A Chance for Happiness London Mental Health Week

Everyone has a story that will break your heart. And, if you're really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring you to your knees. —Brené Brown

It was towards the end of a sunny, golden September in 2014, when our 18-year old daughter Lisa Louise, like so many others, decided to end her life on this planet. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people between 15-29 in Europe. LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/dcF7Mtig

Sometimes, until it's at your front door, you don't think about it enough. Channel 5 News www.facebook.com/C5News/videos/1825120120845791 Every 40 seconds, someone dies by suicide worldwide, with suicide attempts being even more frequent, and every 50 seconds someone is left behind, asking "why?" Why are so many people losing faith in life at a time when more of us are doing better than ever before? It's a question most of us would rather continue to avoid.

Initially, as a family, we were speechless. Lisa had been nothing but a whirlwind of light in our lives. But instead of stumbling into deepest darkness, we wanted to respond as constructively as possible. So we founded A Chance for Happiness Foundation, a registered non-profit charity in Austria, supporting relevant projects, large and small, in the following areas: 1. Enjoyment of life and personal development (happiness research), 2. Intelligent anti-bullying initiatives, 3. Suicide prevention (transgenerational transmission) and 4. Grief counseling for "orphaned families".

Following in the footsteps of the last decades' successful international initiatives regarding cancer and HIV/AIDS, our main aim is to encourage an up to date discussion about the worldwide phenomenon of increasing suicide – not just on the margins, but at the center of society, where it belongs. Because as soon as we start to talk about things openly, we'll find better solutions than what we've had so far.

Meanwhile, A Chance for Happiness Foundation has been a member of World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) since 2018 and has organized annual charity events benefitting Mental Health in Velden am Wörthersee, Austria 2017, Vienna, Austria 2018, Paris, France 2019, Monaco 2020 and – following the global Covid break – at Laxenburg Castle near Vienna, Austria 2022.

This year, we are getting ready for A Chance for Happiness London Mental Health Week October 3-10, 2023 and invite everyone to join us: actors, performers, artists, musicians, singers, dancers, authors, poets, storytellers, sponsors, providers of prizes and services, volunteers and more. Simply let us know how you wish to participate and we'll make you part of a week of brilliant talks and discussions, workshops and seminars, music, art and fun. And those who are unable to attend in person can always send their video greetings, maybe even including a performance. Our response is never "no" but rather "how can we make it happen?" Please get in touch at office at topcontext dot com.

We'd be delighted if you allowed yourself to be inspired to participate in this remarkable project in any way you see fit. It's about the essence of life itself and all of our experiences with it. Nothing more, nothing less. And presenting this important common theme as nothing gloomy and dark anymore, but turning it into a colorful and uplifting social event is, as far as we know, a worldwide premiere.

BUT: This is by far our most challenging project yet, and we know we need all the financial support we can possibly have. So please help us making this happen with your personal contribution, too, no matter how small or large, and invite your family and friends to do the same. Joining in won't be breaking any of our banks, even a little from many always amounts to a lot, and chances are we'll be forever glad we did.

Against all odds, against all handicaps, against the chamber of horrors we call history, man has continued to dream and to depict its opposite. That is what we have to do. We do not escape into philosophy, psychology, and art – we go there to restore our shattered selves into whole ones. —Anaïs Nin

Because every day is A Chance for Happiness

#achanceforhappiness #ACFHinternational

Donations account Austria IBAN: AT94 3939 0000 0050 9976 BIC: RZKTAT2K390

Certified first responders for First Aid for the Soul www.erstehilfefuerdieseele.at

Regular charity art exhibitions and auctions at www.yumpu.com/user/achanceforhappiness

Coming to screens around the world www.achanceforhappiness.museum

Member of #worldfederationformentalhealth #WFMH