The Brain It On! Podcast
Your brain is the powerhouse behind your life, your relationships, and your ability to overcome challenges. On The Brain It On! Podcast, we explore practical ways to nurture your brain for optimal health and happiness. We delve into strategies to strengthen your connections with loved ones, build resilience, and navigate life's ups and downs with a focus on brain health. This podcast offers actionable tips, emotional regulation techniques, and a trauma-informed approach to help you thrive in all areas of life. Discover how understanding and caring for your brain can transform your relationships and empower you to face any challenge with confidence.
The Brain It On! Podcast
The Ripple Effect of Kindness
Ever experienced the unexpected joy of a thoughtful gesture? That’s exactly what happened when my brother took it upon himself to service and detail Thomas' car, reminding us of how small acts of kindness can profoundly touch our lives. We also delve into the story of Thomas' coworker Mistie, who surprised us with a generous bag of gifts from his fellow nurses, illustrating the strength and support of a community that stands together, even from afar. These heartfelt stories set a warm stage for our reflection on kindness and its power to inspire a wave of positivity.
As we uncover the ripple effect of kindness, we take you on a journey through inspiring anecdotes—like the comforting words of a nurse or a ukulele player's spontaneous hallway performance—that underscore the significance of making others feel valued and appreciated. We’re challenging you to reach out to someone with a message of gratitude, and see how this simple act can invigorate not only them but also you. These stories highlight how kindness can multiply, enhancing our lives in ways we might not have anticipated.
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, we reflect on the balance between digital convenience and genuine human connection. Despite the efficiency of mobile banking or self-checkout, we discuss the unique joy found in engaging with others, even if just through a smile or a simple interaction. Yet, when used thoughtfully, technology can also strengthen connections, as seen in our family FaceTime tradition that brings us closer despite distances. Supported by brain science, we explore how kindness is contagious and can boost happiness, urging us all to embrace the simple yet powerful acts of compassion in everyday life.
Additional Resources:
•Check out The Brain it On instagram page for more tips and pictures of our medical journey
Your brain is the powerhouse behind your life. On this podcast, we explore strategies to strengthen your connections, build resilience and navigate life's ups and downs, with a focus on brain health.
Speaker 2:Discover how understanding and caring for your brain can transform your relationships and empower you to face any challenge with confidence.
Speaker 1:Get ready to Brain it On. I'm Lindsay, a university instructor of human development and education.
Speaker 2:And I'm Thomas, a registered nurse.
Speaker 1:And welcome to Brain it On. In this episode we are going to dive deep into the power of human connection. We'll explore the incredible force of kindness, a force that can change lives, one act at a time. Let's get started. Hey everyone, Thanks for tuning in. I am so excited to be back podcasting again because it has been a couple weeks. We have missed being on the podcast. But we're back and I'm here with Thomas and it's so good to be reunited.
Speaker 2:It is so good to be reunited. It is so good to be reunited. It's nice to have you back in P-Town.
Speaker 1:I was in Bend if you listened to the last episode in Bend, oregon, recovering from a cold but feeling much better. I tag-teamed out with Thomas' mom, julie, so I have assumed the role of hanging out with you and making sure that you're healing along well, lucky you. I actually really enjoy being here we're continuing on the tradition of watching the Great British Baking Show, a tradition that you and your mom started when I was gone, so we're keeping that alive.
Speaker 2:I'm not ashamed, it's true, it's true, it's a fabulous show.
Speaker 1:We'll actually talk about it later in the episode because it really ties in to our topic of kindness. And another tie-in to kindness happened this morning because we were procrastinating, we were podcastinating.
Speaker 2:I mean royalties, every time you say that I need at least a nickel or something.
Speaker 1:Okay, we'll work it out after we're off air. But yes, it was really funny. We were wanting to record, we kept procrastinating on it, but then there were two things that happened this morning within literally five minutes of each other. That was just a sign that, okay, let's do it. It kind of gave us a little boost of energy, some encouragement and excitement. To talk about kindness, because two people really showed a lot of kindness to us this morning.
