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The world feels sharper than it used to. Conversations cut faster. Systems feel colder. And many good people feel tempted to harden—not because they don’t care, but because they’re tired.

In this final bonus episode of The Kindness Matters Podcast, Mike shares why staying soft in a harsh world is not weakness—it’s courage. Drawing from his new book, Still Changing A World: Small Acts of Kindness That Make a Big Difference, he explores how we can protect our humanity without burning out, disappearing, or becoming bitter.

This episode is about boundaries instead of walls, rest instead of retreat, and why small, everyday acts of kindness matter more—not less—when big systems feel broken.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the urge to harden your heart is often about exhaustion, not lack of compassion
• The difference between boundaries and emotional walls
• How staying “soft and strong” helps you remain human without self-erasure
• Why small acts create real change, even when they don’t go viral
• How to keep showing up with kindness without carrying the weight of fixing everything

Featured readings from the book:

• “When You’re Tempted to Harden Your Heart”
• “Small Acts Matter More When Big Systems Feel Broken”

Key takeaway:

You are not responsible for fixing the whole world.
You are responsible for how you show up in the part of it you touch.

Kindness doesn’t require perfection, consensus, or constant output. It requires presence, boundaries, and the courage to stay human—especially when the world makes that hard.

Resources & Links:

• Still Changing A World: Small Acts of Kindness That Make a Big Difference by Mike Rathbun
  (Available wherever books are sold — link in show notes)

If this episode resonated:

• Share it with someone who feels tired but hasn’t given up
• Leave a review to help others find the show
• Or do one small act of kindness today—those still count

Thank you for listening.
Thank you for caring.
And thank you for staying soft in a sharp world.

If you would like to purchase this book in either Kindle format or Paperback you can do that here.

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In this bonus episode of the Kindness Matters podcast, host Mike Rathbun dives into one of the core ideas from his book Still Changing a World: Small Acts Of Kindness That Make A Big Difference; kindness is not neutral—it is courageous.

He explores why neutrality is passive while kindness is an active, often costly choice that can require comfort, convenience, and even approval. Mike reads a powerful section from the book that unpacks how kindness asks us to stay human in dehumanizing moments, choose compassion over convenience, hold boundaries without cruelty, and interrupt harm even when it’s uncomfortable.

Speaking directly to those who feel tired, overwhelmed, or tempted to go quiet, he offers validation and hope, reminding listeners that they don’t have to be loud to be brave or fix everything to matter. This episode is an invitation to keep showing up as yourself, consistently, even when the emotional cost feels high.

Who This Episode Is For

• Anyone who cares deeply but feels emotionally worn down by division and harshness.
• People who don’t want to match the cruelty they see but aren’t sure how to stay open.​
• Listeners wondering if their quiet, consistent kindness still makes a difference.

• Grab the book on Amazon (available in either Kindle or Paperback format).

Take the Next Step
If this episode spoke to you, consider sharing it—or the book—with someone who is tired but hasn’t given up yet. Let it be a reminder that choosing kindness, again and again, is one of the bravest things we can do.

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In this bonus episode of the Kindness Matters podcast, host Mike Rathman shares the heart and hope behind his new book, Still Changing a World: Small Acts of Kindness that Make a Big Difference.

Instead of a sales pitch, Mike offers an invitation into the “why” behind the project and reflects on what it means to keep choosing kindness in a world that feels sharper, faster, and more divided than ever. He reads a short passage from the book’s introduction, exploring how true change has always depended on quiet, everyday choices—how we treat one another when no one is watching and how we respond when it would be easier to harden than to care.

Mike also unpacks why kindness today can feel almost defiant, and why continuing to lead with humanity is both simple and incredibly hard. If you’ve been feeling tired, overwhelmed, or unsure how to stay kind without disappearing, this conversation will feel like a gentle, needed reminder that you’re not alone.

Who This Episode Is For

• Listeners who feel worn out by division, outrage, and constant noise.
• Anyone who wants to make a difference but wonders if small acts still matter.
• People trying to stay kind without ignoring harm, injustice, or their own boundaries.

Link to the book: Available in Paperback or Kindle.

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What if the smallest act of kindness could shift someone from isolation to hope? We sit down with mental health advocate, peer support specialist, and nonprofit founder Maddie Andrews to unpack what recovery really looks like for people living with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder—and why stigma keeps too many from asking for help. Maddie’s candid story moves from a year of medical crisis to a mission: make mental health care equitable, accessible, and free of shame through peer-led support and community education.

Across this conversation, we explore how lived experience builds instant trust in support groups, why “I’ve been there” can open a door that clinical language can’t, and how kindness lowers the barrier to resources like therapy, medication, and crisis planning. Maddie explains the structure of JE Support Group’s free offerings: a national virtual group for schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar communities and two local, in-person groups for broader mental health needs. We dig into concrete tools members share—daily routines, sleep strategies, medication management, and communication skills—and the deep relief of being seen without judgment.

We also get practical about inclusion at work and school. From flexible policies and accommodations to trauma-informed training, small shifts create safer spaces where people can speak up early and avoid crises. Affordability remains a pressing barrier, even with insurance, so we talk navigation tips, sliding-scale options, and why grassroots organizations matter. The takeaway is clear: recovery isn’t the absence of a diagnosis; it’s the presence of support, agency, and community. If you or someone you love needs connection, JE Support’s virtual group is open nationwide.

If this conversation lifts you up, share it with a friend, leave a rating, and subscribe so you never miss a new story of kindness in action. Your one share might be the spark someone needs today.

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What if the safest schools aren’t the ones with the toughest rules, but the ones where every kid feels seen? We sit down with Dr. Beth Sanborn—26-year police veteran turned school safety coordinator—to unpack how compassion, trust, and everyday presence can prevent harm long before discipline or court becomes part of the picture.

