Influence

It was Sunday Morning. The soothing voice of Charles Osgood offered a list of  important people who died during 2009.  He remembered  how they made a difference in our lives by the way they lived.

As I  listened to the stories and watched the faces of scientists,  movie stars, pop stars and legends fill the television screen, I thought not of those who have left this world, but of those who were born into it.  Precious new lives were created this year.  Miracles babies, 216,000 of them were born every single day into a world they know nothing about.  I wondered what contributions they would make and how they would change this world.  What would they become?  How will they be influenced? Whose actions will motivate them and whose believes will shape their minds?

Instantly I had an aha moment. The massive responsibility we have as adults became  almost overwhelming.  Every single thing we do, each word we utter and every action we take, will be observed by the children in our lives. And they will be affected by it.  That made me want to be a better person, immediately.

Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted person will influence 10,000 people in his or her lifetime! Some will be a good influence and others… not so much.  I don’t think we realize how important our actions, thoughts and beliefs are, not just to our own children but to the little boy who sees us being rude in a store.  To the child who plays quietly while his dad disrespects his mother.  Or to the little girl in a passing car who watches us toss a soda can out the window.  Children are everywhere, in restaurants, shops, schools, churches, neighborhoods and malls. They are little sponges, soaking up the influence we innocently offer them.

If we want to change this world for the better, we need to be very aware of how we influence those who will be running it in the future.  Just a thought.

~~~

Yvonne Conte, Motivational Humorist
Humor Advantage, Inc.
4736 Onondaga Blvd., Ste. 231
Syracuse, NY 13219
Yvonne Conte Website
Voice: 315.487.3771
Fax: 315.487.5633
E-mail Yvonne here

Kindness

Kindness is one of my favorite words. I remember seeing a sign in a second hand shop that said, “Kindness Practiced Daily”.  It was no surprise to find the lady that worked in that shop was a sweet, kind lady. She made everyone who came into the shop feel welcomed.  I am always drawn to people who are genuinely kind-hearted. I aspire to be known as a kind person.  That’s why I love the holiday season so much- kindness seems to be everywhere. People open the door for you, neighbors exchange cookies, we sing, we laugh and all is merry. What happens to all that kindness once the tree is at the curb?  We all know people who seem to put kindness away with the Christmas decorations. What can we do to change that? Read more

Belly Laughs

As children, we laugh hundreds of times each day, delighted by the newness of living. When we reach adulthood, however, we tend to not allow ourselves to let go in a good belly laugh. Inviting laughter back into our lives is simply a matter of making the conscious decision to laugh. Though most of us are incited to laugh only when exposed to humor or the unexpected, each of us is capable of laughing at will. A laugh that comes from the belly carries with it the same positive effects whether prompted by a funny joke or consciously willed into existence. When our laughter comes from the core of our being, it permeates every cell in our physical selves, beginning in the center and radiating outward, until we are not merely belly laughing but rather body laughing. Read more

Wit, Wisdom and Good Health at the Marley Education Center

Is your mother, brother or best friend  a control freak, a martyr or a perfectionist ?  Are you a whiner, a complainer or a pessimist? Stress and Humor Expert, Yvonne Conte  has a cure for each of you.  Conte promises to show you a new way to enjoy life right now with her award winning keynote;  The Positive Power of Humor on November 10th at the Marley Education Center,  765 Irving Avenue in Syracuse.

Conte is a well respected,  international Motivational Humorist and Keynote Speaker and has been spreading her mirth for over 15 years.  Organizations and corporations world wide use her to motivate, entertain and empower employees and co-workers.  She is Founder and Director of Fun at  Humor Advantage, Incorporated  and offers ideas of ways to reduce stress in life on the companies web page http://www.yvonneconte.com.  She is the author of five books on the subject of humor, laughter and joy and can be heard locally every Wednesday morning on the Gary Dunes show on WSEN Radio.

“It’s a lot easier to be optimistic and resilient then to whine, worry and stress over what life hands us.”  says Conte,  “Come find out how to look at life from a new perspective.”  Find out how to bring up successful, happy, healthy children.  Learn how laughing will  strengthen your relationships, your immune system and your heart rate!
This event is sponsored by Crouse Hospital and is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be offered at 5:30p.m.  Ms. Conte begins at 6:30p.m.   Seating is limited.  Please call to register at 315/472-2464.

Yvonne Conte, Motivational Humorist
Humor Advantage, Inc.
4736 Onondaga Blvd., Ste. 231
Syracuse, NY 13219
Yvonne Conte Website
Voice: 315.487.3771
Fax: 315.487.5633
E-mail Yvonne here

Seven steps to a humor filled life – Yvonne Conte

1. Keep funny people in your life
Make friends with the funniest people at work
Stay connected with the funny friends you have
Listen to fun-filled radio shows

2. Buy silly things
Keep toys at the office
Always have a clown nose on hand or ….on nose

3. Start a humor library
Read funny books written for, by or about comedians
Collect funny cartoons
Collect DVD’s/videos/ books that make you laugh Read more

How we age and how to stay young

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions. ‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back.. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed? You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. Read more

My thoughts and your thoughts #5

Quote #62, My Thoughts and YOUR thoughts:
I love Quotes. I love them because they make me think. What does the quoter mean? Why did he/she write this? Is there a message to get through to the reader/the world? What did YOU initially think when you read it?

Here goes blog quote #62….

“Never argue with a fool. Someone watching may not be able to tell the difference.”
-unknown-

I found this a bit comical. The more I thought about it the more it made sense though.

Why have an arguement with someone that doesn’t want to listen, already has an agenda, or isn’t going to change their opinion? No matter what the conversation, nothing good will come out of it. A dead end street, with no where to turn around. Read more

A little humor to start the day

The story below was sent to me by my cousin. She said it was an old story but a good one. I never heard it before so it was funny and new to me.

In the cemetery with the pecans:

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence.
One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began
dividing the nuts.
‘One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me,’ said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down
toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, ‘One for you, one for me. One Read more

Dirt Painting

What do you do when you find a dirty car?
(a) Write WASH ME?
(B) Do a pretty drawing?

This is Scott Wade. Check out what he does with the dirty cars by carefully and artfully removing portions of the dirt. According to his website, he lives real close to a dirt road in  San Marcos,  Texas. Here’s a video of an interview of Scott Wade on the CBS Early Show. Read more

Living well is the best revenge against mortality

My mother sent me a chain e-mail the other day (as she often does ) and it had such a great message that I wanted to share it with all of you!

Let’s all have the best NEW YEAR we possibly can:

May you always make the right moves:

May your cup runneth over with love: Read more