“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.

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. 

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...

“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 come together to 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 Art of Self Love”, my goal is to talk about how we can begin the journey of being kinder to ourselves by shifting our mindset to one of self-compassion, and forgiveness.

1. There’s an emphasis on having romantic relationships and finding that “ideal person” who will make us happy and fulfilled, but studies have actually shown that having good friends is even more important to our psychological welfare. 
2. Friends bring more happiness into our lives than virtually anything else
3. Friends can relieve stress, prevents loneliness, and provides us with a source of comfort and support. 
4. The purpose of this episode is to discuss ways to maintain friendships because making close friends doesn’t “just happen” and it’s common for us to struggle when it comes to developing real, quality connections with people. 
5. Introduce this episode’s guest: Jacky Sun

1. How did we meet?
2. In what ways do we comfort each other?
3. Do we ever get jealous of each other and how do we handle it?
4. Are we good at listening to each other?
5. Do we ever feel left out? If so, how do we make each other feel included?
6. How do we support each other’s insecurities?
7. Do we ever get angry at each other and what do we do in those situations?

1. Emphasizing the importance of the famous Beatles lyrics: “I get by with a little help from my friends” 
2. Friends are the ones that make us feel comfortable and also know our shortcomings but still love us anyway
3. You should be the best version of yourself when surrounded by your friends
4. You get what you give in a true friendship
5. Friendship needs nurturing— You can’t plant seeds, forget about them, then hope that something will grow someday without any effort from you

• Creek Whistle by Steve Adams
• Reasons to Hope by Reed...

“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 come together to 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 Art of Self Love”, my goal is to talk about how we can begin the journey of being kinder to ourselves by shifting our mindset to one of self-compassion, and forgiveness.

1. Previous episodes focused on kindness in all other aspects but towards ourselves; I want to change that.
2. Derived from Buddhist psychology, self-compassion entails treating yourself with kindness and care like we would treat a dear friend.
3. Self-kindness can vary from taking a self-care day to acting in a kind and understanding way towards yourself.
4. Sometimes we get so caught up in being kind to others, that we forget the importance of being kind to ourselves as well. 
5. It's hard to forgive yourself for your own mistakes, disappointments, etc, but perhaps because we were never taught how to.

1. Being kinder to ourselves may require a little effort and time on our part.
2. We can apply techniques such as self-reflection, self-care, appreciating simple joys and even journaling to our daily lives to remind us to be kind to ourselves.
3. Others ways to practice self-kindness:
4. Self-compassion letter
5. Write a self-compassionate letter where you identify something about yourself that makes you feel ashamed, insecure, or not good enough. Then, express understanding, acceptance, and compassion for that part of yourself that you dislike. 
6. Read the letter later.
7. Take care of your physical health
8. When we’re feeling down, our bodies tend to hang on to all of that pent-up energy and emotion. 
9. A great way to clear that energy is through physical exercise.
10. Have a “Self-Care Day”
11. Draw yourself a bath, cook your favorite food, or choose to stay in for a movie night.
12. You can also buy yourself flowers—There is a great power in treating yourself in the same manner as you would treat someone you loved. 
13. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserved your own love and

“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 come together to publish content to share with the world. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and mine alone. In this episode, “Everyday Should Be Like Christmas”, I’ll be talking about how Christmas isn’t only about receiving gifts, it’s about giving back not only to your loved ones, but also to those who need it most.

1. The holidays are upon us…but do we get too wrapped up in receiving gifts?
2. Starting new traditions that put others first
3. The holidays are also about sharing, and spreading joy not just for your family, but for others too
4. Let’s work on moderating our wants, being thankful for what we have, and giving to others this holiday season

1. Implementing meaningful Christmas traditions that focus on making a difference in the lives of others in need
2. Simple and easy ideas to brighten others holiday:
3. Leave a gift for your mail carrier
4. Put a small gift in your mailbox with a thank you note for all that they do!
5. Write thank you notes to the people who go all out to decorate their homes for the holidays
6. Shovel snow for a neighbor
7. Buying locally—from family-owned businesses or freelancers
8. Try “candy cane bombing” a parking lot where you go around sticking candy canes with a note wrapped around them on car windshield for people to discover
9. Things to do for others that might take a bit more time:
10. Fill a box for Operation Christmas Child
11. Operation Christmas Child is a hands-on opportunity to select gifts for a child, pack them in a box, and send the box to a child whose life will be touched by your kindness
12. Downloading a coloring sheet from the website Color a Smile

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 come together to publish content to share with the world. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and mine alone. In this episode, “Getting Global”, I’ll be talking about how we can extend our kindness globally into communities all around the world.

