Special event: LONGEVITY TALKS, with Dr. Udo Erasmus

 ~ from the EDUCATIONAL SERIES of our Circle’s events ~

A comprehensive summary will be very soon available on our website, meanwhile, here is the Press Release.

Special event: MIND TALKS, with Dr. Liliana Cioată

 ~ from the EDUCATIONAL SERIES of our Circle’s events ~

A comprehensive summary will be very soon available on this website, meanwhile, here is the Press Release.

Thank you!

Alice’s Book Club – SPRING session of 2025

~ Bifocal event: a book club session with an educational emphasis ~

Special edition – live session with Investment advisor, Daciana Healey

~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

Spring is peacefully unfolding in our part of the world, allowing me to organize on Friday (April 11, 2025) the session for the current season for my Book Club series, having as guest speaker a dear friend – Daciana Healey (her biography in comments section), who spoke to our fairly large group about retirement planning and investment opportunities.

“It is not always easy to think about retirement because retirement plans do not carry the excitement usually associated with one’s life ambitions and professional goals. Yet any prudent person knows retirement planning is one of the most important decisions in life, even more now as people are living longer and social security system may not be sustainable in the long term. Planning for the long term may continue to evolve according to life circumstances which are naturally hard to predict.”

Our guest speaker this evening graciously delivered an interesting presentation, adopting the interactive approach - addressing questions as arise.

It was clearly understood that retirement planning is a very structured process, and in order to do it right you need to have a proper framework and access to a trusted financial advisor.

On the other hand, briefly talking about investment/s it helps to refresh that investing is “the act of putting money into something with the expectation of gaining a profit or income”. It can involve purchasing stocks (stocks represent ownership in a company; when you buy stocks, you can earn money if the company does well), bonds (bonds are loans to companies or governments; you earn interest over time), real estate (real estate involves buying property to rent or sell at a higher price), or even starting a business.

“The goal of investing is to grow wealth over time. However, it does come with risks….understanding these risks and potential rewards is crucial for anyone considering investment options. It is important to understand that people invest for many reasons. One common reason is to build wealth for the future. Many individuals want to save for retirement. Investing can help grow their savings over time. Others may want to reach specific financial goals, such as buying a home or funding education. Some investors seek to generate additional income through dividends or rental payments. Understanding personal financial goals helps determine the best investment strategy.”

Every investment carries some level of risk (risk refers to the chance of losing money or not achieving the expected returns).

Generally, higher potential returns come with higher risks. For example, stocks can provide great returns, but their prices can also fluctuate significantly. On the other hand, bonds are usually considered safer, but their returns are often lower. Balancing risk and return is essential for successful investing. Before investing, it’s important to conduct thorough research. Understanding the market, companies, and economic conditions can help make informed decisions. For instance, when investing in stocks, knowing a company’s performance, industry trends, and competition can be beneficial. Many investors also analyze historical data and financial statements to gauge potential risks and returns. Knowledge is key to successful investing.

Diversification (involves spreading investments across different asset types or industries) is a strategy to reduce risk. By diversifying, investors can protect themselves against losses in one area. For example, if someone invests only in technology stocks, a downturn in that sector could lead to significant losses. However, if they also invest in bonds, real estate, and other stocks, they may not lose as much. Diversification can lead to a more stable overall portfolio.

Time plays a crucial role in investing. The longer you invest, the more potential your money has to grow. This is due to a concept called compound interest (compound interest means you earn interest on both your initial investment and the interest that accumulates over time). For many, starting to invest early can lead to a more comfortable financial future, as the effects of compounding can be significant.

In summary, investing involves putting money into various assets with the hope of earning a profit. Different types of investments come with unique risks and rewards. Understanding personal financial goals and conducting research is vital. Diversifying investments can help manage risk. Finally, leveraging time can significantly enhance the growth potential of investments. Making informed choices can lead to successful investment outcomes.

Wrapping up my briefing, for your convenience, here is a “retirement financial checklist” (offered by the Government of Canada) which might help you with the process. Additionally, here is another document, called “Basics of investing” (also offered by the Government of Canada) which might bring along supplementary insights. Once again, dear friends, thank you for joining our event this evening! Until next time, from me, only the best!

Alice

“Retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials: much to live on and much to live for.”

Alice’s Book Club – SPRING session of 2024

Bifocal event: 

a book club session with an educational emphasis 
Special edition – live session with 2 guest speakers

~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

With much joy, on Friday (May 31, 2024) I organized the second Book Club session of our Circle for the current year, and the chosen theme was Mental Wellbeing.

