About It
I’m going to talk about real experiences and lessons learned from life love and the pursuit of happiness. Will we find it? possibly. Are we about it? Most Definitely! Come along for the journey as we venture through the up’s and downs together.
About It
Be About It: Kindness, Alligator Alcatraz, and Say No to Butt Drugs
We explore the multi-layered impact of human kindness through scientific research, biblical teachings, and practical application, revealing how small acts can transform lives, health, and communities.
• Scientific evidence shows kindness triggers oxytocin and dopamine release, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress hormones
• Regular acts of kindness correlate with a 50% reduction in mortality risk, comparable to quitting smoking
• Personal anecdotes demonstrate how simple gestures like buying coffee can rekindle relationships and meaningful connections
• Biblical perspectives from Ephesians, Micah, Luke and Galatians frame kindness as divine transformation, not just moral obligation
• Classroom studies show structured kindness programs reduce bullying by 30% and improve peer relationships
• Our seven-day kindness challenge offers specific daily actions from buying coffee to forgiving grievances
• Compassionate interventions in healthcare improve patient outcomes while reducing resource use
Join our seven-day kindness challenge! Follow the podcast, like, subscribe, share with your friends, and go be kind. We'll see you next time.
In this episode of About it All, I'll undertake a deep, multi-layered exploration of human kindness through personal experiences, comprehensive analysis, biblical ties, historical and cultural perspectives and actionable practices. You'll first hear expanded anecdotes illustrating how a simple coffee purchase sparked a better relationship and how having simple conversations with the homeless led to life-changing hope. We'll then unpack neurochemical pathways, oxytocin-triggered nitric oxide release, lowering blood pressure, dopamine-driven helper's highs, reinforcing generosity and cortisol reduction comparable to mindfulness therapies, along with analytic evidence linking altruism to a 50% reduced mortality risk. Our biblical dive will examine such stories in Micah 6.8 as conventional love, ephesians 4.32's fusion of kindness and forgiveness, luke 6.35's radical love for enemies and Galatians 5.22's presentation of kindness as spirit empowered fruit. We'll also explore Aesop's timeless proverb on small acts of kindness, school-based studies showing a 30% bullying reduction through structured kindness weeks, healthcare research on compassionate care, improving patient outcomes and modern philanthropy such as wildfire relief funds matching to illustrate kindness' broad societal impact. Throughout guided reflections as a seven day challenge, we'll equip you to embed kindness as a daily discipline, ensuring this journey leaves you inspired and ready to act. Go, go, go. I'm your host, bradley. Marcello, that's your C-Cell. C-cell is impaired for the part of your departure.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the About it Podcast. Today I'm going to be talking about human kindness, how it makes you feel, how it makes others feel and how it affects the world around us. First I'll be starting with the odd news, then talking alligator alcatraz, then tying that into human kindness and my thoughts on what could be added. Let's be about it and let's go to the show. See you there, all right? All right, all right, everybody, welcome back to the About it podcast. I just wanted to thank you guys so much for joining me today.
Speaker 1:Of course, today we are going to be talking about kindness and how it affects the world around us. I wanted to start off this episode with what's going on in the news. I wanted to kick things off with a couple of news stories. One of the big ones at the moment is what's going on in Florida. We have the alligator Alcatraz. That's apparently opening up soon, and how does this tie into kindness and the human experience? So if you don't know what alligator Alcatraz is, it's a new detention facility that's been opened up in Florida to house up to 5,000 migrants at a time as they wait deportation. We all know that there's been a lot of immigrants and migrants coming and going from the country recently and it's a controversial topic in politics right now. So yeah, this facility it is located in the middle of the Florida Everglades, surrounded by wetlands and alligators and all kinds of creatures. I think it has like one road in, one road out type of thing pretty isolated compound going on. It's about less than 50 miles actually from Miami, so it's kind of far down there and at the same time it's out in the middle of nowhere. So it used to be a part of the Dade County Collier County Training Center for government workers and now it's being transformed into a temporary jail, basically, and holding facility. Of course, the current president, donald Trump, has been working with the governor of Florida, ron DeSantis, to set all this up, and they've chosen this spot because it's supposed to be highly secure. It also has a runway on the property and the compound that used to actually be used for supersonic jets to serve their needs, and all that before it got turned into a training facility. So it's been used for quite a few things over the years. It is supposed to be a pretty secure facility.
