FLASHDANCE: TAKE YOUR PASSION AND MAKE IT HAPPEN

The best ALS ice bucket video I've seen is by Brad Letson,

What a feeling

Being's believing

I can have it all

Now I'm dancing for my life

Take your passion

And make it happen

Pictures come alive

You can dance right through your life

Why was the movie Flashdance a hit?  The main character, Alex, went from rags to riches-in-rags (her cutoff sweatshirt).  She transformed from a factory-worker-welder into a superstar-breakdancing-ballet dancer.  She was a woman who reached her dreams.  

      

Ok, Flashdancers, try these steps to take your passion and make it happen:      

1.  Write your dreams down in a life list.  Pretend you are a superhero who could choose to do anything and be successful. Pretend there are no other players in the game-nobody to judge or to tell you you're wrong.

  

2. Plan it. Take out a piece of paper. Make two columns. In the left column, write down your dreams. In the right column, next to each dream, write down the one single thing you can do today to achieve that dream.   Then add what else you could do. 

3. Take action.  Do one thing a day that gets you on your path.  Imagine what will happen in 7 years if you accomplished one task every day toward fulfilling your dreams!

WHAT A FEELING!

Hugs,
Cyndy  

ADDICTED TO "BUSY"

A DAY IN THE LIFE:  husband. two kids. dog. business. friends. social life. errands. soccer. lacrosse. swim practice. birthday presents. after school activities. meetings. workouts. love. sex. marketing.  comedy. positive psychology classwork. social media. spiritual time. reading. fun. cooking. cleaning. traffic. workshops. parents. family. love. joy. self care. bath. grocery store. research. writing. eat. sleep. smile. coaching. planning. recharge time.

The above list identifies my day.  They are not in the order of importance or we all know fun would be first.  Our culture is so busy.  We are frazzled, don't turn off our cell phones, and we are running every which way.  WE ARE DEPLETED.  

Hi, my name is Cyndy and I'm addicted to "being busy."  I volunteer for this group and that effort.  I over-commit.   It's something I constantly work on and have been better until a recent over scheduled Winter season.  I've become a drill sergeant for my kids telling them to get their water bottle, hurry up, we have 5 minutes to get to the afternoon's activity.  ENOUGH!   I'm going down, I'm going TIMBER.  

We would do well to remember that we choose how our day rolls out.  A few years ago I "minimized" for a summer, only doing what I had to do.  I found that I was able to be much more present with my friends and family.  I wasn't scattered.  Using the advice from a woman and coach I adore, Barbara Stanny, she suggested I keep a "receiving journal."  http://barbarastanny.com  I wrote down feelings that I received from my day and it guided me on how I wanted to plan my future.  It was transformative.  And I learned that it is of utmost importance to make time for myself. 

So I challenge you to take a SPRING BREAK FOR THE SOUL and recharge your batteries.  Schedule daily time to take care of yourself. They say teachers teach what they need to learn.  Here I go.  Join me in this effort.

VIDEO:  ASK CYNDY - HOW TO GIVE "OVERWHELM" THE WHOOP POW!

And if you would like more in-person ideas, join me at an upcoming workshop: 

GET UNSTUCK USING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY WITH A SPLASH OF WHOOP POW Saturday, 3/29/14 in Bethesda, MD, 1-4p.  If you ever feel like life is so busy, you wanna pull your hair out, this gathering is for you.  If you feel frazzled and sometimes stuck on how to move forward, get your bootie in this class.  Join me in this three hour play-shop for some creative ways to problem solve using positive psychology tools with a splash of whoop POW.  Fun is involved.  Hair pulling is not.  For more information and registration:  http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e90qxl4p2091c367&llr=u87xkypab

How Many Hugs Does It Take To Feel Happier?

