Inner Beauty, Outer Beauty

Over centuries, BEAUTY has been defined as being directly related to someone or something having pleasant or attractive characteristic/s, most of the time based on a subjective manner or perception, being categorized into outer & inner beauty.

Generally speaking, when people think or speak about OUTER BEAUTY they mostly refer to the physical or external aspect, the style and the attitude of a person. This is claimed by many to be as important (if not more important) than inner beauty. However, that is simply not true, because outer beauty does not last forever and all the trends constantly change. Outer beauty is nice, but it doesn’t help your soul evolve.

Unfortunately, women are often told that outer beauty is crucial to survive in life, but unfortunately this is only a poor commercial strategy used to sell lots of products, meant to sustain the fashion industry.

Aside of that, nowadays, our society exposes very many images (samples & “prototypes”) of outer beauty, displaying a large collection of models while offering many (too many) suggestions based on which the large majority of people (males, females or children) could re-define themselves by easily embracing the preferred choice; at first sight, this approach could lead to pleasant results, where the external form is further and further redefined or perfected, but in the midst of all these changes (metamorphosis) I believe that the external beautification process (if I can say so) could lead to something which might not end up being necessarily yours, lacking the personal distinctiveness, where the ‘true’ you (the core of who you really are) could be completely vanished or be very well hidden under the ‘new look’ and in the end you could become disconnected from your true personality while becoming just a pretty decoration!

Being attractive means much more than having a pretty face or a good body. Having a nice skin, a sound hygiene, a healthy diet, a good exercising routine, clean clothing and a positive attitude could take you far, but equally important it is how do you project yourself to the surrounding world.

On the other hand, INNER BEAUTY, has a much deeper meaning as it comes from inside; it goes far beyond the physical appearances, it is extremely powerful and according to some it is the only true beauty! Inner beauty simply refers to the personality of an individual, including his (or her) mind and character. Beyond the way you look it is your personality that gets noticed. Unlike external beauty (that is mostly dependent on your biological appearance), inner beauty has the potential of getting better with age, when a person becomes more peaceful and better equipped to build lasting relationships. It is believed by many that inner beauty reflects outer beauty, and without it there is no value to outer beauty. In life people should succeed because of their good personality too not only because of their good looks. 

A person with true inner beauty is a person who is capable and willing to offer unconditional love (not just empty words), compassion, and sensitivity to other souls while fully possessing attributes such as respect, gratitude, devotion, peace, harmony, dignity, grace and purity.

In short, I’m just ringing a bell here, for all the seekers of beautification, emphasizing that a true, lasting transformation should come from inside out, as external beauty is nothing without the light of a truly beautiful soul. In life, it is important to have a good balance between outer and inner beauty…when outer beauty meets the inner beauty it makes for a blessed situation, where both the physical and the spiritual aspects of beauty could be experienced.

“Outer beauty is a gift, but inner beauty is an accomplishment.”

Socializing: 2022 – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’s Day

On Tuesday (March 8, 2022) ALICE & Friends Circle™ had the annual reunion, celebrating International Women’s Day, occasion which allowed us to honor, as a group, all the beautiful women we each have in our lives, such as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, colleagues, or friends.

Aside of that, at this moment, I am super grateful to acknowledge that this meeting marked our 50^th event! YES, since May 2018 (when ALICE & Friends Circle™ officially came into existence) up to this day we had 50 events! Needless to say that my profound appreciation goes to each loyal supporter of my beloved Circle, who proved that friends with beautiful hearts (and who are on the same wavelength) are truly priceless!

In brief about our gathering on March 8^th, I’m glad to share that it was gracious in many ways (at the same time, relaxing and relaxed), filled with genuine talks, honest reflections, interesting perspectives, relevant observations and lots of personal experiences, making the group atmosphere truly enjoyable!

