Alice’s Book Club – SPRING session of 2022

As the current season is nicely unfolding, on Friday (May 20’22) we had a brief spring session for my book club series, this time discussing “marriage”.  A nice and pleasant on-line gathering together with our core group of dear friends.

To everybody’s delight, this evening Sandu Oprea (who holds a qualification in Psychopedagogy) presented us a concise material called: “The secret of a happy marriage” based on which our group discussions further evolved.

My guests this evening were a mix of several generations, and as you can imagine, the chosen topic was on everybody’s reach, leading to meaningful debates, filled with timeless wisdom and practical tips. 

Respecting the privacy of the personal matters discussed, here are only few thoughts of general interest as well as some additional concepts issued by scholars, which might benefit the interested reader/s:

- A successful marriage is based on several solid pillars, such as: love, mutual respect, loyalty, effective communication, trust, good listening skills, patience, compassion, commitment, help and honesty

- If you want to have a strong marriage it is essential to be optimistic, grateful & share responsibilities

- By being willing to learn what marriage is about and what are the most important things in your marriage, you could determine how to enjoy married life and how to further solidify your marital relationship

- In order to have a happy marriage it is important to work in unison, not against each other

- During lifetime, every marriage goes through ups and downs, but in order to create a solid foundation and even out the eventual rough patches for a long-term happy marriage, make sure you understand the true meaning of marriage and when it is necessary, clearly express your love to your spouse

- The relationship needs to grow and evolve with steps taken into the right direction from both partners

- If you wish to have a solid marriage then it is essential to create a deep connection with your partner

- Without any doubt, marriage is one of the biggest commitments in life, and it requires love and a lot of hard work, patience and wisdom to make it successful

- Couples should enter marriage with realistic expectations, adopt a problem-solving approach and openly discuss their wants and needs with each other

- No single factor and no special event can make a marriage work…partners need to work at lacking aspects and progressively, improve them every day

- A happy, healthy and successful marriage has a number of important elements beyond love; it means the couple understands the traits of honest compromising, the implications of vulnerability, and again, the paramount significance of mutual respect & good communication

- A marriage is a union of souls, but it may not be necessary for those two souls to be the same as each other. Differences would be imminent no matter how much we look for similarities when searching for a life partner. It’s how you work with those differences that take a marriage forward.

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 warmest regards to all!

Alice

“It is the fragile threads of love and sharing, which sew people together through years of marriage.”

May 2022: Happy MOTHER’s Day!

Mother’s Day (annually celebrated on the second Sunday of May) is a very special time of the year when most countries of the world honor motherhood. 

This is also a great opportunity to be reminded that a mother is the first teacher for every child, being a symbol of genuine affection and care.

To all beautiful mothers out there: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

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

4 Years Anniversary of ALICE & FRIENDS CIRCLE™

Romanian literary evening featuring 4^th year anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™

as well as Mutual Respect & Loyalty

With much appreciation I’m sharing that on Wednesday (May 4, 2022) we celebrated the fourth anniversary of ALICE & Friends Circle™, together with the core friends of our literary & socio-cultural group. Even-though this event occurred during a regular week day, for us it was special because it offered a good occasion to ponder and appreciate what life has to offer.

On the other hand, despite the fact that nowadays the pandemic related restrictions are more relaxed in our society, for everybody’s convenience, I chose again the online approach. 

Further commenting about our meeting on May 4^th, I’m glad to brief that after my opening remarks were delivered, I presented my guests a comprehensive slide show (below are published only few highlights), amongst other things, reiterating several beautiful moments of togetherness occurred over the last 4 years at our gatherings. Needless to say that those memories filled my heart with so much gratitude!   

Then all my friends that evening expressed their feelings and conclusions about our Circle, about our activities and about future projects.
Everyone was happy that we made it so far as a well-organized and smooth-running group.

Additionally, our discussions referred to the significance of mutual respect & loyalty, concepts most of us pay close attention to, and our dear friend Dorina read for the group an interesting material about respect (which is published in comments section).

