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This podcast is part of the Deluxe Edition

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Network . To find other great shows

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on the network , head over to deluxeeditionnetworkcom

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. That's deluxeeditionnetworkcom

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. Kindness

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, we see it all around us . We

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see it when someone pays for someone else's coffee

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or holds the door open for another person

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. We see it in the smallest

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of gestures , like a smile or

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a kind word . But it's different

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when we turn on the news or social media

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. Oftentimes what we

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hear about what outlets are pushing

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is the opposite of kind . Welcome

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to the Kindness Matters podcast . Our

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goal is to give you a place to relax

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, to revel in stories of people

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who have received or given kindness

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, a place to inspire and

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motivate each and every one of us to

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practice kindness every day . Hello

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and welcome to the Kindness Matters

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podcast . I am your host , mike

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Rathbun , and this podcast is

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a part of the Deluxe Edition Network

1:03

. With over 28 different shows

1:05

in the den , you're going to find something

1:07

you like . For example , if

1:10

you're a fan of movies and alcohol

1:12

and kindness , check

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out this month's podcast of the month , bev's

1:18

Video , kingdom , barrel-aged

1:20

Flicks and yours truly , the

1:22

Kindness Matters podcast . You

1:24

won't be sorry . That's

1:27

deluxeeditionnetworkcom Backslash

1:30

podcast of the month On

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to today's episode . So

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a few episodes back . I

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was talking to my friend , lisa Mott-Wally , and

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she said something during that show

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that in hindsight

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I should have called her on . I

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should have made a comment on it , but I didn't

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. And it's kind of been rattling around

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in my brain ever since . She

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said , and I'm paraphrasing here

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being nice is not

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the same thing as being kind

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. And that statement

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has kind of stuck with me because

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I think a lot of

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people tend to use the

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two words interchangeably

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. Right ? Isn't that

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person nice ? Isn't that person kind ? It's

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the same thing , isn't it ? But

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apparently it's not . So

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what's the difference between being

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kind and being nice ? Aren't

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they just two peas in the same overly

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polite pod ? Well

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, let's break it down . Kindness

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is like a warm hug from

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a grandma who smells like freshly

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baked cookies . It's

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genuine , heartfelt and

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oftentimes selfless . You

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know the kind of thing that makes you feel all

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fuzzy inside . Imagine

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you're stuck in traffic , you're late for

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a meeting and someone lets you merge and

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they give you a smile in a wave . That's

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kindness . They didn't have

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to do that . They gained nothing

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from their actions , but they

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did it anyway . Bless their

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considerate little hearts . Niceness

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, on the other hand , is like a

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store-bought cupcake with

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too much frosting . It looks sweet

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, but underneath it's

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just fluff . It's polite

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, sure , but sometimes

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it's about as deep as a kiddie pool . Picture

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this You're at a party

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and your neighbor , karen , compliments

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your haircut . Now you've heard through

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the grapevine that Karen actually doesn't

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like your haircut . You

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know that she secretly

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thinks you look like a deranged poodle

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. That's niceness

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. Bless her passive-aggressive

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heart . Okay

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, so let's play a game . We'll

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call it kind or nice , and

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I'll give you scenarios and

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you decide which one it is . First

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scenario you're at work and

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you accidentally spill coffee on your

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shirt . Ugh , who hasn't been there ? Right

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? Your boss smirks

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and says well , that's

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one way to accessorize . Or

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a coworker hands you a

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tissue and says no worries

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, happens to the best of us . Okay

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, which one of those reactions

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was kind and which one was

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nice ? Time's

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up , okay , did you get it right ? The

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coworker was being kind

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, the boss was

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being nice . Okay

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, so we're going to be right back with our discussion after

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this quick message from Casey

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and Ray , the hosts of

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the Deluxe Edition show . Take