To everybody’s delight, this time I've invited 2 interesting guest speakers, who had a lot to say on the subject and who are very dear to me: a medical field representative, Mihai S. and a Counselling Psychotherapist, Luciana Susan.

As I often do in such circumstances, prior to our meeting, I gave my confirmed guests few reading materials about the topic (mental wellbeing), in order to spice up even more the group conversation, while adding more depth to personal perspectives.

Needless to say that my special guests of the evening were absolutely amazing, both delivering extremely interesting presentations, while offering many important details that we each could benefit from in our daily lives.

With much grace and professionalism, both of them answered questions, such as: - What is "Mental Health"? / - How can we self-evaluate and help ourselves when needed? / - When is it appropriate to seek specialized help?  / - What natural remedies are available to help us maintain our mental health, in a society where daily stress is increasing?, etc.

By now, most of you know that in my public briefings the confidentially of the personal matters discussed is paramount, but because I truly believe in sharing the knowledge far and wide, here are few key concepts of general interest that might be of some sort of assistance to you…

– Mental wellbeing constitutes a foundational pillar of human resilience and personal flourishing; it shapes how individuals perceive, engage with, and respond to the complex challenges of life

– Scientific inquiry consistently underscores the link between mental wellbeing and holistic health: stress moderation, restorative sleep, social connection, purposeful work and balanced lifestyle choices interact synergistically to sustain psychological equilibrium

– Mental resilience is strengthened through intentional engagement with meaningful narratives and pursuits that contribute to a coherent sense of self and purpose

– Communities thrive when their members are psychologically supported, empathetically engaged, and equipped to navigate adversity

– Cultivating mental health is both a personal & collective responsibility, requiring deliberate attention, informed choices & the courage to seek support when needed.

In essence, mental wellbeing is not a destination but an ongoing scholarly and existential pursuit…one that demands reflection, deliberate practice, and the unwavering acknowledgment that nurturing the mind enriches every dimension of human life.

The group conversations were truly warm, open, inspiring, deeply pleasing, as well as heart and mind nourishing, facts which again made us all completely forget the time, of course, in a flattering manner.

Concluding my briefing here, my sincere appreciation to the guests of the evening who honored my invitation, while I’m wishing them only the best!

Warm regards,

Alice

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor and more honest conversations.”

Alice’s Book Club – AUTUMN session of 2023

“Face of Peace”
Drawing by Picasso (1950)

~ Bifocal event: a book club session with an educational emphasis ~ 
Special edition – live session with 3 guest speakers

~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

Days around here are getting cooler and cooler, but on Friday (October 27’23) I organized the autumnal session of my seasonal book club series, which is also the last session of the current year, and the chosen topic was “Reinventing yourself”…an interesting, while intriguing concept, genuinely appreciated by everyone. Comfortably, we have gathered on-line for our evening talks.

This time as well I had 2 special guest speakers: my dear friend, writer and well-known painter, visual artist Pnina Granirer (here is her website: www.pninagranirer.com), and my dear friend Rodica P. (a retired electrical engineer), both discussing their perspectives on the above mentioned theme. Definitively, both these ladies captured the audience with their wisdom, with their extensive life experience, and more than anything else, with their charming attitude which in a way left us wonder how both of them managed to maintain their poise unaltered while facing so many challenging situations in their lives. Without any doubt, such amazing people are precious in many ways, and the only thing I truly wish is to see younger generations value more the wisdom of the ones before them.

Anyhow, before I will give you the usual briefing with few main concepts of general interest (like I always do), I would like to share with you something else, equally amazing, in my opinion.

Recently we had in our city the “Vancouver Fashion Week”, which is the second largest fashion week in North America, very popular around here, featuring a large variety of runway shows, all sorts of industry professionals and many, many designers from all over the world.

Being super busy at that very time, I couldn’t attend it, but a very dear friend of mine went and there she met an amazing lady from Japan (her name is Akiko), who featured during her presentation in Vancouver our traditional Romanian dresses. My friend found that amazing and knowing that I will also be so super excited about the concept, she invited Akiko at our event, on October 27’23…and, as the saying goes…the rest is history….