1. Introduction to my Peru trip
2. Reasons why you should think about extending your kindness abroad:
3. You’ll gain a better perspective on the world
4. A Lot of us are sheltered to the bigger issues in the world
5. Immersing yourself in a culture is completely different than learning about it online
6. Volunteer abroad programs can give you a great perspective on life at a young age
7. You’ll travel with a positive impact
8. Your parents or guardian will most likely be more lenient to letting you travel alone if you’re heading off with a group whose dedicated to giving back to society
9. You’ll be helping others and making a difference
10. The main reason to volunteer is to help make a difference in the world
11. By volunteering abroad at a young age and heading out into the world through volunteer programs, you can actually see first-hand what your efforts can do outside of your community

1. Elaborating on the travel abroad experience I went on in Peru
2. ARCC program and what makes them unique
3. What we did to help out the community
4. What I took away from the experience
5. Read a few of my journal entries from my trip
6. Day 4: First day of building the greenhouse
7. Day 5: Playing with little girl named Lis/second day of building the greenhouse
8. Day 8: First day of teaching at the school
9. Day 9: Second day of teaching at the school/llama baptism and hike
10. Alternative options to helping global communities that doesn’t involve going abroad

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 come together to publish content to share with the world. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and mine alone. In this episode, “Cyber-Kind”, I’ll be discussing ways you can be kind on the internet and how to promote an overall more positive digital atmosphere.

1. The internet and its bad reputation
2. The internet/social media don’t have to be a place full of negativity
3. Everytime you log on, you have the power to impact people all around the world
4. It’s easy to be kind in real life, but it can be even easier to be kind on social media

1. Our attachment to social media
2. Being off of social media is harder than we think
3. Allows us to make connections with people we can’t otherwise communicate with
4. You feel like you’re missing out
5. Great things about social media:
6. Allows us to listen to and express different perspectives on things and become more open-minded thinkers 
7. Gives us access to so many forms of education
8. Connects us with people
9. Being online can also be quite toxic and is for a lot people detrimental to their mental health
10. There’s a place where users forget that the people you’re interacting with or talking about on social media are actual humans too
11. For public figures, a lot of people think it's “fair game” to be brutal with them
12. Brutal comments on happy/innocent content
13. Everyone is flawed and even well intentioned people make mistakes
14. Before you bash someone online for something, first think about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, is it going to help in any way, and are you just doing it to make yourself feel better about something?
15.  Respectfully and privately calling others out when they might be wrong
16. What are some things we can do to be kinder on social media?
17. Think before you comment
18. Don’t like or retweet mean...

Episode 2 of “Find Your Kind” the podcast is out for you to listen to, where you’ll learn about how to become a better person through kindness! This episode covers ways you can give to those in need and why you should consider doing so.

“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 come together to publish content to share with the world. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and mine alone. In this episode, “Give a Little, Get a Lot”, I’ll be discussing the importance of giving and what YOU can do to help those in need.

1. Why does one give?
2. Giving is an experience threaded into the daily lives of everyone
3. Giving is hard-wired into who we are as human beings
4. Why people like receiving vs. why people like giving
5. Giving in terms of donations; social impact organizations
6. How you can make a difference

Segment 2:  Organizations to talk about that people can get connected with

1. Ways to donate to charity through donations
2. First way: monetary donations
3. How to raise money as a teen
4. Second way: clothes, shoes, and bags donations 
5. Where/how to donate them
6. Third way: donating books
7. Fourth way: donating unwanted food to pantries and shelters
8. Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry
9. Final way: buying products from organizations supporting charities you care about
10. Newman’s Own, Tom’s, and Bombas
11. Brief discussion about English class project and partnering with Team Rubicon
12. What is Team Rubicon?
13. What is happening in Afghanistan?
14. What are we doing to help?

1. Why...

Take a listen to the first episode of “Find Your Kind” the podcast where you’ll learn how to become a better person through kindness. This episode covers ways to express kindness and gratitude towards your loved ones and why it’s important to do so!

“Hello! 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 come together to publish content to share with the world. Please note that the opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and mine alone. In this episode, “More Gratitude, Less Attitude, I’ll be discussing: the importance of showing kindness towards your loved ones and what you can do to achieve this!

1. Why spread kindness to your loved ones?
2. Small acts of kindness mean the most
3. What practicing kindness within households teaches
4. How kindness relates to lessons passed down from parents
5. Personal story about my grandfather
6. How my grandfather influenced my mom with his kindness
7. Dictionary definition of kindness and what it means to me

1. Going grocery shopping
2. Cooking a meal for my family
3. Process won’t always be easy; you’ll get frustrated!
4. Talking with my family about the dinner and getting a chance to sit down together
5. Impact your acts of kindness have on your siblings
6. Writing a letter to my mom’s birth mom; brief story
7. Driving my brother places for my parents

1. Expansion on the definition of kind
2. What kindness does to the relationships with you and your loved ones
3. Three rhetorical questions to get listeners thinking about what kindness means to them
4. Emphasis on practicing kindness

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

• Apple Podcasts