Intentional Acts of Kindness FULL BODY HUG, new pop up comedy bit - http://whoopiequeen.com/YouTube.html How Many Hugs Does It Take to Feel Happier?  It's World Kindness Day every year on November 13th.   There are lots of ways to spread the love.  Open the door for someone, smile, pass out flowers, donate a coat, pay the tab of a person who is in line behind you, write a letter of thanks, call a distant relative, cook a meal for a person in need, hug your neighbor.  The bestselling book Random Acts of Kindness started a rEVOLution of guerrilla goodness.  Bob Votruba created a movement - he bought a school bus, had 40 of his relatives paint it with "nice" messages, and he went on a tour around the country challenging people to do a MILLION acts of kindness in their life. Kindness does not have to be random.  It can be intentional.  And it can be funny, especially when you tell strangers you are a hug expert and guide them on how to give a "full body hug."  Click on the Pop Up Comedy link below. Feeling the need to have the research behind The Whoopie Queen know-it-all tips, I am becoming a certified Positive Psycho, uh humm Positive Psychologist, through the Open Center's Flourish program in NYC.  In my studies we recently learned about Dr. Love, Neuroeconomist Paul Zak.  He did some research which reveals that if you want to feel happier in life, give/get 8 hugs a day.  If I squeeze ya upon greeting, know that I'm getting my quota and spreading the love. • Bob Votruba One Million Acts of Kindness Bus Tourhttp://www.onemillionactsofkindness.com/about/ • Pop Up Comedyhttp://www.whoopiequeen.com/YouTube.html. • Dr. Love's TED talkhttp://www.ted.com/talk/paul_zak_trust_morality_and_oxytocin.html • For more ideas of kindness, visithttp://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WHOOPIESPHERE: • Have a Nooner with The Whoopie Queen A 1 hr teleclass - Whoop It Up With Your Mind Chatter,  12pm-1pm on 12/4/13 http://whoopitupmindchatter.eventbrite.com/?aff=estw Most people have a tickertape of thoughts that bounce around their head throughout the day.  It never stops.  From the book The Untethered Soul, it is refered to as the "roommate" in your brain... "What was her name?  I should know her name.  Kristine has introduced me twice.  I'm a crack head.  How can I act like I remember her without using her name?"  "Shoot, I should have spoken up in the meeting.  Now I don't look like I know what I'm talking about.  This is the kind of thing that effects my review.  Stupid!"  "The house is going to be full of relatives during the holidays.  What should I make for dinner?!  Kelly is a vegan.  How can I serve a roast beast?  It is so hard to please everyone.  And my uncle dislikes my cousin.  I'll never get through the festivities without a big fat mess." Get down with the mind chatter and use it to problem solve, laugh at it, or shut it the F up!  A one hour call - Whoop It Up With Your Mind Chatterhttp://whoopitupmindchatter.eventbrite.com/?aff=estw •  Come out and see me sometime.  Monday, 11/18/13 Special Comedy Performance  FemFocus:  Overcoming Obstacles An intimate evening of interaction, inspiration & illumination, Georgetown University| 6-9p Moderator: Carol Ross Joynt: Editor-in-Chief, Washingtonian Panelists: Margot Dorfman: CEO US Women’s Chamber of Commerce Reverend Ann Gillespie: Christ Church Lauren Ruotolo: Director Entertainment Promotions, Hearst Magazines Chris Weber: Former VP Production for Specials, Discovery Channel Special performance by: The Whoopie Queen, Cyndy Cecil-Bragg • Visit the newly fluffed up web site.  www.whoopiequeen.com now has a feather boa, all the Whoopie Queen Pop Up Comedy videos, and the latest Let's Talk Live appearances.  Thank you for the production assistance Tony Quaranta, Jr.! •  Check out new Pop Up Comedy that is popping up!http://whoopiequeen.com/YouTube.html Full Body Hug premieres today in honor of World Kindness Day where I do HUGS 101 on The Mall in front of the US Capitol.  Last month we whooped up some fun outside of Ford's Theater and did a tour-guide takeover about Prez Obama's limo, The Beast.  And there's the Ode to Anderson Cooper's stories about the  Monkey Trip to Ikea.  If you have a Pop Up Comedy idea, send it my way.  cyndy@whoopiequeen.com Postiive Psycho, over and out. Big Love & Eight Hugs, Cyndy, The Whoopie Queen  https://twitter.com/WhoopieQueen    https://www.facebook.com/WhoopieQueen www.whoopiequeen.com