Speaker 1:And how does this tie into the topic of today's episode, which is human kindness? Now my personal views. I have some mixed emotions on it, so I'm hesitant to just put them out there like that. What I do have is some questions I'd like to pose. My first question is are we making our country safer by doing this? Are we making it better overall? Are we just going after anybody that's here undocumented, or are we being more selective than that? Because at the moment it seems like we've been going after just anybody that's here, period. I'm not sure, and I think the leadership of this country has also started to ask those same questions. For example, I was watching the news conference recently with the president speaking and all that. And they pose the question now that how are the farmers going to be affected? For example, because a lot of the folks that come into this country they do have well-meaning and they provide a value to this country.
Speaker 1:And in my mind I ask the question would that be taking value away from this country if we just go after anybody and everybody that's come here undocumented? Now the beds at this facility of Alligator Alcatraz are supposed to be costing $245 a bed per day. So $245 per person per day. Now that is a cost, obviously, but the bigger question is overall, what is the cost to our country. What is the moral cost? Now, something I could get on board with is the idea that if we're selective about this type of thing and those that are taking value away from our country, that are here are undocumented, causing problems, committing violent crimes and all this stuff hurting people, things like that this might be a good place for them to go. But just taking everybody there. I don't know if I agree with that totally, because while we might be separated by borders, we are not separated by the color of our blood and our desire to live a better life. That is the American dream right Now.
Speaker 1:How does this tie into human kindness and kindness in general? In this case, I would say it's about giving those who deserve a chance a chance, of course, taking those that are abusing that chance and doing something different with them, but those that are here for genuine purposes, they deserve a helping hand, I believe. Can you imagine, as citizens, how appreciative they'll be and how hard they'll work to make this country a better place? That's an example of how I believe kindness can change lives and make everything around it better, and imagine the kindness that they will display in the future to those that deserve it, and even some of the ones that don't, because pretty much everybody deserves a second chance In my heart. That's just a few thoughts I wanted to put out there on this Moving along. Let's switch things up To lighten the mood.
Speaker 1:There is another story coming out of Florida. Right, everybody that watches the national news knows that occasionally there's a story come out about an individual that's done something wild, and a lot of times that news article will read something with the title along the lines of Florida man and it's become quite a thing down there. I think they're even putting it on t-shirts now. In fact, I think I have one on the back it says Florida man and a description that basically indicates that Florida men are wild because, uh, on the national news sometimes you'll see these articles that read something along the lines of Florida man. Now, this is just made up, but you can imagine. A lot of the stories go like this. Here's my version of it Florida man rides naked on the hood of a pickup truck, flying the American flag, doing cocaine or something. That sounds like something that would come out of Florida, something a Florida man might do. Now, I know there's some crazy wilds everywhere, but for some reason the Florida man just seems to keep ending up on that page on that level.
Speaker 1:So in today's article of Florida man, nurse finds drugs in Florida man's butt during surgery for a stab wound. So this guy actually got into a fight, possibly over a drug deal gone bad. He got stabbed, ends up in the hospital right, goes into surgery. They're trying to save his life. Nurse is poking around in places where the sun doesn't shine. Why I don't know. I guess it's part of the procedures.
Speaker 1:But while Michael O'Neill, age 43, was suffering from a stab wound I'm going to read this article online here. He was suffering from a stab wound when he arrived at St Petersburg Bayfront Hospital last month. The injuries did require surgery and it's not exactly known why. The nurse was around the region she was at where she found this drug paraphernalia. But for whatever reason she did end up finding he had been using his rectum to store drugs and drug paraphernalia. So the nurse stated while in surgery, or the hospital stated while in surgery the RN located several items in O'Neill's butt. She found tinfoil with a substance police say tested positive for cocaine. And that's not all. Nurse also found, according to the police, a glass crack pipe and a lighter up there and apparently this is not his first rodeo, because he's been caught with items up his backside before. So once O'Neal was recovered from his injuries, he ended up being booked into the jail for cocaine possession and drug paraphernalia possession, where he did pay a $5,500 bond, was released from custody and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Speaker 1:So yeah, there's a little change of pace for you guys. A little crazy story in the news. Who is this guy? Why is he being busted for drugs several times and why is he sticking things up his butt? Nobody knows except him. I believe Mr O'Neill is going to be the only one that knows why.
