Your Soul Food for the Week of the Spring Equinox and Nowruz 2024: Spring Forward, Be Happy!

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I wrote down ‘happy’.

They told me I didn’t understand the assignment,

and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

–John Lennon

Spring Forward in this New Season of Life-

What the 3,500-Year-Old Holiday of Nowruz Can Teach Us in 2024:

What the 3,500-year-old holiday of Nowruz can teach us in 2024 (bbc.com)

Spring Equinox with Billy S:

Aloha Friends,
The spring equinox is on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 8:06 pm PDT. This moment begins the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Translated literally, equinox means “equal night”. On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. Twelve hours of each, because the sun is positioned above the equator.
It is also known as the vernal equinox, “vernal” means fresh or new, and is from the Latin word for spring, which is “ver.”

On this day, the sun rises precisely due east and sets due west. The spring equinox signifies a rebirth. The duration of light is about to overtake the darkness.
After the spring equinox, the days become longer and the air warmer. The soil becomes fertile, and all hibernating life is re-animated. It is a time to plant seeds of growth.

The spring equinox is a time of renewal – in nature, the home, and in us. More than just physical activity, “spring cleaning” removes any negative energy accumulated over the dark winter months and resonates with the positive growing energy of spring and summer.
The spring equinox is a time where there is a special quality of energy – to plant, grow and renew our lives. Energy is emerging from the ground where it has been dormant in the earth since the winter solstice.
Wishing you a special day, symbolic of balance in our life and with the environment.
Stay in tune with nature and wellness.

Confront the Brutal Facts but Always Stay Hopeful-

We need to take our post-pandemic mental health crisis seriously:
We are a nation in psychological turmoil. Two juveniles were charged recently in the 48th mass shooting in 2024 at the Kansas City Chiefs parade. This is a wakeup call to address the mental health of the nation.

We need to take our post-pandemic mental health crisis seriously | The Hill

The U.S. is no longer among the world’s 20 happiest countries:
The World Happiness Report is out, and once again the Nordic countries are humming along with the highest scores. Finland ranks first.

These are the world’s happiest countries in 2024 | CNN

California just formed a happiness committee. Here’s why.
A new committee in the Legislature holds its first hearing to figure out how to make residents happier. Chairperson Anthony Rendon says he’s wanted to take on the topic since watching the documentary “Happy” 14 times in two days.

California Legislature wants to promote happiness- CalMatters

Want To Feel Happier? Try Out These 7 ‘Micro-Acts’ Of Joy
Experts explain the science behind how these little positive habits can make a big difference.

These Expert-Backed Micro-Acts of Joy Will Make You Feel Happier | HuffPost Life

Thanks this week go to Billy S, Zoroastrians everywhere, and all of you helping practice and model happiness..

Please spring forward with good words, good thoughts, and good deeds!

Love,

Neville