Speaker 2:Quite a morning, so why don't you tell them about your brother?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so at 10.14 am. I looked up what time it was. I don't just strangely remember people's times when they call. I looked up on my phone so it was at 10.14. My brother called and he was letting us know that he was going to take Thomas' car out and bend to have the oil changed. He replaced one of the fog lights in the front that needed replacing. He got the car washed. He did all of these things.
Speaker 2:What a bro.
Speaker 1:It was amazing. He even had to get jumper cables to start the car because the battery died and so he totally dialed out Thomas' car. Such a huge blessing that was unexpected. He even had to get jumper cables to start the car because the battery died and so he totally dialed out Thomas's car. Such a huge blessing. That was unexpected, yeah, and meanwhile at 10.19,.
Speaker 2:I think it was. You get a text message. Yeah, I got a text message from one of my coworkers. It was totally unexpected and, as you know, we live in Bend Oregon. Therefore, I've been working in Bend Oregon for the last, you know, five years. But my place of employment, all my fellow nurses and other medical folks that I work with are just awesome. But one of them is named Misty. She's a nurse that works on my unit.
Speaker 2:Texted me and said hey, I'm in Portland and I have a bag full of goodies from the nurses. Can I bring it to you somewhere? And I was like, oh my gosh, wow, that's amazing that she's up here. It's unfortunate that I can up here, that's you know. It's unfortunate that.
Speaker 2:I can't like give her a big giant hug and hang out and talk with her because you know I have to protect myself because my immune system like doesn't exist. So, yeah, she came and dropped it off at the front of the Ronald McDonald house here where we're staying, and Lindsay was able to go and grab it from her and I was able to wave and say hi from you know, a good 20 feet away. But uh, it was amazing, we in uh I, I thought it was going to be like maybe a trader joe's bag full of like snacks or something which I was so stoked for I had no idea what to expect. And then Lindsay's carrying it and I noticed that she's walking a little funny.
Speaker 1:Breaking a sweat, yeah.
Speaker 2:So we got all the way back up to the bar. Oh, by the way, I don't just make her carry stuff for me. I'm not allowed to lift more than 10 pounds.
Speaker 1:Here's my luggage. Yeah, that should be stated, it should be stated.
Speaker 1:Normally he carries groceries and he's quite the gentleman, but with his pick line in his arm, 10 pounds is the limit and this was a very heavy bag full of goodies. Such a huge act of kindness on the part of your coworkers. So when we got back to the room, unloaded the bags, I wanted to dig into the presents, but Thomas wanted to wait till Christmas. So they're under the tree. They look really, really sweet. And I looked at you and I said I think it's time. Are you ready? And you're like let's do it, Because the topic today is kindness, and what better way to start?
Speaker 2:the show off. How can we not do the podcast on a day where that kind of stuff happens? Oh, totally so. There's a sign for sure.
Speaker 1:So this episode goes out to Tommy and Misty and all of the coworkers Thomas has at Penn Surgery.
Speaker 2:Center. Love all of you guys.
Speaker 1:Another act of kindness. I'll throw one more in. There is our neighbor, Her name's Brittany, and she has been taking care of our cat, our fur baby, and she texted me pictures and a video of Kitty purring. You haven't seen it yet, but it was so sweet. She's just taking such excellent care of Kitty. She's over there twice a day.
Speaker 2:Brittany's a saint dude.
Speaker 1:Totally so, we have. I was texting with her this morning too. So all of these people who were demonstrating acts of service and kindness, and so we are just overwhelmed with gratitude and really excited to talk more about kindness, because we are feeling the love over here.
Speaker 2:For sure.
Speaker 1:Before we dive into the main content today, how about we do a health highlight?
Speaker 2:Health highlight, here it comes.