Beth takes us inside the real work of a school resource officer: mentor, educator, and, when necessary, law enforcement. She explains why a “stolen Oreo” is a moment for curiosity, not cuffs, and how asking why behavior happens leads to smarter, fairer outcomes. We go deep on early intervention, the myths that feed the school-to-prison pipeline, and the practical steps that keep small missteps from becoming life-altering records. Her candor about vicarious trauma and finding purpose in schools brings rare clarity to how adults can help without harming.

You’ll also learn the story behind Hidden, High, and Hammered, Beth’s program that helps adults spot subtle signs of substance use. From fruity-smelling bathrooms to clever stash spots, she shares what teens actually tell trusted adults and how that insight can guide prevention. Beth’s two daily habits—smile often and use students’ names—sound simple, but they transform hallways into safer spaces. We talk empowering students by including them in solutions, and we share a “golden question” for parents that maps who a child turns to when life goes right—and when it goes wrong.

If you care about school safety, youth mental health, early intervention, and building trust between students and adults, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague or caregiver, and leave a review to help more listeners find these tools—and tell us: what small habit will you start using tomorrow?

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What happens when grit, humor, and sharp self-advocacy meet a system that still talks over disabled people? We sit down with author, podcaster, and athlete Win Charles for a wide-open conversation about cerebral palsy, pain that won’t be ignored, and the stubborn hope that keeps her training for Kona even as she prepares for a hip replacement at 37.

Win breaks down what CP actually feels like—spasticity that clamps like a rubber band, a startle reflex that can derail recovery—and the cascading impact of a fall that left her hip 50 degrees out of the socket. She shares the moments that cut deepest: being dismissed at the ER, a pre-op staffer asking others to sign for her, and an anesthesiologist who brushed off her documented allergy. Through it all, she models what real advocacy sounds like: clear language, repeated boundaries, and a refusal to surrender decision-making power over her own body.

We widen the lens to education, where accommodations exist on paper but often vanish in practice. Win calls out professors who skip IEPs, highlights the invisible labor students carry, and offers concrete steps for allies: learn the basics of CP and disability, shadow a special education teacher, and design access before it’s requested. Then we come back to the everyday—the narrow clinic doorway, the broken door button, the shower that turns into a puzzle—because access lives or dies in these small, solvable details.

There’s joy here too. Win's Ironman story challenges every lazy myth about disability and ambition, and her rebuild plan after surgery is both disciplined and hopeful. The throughline is simple and strong: speak to the person, not the aide; hold the door when the button fails; believe people when they describe their bodies; and when it’s your turn to move, just do it.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find conversations that center dignity, access, and action. Your support keeps these stories in the light.

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A terrified hello on a budget flight became a life raft—and then a blueprint for community. We sit down with photographer and connection-builder Adam Schluter to explore how he turned awkward street moments into lasting friendships, a global chorus of stories, and a backyard tradition that has welcomed more than 10,000 neighbors to the same picnic tables.

Adam traces the origins of Hello From A Stranger from early rejection to a pivotal encounter with a young refugee in Milan who had never been asked for his photo. That moment reframed the mission: people don’t just want to be photographed—they want to be seen. We unpack why scripts sound like sales, how vulnerability signals safety faster than polish, and why face-to-face time creates empathy no feed can replicate. Along the way, Adam explains how Monday Night Dinners began with burnt mac and cheese and evolved into a zero-agenda gathering with local music, potluck plates, and simple norms that keep business and politics at bay while making space for real talk.

This conversation goes beyond feel-good quotes. We get practical about hosting community without a budget, using music as a social buffer for introverts, and teaching teens the lost skills of eye contact and conversation. Adam shares plans to seed dinners in Mexico City and Japan, plus a clear definition of kindness as service—especially to people who have nothing to offer you. If you’ve been feeling isolated, or you’re craving a way to turn neighbors into friends, you’ll leave with a roadmap you can use this week: say hello, invite two people to eat, skip the pitch, and keep showing up.

If this story resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a seat at the table, and leave a review to help more people find their way to connection.

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What if kindness could rebuild a city block by block—and it started with a free concert? We sit down with Stephan Palmer, founder and CEO of Youth on Fire, to trace the journey from community shows in Hartford to a full-scale mentoring and family support network changing how youth grow, learn, and lead. Stephan’s approach is disarmingly simple: build trust first, then layer in faith, academics, and real-world creativity. When a mentor says, “We’re the GPS; you pick the destination,” kids stop bracing for judgment and start mapping their futures.

You’ll hear how a silent middle schooler lit up over Naruto and, session by session, found his voice, his footing, and a passion for service—now volunteering at coat and school supply drives and bringing friends into the fold. We dig into Hartford’s unique pressures—parents working multiple jobs, kids feeling unseen—and how Youth on Fire answers with relevant skills: music production, fashion design, podcasting, branding, and entrepreneurship. Cross-promotion becomes a classroom, and collaboration becomes a credential. As confidence rises, grades follow, and the spark of possibility grows into a plan.

Partnerships make the model scalable. Schools secured grants and Apple labs that transformed a single laptop into a media hub. A cosmetology school and a retailer help single dads step into interviews with dignity. State leaders supported licensing, MOUs, and family-centered work that stabilizes homes and lifts outcomes. Stefan shares future plans to add a women’s component and thoughtfully expand beyond Connecticut, while keeping the core promise intact: listen deeply, act practically, and let youth leadership drive the ripple effect.

If stories of real transformation give you hope, this one delivers—with concrete tools, candid moments, and a roadmap any community can adapt. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who cares about kids and families, and leave a review so more people can find it. Your ripple starts here.

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