Because I found Akiko’s work in Japan absolutely fascinating, I had her open the evening and give us all a brief talk about her activity in Japan. As a result, we’ve all learned that Akiko went to Romania (in Northern part, in Maramureş area), with the clear desire to learn more about the Romanian traditional dresses, as well as our traditional embroideries. She traveled through our old villages, meeting people, taking lots of pictures, appreciating our traditional foods and truly enjoying, for the time being, our countryside.

Needless to say that myself, as a person borne in Romania, listening to the beautiful stories of this amazing Japanese lady about my birth country brought so much joy to my heart. Below, I’ve put together a concise collage featuring Akiko’s passion for the Romanian culture, her store in Kyoto from where she sells throughout the world lots of traditional dresses from Romania, as well as her Instagram page (here is the link: https://www.instagram.com/rochie_romanian_vintage/).
Also, for your reference, here is the YouTube video of Akiko’s participation at Vancouver Fashion week, where her models were exhibiting the Romanian vintage dresses. At our gathering, Akiko herself was wearing a traditional Romanian dress. All in one, a truly amazing story!  
Now, coming back to my 2 special guest speakers of this beautiful evening: as I’ve mentioned, each of their presentations brought to our attention many, many valuable points. Lots of questions were answered and many more were raised, being graciously addressed.  

For your benefit, here are few concepts of general interest:

- Major life changes are never easy, but if you focus you will be surprised of how much you could achieve

- Before you plan to reinvent yourself, first of all you have to know who you really are (know your strengths, weaknesses, passions, etc.)

- Have a good understanding of what is going on in the world, clearly list all the opportunities you are noticing & try to match what suits you

- In life it is important to evaluate yourself objectively, and keep at by the tendency of illusory superiority

- It is significant to find a functional balance between the goals you wish to chase and your values (what really matters to you)

- As you integrate reinvention efforts into your daily life, remember to always be honest with yourself.

There were many other angles discussed as well, in essence having change at core, but for now I think these deep highlights would suffice.

As usual, our group talks were lengthy, honest, interesting, enjoyable and balanced, leaving each of us with a very pleasant feeling of benevolent camaraderie.

Before I’m ending my brief update here, once again I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to those who honored my invitation.

Till we meet again, my best regards to all!

Alice

“Every end is a new beginning.” 

Alice’s Book Club – SUMMER session of 2023

~ Bifocal event: a book club session with an educational emphasis ~ 
Special edition – live session with 2 guest speakers  
~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™

On Thursday (September 21, 2023) we had our end of the current summer book club session, this time discussing few beautiful concepts:
“Femininity. Style. Wardrobe selection”. For everybody's convenience, we've meet again on line, making sure the personal comfort was not overlooked. Our gathering was really pleasant, cozy, fun and nicely engaging (like good friends talks about subjects of common interest). 

To everybody’s delight, this time I've invited 2 very interesting guest speakers, who have a lot to say on the chosen notions and who are very dear to me:

 – Mihai S. (here is his website: Mike Consulting) who explained us from a medical perspective, the connection between femininity and our health (because there is a very well-defined one) and how each woman could proceed to keep a functional balance between them in daily life

– Magda Bitoiu, (here is her face-book account, Magda Andrei Bitoiu & her Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/magda_trueliving) who shared with us her extensive experience explaining the following:  how we can identify our clothing style and the outfit that best benefits us depending on the body shape we each have; how we can choose the most suitable clothes for us while staying within a reasonable budget, and how we can make a clothing capsule, depending on the season.  

As I usually do, prior to our meeting, I gave my confirmed guests few reading materials about these concepts, in order to spice up even more the group conversation, while adding more depth to personal perspectives.

Needless to say that my special guests of the evening were absolutely amazing, both delivering extremely interesting presentations, while offering many important details that we each could benefit from in our daily lives.

By now, most of you know that in my public briefings the confidentially of the personal matters discussed is paramount, but because I truly believe in sharing the knowledge far and wide, here are few key concepts of general interest that might be of some sort of assistance to you…

- It is important to be aware that some actions in life might destroy your femininity....consciously avoid them

- Healthy femininity is characterized by few of the following traits: ground-ness, receptivity, reflectiveness, clear boundaries and gracious strength

- For women it is important to do whatever they each have to do with satisfaction, because passion and joy could be truly uplifting and rejuvenating at once

- Femininity completely disappears when women engage in conflicts, and mind you, the subsequent stress inflicted upon yourself it is very damaging

- Fashion in clothing is not necessarily the care for the correctness of clothes, taste and attitude; fashion is an "outfit", it is a "style"

- The fashion of an active woman is the fashion of coordinated elements: harmony of form, style and colors, simplicity, naturalness, poise, grace and intelligence

- Personal charm and elegance are always above the trends of fashion.