Speaker 1:Ah, I feel calmer already, isn't that nice. Should we do another one, just for good measure? We'll cut it off at two, but that was nice, so kind of a medical update. We hit day 50, which is a big deal. Is there an applause button?
Speaker 2:Yeah, there is, let me Button. Yeah, there is, let me.
Speaker 1:That is a live recording of all the nurses on 14K who were clapping for us. Not really I wish, but they would. They're the type of people who would clap for us, they would yeah.
Speaker 1:But it's a big deal. He got to day 50, so he is halfway to the 100-day mark. At day 100, we can go home and make Bend Organ our home base for treatment. At day 100, that's kind of where you're no longer in that danger zone. The first 100 days you can develop something called acute graft-first host disease, and so you really have to monitor someone closely as they're recovering. So I take Thomas's temperature two to three times a day. I have to do checks to make sure on his body that he doesn't have any rashes. And what did you say?
Speaker 2:I went the other day You've gone absolutely rash mad.
Speaker 1:So I was, she's really into hunting.
Speaker 2:rashes on me. Yes, it's one into hunting rashes on me.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's one of my hobbies now.
Speaker 2:I love it so much that you want to take care of me so much.
Speaker 1:Well, it's a big deal. They told me I'm supposed to monitor to make sure that a rash doesn't develop, because it can turn into something really bad where he could be treated in a burn unit. I mean, someone said that during the orientation for bone marrow transplant caregivers, so I think that's stuck in my head. So anyway, with that visual in mind, I take my job very seriously as a rash checker.
Speaker 2:And you take so many pictures and you send them in via MyChart. I feel like they may have blocked you.
Speaker 1:They might have.
Speaker 2:I think you're the first person that's ever been blocked on my chart.
Speaker 1:It might have been too much, no, but in all seriousness they were very nice and thanked me for being on top of things, you're doing a good job.
Speaker 1:Thank you, but I was made aware that, okay, his rash is only 1% of his body. When it gets to 20%, now we're going to the emergency room. So it was so helpful, I think, sometimes for us to get some context or to see the bigger picture, for someone to let us know little deal, big deal. This was one of those examples where it's helpful. It was helpful for me to know, okay, I don't have to be quite so diligent with all of the rash checking, but that's nice. Okay, I don't have to be quite so diligent with all of the rash checking, that's nice. That is nice. We've also been going on field trips.
Speaker 2:Thomas has been going on field trips, rather Going on car rides and field trips.
Speaker 1:He cannot go into stores because of his immune system, and so Thomas will go with me in the car to Costco or Target, but then he has to wait in the car.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but at least you leave me a bowl of water and crack the window so no one breaks the window to get me out and rescue me or anything. We learned that the hard way, so a lot better just to keep those windows cracked. People are kind right, they were doing it to save you, yeah, and if it happened again, it would be out of the kindness of their heart.
Speaker 1:It would. It's very expensive, though, so, as I mentioned before, Insurance doesn't quite understand they don't? They don't. When we get back to the apartment from our outings, our field trips, we have been watching the Great British Baking Show, as I mentioned before, and I think this is probably the closest thing to a Hallmark movie that you will watch with me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that may be true.
Speaker 1:I'm hoping that it's like a gateway show to Hallmark movies. So only time will tell.
Speaker 2:Now you've shown your hand.
Speaker 1:I have you lost the element of surprise. The thing that we love about it is that people are really supportive of one another on the show. So, although they're all competing to become the best baker, they help one another. If someone needs help with their bake, if it's falling over, or they need help with decorating, it's a very supportive environment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, at the end of the show, each episode, when someone has to leave, everybody just hugs everybody and it's just super heartwarming and it's just so pure and yeah, they're just such kind people.