5:10

it away , guys . Hey

5:14

, this is Casey Shearer and this is

5:16

Ray . Do you like

5:18

pop culture ? We're pretty sure

5:20

you do . Then come on

5:22

over and check us out at deluxeeditionshow

5:25

. You will

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not be sorry , or

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maybe you will be , I don't know . Trust

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me you won't be Okay

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. So here's another scenario for

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you . Picture this You're

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at the grocery store and

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you notice that the cashier is having a rough

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day . You kind of force

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a grin and say , hey

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, have a great day . Well

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, mentally calculating how many items

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you can get through the express line

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. Or you

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smile gently and ask how they're doing and

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genuinely listen which

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is kind and which is nice . Times

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up , that forced

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grin gave it away . That

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version of you is being nice . But

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the version that took the time to

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ask how the cashier was doing and

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genuinely listen to their response

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was the kind version of

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you . The

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difference between being kind and being

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nice oftentimes is

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intent . If you do

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something for someone with the expectation

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of some sort of reward , whether

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it's monetary or recognition

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of some sort , you're being nice

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, not kind . Imagine

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you see a friend struggling with a heavy box

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. Nice , you might

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say , hey , you need a hand . But

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kind , you dives in like

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a superhero Biceps

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bulging box slung over your shoulder

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before your friend can even blink

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. See the difference . One

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is a pat on the back , the

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other is a full-blown massage

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. But

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here's the rub Sometimes

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the line between being nice and

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kind gets blurrier

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than a politician's campaign promises

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. Take office parties

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, for example . Nice , you

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is the life of the party , cracking

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jokes and making everyone feel included

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. But kind you , yeah

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, kind you is the one that's

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checking on the shy intern in the corner

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, making sure the vegan co-worker

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doesn't starve and secretly

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refilling the punch bowl with sparkling

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water , because , well , let's

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be real , nobody needs that

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much eggnog . And that's

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the kicker , isn't it ? Kindness

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isn't always sunshine and rainbows

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. It can be messy

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, inconvenient and

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even downright awkward . But

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it's also where the real

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magic happens , because

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when you're not just playing the social game , you're

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actually connecting with another

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human being on a deeper level

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. You're saying I

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see you , I hear you and

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I care about what matters

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to you , and that my

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friends is worth more

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than any social media post praising

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you or monetary reward

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. Although

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we tend to say well , aren't kind

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people nice ? And nice people kind

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? That's not always

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the case . Sometimes

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a person is nice but not

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at all kind . And sometimes

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a person is kind but

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doesn't come off as very nice . Why

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is that ? Well , it's

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because nice is a social mask

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. People use it to interact

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with the world . Kindness

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, on the other hand , is an act

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of choice to pour positivity

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into someone else who needs it

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. That someone may be people

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, but you could also look at it like

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animals , a cause or

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supporting charity . Kindness

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strives to selflessly improve

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the world , and we should also

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mention that selflessly

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is a commonly misinterpreted

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word . To be selfless

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is not to

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be a martyr . Instead

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, it's to act in a way

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that considers others before

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oneself , and that

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can be something as simple as donating

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money to charity , even if you're a bit

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strapped for cash . It

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could be helping a senior citizen load their groceries

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into a car . A selfless

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act may be picking up a stray kitten that

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you spot on the side of the road , not

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coincidentally . All of these things

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are acts of selfless kindness

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. They all put the needs of

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others before your personal

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needs , but plenty of

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nice people wouldn't go out of their way for others

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. They just act nice

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and polite because

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that's what society expects of

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them . That

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will just about wrap up this week's episode

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. Friends , thank you for

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your kindness . Listening to

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this episode , I hope

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you found something you can take away and

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use in your life . We'll

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be back next week with another episode , but

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until then , be

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that person who roots for others , who

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tells a stranger they look amazing

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and encourages others to

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believe in themselves and

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their dreams . You've been listening

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to the Kindness Matters podcast and

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I am your host , mike Ratbunt

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. Have a fantastic

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week .