Despite that fact that this was actually a social gathering (rather than a literary evening), several famous Romanian women were reminded, and (for example) here are the names that Dr. John mentioned (please note that each name in blue is hyperlinked, so please click on it for full biography):
– Dr. Maria Cuțarida-Crătunescu: she was the first female doctor in Romania. In 1897 she founded “The Maternal Society”, and in 1899 she organized the first crèche in Romania
– Dr. Sofia Ionescu-Ogrezeanu: first female neurosurgeon in the world
– Dr. Ana Aslan: biologist & physician, founder of the first National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics in the world, having famous patients, such as John Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, Augusto Pinochet, Indira Gandhi, Salvador Dali, Charile Chaplin, Claudia Cardinale, Josiph Broz Tito, Marlene Dietrich, Konrad Adenauer, Kirk Douglas, Miguel Asturias, etc.
– Dr. Florica Bagdasar: who was a Romanian neuropsychiatrist and the first woman minister in Romania at the Ministry of Health, between 1946-1948
– Princess Martha Bibescu: she was a writer with education in literature, a socialite, a fashionista and a political hostess. She spent her childhood at the noble Lahovary’s estate in Baltotesti and Biarritz
– Marina Știrbei: she was a Romanian aviator who gained fame in the WWII by founding the “Romanian Air Force’s all women White Squadron”, rescuing many wounded from the front lines.

The evening continued with a poem I recited for the group (for your reference, published below).

Further, I would like to mention few more names of famous Romanian women:
– Eng. Aurora Gruescu (1914-2005) was the world’s first female forestry engineer as well as the first Romanian person in the Guinness Book
– Mathematician Silvia Creangă (1894-1952) was the first female in Romania mastering the PHD in mathematics
– Physicist Ștefania Mărăcineanu (1882-1944) was an internationally renowned Romanian chemist and physicist who formulated theories about radioactivity, artificial radioactivity and the process of artificial rainfall
– Architect Virginia Andreescu Haret (1894–1962) was a Romanian architect and is credited as the first woman to graduate with a degree in architecture in Romania. She is also the first woman to reach the rank of Romanian Architectural Inspector General.

Also, since Women’s Day is an international celebration, here are few additional names of famous women of the world:
– Dr. Emily Howard Stowe (1831-1903) was the first female doctor to practice in Canada and an activist for women’s rights and suffrage
– Bertha Wrenham Wilson (1923-2007) was a Canadian jurist and the first female Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
– Irène Joliot-Curie (1897-1956) was a French scientist, the daughter of Marie & Pierre Curie. Jointly with her husband, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1935 for discovery of artificial radioactivity
– Sameera Moussa (1917-1952) was an Egyptian nuclear physicist who held a doctorate in atomic radiation and worked to make the medical use of nuclear technology affordable to all
– Maria Goeppert Mayer (1906 -1972) was a German-born American theoretical physicist, and Nobel laureate in Physics for proposing the nuclear shell model of the atomic nucleus. She was the second female Nobel laureate in physics, after Marie Curie
– Jane Goodall (1934-today), formerly known Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist, seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees
– Maya Angelou (1928-2014), was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist.
Of course, the list of amazing women around the world is absolutely immense, but here (as I’ve said) I’ve mentioned only very few.

Then, our evening together continued with lots of talks about our mothers as well, and with that in mind, here are several songs & poems I’ve referred to knowing that all are very near and dear to many Romanians’ hearts:
Songs: “A venit aseară mama” (a song based on a poem composed by Vasile Militaru) | “Măicuţă, îţi mulţumesc!” (a song interpreted by Dan Spătaru) |

“Mulţumesc, iubită mamă!” (a song interpreted by Mirabela Dauer) | “Mama, doar mama” (a song interpreted by Corina Chiriac)
Poems (audio): “Mama” (poem composed by Nicolae Labiş) | “Mama” (poem composed by George Coşbuc) | “M-a crescut mama în poală” (poem composed by Nina Casian) | “Făptura Mamei” (poem composed by Grigore Vieru) | “Mi-e dor de tine mamă” (poem composed by Grigore Vieru)

We ended the session on a very pleasant note, wishing each other lots of heart-felt greetings for a peaceful spring to come!

● Previous events I organized on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’s Day – 2021, 2020, 2019

● Some of my additional greetings referring to  the same matter: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’s Day – 2021, 2020, 2019

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

March 8, 2022: Happy INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's Day!

International Women's Day (observed each year on March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women throughout the world, evolving over time and becoming what it is today.  