Also, as I usually do, below I’m sharing with you only several highlights of the evening as well as few supplementary points, while keeping the confidentiality of the personal matters discussed:

● Few thoughts about the significance of MUTUAL RESPECT

- Mutual respect means to treat others the way you would like to be treated

- Mutual respect creates harmony & it is a key concept in keeping relationships alive and healthy

- In order to show someone respect, first you must be able to show respect for yourself, but be aware that showing respect only for yourself and diminishing others it is considered an unhealthy narcissistic behaviour

- In today’s world, where disrespect has become the norm and acceptable in our daily lives (unfortunately), mutual respect seems like an elusive goal. Sadly, many people take the concept of respect for granted and fail to put it into practice

-  Treating another with respect means having a belief in every human being’s dignity

- Mutual respect is the way of showing a polite attitude and decent etiquette that creates a positive environment

- Crossing boundaries in a relationship is totally disrespectful & unacceptable

- Respect is a two-way street…in order to gain respect, you have to be a giver of respect as well

- There’s a basic level of respect that we should show for everyone, regardless of the circumstances

● Few thoughts about the significance of LOYALTY

- Loyalty is one of the most important qualities in a person, and it is one of the most endearing and supreme morals of human society (past and present)

- Loyalty is one of the traits that people generally say is important to them in any relationships, be it romantic, friendship, business, or otherwise; yet some people, unfortunately, don't make it a priority or give it enough credit

- Loyalty is based on respect

- On a more personal level, loyalty stands for commitment and dedication to another, while allowing respect and trust to flourish

- Loyalty is important in both business and our personal lives.

                                    Besides, here are few links of some short materials I wrote some time ago about these concepts: 

                                    “Few insights about RESPECT & SINCERITY”  as well as “What is LOYALTY?”…enjoy the reading!

Characteristically, our group discussions were pleasant, genuine, making us completely forget the time. You all know how enjoyable it is to talk to people who are on the same wave length, right?! So, our evening together was not an exception, and we each liked every minute of it. 

Last but not least, before we adjourned for the evening, we toasted for our group, each raising a glass of champagne for our success, wishing each other only the best!

Also, the famous song called “La mulţi ani!” was referred to, this being practically an old melody which deeply warms our hearts each time we cheer it.

Moreover, given that on this part of the world people celebrate Mother’s Day (on May 8’22) at this time I’m sending along my warmest regards to all mothers who are part of ALICE & Friends Circle™ wishing them good health, joy and happiness!

Once again, dear ones, thank you so much for your loyalty, respect, support, encouragement and friendship along the way…you make my heat sing!

Until we meet again, my best wishes to each guest of this very special evening!

Alice 

"When we seek to discover the best in others, somehow we bring out the best in ourselves."

Mesaj personal din partea lui Alice, adresat la ceas aniversar

Dragii mei,

Doresc să vă mulțumesc şi pe această cale pentru că ați fost alături de mine într-un moment important, când împreună am putut să ne bucurăm de a patra-a aniversare a Cercului nostru literar şi socio-cultural!

Într-adevăr, timpul se scurge foarte repede şi ni se aduce aminte că pe nimeni nu omite.

Se spune că ”fericirea ne este menită tuturor. Fragilă ca un fluture, frumoasă ca o floare. Nu încape în versuri.
Se percepe în clipe şi locuieşte în inima noastră, dincolo de timp. ”

Deci, în măsura în care putem, fiecare să continuăm să semănăm frumosul în jurul nostru pentru că la vremea potrivită o să îi culegem roadele. 

"A spera, a căuta, a găsi, a continua..."

Cu preţuire,

Alice

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” AliceFriendsCircle.blogspot.com

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

● Previous anniversaries of ALICE & Friends Circle™ – 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). 

April 22, 2022: INTERNATIONAL EARTH Day

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events in more than 193 countries. The theme for year 2022 is “Invest in Our Planet”, focusing on engaging more than 1 billion people, governments, institutions, and businesses to recognize our collective responsibility and to help accelerate the transition to an equitable, prosperous green economy for all. 

Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. 

● Relating articles: “Invest in our planet” | “Today is Earth Day: here's 5+ things you can do to help our planet “
● My previous greetings on the same theme: INTERNATIONAL EARTH 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). 

April 2022: Happy EASTER!

 EASTER (Pascha) reminds us that hope should never be lost regardless of how dark the road may seem, because there is always Light at the end of it.

Wishing you Joy, Peace & Prosperity!

Also, at this time, early greetings to all my Romanian & Greek friends who will celebrate this holiday a week later. 

💮 HAPPY EASTER! 💮 PAŞTE FERICIT! 💮 FROHE OSTERN! 💮 ΚΑΛΌ ΠΆΣΧΑ! 💮 JOYEUSES PÂQUES! 💮 BUONA PASQUA! 💮 

● My previous greetings on the same theme: EASTER – 2021, 2020, 2019

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).