This is the week of Setsubun. Maybe you remember when you were young. You throw beans at the devils and yell, “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi”. We all hope that the devil goes out, and that good luck comes in. It is a very nice celebration, and a custom that has a very good meaning too.

I am not from your country, but I am very interested in this idea. I like that we should put bad luck, and bad things, outside our homes. I also like that we welcome good luck to come in our homes too.

At the beginning of February the winter feels a little long. We are all looking forward to a new spring season. It is not great to feel like we cannot go outside easily. It is cold and it feels good to stay inside. But to stay inside too long is not so good either. We need a fresh air, and we all need for spring to come soon. Many cultures all over the world have this same feeling, especially when we come close to spring time. Many religions have a ceremony to push out the devil and to welcome in the good spirit of new life.

Do you have some bad energy, or some bad feeling you want to push out? Do you feel tired? Do you feel like you are heavy and have no motivation? Do you feel like your world is dark? Maybe you should think about some of the things you want to change. Do you have a bad habit of staying up too late? Are you looking at your computer or cell phone too much? Are you having some trouble at school or with friends? Maybe this is a good time to change a few things. Put away the screens of computers and cell phones. Walk outside in the sun and the wind. If you have bad relations with people, think about ways to make them better. Or, if you need to, make some new friends too.

What are some new things you want to come into your life? Do you want more energy? Do you want to try a new hobby? Do you want to see something new? Do you want to experience something new? This is a good time to bring some new energy into your life. Do something new. Try something new. Break your bad habit. Break your regular routine.

We can feel some new change in nature around us. The wind is a little warmer today than last week. We can feel that spring is ready to come. The sun is a little warmer. The air is a little lighter. The day is a little longer. There are promises of new things in spring. New flowers will come. A new season will come. What will make your new season great?

Also, right now, the high school students in the third year are working very hard at their new season. They are studying so hard. They are working so hard. They are ready for a new energy to come to them, and for a new adventure to take them to colleges and universities. Of course, we are very happy for them, and deeply proud of their progress. We wish you great luck in the weeks coming. We wish great luck and fortune to come for you too.

Setsubun is a great reminder for us that many things change. Change can be good for us. It is natural and it is the way of our world. Nothing stays the same. Nothing is forever. We wake up each new day with a new challenge. We begin each day with a new hope and with new plans. We start each new day with an empty white page. We write our plans and make our wish.

Push out the devil. Welcome in the new hope!