Speaker 1:And on a more serious note, and to get back into the episode, how does this also tie into kindness? Well, I think a lot of folks that become addicted to substances and things like that. They probably suffered from a lot of injustice in their life and folks being unkind to them, dealing with a lot of stress and things going the wrong way in life. So maybe he grew up with a rough childhood, we don't know. Maybe he has been done dirty in a lot of ways in life. This is why I wanted to get into this episode today, because I believe that, honestly, kindness can change anybody, and having a good spirit and a good heart towards people can make the world a better place.
Speaker 1:And what follows will uncover the transformative power of kindness, from its biochemical roots to its biblical mentions. Post some questions and equip you to make it your lifestyle. Why does kindness matter? Scientific studies demonstrate that acts of generosity trigger oxytocin release, which stimulates nitric oxide production in blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, a cardioprotective effect. Kindness also releases dopamine, producing the so-called helper's high that reinforces generous behavior and boosts mood. Over time, these neurochemical shifts lead to reduced cortisol levels, akin to the benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction. So what am I saying here? Are we being kind only to get high off of it, just to make our egos feel better? No, I just wanted to show that there is a scientific aspect to it that has real and lasting effects on both the person giving kindness and the person receiving it. So yeah, we're going to begin with personal stories and reflections to show why it's important, then proceed to a scientific segment, dive into biblical explanations, survey historical and cultural perspectives and conclude with interactive guided practices and a seven-day kindness challenge.
Speaker 1:I wanted to give you a story to show where kindness actually changed a relationship. So last month I covered a cappuccino at a busy cafe and what began as a simple payment and act of kindness evolved into a 30-minute conversation. I actually knew this person. I know that they've been dealing with some burnout and feeling of being overworked, dealing with a lot of family and always being the provider. So when something unexpected like this happened, so this really touched this person and gave them a feeling that they haven't felt in a while due to being the provider for the family. Something unexpected like this made them feel like they weren't the only one fighting for that day. They had a partner in it. And that's what kindness does to people it makes you feel like you're not quite so alone. Now, after me and this person not talking for a while, it did lead to this conversation and nowadays we are talking more again and in fact just went over to a barbecue that they had and got to ride side-by-sides with them An example of how one small act of kindness has led to so much more.
Speaker 1:And this barbecue was so fun. They even had the fryer out. Family was over, friends on both sides, and fried up some fish, french fries and onion rings. I can still hear the oil bubbling and the smell of that food coming out. It was amazing. It was a bright, sunny day and a little hot outside actually Some bugs flying around but the breeze from going on the side-by-sides helped cool things down a bit, and the iced tea was pretty tasty too. I'm so happy how what would have been an unknown turned into good memories.
Speaker 1:I got to tell you it feels so much better than holding on to grudges, because that creates a negative impact in your life, and this example I'm giving you now is an example of how kindness has put a positive impact in multiple people's lives, because it's not, it doesn't just affect you, it doesn't even just affect the other person. Sometimes that's receiving kindness. It can have an effect across. In this example, families, friends, multiple people, and there's something to be said for that. Another time I wanted to talk about when kindness changed someone's life or made it better, at least in the moment, and from then on out I like to talk to people that are a little bit forgotten in society.
Speaker 1:So the other day I had a conversation with a homeless person and I like to treat everyone the same, from the janitor to the CEO basically. So we'll call this a janitor story, right, like, wasn't necessarily the highest person on the totem pole for society, but they matter too and I wanted to show them that I just, I just feel this responsibility to not let them pass me by and not say good morning, not ask them how they're doing, how their day's going. Might not be the best, but you know what? Almost no one does that for them and this is why it affects them so much more. In some ways, when they receive kindness and receive these kinds of things from people In a world where they feel forgotten and that they don't matter, a simple hello can do wonders. A simple how are you doing? Could make their whole day. Having a conversation with them could change their life.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I was talking to a homeless person the other day and different things, things they've been through. I got to talking about things I've been through and throughout this conversation, just tried to encourage each other. Even honestly, once the conversation started, the person went from feeling down and forgotten and a little neglected to even to the point where they wanted to encourage me too and ended up that they weren't doing so well, obviously, and they just wanted to do their part to do better, right? So ended up with them going and applying for a job at the local fast food place and actually getting it. Now what does this tell us about how giving and receiving kindness can also change the world around us, right, like so, total strangers don't know them from Adam and ends up going from feeling like an outcast to the beginnings of being a productive member of society. Again, I'm not saying this to brag or anything like that. Obviously, like I said, they were encouraging me too, because we all have good and bad days, right. So it was a two-way street, and I think that's a good point is that if we open up enough of these two-way streets between each other, that a lot of the stuff we see going on nowadays could really change.