  

Making Fun Where the Fun Don't Shine

The Whoopie Queen Pop Up Comedy Tour is here!  Sometimes ya need a little glitter to sparkle, especially when you get your picture taken for your driver's license.  

I'm here to help.

                                                   And in the coming weeks...

It's an effort to make FUN where the fun don't shine, every Whoopie Wednesday in September!

Smiles,
Cyndy The Whoopie Queen

Hot Diggety Dog

It's so hot my bra won't stay hooked.
It's so hot that I'm washing my face with Seabreeze.
It's so hot Body Pump felt like Body DUMP.

The only real workout I had this week was teaching the Home Depot day-workers Zumba at 7am.  It was for a taping of a new webisode series, Whoopie Queen Pop-Up Comedy that is coming sooooooon.   Who knows where I'll pop up.  I might go to the DMV to do makeovers before people get their driver's license, or even take my monkey to Ikea.  Anderson Cooper said he is obsessed with this story.  See link *1 footnote.

In most of the Pop-up Comedy shots, I am "pitting out."  Oh that's HAWT!  My puppy is so hot he won't even play catch.  As the dog days of summer approach and in honor of National Hot Dog Day 7/23, I wish for you the joy of sitting on an A/C vent looking at doggie things that made me smile this week.  Free coupon at the bottom of this post from 7-eleven  for a free hot dog.  Whoop whoop!




A hot dog slicer I saw in the DRUG STORE.  Who needs THAT?!  And why is it in CVS?!
















The Bandit in a cape.


















 Snaugages with faces on them.  Pigs-in-a-blanket with Pillsbury Dough made by yours truly.  

The mom dancing in this ad is hi-larious.  She also serves birthday cake wearing an animal carcass.  I include it because there is a dog Stretchkin you can buy.  Link below. (*2)

God dag!   For some fabulous reason, I have a Swedish following with this blog.  Thank you Swedes!

 Picture at left was taken in Stockholm by

jooleeah_stahkey

The dog that looks like it has ice cream on it is actually two scoops of mashed potatoes.  On the bottom left, it is shrimp salad on a hot dog.










If you have a 7-Eleven Store nearby, you can pick up a sweet freebie on National Hotdog Day, on Tuesday July 23rd. You will need to download the FREE 7-Eleven Mobile App on your Apple Phone or Device here in order to receive the coupon for a free 1/8 lb HotDog on July 23rd from 7-Eleven











(*1) IKEA MONKEY
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/03/anderson-cooper-gives-crucial-update-on-ikea-monkey_n_3378478.html

(*2) STRETCHKINS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aKjdMiavXI

I Like Pie - Whoopie Wednesday

I served a blueberry pie this past Memorial Day weekend and it was divine.  After making hundreds of thousands of whoopie pies, I am quite the pie expert.  Here are some things I've learned about P I E...

  *

Come out and see me sometime!  How about next Friday, June 7th at the DC Improv?!  

Tix for Makin' Whoopie Comedy Show-http://dcimprov.laughstub.com/show.cfm?id=247558&cart

* Scrumptuous is one of my made up words, like fantabulous and other malaprops frequently used by people who grew up in the small town I did.  Any person who went to a school that had Gone with the Wind's "Tara's Theme" played during homecoming gets a hall pass.  I do love that song and where I grew up, Morrow, GA!  Music is from some CD we have called Goldsound Karaoke.  Don't sue me, I'll take it off if it's a prob.   Rebel Rebel.  

Thanks for visiting the Whoopie Queen blog!