Spreading the Way to Happiness at Memphis Stone Soul Picnic

Common sense booklets which provide information on how to live better to be distributed at Stone Soul Picnic in Memphis. 

Saturday, August 31, from 1-10pm, Memphis residents and others from around the country will “surry” on down to the Stone Soul Picnic. As this is the 39^th annual event and Memphis’ longest-running outdoor festival, it has gained popularity and attention as an institution in the city.

The picnic is a gospel-loving, family-friendly occasion. In past years, the picnic has brought such luminaries as Johnnie Taylor, Shirley Caesar and Al Green. This year's event will be held at the historical Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in Downtown Memphis and expects over 15,000 in attendance.

While the festival always brings people together for a great time, this year will go a step further to help promote good lifestyle choices with a booklet that is being distributed called “The Way to Happiness.”

The Way to Happiness was written by author, humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1981 to address these problems and to provide a path that can be followed by any person of any background, culture or creed to attain a happier, more prosperous and more fulfilling life.

 “Viewed from almost any perspective, the world today suffers from a moral and ethical crisis of epidemic proportions,” according to the website scientology.org. “Beneath society’s rampant crime and drug abuse, corporate greed, political misconduct and international conflict lie the root problems of dishonesty and immorality.”

Those distributing the booklet report that when it is distributed in communities afflicted by violence, gangs and racism, it has brought calm and peace. The booklet has been used in thousands of prisons and its message has restored self-respect among the most hardened criminals, guiding them onto the path to becoming useful and contributing members of society.

More than 100 million copies have since been distributed in 205 countries and territories since its initial publication in the early 1980s. By participating in the Stone Soul Picnic, organizers hope to reach people that might not be reached any other way. “We go to where people are in order to get this message out there,” says Chris Hays who organizes the Tennessee chapter, “In this fast-paced media age, there are many conflicting messages of right and wrong, but by placing effective answers in someone’s hand they can change around their life for the better.”

To learn more about The Way to Happiness, visit thewaytohappiness.org. For more information about the Stone Soul Picnic, visit Memphis.about.com.