Speaker 1:And I'll take this moment to tell you about a time where I received kindness, because it's not all about me. It's also about what others have provided too. I'm not the only one that can go say hello to a homeless guy or buy someone a coffee. I've had things done for me in my life that have changed my life for the better, and part of the reason why I want to pay it forward to others. So, in reality, I have to give all the credit to those that came before me, to those that have shown me kindness and that have done things for me, even when I didn't deserve it, right?
Speaker 1:So, yeah, one time I was living in Pennsylvania I was actually seeing someone at the time up there. Things didn't work out. My home was actually back in Florida. So after giving everything up and moving to Pennsylvania, I didn't necessarily have much left back in Florida. So when things didn't work out, I was put in between a rock and a hard place. What ended up happening is some of my best friends and family ended up helping me out. They found someone at the local church that I used to go to down there and was able to get in and rent a room from them. I was able to secure another job back down there again and ended up where I could have been on the streets myself, having nothing. I ended up in a totally different place. I had a home to go to and I was able to take care of myself. Where in another world, if someone didn't show me this kindness, things could have been so much worse off from what seemed like just a strike of bad luck. Right, because sometimes we don't always plan for the lefts and rights that happen in our life. We think we're going to keep going straight, but a curveball might be thrown in once in a while, and that's part of the reason why all this matters.
Speaker 1:It's just a little inspiration I wanted to share with you guys today, and I think each of us have heard countless stories like this. I know the news these days wants to just show everything bad happening in the world. I wish it wasn't like that. I wish they would report on all the good things and happy stories that are happening all around us all the time. For example, I know most of us don't hate each other right Again, we all bleed the same blood. I know most of us do have a love for our fellow man, and I don't think the news helps with that, and that's exactly what I want you to do right now. So if you want to, of course it's up to you.
Speaker 1:Grab a pen and a journal, do a gratitude exercise here, write down three personal anecdotes two you've given and one you've received For each note, the context, emotional response and any ripple effects you observed, such as buying a coffee for someone and it blossoming into a conversation and then a barbecue where there's multiple people involved and affected. Beyond some of the emotions that you can imagine happen during these times of gratitude and kindness, such as the joy that can come from something unexpectedly good happening to you like that, or doing something that someone else doesn't expect, that changes them. I want to dive into the science of this a little bit. So let's talk about your brain a little bit. Right, oxytocin release prompts nitric oxide production, widening blood vessels and reducing blood pressure. There's something called the dopamine helper's high. So generosity actually elevates dopamine levels, creating a euphoria that reinforces kind behavior, kind of like that ripple effect. Right, it's a phenomenon first identified at Harvard and now widely studied. Kindness is also involved in cortisol downregulation. So empirical studies have shown altruistic acts downregulate the HPA axis, decreasing cortisol in ways comparable to standardized mindfulness interventions.
Speaker 1:And how does this affect your health, well-being and longevity? Well, there's been some. Analysis reveals strong social support and volunteering correlate with a 50% reduction in early mortality risk. That's a big deal that rivals the benefits of quitting heavy smoking, quitting heavy alcohol abuse, things like that. Another study found that just one hour of volunteering per week slows biological aging, as measured by epigenetic markers. And there's also psychological benefits. Reviews in psychological literature confirm that altruistic behaviors significantly boost life satisfaction, self-esteem and sense of purpose. I know a lot of us suffer with that, like what is our purpose here? And this is often more effective than self-focused wellness practices. Compassion training also enhances resilience and improves immune markers by strengthening social bonds, and I even kind of see how it starts to affect the world around us. It has these ripple effects. It's strengthening your social bonds, it's helping you live longer and if we're all starting to participate in this, it can have a massive, massive effect on society and the world as a whole.
Speaker 1:And I want to move on to some biblical explanations and studies that have shown this and back this up. So Ephesians 4.32, for example. It's based on kindness and forgiveness, and what it says is be kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. As to say kindness here denotes a gentleness towards wrongs, inseparable from forgiveness modeled on divine grace. Another book in the Bible, micah 6a, has to do with justice and humility. So it says he has shown you, o mortal, what is good, but to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. It also talks about the Hebrew word hesed. So this conveys a steadfast, conventional love, a call to active compassion that integrates justice and mercy. Scholars note that hesed demands enduring loyalty, not occasional acts of kindness. Now, luke 6.35 talks about a radical love. But love your enemies, for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. So love your enemies that despitefully use you right. Jesus' command redefines kindness as countercultural grace, extending compassion even to those who cannot reciprocate, and in Galatians 5.22,. But the fruit of the spirit is kindness. Here kindness is portrayed not as moral striving but as an evidence of spirit-filled life, underscoring that true generosity flows from divine transformation. It's powerful.