It has been recognized all across that women are pillars of strengths, able to stand by your side during your hardships, always willing to help the best way they can (being like a silver lining in your darkest clouds), and kindly cheering you during your successes.

I guess that March 8^th is the only day of the year when women of this planet are thinking the same, regardless of their nationality, social status, weight, culture, or any other differences society or nature may plant in between them & this is simply beautiful! I wish that women would never forget how valuable their contribution is!

Wishing all the women I know a very happy, healthy & safe International Women’s Day, filled with goodness, warmth and lasting happiness!

● A brief article I wrote about women: "Being WOMAN"
● My previous greetings on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's Day – 2021, 2020, 2019
NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

March 1, 2022: “Mărțișor”

I wish that the coming spring will wrap your soul with the fresh and rejuvenating fragrances of its splendid flowers, reminding you what it means to smile, to be good, to be kind, to be grateful, to love and to be loved! 

I wish that you would open your souls to that as the fresh flowers open their petals to be caressed by the sun’s rays. Blissful spring, dear ones!

● Refresher: brief background info about “Mărțișor”

“Mărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year, on March 1st.

The name Mărțișor is a diminutive of March (“Martie” in Romanian language). It is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year. Not long ago, in the countryside, people used to celebrate the “Mărțișor” by hanging a red and white string at their gate, window, cattle's horn and shed to protect them against the evil spirits and to invoke nature's regenerative power.

In eastern Romania (Moldova and Bucovina), the red and white string was complemented with a small (gold or silver) coin. After wearing the coin for twelve days, the women would buy fresh cheese with it hopping that their skin would be healthy and beautiful the entire year.

According to archaeological research, the “Mărțișor” traces its history more than 8,000 years ago. Some ethnologists believe that the “Mărțișor” celebration has Roman origins, others support the theory that it is an old Dacian tradition.

In ancient Rome, the New Year's was celebrated on the 1st of March. March ('Martius') was named in the honor of a Roman god, called “Mars”. Mars was not only the god of war but also the god of agriculture, which contributes to the rebirth of vegetation. It seems that the Dacians also celebrated the New Year's on the first day of March. Ample spring celebrations were consecrated to this event.

In the old times, “Mărțișor” (Ro: “mărțișoare”) were made of small river pebbles, colored in white & red, stringed on a thread & worn around the neck, to bring good luck & good weather, from 1 March until the first trees would bloom. When the first trees were flowering the Mărțișor were hanged on tree branches.

Nowadays, on March 1st, Romanians buy silky red-white threads (Ro: “șnur”) tied into a bow to which a small trinket is attached and offer them to their (female) family members, friends and colleagues to show friendship, respect or admiration.”

The cultural practices associated to the 1st of March in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania (“Mărțișor”) were inscribed in 2017 on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

● My previous greetings on the same theme: “Mărțișor” – 2021, 2020, 2019

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

February 24, 2022: “DRAGOBETE” Day

We all know that February is clearly a month when love is in the air, in anticipation of the spring to come. And, DRAGOBETE is another great occasion to celebrate love in all its varieties. But unlike Valentine's Day, DRAGOBETE (lovers' day in Romania) is not only about roses, heart-shaped chocolate, jewelry, and love letters; it is more about being tender to your significant other by showing them your appreciation and love not through material objects but rather through your attention and presence, which is truly beautiful! This celebration offers the world an additional perspective on Romania’s rich cultural heritage, mystical folklore and old traditions.

Whether single or married, DRAGOBETE is a festival for the entire community, which comes together to celebrate love and the fecundity of spring, since this traditional custom brings something for everyone and that’s what makes it such a joyful event. Happy “DRAGOBETE”, dear ones!

Wishing you a warm, lovely and peaceful day, as well as a fragrant spring to come!

● My previous greetings on the same theme: “DRAGOBETE” Day – 2021, 2020

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

February 14, 2022: Happy VALENTINE’s Day!

 Wishing you a day filled with Happiness, Love, Peace, Gratitude and Kindness!
JOY  is  the  song  of  the  heart!