The group discussion of the evening were truly warm, inspiring, deeply pleasing, as well as heart and mind nourishing, facts which again made us all completely forget the time, of course, in a flattering manner. As a wise person said once upon a time, "In learning one will teach, and in teaching one will learn". 

Now, I'm concluding my briefing here, yet again extending my sincere appreciation to my dear friends who honored my invitation, wishing them only the best!

Warm regards,

Alice

“Women forget how much we can inspire one another. No one understands us like us.”

Alice’s Book Club – AUTUMN session of 2022

~ Bifocal event: a book club session with an educational emphasis ~ 
Special edition – live session with writer & painter Pnina Granirer

~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

With great joy I’m sharing that on Friday (October 28’22) we had a pleasant group conversation with my dear friend, writer and well-known painter, visual artist Pnina Granirer (for your quick reference, in the comments section is Pnina’s short  biography, and here is her website: www.pninagranirer.com), discussing author’s perspective on her book called ”LIGHT WITHIN THE SHADOWS – A Painter’s memoir” (in case you wish to have this book, here is the link  where you can procure it from; additionally, it might be also found in Indigo stores in Vancouver, or if you wish only to read it you could borrow it from a public library).

This on line event constituted the autumnal edition of my seasonal book club series, happening only 4 times per year. 

At my suggestion, given her impressive life experience, Pnina was very kind to agree to share with us her views on resilience, achievements, focus and positivity – aspects of inspirations for many. Our evening together was interactive and the audience had interesting questions of general interest so all guests could benefit from the answers received. I was super happy to have 36 people registered for this event, but since few of them couldn’t make it for objective reasons, I provided them with the recording of Pnina’s presentation.

Also, I would like to refresh that artist Pnina Granirer has been featured at one of my past literary gatherings, back in November 2019 (for your enjoyment, here is the link of the occasion I’m referring to).

For your reference, here is an overview of Pnina’s book, as it has been circulated by different publishing houses:

“Light Within the Shadows is a lively and moving memoir that chronicles Pnina Granirer’s life as an artist, wife and mother. Conceived as a play in three acts, it begins in her hometown in Romania, moves to its second act in Israel, and concludes with her life in North America. It encompasses her years in Romania, Israel, the USA, France and Canada, and her travels to Japan, Spain and Mexico, all of which inform her understanding of the world which is then reflected in her art.

Besides producing art and preparing for gallery shows, she is committed to educating her community about art. In 1993, Granirer co-foounded the on-going Artists in Our Midst, the first open studios walk in Vancouver.

In this compelling memoir, Granirer shares her successes and failures, addressing issues of dislocation, ‘otherness’ and uprooted soul’s wish for permanency. With determination and resilience, amidst the joys and restrictions of family life, Granirer created a large body of art, ignoring trends and searching for renewal.

She became an internationally respected artist whose profound work is an enduring expression of the search for beauty and spirituality. Her works are found in museums collections in Canada, Spain, Chile and Israel.

Light Within the Shadows gives and inside view of how art is forged and released into the world. Granirer’s work has been featured in two other books: Her own Trials of Eve (Gaea Press) and Portrait of an Artist, by Ted Lindbert (Ronsdale Press).”

Our time together flew by very quickly and we adjourned in a lovely note, concluding that resilience, kindness, focus and positivity are significant aspects of existence able to take one far in life.

Since this was the last book club session of the year, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those loyal, dear friends who each time (not just occasionally) make  themselves available to honor my invitations, and who genuinely & continuously are supporting the activities of ALICE & Friends Circle™.

Until our paths will meet again, my best regards to all!

Alice

SERENDIPITY....let it find you!

Alice’s Book Club – WINTER session of 2022

~ Bifocal event: a book club session with an educational emphasis ~ 
Special edition – live session with 4 guest speakers  

~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

Before the cold winter of 2022 was officially over, on Friday (March 18’22) we had the first session of the year for my seasonal book club series, discussing
inner beauty & outer beauty. 

To everybody’s delight, this time I invited 4 guest speakers – Drs. John S. & Mihai S., nutritionist Bogdana N. (the owner of “Health Quest Project” www.healthquestproject.com) & skin therapist Dana S. (the owner of “Micro Current Facial Treatment” www.microcurrentfacialtreatment.com), who professionally covered the selected theme from several perspectives.