Speaker 1:It reminded me of something that Bob Goff says. He's an excellent author and speaker. He talks about being compadres and not competitors, and I love that change in vernacular. So rather than thinking, like you know, we need to compete with one another I want to be the best in my field, or, you know, kind of pitting yourself against someone else, if you view people as your compadres, like your friends, then the environment and the tone can switch. So it's about helping each other and, um, you know, showing up for one another and encouraging them. And, fun fact, I looked up compadre and what that means. So compadre in spanish can be friend, but it also means godfather, so someone who, like you know, takes a mentoring role over someone else. So we talked about, um, you know, people being each other's godfathers. I did a godfather impersonation that I will not repeat here.
Speaker 2:Oh, that was so good.
Speaker 1:So I won't do my impression here. That way the listeners can just imagine the best version. Just assume that it was delightful.
Speaker 2:We'll give you a moment to imagine that, yeah. That was so good, wasn't it? Thank you, thomas, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:So, as we think about how we can be less competitive and more collaborative, I think that would probably be a good segue into this first point about the power of kindness. Shall we segue?
Speaker 2:Let's segue.
Speaker 1:To begin our discussion of the power of kindness. I think it's neat to think of kindness as a superpower. So when you say kindness, it sounds like a simple concept, but it can be quite profound, which is why I think it often gets overlooked in our current fast-paced world. But if you think of kindness as a superpower, it's something that can actually transform not just your own life but the lives of people around you, and it doesn't have to be big. So if you extend a helping hand, even if it's just smiling at someone, extending that warm smile or being a good listener, it can start to set off this chain reaction that can spread kindness far and wide. So I'm going to invite you to pause for a moment and imagine a time, or think about a time, when someone's kindness put a spring in your own step. Maybe it gave you the courage to face a challenge, something that you know. A coach or someone meaningful to you said something that was really encouraging, that helped you. Um, or maybe someone gave you a compliment that brightened your day. And now, every time you put on your orange tennis shoes, your running shoes, you think about that one really nice stranger who told you in Trader Joe's that they loved your shoes, which is something that I think of when I wear mine.
Speaker 1:And that's the power of kindness. It can lift us up, it can inspire us and motivate us to be better versions of ourselves. And that's exactly what happened to us this morning, having Tommy and Misty and our neighbor Brittany do those different acts of kindness towards us. It inspired us and gave us the effort and the energy to start recording again. And Thomas has been dealing with the nausea and the bone pain and all of these really challenging symptoms, which is why we have that podcast donation. It's not just because we want to keep binging Great British Bake Off Thomas, which is that is a reason, but Thomas has some legitimate health challenges right now. But it's beautiful the effect that kindness has on us. In fact, there was a moment in the hospital, remember, when Reese, the CNA, talked to us.
Speaker 2:Was he talking about the podcast?
Speaker 1:He was yeah, there was a really neat CNA who came into our room and I think you and I were just laying on your hospital bed.
Speaker 2:Oh, I think that was another time when we were podcastinating.
Speaker 1:Yes, this is a theme. This happens many times.
Speaker 2:We just weren't feeling it that day at all.
Speaker 1:Not at all.
Speaker 2:I think he came in.
Speaker 1:He took your vitals, he came in took my vitals.
Speaker 2:He's like oh, by the way, I really like your guys' podcast. I'm listening to it. We're like, really Really, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:At that point, we only thought that my parents and your parents and my brother were watching it, so he was like our sixth listener.
Speaker 1:Yes, and we're like, oh, he was this really cool guy and the fact that he was listening to our show meant so much, so cool. Yeah, and it's the ripple effect like we're talking about. He gave that word of kindness. He might not know how much it meant to us or the fact that it got us to get ourselves out of bed and start recording, but that can make a really big impact on someone's energy and push them in the right direction. We were walking down the hallway the other day to go down to the seventh floor at the Rood Family Pavilion and there was a sweet lady who was playing her ukulele in the hallway and I don't know if she was a resident or she wasn't wearing a lanyard.
Speaker 2:We have these colors. She's undercover, undercover.