Speaker 1:And now for some historical and cultural perspectives. I wanted to touch on Aesop's thought, and this is that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted, illustrating how even tiny gestures can catalyze far-reaching ripples of goodwill. Everyone's heard of random acts of kindness, right. So. A study by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation of Vancouver Classrooms found that students performing three intentional acts of kindness weekly showed increased positive emotions, peer approval and a 30% reduction in bullying. And we see this in the healthcare industry as well today. So compassionate care in the healthcare industry right. Clinical research indicates that compassionate interventions in medical settings improve patient-reported outcomes such as quality of life and satisfaction and reduced healthcare resource use. And we can use examples of philanthropy to show how society has been affected around those that generate these acts of kindness. So, in response to the Los Angeles wildfires, for example, several celebrities donated a lot of money and time and effort and matched additional gifts through their emergency funds, demonstrating how high-profile acts of kindness can mobilize broad support.
Speaker 1:So one goes in and the other follow. It has to do with focus a lot too, just how focusing on the negative can have ripple effects. Turning our perspectives into the positive, to kindness, to acts of grace, to doing the goodwill towards those around us in our societies, can have a massive benefit and effect on everything. It's about a shift of perspective and even a devotion, determination and discipline towards improving the world around us, to kindness. At this point in the episode, I wanted to turn the focus towards you, my audience, towards my listeners, a little bit.
Speaker 1:I want to give you some guided exercises and a seven-day kindness challenge that you can take part in. So while I've been talking about this and its benefits to the world around us, now I pose a question to you guys what are you going to do about it? Here's the first exercise, a guided reflection. Close your eyes and revisit the three kind of stories you journaled earlier, notice any new emotions or insights that arise and consider how these narratives shape your willingness to give On a fresh page. We're going to do kindness mapping outline your daily routine and identify five specific touch points, moments with family colleagues or strangers where you can intentionally offer compassion. This is a plan. So this is you asking yourself. Now that I'm inspired and see the benefit of how kindness can ripple around me, what can I do about it? What are five specific things with family colleagues, strangers, anybody where I can intentionally offer compassion and kindness and see how that changes things? And along with this, I want to give you a seven-day kindness challenge.
Speaker 1:So on day one, go buy a coffee or a drink for somebody, just a random person passing by. Pay it forward you never know what it might lead to. Now, on the second day, I want you to send a handwritten note of encouragement. Anybody you can think of Could be someone you haven't thought of, could be a total stranger. I know we've all seen those videos online where someone's wearing a t-shirt and it says something like don't judge yourself. Today you matter. Or someone passes someone a note in a video that shows the same thing and the emotional reaction that comes out of that. So number two could be a big deal.
Speaker 1:Now, on the third day, I want you to try going and giving some of your time. Could be volunteering an hour at a local non-profit, could be just a conversation with someone that needs it. But on day three, give some of your time to someone else. And on the fourth day, ask yourself what is it going to feel like if I forgive a past grievance and reach out in peace. Maybe there's someone you haven't talked to in a while, just like the person I bought coffee for. That led to so much more.
Speaker 1:On the fourth day, forgive a past grievance, try to reach out, see what happens. On day five, I want you to think about sharing a meal with someone who's alone. This might seem like a stretch, but we never know what anybody's going through. And, just like the homeless person I had a conversation with the other day, that led to them getting a job and feeling encouraged in life. You never know how you could change someone's life for the better. And on day six after that, think of a sincere compliment you can offer to a stranger anybody. Just tell them that they look good that day, tell them they're doing a good job. Tell them you're thankful just for them being there. Think of something, anything it could mean the world to them.
Speaker 1:And on day seven, think about meditating or praying for someone, for an individual in distress maybe Someone you know is going through a hard time. Because if you believe that there's more to this world than just the present, if you believe there's a greater power out there than just the moment and the natural, this could affect someone as well in a positive way. This could also help to lead to someone's life changing. So meditate, pray for someone. It might really go a long way. Hey, everyone, I just wanted to thank you so much for joining me on the About it podcast today. If this message resonated with you, please consider following the podcast like subscribe. Share with your friends and again, be kind and have a wonderful life. We'll see you next time.