Aside of that, well prior to our meeting, I distributed to my invitees few reading materials about the subject, aiming to enhance even more our group conversation.

On the other hand, please do know that my guest speakers were absolutely wonderful, all delivering captivating presentations, while providing lots of important details, scientific explanations and valuable practical tips we each could use in order to maintain and develop even more our inner and outer beauty.
For your reference, in the comments section are some additional handouts, compliments of them.

Also, as I always do in my public briefings, here I will share with you only several concepts of general interest, while respecting the confidentially of the personal matters discussed:

-  The overall health is influenced by many factors (internal & external) and in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises one should observe regularly the medical tests (much wiser to prevent rather than treat)

- Emotions deeply affect your health, so learning how to manage them wisely could prevent related health issues

- It is important for us to learn how to tell the difference between our emotions and our feelings (when you are grounded and present with mindfulness it is much easier to tell the difference)

- Emotions are chemical based and often linked to hormones (they are about anger, over excitement, fear, rejection, pride, urges, power, lack and control)

- Feelings, are emerging from a more neutral space (from where your soul speaks to you, from where your intuition, gut feelings & calm observation pay off)

- Living mindfully is one of the very best ways you could use to transform your life

- Constantly observe your thoughts and emotions (calm, balanced neutrality is key for guiding the decisions of your life)

- It is also important to realize that you are not always your thoughts (just because a thought goes through your mind it doesn’t mean that it shapes your reality)

- Follow your greatest joy (for some this is art, music or dancing; for others it’s inventing, reading, healing, writing or connecting with other people)

- Stay positive (it is OK to go with this flow, but always trust your instincts and mindfully follow what your heart desires)

- Laugh every day (laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, and increases the level of health-enhancing hormones)

- Laughter brings the focus away from negative emotions, making you more cheerful and putting you in a positive frame of mind

- Researchers found that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a “threat” or a “challenge.” Humor can give us a more light-hearted perspective and helps us view events as “challenges,” thereby making them less threatening and more positive

- Nutritional Therapy is a bio-individual approach to health and wellness that focuses on using nutrient dense whole foods to support vibrant health as well as focusing on “Foundations” for health and embracing body’s innate ability to heal

- The “Foundations for Health” from a Nutritional Therapy perspective are: fresh whole food (how to eat properly prepared, nutrient-dense, whole foods), digestion (why you are not just what you eat, but what you actually absorb), blood sugar regulation (how to balance blood sugar and increase energy), fatty acids balance (why you need healthy fats and cholesterol in your diet), mineral balance (the critical roles of minerals and how to get more in your diet) and hydration (why water is the most important nutrient and how to best hydrate)

- Beautiful skin on the outside begins with good health on the inside

- Because your skin is one of your body’s protective mechanisms, it is easily damaged by external causes such as sunlight, pollution, and internal causes, such as poor nutrition, lack of antioxidants and essential fatty acids, stress and cigarette smoke

- The face is ultimately a reflection of internal health and emotional well-being (looking good and having a positive body image is not vanity, it is the road to a long, healthy and happy life). 

The group discussion of the evening being so rich in content, made us all completely forget the time and when we adjourned, there were several voices echoing that we should continue to speak more about this important topic since is touching a lot our everyday lives, so another future talk on this already carved its way in my agenda. Furthermore, here is the link of a short material I wrote on the same theme: (Inner Beauty, Outer Beauty)…enjoy it!

Concluding my briefing, once again, much appreciation to my dear friends who honored my invitation!

Warm regards,

Alice

Outer beauty pleases the eye, but inner beauty pleases the heart. 

Alice’s Book Club – AUTUMN session of 2021

     ~ Bifocal event: a book club session with an educational emphasis ~
Special edition – live session with Drs. John S. & M. Saber

     ~ exclusively for ALICE & Friends Circle™ ~

On Thursday (November 4, 2021) I was very happy to be able to organize the autumnal edition of my seasonal book club series, which is also the last session of the current year, and the topic discussed was covering stress & mental health. 

Aside of that, given the lingering shadow of a prolonged austerity in public communities and in order to avoid any unnecessary stress, I’ve decided to continue with the on-line option for my cultural events.

At this gathering, I had 2 special guest speakers – Dr. John S. & M. Saber, who professionally covered the chosen theme from a medical perspective.