Speaker 1:We're not sure what her business was.
Speaker 2:That was a real ukulele.
Speaker 1:Who knows. But Thomas told me as we were stepping on the elevator you're like man, that lady's really good, that sounded so good. And so I'm like, can you hold the door? So you hold the door, so you like, held the door open and I ran down the hallway, which wasn't too far, but I turned the corner and I said, excuse me, ma'am, I just have to tell you that sounds beautiful. You are so good at playing the ukulele. And she's like oh, thank you. And I went back to the elevator with Thomas and I mean, maybe that encouragement, you know, encouraged her to try out for the ukulele band.
Speaker 2:I don't know, it might not have had the ukulele symphony of Portland, yes, which they would have something like that up there.
Speaker 1:It probably exists that sounds about right for Portland, but Ukuleles and kazoos. So it might not have had the effect to which it, you know, had her change something in her life, but if anything else, hopefully it made her feel seen and gave her some human connection.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as a musician, it always feels good to hear that what you're making doesn't suck and that it's palatable to your ears, so I'm sure you made her day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was beautiful, and I think oftentimes we think things like oh wow, that person's really nice or that was a pleasant experience, but we often forget or we underestimate the impact that our words will make towards someone else, and so this is a challenge. I'm going to challenge our listeners and I'll do it for ourselves too. The challenge is to get your phone out. You're probably listening to this on your phone, so you could pause the podcast, or you might even be able to multitask. I think you can listen to the episode and also open up other apps in your phone.
Speaker 2:Phones are crazy like that they're amazing.
Speaker 1:Obviously, I'm not very technically savvy, but you can send someone a text message and just say a random thank you, for it could be something from a year ago, or someone you saw the other day just saying hey, I was thinking about the time that you fill in the blank and I just wanted to say thank you. It meant a lot. It could be just a quick little text like that. So after the show we'll have to find someone that we're going to text.
Speaker 1:We have lots of people we could do that to right now, which brings us to our next point about kindness, and there's the concept that there's this reciprocity of kindness and the importance of gratitude is magical. So the magic of kindness doesn't have to just stop when you extend it. It's essential to acknowledge and appreciate the acts of kindness we receive. So even you know, just a simple thank you can make a world of difference to the person who extended their kindness, and by expressing gratitude we not only show our appreciation but it can encourage other people to continue spreading kindness. Maybe that lady will keep playing ukulele.
Speaker 1:Or maybe you know just like we think of Reese oftentimes when we're getting ready to record. You know he said that kind thing to us and sometimes we'll jokingly say, okay, we've got to do it for Reese, we've got to record another episode. And there's so much research that talks about the health benefit that we get ourselves from saying thank you, writing down gratitudes. There's a lot of brain science that backs up that practice. So it is this reciprocity that can help others and certainly be a brain and mood boost for ourselves.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this time of year just going in and out of stores not me, though.
Speaker 1:Too soon.
Speaker 2:Normal people who get to go into stores, stores, just thinking of how many people hold doors open for each other and just the little thank you um that you give and receive in those little exchanges, uh, just those are just nice little interactions that warm both parties' hearts. I think. Micro-kindness, micro-kindness.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you could bust out like 20 of those in like two hours.
Speaker 1:Totally. Just keep driving to stores and opening doors up, yeah.
Speaker 2:Eventually you'll start to get some repeats. Then you got to stop and maybe wait another week or something the same shopping complex people start to think you're stalking them. Does that guy actually work here?
Speaker 1:To a certain degree it can make a difference. These simple interactions In terms of expressing gratitude. If you're in the medical setting, they have something called a daisy award and it's a daisy pin that nurses, when they receive them, they often put on their nursing badges. And if you are in a hospital and you have a nurse who is being amazing and going above and beyond or just really kind, you can ask the charge nurse or the person kind of at the front desk of the unit for a daisy pin nomination or a daisy award nomination packet and you can fill it out. I actually have a stack of daisy nomination award little packets and I have a list of a bunch of the nurses that we've worked with and so that's on my list. This week is to fill out the nominations and then go drop them off on the 14th floor.