● My previous greetings on the same theme: VALENTINE's Day – 2021, 2020, 2019

LOVE & the approaching Spring of 2022

~ Romanian literary evening featuring Valentine’s Day, “Dragobete” & “Mărțișor” ~

Time is passing by faster than we realize taking us a bit closer to spring, and with this in mind, on Sunday (February 13’22) I was happy to put together our annual gathering featuring Love, the rebirth of nature & few traditional highlights - Valentine’s Day, “Dragobete” & “Mărțișor”.

Aside of that, at this time, lots of social restrictions are still in place in our province so the on-line approach has been adopted again.  

VIDEO-CLIP

After my introductory remarks were delivered, I opened the evening with a short
VIDEO-CLIP I’ve created for the occasion, emphasizing the chosen concepts in a descriptive manner, while warming up the group conversation to come.

I was glad to notice that this was well received by my guests.

Then our program continued and my friends shared openly their thoughts in a relaxed and relaxing fashion, from heart to heart, from soul to soul, from mind to mind.

That evening, our dear friend Dorina, reminded us few old legends (including the "Legends of the Snowdrop flower" - published in comments) that we all enjoyed.

Bringing back plenty of dear memories and expressing personal perspectives in a simple, authentic and genuine manner, brought upon us all a very satisfying sense of peace and inner joy, which I’m very appreciative of.

Extrapolating, I would like to refresh that according to notable scholars, Love is the most powerful force that people are capable of, and here are some concepts:

- The highest form of Love is the unconditional love…this is encompassing “charity”, “compassion” and “the love of & for the Creator”

- It has been observed that more often than not, love is more important than money

- Multiple studies have shown that people with less love in their lives are more likely to feel depressed (love is probably the best anti-depressant, because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved)

- Understand that love is a learned skill, not something that comes from hormones or emotions; it is “an act of will”, based on good communication that helps people feel known and understood (we all know that there are always core differences between people, no matter how good or close they are, but having a good communication in place, it is much easier to find the common ground that works well for all parties involved).

Also, I’ve noticed that during our evening together, comments frequently drifted toward the significance of friendships in our lives, and my guests mentioned that for them having good friends is also important and meaningful, perspective that I totally agree with.

Additionally, here are few remarks about the importance of friendships in our lives, as issued by academics who studied human relations extensively:

- Friendships could feel as close as family, and (just as with family) it takes work (such as: spending quality time together, helping and encouraging each other, being honest with each other, etc.) if you want to build and maintain a lifelong relationship 
- Love, Friendship and Respect bring people together, but ONLY the mutual respect makes the friendship survive a long period of time
- Sharing interests is a key component to a lasting friendship (for instance, sharing similar hobbies or world views would be far more important than having the same taste in clothing or coffee)

- In order to stabilize and grow a relationship, you need to maintain regular contact….either you meet in person or call each other (checking frequently is a proof that you care and at the same time it allows for deeper conversations to happen rather than just basic updates)

- Being available when your friend invites you to an activity it is crucial in order to keep the friendship going (we all know often life gets busy & it is easy to get so wrapped up in our daily routine & friends usually understand that, but if you are always too busy for your friend then you might need to re-evaluate your priorities).

To further accentuate the importance of friends in our lives, in the comments section is an article to this regard…in essence, it is the story of an old man diagnosed with a terminal disease, who went back to his birthplace, and by reconnecting with his roots as well as good old friends he managed to completely revert his illness.
A truly inspiring article (and here is the relating video) featuring a real life situation. Additionally, here is another short video with a similar message.

In closing, as I wrap up my briefing, I would like to share that despite the fact the our gathering that evening was rather cozy, our talks were ample and enjoyable, proving once again that in a busy world it is truly amazing to find few souls with whom you could entertain talks about the philosophy of life.

Definitively, a beautiful evening filled with lots of special moments and for these I’m sending along my most sincere appreciation to each participant who responded to my invitation. Until next time, my warmest regards to all for a pleasing spring to come!

Alice

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 

● Previous events I organized on the same concepts: Love, Spring &“Mărțișor”– 2021, 2020, 2019

● Some of my additional greetings referring to VALENTINE's Day – 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 

"Mărțișor" – 2021, 2020, 2019   | "DRAGOBETE" – 2021, 2020

NOTE: Dear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed). 

