughed so much that everyone wanted more laughter the day after and I honestly hope the people who want more laughter never stop and always will create the settings for laughter when there is little or none.

That's what Laughter Professionals do.
Encourage laughter and encourage joy.

I was watching the news reporters on local TV tonight and no disrespect to the serious events taking place around the world but honestly? Is there really no space for a tiny smile while presenting?

Americans do it. But then...they are considered slightly OTT, aren't they? But they are not, are they? They are just naturally expressing themselves even in unnatural circumstances.

Let's stop judging and just be who we are.
Joyful being with an abundant ability to love.

I know this is an autumn picture but it is just so fresh faced - like spring!

Play, dance, laugh, and sing - and life will play, dance, laugh, and sing with you!

Now!
It really is now!
Everything is experiencing growth and positive change!

Now the Dr. Kings are you and me...

Laughing for no reason is not only what it is about - there really is so much more to it.

"...so, love thy neighbour, and turn thy cheek to 'I have a dream' the leader speaks..."

Easy to say and I wish it was easy to do, too, but there is still a war within many people and as long as that persists there will be no peace outside of ourself.

When you laugh you cannot feel any negative emotions like hatred, fear, remorse etc. There simply is no room for it all. Your mind changes and it is in fact a change that kicks off and happens in your body first of all. Aren't we all just wonderfully connected in every way there is?

Many years ago I was asked to complete 'unfinished business' with friends and relatives in the sense that every little thing that I may have said or done over the years, things that weren't in full agreement, was to be tidied up and put back where it belonged - in the past without regret.

Now, you may think something to the extent of 'why dig out stuff that has been long gone and forgotten'? Well, you may have forgotten it and have to search you memory for things you can settle but the person that was at the receiving end may still hold a grudge or be lacking in all sorts of ways, confidence, self-esteem, compassion, and so on - things we often have no idea is going on between people we used to know.

Making sense? Maybe not.

But, ask yourself how many people you know that you have NOT spoken about to other people or spoken to about other people when the other people were not in the room? Doesn't have to be nasty, awful things that were said but perhaps things you wouldn't say to them in person.

That was the kind of stuff, among the other direct stuff, that I was sorting and although I didn't place much value on the exercise and the little things I 'cleaned up' with people, it was as if a huge weight was slowly lifting off my back and my shoulders when I looked back over the weeks of the process. This was years and years ago before I came to the UK but I am still reminded about how the change I made changed the world.

Even if you don't think there was anything that was left in limbo - well, perhaps there was for the other person or people.

I don't think I would be where I am now if I hadn't searched my soul and cleared my mind back then and I don't think I would do what I do now if I hadn't made life changes to accommodate a clean conscience, a compassionate heart, and an open mind.

Right now, thinking about those events makes me think about my current life, and in all honesty if you have ever felt over the past many year any negatives from me or felt intimidated in any way that has held you back in life. I sincerely and deeply apologise.

Now, back to the fact that it seems 'all the leaders of the world are gone'...

When we make peace with our past and everything in it we are on a fasttrack to peace within and guess what the next big thing is?! Peace without limitations and without prejudism, fear and hate.

I will repeat what I stated above:

When you laugh you do not have negative emotions chewing away on your mind.

Laughter Yoga works because it combines all the elements of having fun, laughter, play, singing and dancing.

In a world where people are desperate for lightness and positive experiences but where every moment seems full of distraught and unhappiness, Laughter Yoga brings an improved outlook along in its wake.

No more laissez-faire, it is time to take charge!

Life is too important.

No life - that was meant to be

Celebrities speak for Syria and other countries in dire need of help, e.g. food and other daily necessities. There are countless adverts on telly and the radio, videos shared on social media to get the attention of people who can spare an extra few pounds, dollars, euros or other types of dosh, per week to ease the poverty challenges of those less fortunate.

Where do I take my anger?
Where do I take my fear?
Where do I take my sadness?
Where do we go from here

The lines of Thomas Helmig's song struck a cord with me as I was driving south from a lovely weekend in North-East England. Not in the sense of their harsh bitterness but moreso as a reminder of the fortunate incidence that happened to bring me into life in our abundant world in the western wealth. It brought into my mind the total imbalance of resources and effort - also in the light of the lack of help to the good people of the flooded areas in parts of the UK.

If it takes money,
why don't we print some?
If it takes food,
why don't we give some?

The words streaming out on the car stereo reminded me of the butter mountain and wine lakes that were piling up in the EU storage space back in the 70s to  mid-80s when we first learned about the excessive abuse of abundance in the wealthy countries of the west. All the overproduction of food that was just laid there instead of being shared. The overload and false expectations that lead to the beginning bankrupcy of many little farmers across EU - or EEC as it was called back in those days... They had to find different ways and different means to survive.

And in the meantime, people shrivelled because of lack of food and water. A bit like today...

Where was justice then? Where is justice today? And if not justice, where is compassion and love?

Human Beings suffer,
why is out of our hands?
What's wrong with these people,
don't they deserve a chance?

When are the elected leaders of this world - whether elected by people or self-proclaimed - going to step up to their responsibility and create the change that is needed? Where are they?

Life is not about achievment.


Life is about contribution.


The world needs leaders who are on a journey of contribution and not looking for personal gain and own win. It is the only way to change.

Where do I take my dignity?
Where do I take my love?
I'll take it to my daughter.
And pray that it's enough.

Baby, there ain't nothing stronger than the love that you carry within!

And then I laughed - because there was nothing else I could do while I was driving. It was liberating and comforting to laugh at all these thoughts that were created by one song spinning faithfully on the cd player seemed to soften and become ideas for playing for change.

Laughter is the most powerful expression which unites us all when we share it in good spirit. It can release any tension and create a sharing environment instead of stress and disagreement.

When will governments realise the potential of our mutual language? It only takes one person to listen, and another, and another, and another...

So when do they start listening?

Listening to The Elders and people who know about what matters!

As long as there is a world being fought within, there will be a war outsite. Make peace with yourself and peace will be.

Laughter Yoga is for peace in life and for World Peace!