Speaker 1:Well, good on you, and 13th floor nurses, so it's really fun, thanks for doing that. Yeah, well, I'll have you work on it with me. We'll write some of those together.
Speaker 2:Sweet.
Speaker 1:Our next point, and the next aspect of kindness that's really powerful is the ripple effect that it can have, and so we kind of mentioned this before. But the impact of random acts of kindness can have far-reaching effects of our actions. So a small gesture can have a significant impact on someone's day, and it's a reminder that we're all connected and our kindness can touch lives in unexpected ways. And speaking of Daisy Awards or Daisy Pins, there's actually someone who we refer to as Daisy Pin Lori.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true. We love Daisy Pin Lori.
Speaker 1:She's wonderful. She was one of the first nurses that we had maybe our first nurse when Thomas was admitted for his cancer treatment in July.
Speaker 2:She might have been my first day nurse.
Speaker 1:Maybe the first day nurse who did your first chemo, I think First chemo drug.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So in July our life was a whirlwind. We weren't expecting Thomas to have cancer by the time our oncologist said you need a treatment. It was like in three days from now you need to be up in Portland starting this intensive treatment. It and Daisy Pin Lori, as we call her. She had a daisy pin on her badge and I did some research of what does the daisy pin mean again and come to find out it's highlighting someone who's been nominated for their acts of service as a nurse. And she would ask me not only was she checking on Thomas, but she was also checking on me. And she'd say Lindsay, did you get a chance to go to the cafeteria or have you had a chance to, you know, go and explore the hospital at all? And I'd say, oh, I'm going to work on that. Tomorrow or maybe this afternoon I'll go. And you know, in my defense, the hospital up on the hill is very complicated. It's a big building.
Speaker 2:It is, it really is.
Speaker 1:Lots of elevators, lots of floors.
Speaker 2:I still have no idea where I am. Half the time I'm in that building.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So there was an intimidation factor that I had in regard to finding the cafeteria. I heard that there was a Starbucks somewhere on the campus, but I just wanted to be by Thomas' side. I think there were multiple things that were impacting my inability to get out and to explore. And so one day Lori came up to me and she said after maybe she checked your vitals or gave you some kind of medication. She said hey, lindsay, let's go on a walk. And she said let's go down to the cafeteria. So she walked me down and she showed me you know me what elevators to go on. She kind of let me know, if you keep going on that hall, you're going to get to Starbucks. And just showed me the lay of the land.
Speaker 1:And it was one of those moments where I will never forget it. It was Lori taking time out of her day. I realized it was her break, so she spent her whole break just taking me on a tour and then she went back up, had to get back to work. But it was that human connection, that time she set aside to make sure that I felt comfortable and that I had a sense of belonging and that I knew I was in a space where I could go out and take a break and find food that was more delicious than maybe other foods. So, yeah, it was just really meaningful to me that Daisy Pinlory took me on that walk.
Speaker 2:It keeps on giving right. There, I tell you what.
Speaker 1:And the reason why it keeps on giving, as Thomas mentioned, is because her taking me on that walk it inspired me because there was someone. Actually months later, when we went for Thomas' transplant, I was going back up to Thomas' room and I ran into a lady and her husband was also on the 14th floor and she said, excuse me, do you know where the cafeteria is? And I had that moment. I was just about to say okay, if you go down to the third floor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, third floor. If you go down to the third floor, you're going to take this elevator.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm trying to remember I was giving her verbal directions of where to go and then I thought, what would Daisy Pin Lori do? She would take her on a walk. So I said, do you want to walk together? And she's like that would be great. So it was so beautiful because I was able to just like Lori, walk with her. And as we're walking, we're talking and I'm telling her about some of the resources I learned about that were available. And have you talked to the social workers yet?