A World of PEACE

These days, carefully observing what it going on throughout the entire world, it is absolutely impossible not to take a much closer look at the concept of PEACE – at its true meaning, relevance and significance, both at the personal and social levels.

Before sharing with you few thoughts on this, I would like to refresh that in the words of the ancient Greek philosophers, world peace refers to a place where all people live in physical and mental harmony with each other, true peace being considered as one of the most important human values. It doesn’t sound very complicated, but for a reason or another, humanity was always struggling to achieve it and maintain it for long periods of time. But, why? I’m sure we all agree that on this planet, all people and nations deserve to live in a state of peace that is both ideal and just, understanding that this is the only way to bring prosperity and growth to any society. And despite this basic fact, if we flip through the world’s history book, we are completely astonished by the huge number of wars that occurred since this planet came into existence. There have been way too many wars, and they each led to human suffering in numerous situations.

Given that nothing develops during stormy periods, we all could agree that peaceful and harmonious societies are necessary for achieving economic stability, political strength and cultural growth.

According to many elders of the world, we need to keep in mind that in order to proclaim peace to others, we have to have it within ourselves otherwise how could you possibly communicate it to others in a genuine manner?  Yes, peace is also personal, and it helps people eliminate chaos and anxiety, while helping them achieve tranquility in order to make their lives better.

While wars destroy and disrupt everything, peace builds and restore. A world without violence is a world of peace, where nations collaborate with one another.
By world peace we all understand a definite end to various fights all together. Also, peace is the major belief of most religions’ of the world, isn't it?!

Since ancient times, poverty and destruction of human lives have all resulted in lots of peace talks, reflected in economic progress, human development and global peace processes, and without any doubt the global peace might’ve been continuous if these systems have been strengthened.

Historians clearly emphasize that every society requires a peaceful and secure environment, since this is fundamental to their economic and social development, as well as providing their people with rights to have their opinions heard and respected, because peaceful and secure environments enhance development throughout any society. Lots of academic and very well researched peace studies include extensive investigations into nonviolence, alternative dispute resolution, conflict management, effective conflict resolution and violence prevention.

At the personal level, each individual could practice active listening with the intend of understanding not reacting (most of the time for selfish purposes), or being helpful to others when something needs to be done, comprehend more (and be less judgemental), and so on….books are full of thousands of useful tips on how you could become more peaceful, inside out. Peace is necessary not only for progress in life, but for a good health too. A peaceful mind can do good work, and if you manage to create a peaceful environment only then life will unfold properly.

“There is no way to peace; PEACE is the way.”

Observations

When we enter the world, we are absolutely at peace with ourselves, totally unaware of what is awaiting us in this special journey, called “life”. But the magic of worldly life begins to unfold gradually.

Despite the fact that each person has been granted goodness to begin with, unfortunately, some are slowly enfolded in the wraps of desire, greed and lust which in turn fill them with arrogance and anger, beginning to lose their peace of mind, patience, humanity, love and compassion, as the ugliness of stress and anxiety steadily build up into their beings.

Others, turn into kind, sincere, good and cheerful people, who instead of envying they choose to appreciate, who instead of discouraging they learned how to restore hope, to inspire trust and to stimulate courage.
Here I’m talking about those beautiful people who instead of looking arrogantly, cold, empty, superiorly or ignoring, they give a warm helpful hand, offering unconditional support, in a loving, discreet and simple manner. I simply love those ones! Most of the time, they are the ones who like to take care of flowers, they admire the flights of birds and don’t crush any ants under their foot, they peacefully contemplate a sunrise or a sunset, they enjoy the clear skies or the stars, they take time to listen to the waves of the ocean, to the sound of the wind, or to the rustle of the forest. Yes, I’m referring to those beautiful people who live life with enthusiasm and gratitude, with meaning and grace, with honesty and dignity. I strongly believe that it is important to be aware of the magical charms of this world, to protect ourselves from going astray, and to offer ourselves (and to each other) stress free lives, filled with kindness.

In my opinion, it does help to smile at every chance we get, not because life has been easy, perfect or exactly as we anticipated, but because we choose to be happy and grateful for all the good things we each have in our lives and all the problems we know that we don’t have.

Every new day comes with a new beginning...make it bright!