As usual, ahead of time, I gave my book club participants 2 concise reading materials (first called, ”The Stress”, published by ”Cleveland Clinic”, USA, and the second one, called, ”Fundamentals of Mental Health”, published by ”US Department of Health & Human Services” – Washington, D.C.) conjugated with few audio links – all contributing to the conversation of the evening.  

The guest speakers of the evening delivered very interesting presentations, backed up with lots of valuable scientific points, including ample explanations and illustrations (all picked from the encountered casuistry incorporated into professional studies and from reference medical manuals), as well as practical tips.  

For your convenience, below I will share only few main concepts while respecting the confidentiality of the personal aspects discussed, as well as several highlights extracted from consecrated professional studies on these matters.

About STRESS:

- It has been reminded that stress is a normal reaction the body has when different changes occur, resulting in physical, emotional and intellectual responses

- Few categories of stress were mentioned, and these are: the acute stress (manifesting in small doses), the episodic acute stress (which is more frequent in people’s lives) and the chronic stress (which is the one that becomes permanent); it is important for each person to be able to identify which one is affecting his or her life

- Effective stress management techniques are available, provided by well-established medical institutions, and could help everyone deal with stressful situations in a healthy manner

- A certain amount of stress actually could be positive, keeping people alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger, but it becomes a real problem when stress factors continue to exist without any periods of relaxation

- Stress in itself is subjective and only the person experiencing it could say whether it is present and how severe it feels

- According to published medical studies, physical symptoms of stress include: aches and pains; chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing; exhaustion or trouble sleeping; headaches, dizziness or shakiness; high blood pressure; muscle tension or jaw clenching; stomach or digestive problems; trouble having a balanced life; weak immune system

-  As stated by many doctors, prolonged stress could lead to emotional & mental symptoms, like: anxiety or irritability; depression; panic attacks; chronic sadness

- Here are few simple, effective and very well-known strategies you could use to relief stress, freely shared by many doctors, therapists, coaches, teachers, trainers: laugh, dance or exercise when you feel the symptoms of stress coming on (at times, even a short walk could boost your mood); at the end of each day, take a moment to reiterate what you have accomplished (without emphasizing the things you didn’t get the chance to do yet); set goals for your day, week, month (writing them on a piece of paper and narrowing them will help you feel more in control of your time and agenda)

- We all know that it is much better to prevent rather than treat a condition, so here are few tips that may help you prevent stress, as distributed by specialists: try relaxation activities (such as praying, meditation, breathing practice, muscle relaxation, etc.); take good care of your body on a daily basis (by eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep); stay positive by practicing gratitude (acknowledge the good aspect/s in your day or life); accept that you can’t control everything and find ways to let go of worries about situations you can’t change; learn to say “no” to additional responsibilities when you are already too busy or too stressed; stay connected with people who keep you calm, make you happy and provide the emotional support you need (a family member, a friend or a neighbour could always be a good listener so your stress level won’t become alarming), but if you feel overwhelmed, you need to talk to your doctor.

About mental health:

- Untreated stress could lead to mental health problems and disorders

- According to reputable medical studies, early warning signs of mental issues include: eating or sleeping too much or too little; having low or no energy at all; feeling numb or like nothing matters any longer; feeling helpless or hopeless; feeling often confused, forgetful, angry, upset, worried, or scared; yelling and fighting with family and friends; experiencing severe mood swings; hearing voices or believing things that are not true; thinking of harming yourself or others; inability to perform the required daily tasks

- A healthy, positive mental health allows people to realize their full potential in life, to cope well with the stress of life in general, to work productively, and to make meaningful contributions to their communities

- Few suggestions on how to maintain a positive mental health include: seek professional help when you need it; stay connected with others; stay positive; get physically active on a daily basis; help others and have enough sleep

- Studies have shown that people with mental health problems get better and many recover completely; the recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and fully participate in their communities

- There are lots of treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and they do work well.

Our time together went by smoothly and swiftly, leaving each of us with a pleasant feeling of peace and mutual understanding.

Additionally, here is a little composition I've put together a while ago relating to stress….enjoy it!

Few suggestions from elders to overcome STRESS

Wrapping up my briefing, once again I’m expressing my most sincere appreciation to these dear friends who promptly accepted my invitation for the evening and kindly shared with our group their personal perspectives, experiences, thoughts and hopes for the future.  

Until next time, my best regards to all!

Alice

“The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well.” (Hippocrates)