Speaker 1:And it was just this neat conversation that you know, I wouldn't have thought to go on a walk with someone had that kindness not have been shown to me. So that's kind of a ripple effect that comes to mind. Finally, I think it's helpful to take a moment and talk about kind of what kindness looks like in the digital age. So in our increasingly digital world you know smartphones, social media it's really easy to become engrossed in our smartphones and just simply lose sight with the people in our immediate surroundings. It can actually make a world of difference. A simple smile, a friendly greeting or just kind of a thoughtful or small conversation can brighten someone else's day and it actually strengthens our sense of community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean nowadays you can go probably months without having to actually interact with someone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, self-checkout right.
Speaker 2:Self-checkout just keep your head down. You can have your AirPods on walking around, so people know to leave you alone.
Speaker 1:Mobile deposit checks on your phone, so you don't have to go to the bank for that kind of thing. Yeah, or?
Speaker 2:even the ATM. It's a crazy time we live in and I think making the extra effort to sometimes hop into the line where there's an actual checker.
Speaker 1:To not do self-checkout right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't normally do this myself, but I've done it with Lindsay a couple of times because, she's a saint.
Speaker 1:No, I do self check up many times too.
Speaker 2:But it's been great. We've both gotten to interact and see that person and have them see us and talk and really feel like we made connection and that right there can just put a little skip in your step and that right there can just put a little skip in your step and the only thing you had to do is step into a different line than what you would normally do. And so I think putting forth just that little bit of extra effort to choose connection is definitely going to pay off, and you can't be kind to people that you're not interacting with is definitely going to pay off. And you can't be kind to people that you're not interacting with. Very true, I mean. I know there's like you can tip your Uber driver later and you don't see them anymore, but for the most part in the digital age, for the most part in the digital age, you still need interaction with another human to show that kindness and to receive the blessing that is being kind to others.
Speaker 1:Totally. I think we mentioned doing a challenge of you know, getting your phone out and texting someone a thank you. Another challenge might be to think about the next time you're at the airport, grocery store or bank and when you take out your phone and you get ready to scroll like I know I do and most of us do instead pause and then take a moment to engage with the people around you. So even just turning to the person next to you or looking to the person next to you and just smiling, just making some simple eye contact, can make a positive impact. Why are you laughing?
Speaker 2:I'm just picturing somebody getting maced.
Speaker 1:Oh, that could happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah just be careful how intensely you look to the person next to you. Maybe you feel like an ATM in a sketchy part of town outside. Don't get too close to someone person next to you. Maybe you feel like an ATM in a sketchy part of town outside. Don't, you know, get too close to someone. Hey buddy, that's the sound effect of pepper spray. I like it At the airport, you know, it's funny. The last time we flew, I think it was to Florida, we love going to Florida, so that's probably where we were headed and we just looked around and everyone in the terminal we were around most people, I should say were looking at their phones. It was spooky, it really was.
Speaker 2:Because it was like 150 people all like looking down, no one talking, not one person uttering a word. It was like out of a sci-fi movie or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So you know, just, it might feel strange. You might feel strange, people might look at you like what are you looking at me for? But it's just, you know, starting to make a difference. One person at a time and one smile at a time. I think one of the beautiful things as we think about being connected to other people around us and making that a priority, there is beauty in the power of technology, especially when it relates to interacting with people live. So when you do FaceTime or Zoom, that is a very powerful way to increase and foster social connection. That's something that in the research, they have found that there is a difference as it relates to people's happiness. The happiness lab podcast talked about the difference between texting someone versus doing, you know, a live FaceTime or video call. There are extra benefits to being live with someone and having that back and forth, and something that I absolutely love to do is on Sundays. We started a tradition now where we have a family FaceTime with my parents and grandma who are in Florida. That's nice.
