Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name:  Find Your KindEpisode #9: “The Simplicity of Kindness”

“Hello and welcome back! You are listening to Find Your Kind the podcast with your host Delaney Janks. You’re currently listening to this podcast on the Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network where students publish content to share with the world. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and mine alone. In this episode, “The Simplicity of Kindness”, I’ll be wrapping up everything I’ve talked about in my previous episodes and discuss some final “kind acts” you can do in your everyday life.

Segment 1: Importance

1. One of the best ways to increase our own happiness is to do things that make other people happy.
2. Generosity and compassion have been linked to greater life satisfaction, better mental and physical health, stronger bonds, and generous people even live longer.
3. The happiness people derive from expressing kindness to others creates a positive feedback loop: with the more positive feelings you feel after showing kindness, you’ll have the urge to continue that kindness.
4. When you are kind to someone else, they’ll be more likely to pass that kindness along to others.
5. Just because we have the capacity for kindness and clearly reap real benefits from it, doesn’t mean that we always act with kindness.
6. Think of kindness as a muscle that can be strengthened through repeated use. 

Segment 2:  Things You Can Do

With a little creativity, the areas where you can exert kindness are endless. So here are a few “random” ideas that can be done whenever:

1. Think about helping a stranger. It’s often the smallest actions that have the biggest impact.
2. Try smiling more at strangers. How does it feel when someone smiles at you? In most cases, it makes you happier and you probably smile back. It’s harder to be upset when you’re smiling.
3. Simply using manners is a way to express kindness. When you say “please” when you ask for something, maybe to a waiter, cashier, or stranger, it changes the tone of request and instead of making a demand, you’re being courteous. This also makes them more likely to want to help you.
4. You can always try letting someone go ahead of you in line. If you notice the person behind you has less items than you, your cart is full, and you’re not rushing anywhere, why not let them go ahead? It will save them time, and they’ll also be surprised by your kindness. 
5. You can also try sending real greeting cards to people rather than contacting them through your phone or social media. You can also consider sending more random cards letting someone know you’re thinking of them and miss them..
6. Instead of holding onto it and possibly forgetting it, why not make someone’s day? You can put it in a collection tin you see in a store, in tip jars, and even in parking meters. 
7. Even though kindness can be an action, it can also be the absence of an action. When you don’t fall for wrong actions knowingly, like gossip that deals with bullying or complaining about rude behavior, you are being kind to someone. 

Segment 3:  Wrap Up

1. Kindness is being friendly, considerate, generous and good, not only to others, but also to the world and to yourself.
2. Kindness is not weakness. It’s simplicity considering others and also thinking how you’d want to be treated in situations. 
3. When it comes to being kind, the main thing to always consider is to open your eyes and stay active when you see people in need. 
4. You should never be kind with the expectation of receiving something in return. 
5. Ingrid Newkirk: “The wonderful thing is that it’s so incredibly easy to be kind”. 

Music Credits: 

• Creek Whistle by Steve Adams
• Reasons to Hope by Reed Mathis
• Tropic by Anno Domini Beats

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