Your Soul Food for Winter Solstice 2024

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

A Solstice Blessing by Padriag O’ Tuama:

As night stretches here,
day contracts elsewhere.
And in their night, we are
bathed in light. In all nights
there is light, in long days
there can be ache too.
For you, we call the sun
to stand still a while, and
the moon too, and stars, and
the waters and the heavens.
Hells as well — just for a
second, just for a breath.
May that breath rest you.
And may each breath rest you,
as it has until now, and now
and now. This one, after
that one, after that one after
that.

A simple exercise from Yale’s Happiness Lab will help you make decisions that lead to long-term happiness:
The creator of Yale’s popular class discusses how to transform your self-talk, change how you experience stress, and create space for serendipity.

How to make better decisions for long-term happiness- Fast Company

Volunteering Over the Holidays?
Altruism is indeed “enlightened self-interest”

For those that know, no words are necessary.

For those that don’t know, no words will suffice.

But the data is in:

Altruism improves happiness and well-being, research finds – The Washington Post

13 marvelous images from the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards:
A polar bear sits seemingly unbothered by a heavy snowstorm pummeling down. Photographer Daniel Valverde Fernandez captured the moment (seen above) the bear gave a vigorous shake to send the powder flying into the swirling winds.

13 marvelous images from the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards | Popular Science

Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season!

Love,

Neville

“Start by doing what’s necessary;

then do what’s possible;

and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

St. Francis of Assisi