Speaker 1:And my brother and sister-in-law, and it's just a really neat time where we get to connect.
Speaker 2:Technology can help to isolate you or foster connection. When technology is used to increase connection, that's the best possible use. It's living up to its full potential.
Speaker 1:I believe I agree. Another fun fact about our family FaceTime is that we have show and tell. So we have to bring an item and we say what the item is and kind of give some background and often ties into what's going on that week in our lives.
Speaker 2:I usually do a macaroni necklace.
Speaker 1:Every week he makes a new necklace for FaceTime.
Speaker 2:Out of a different type of noodle.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you've ever done. You've never done macaroni.
Speaker 2:I'm just thinking of a show and tell in kindergarten. Okay, that's what you mean by that.
Speaker 1:Okay, that also makes me, isn't it Seinfeld, where Kramer is making different people out of macaroni?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I think that's one of the episodes.
Speaker 1:Seinfeld got us through your induction chemo, so that has a special place in our heart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, true, very true.
Speaker 1:All right. So before we close, how about a little brain science?
Speaker 2:I think it is brain science time.
Speaker 1:And we have a new sound effect.
Speaker 2:Cue the brain, science music.
Speaker 1:Thomas and I were definitely not dancing as that music was playing but to the brain science. Number one, and also a recap kindness is contagious. So when we witness or experience kindness, our brains release oxytocin, which is called the love hormone. This promotes feelings of trust, empathy and bonding, and it can make us more likely to extend kindness to others. Second tip is that kindness boosts happiness. So acts of kindness will activate the reward centers of our brains, which release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, and this can lead to feelings of happiness and wellbeing. The third one is that kindness reduces stress. So when you engage in acts of kindness, it can actually lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone. So this can help reduce anxiety, improve your mood and enhance overall mental health, so it's good for your stress. It can strengthen social bonds. As you'd imagine, when you connect with others through kindness, we are able to have this social connection which is essential for our mental and emotional well-being. And finally, kindness can improve self-compassion. So when we perform acts of kindness, we can have kind of a more compassionate lens towards ourselves, we can feel good about what we're doing in the world and it can lead to increased confidence and resilience. Hopefully you know some of this science is a motivator. So the next time you're deciding self-checkout or regular checkout at the grocery store, you know you'll think about the benefits of connecting with someone and that might be a motivating factor. So you know, really, by understanding the scientific basis of kindness, we can appreciate its power as it transforms our lives and the lives of those around us. So we can make kindness our priority and reap the rewards of a happier, healthier and more connected world.
Speaker 1:I have a good friend named Barbara and she is so sweet. She has a whole group of ladies in Klamath Falls who are part of a prayer team who pray for us. Weekly She'll text me and say, okay, what's the specific prayer request for Thomas's health and I'll let her know. And she's on it. And she said that people call her the fudge lady because when she was going through a really challenging time in life she found that if every day she did one act of kindness for someone else, it was really helpful for getting them through their challenge that they were walking through. And so she found herself making fudge and so she would give fudge to people and she even started to be called the fudge lady, which is a pretty great nickname.
Speaker 2:It's a prestigious title.
Speaker 1:Yes, the title that no one should take lightly. So yeah, just kind of think about a way that maybe, when you're going through a hard time, and how can you pivot and find ways to help alleviate the burden in other people's lives, and in doing so it's going to help you as well. A couple of quotes that I think are really beautiful. As Mother Teresa once said, kind words can be short and easy to say, but their echoes are truly endless. And Bob Goff, the writer again who we mentioned before, puts it. He says kindness is the language of the soul and allows us to connect with others on a deeper level. The late Carrie Fisher said in a world where you can be anything, be kind. In conclusion, you can remember that every act of kindness, no matter how small, has the power to change someone's life. So let's make kindness a part of our daily lives and spread positivity wherever you go.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the branded on podcast and we will talk with you soon.
Speaker 2:All right, take care.
