March 20, 2022: SPRING Equinox & World Happiness Day

 Blossom by blossom a new spring just arrived…enjoy it, dear friends! 

March 20, 2022 (Spring Equinox) officially marks the first day of spring in Northern Hemisphere, & at this time I wish you allow the bright sun to shower you with its warmth.

Classical music for SPRING (audio)

Also, on March 20, 2022, the entire world is observing the International Day of Happiness.

“Right now, across the world, there are many crisis situations, including those in Ukraine, Yemen, Gaza, and elsewhere. Focusing on happiness is becoming increasingly difficult. So, today, on International Day of Happiness, let's remind ourselves and everyone around us that our actions matter, and that each one of us, no matter where we are, can contribute to a more compassionate world. ”

● My previous greetings on the same themes: SPRING Equinox & World HAPPINESS Day – 2021, 2020, 2019

Alice’s Book Club – WINTER session of 2022

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. 

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).