Latest / The Thriving School Podcast with Jenni Awesome / One Billion Acts of Kindness: Can We Change the World Together?
Transcript
- Jenni Awesome: Told you that you have the power to change someone's entire world today. Not someday. Not when you have more money, not when you have more time, and not when you've achieved some incredible level of success. Today. Right now. And what if I told you that the power I'm talking about doesn't require a degree, a title, a platform, or permission from anyone? It requires one thing: kindness. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking, Jenni,, really? Kindness? But with everything happening in our world right now, with all the division, conflict, suffering, and uncertainty, yeah. Actually, I think kindness might be one of the most important conversations we could be having. Because I don't believe kindness is something we do when the world is already good. I believe kindness is one of the ways we make the world good. And here's something fascinating. Science is beginning to help us understand just how powerful kindness really is. Research shows that kindness can improve our own well-being, strengthen our relationships, and help us feel more connected to others. And some research even suggests that cooperative behavior can spread from person to person, influencing people we may never meet. Think about that. A simple act of kindness might create a ripple far beyond the moment itself. And today I want to introduce you to something absolutely extraordinary. a global movement called Pass Kindness Forward, also known as Pasalo Palante, is bringing people together around a remarkable goal. One billion acts of kindness across 195 countries over 92 days. From November 1st, 2026 through January 31st, 2027, 1 billion opportunities. To remind somebody that they matter. One billion opportunities to choose compassion. One billion opportunities to make someone's world a little brighter. And you get you and I and you and I get to be a part of it. So, welcome to the Thriving School Podcast, where a better tomorrow is possible. I'm your host, Jenni, Awesome, and I believe that a better tomorrow isn't something we sit around waiting for. It's something we create through our choices, through our relationships, through our courage, and through kindness. So let's dive in. Kindness is not weakness. I want to begin by challenging something I believe we've gotten terribly wrong. Somewhere along the way, we started confusing kindness with weakness. We started treating compassion as if it were somehow the opposite of strength. We decided that to be successful, we needed to be harder, tougher, louder, and more competitive. We celebrate the people who dominate conversations, the people who win arguments. The people who climb to the top, no matter what it takes. But sometimes we overlook the person who stops, turns around, and reaches back to help somebody else climb. And I wonder which of those people is actually demonstrating greater strength? The person who tears someone down, or the person who has every opportunity to do that and instead chooses to build them up? It takes very little courage to be cruel. It takes very little imagination to criticize. But to look at someone who is struggling, someone who is angry, someone who may even hurt you and choose to see their humanity, that takes strength. That takes intention and that takes leadership. Now, I want to be clear about something. Kindness does not mean allowing people to mistreat you. It does not mean abandoning your boundaries. pretending everything is okay when it isn't. Sometimes kindness looks like saying no. Sometimes kindness looks like telling someone a difficult truth. Sometimes kindness means holding someone accountable while still protecting their dignity. Because kindness Kindness and accountability are not opposites. In fact, some of the most powerful accountability comes from a place of genuine care. When we truly care about someone, we want to see them grow. We want to see them succeed. We want them to recognize their potential even when they're struggling to see it themselves. Kindness isn't about making everything easy. It's about refusing to make someone feel less human in the process. And imagine what would happen if we started approaching our relationships, workplaces, schools, and communities in this way. So let's talk about the science of kindness. Now I love talking about possibility, but I also love exploring what research can teach us about the human experience. And here's where this conversation gets really interesting. Because kindness isn't simply a nice idea. Researchers have actually studied what happens when people intentionally engage in acts of kindness, and the findings are worth paying attention to. The first study: Kindness and Happiness. In 2018, researchers published a systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. They examined 27 experimental studies involving more than 4,000 participants. Their question was simple. Does performing acts of kindness improve the well-being of the person doing them? And what did they find? On average, yes. People who engaged in kindness activities experienced a measurable improvement in their well-being. The overall effect was considered small to moderate. Now, that doesn't mean doing one kind thing will magically make all of But it does mean something important. Helping another person can also have a positive effect on the person doing the helping. And I love that, because I often think about kindness as something we give away. But perhaps kindness is one of those extraordinary things that can benefit both people in the interaction. The person receiving kindness gets to experience compassion, and the person offering kindness may experience greater happiness and meaning. And research has continued exploring this connection. A 2020 meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin examined 201 studies involving more than 198,000 participants. It found a modest but positive overall relationship between helping others and well-being. Interestingly, the relationship was stronger for well-being associated with meaning and purpose than for simply finding happy in the moment. And that distinction matters to me. Because a meaningful life isn't necessarily a life where we're happy every second. Sometimes meaning comes from showing up for someone when it's difficult. Sometimes purpose comes from serving others. Sometimes fulfillment comes from knowing we made somebody else's journey a little easier. And maybe that tells us something about what we're actually searching for. Perhaps we're not simply searching for happiness, perhaps we're searching for a life that matters. The second study: kindness, anxiety, and human connection. Now here's another study I find it fascinating. Researchers at Ohio State University conducted an experiment involving 122 adults who were experiencing elevated symptoms of anxiety or depression. Participants were assigned to one of three groups. One group planned social activities. Another group practiced a thought reframing exercise. And the third group was asked to perform acts of kindness for others. The kindness group performed three acts of kindness a day on two days each week. These weren't necessarily grand gestures. They included things like baking for friends, giving someone a ride, or leaving encouraging notes. And what happened? All three groups experienced improvements, but the participants who performed acts of kindness showed greater improvements in social connection than either comparison group. They also had greater improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms than the group practicing thought reframing. Now I want to be careful here. This doesn't mean kindness replaces counseling, therapy, or other mental health support. It doesn't mean kindness is a cure, but it does suggest that connecting the others through helping can be a meaningful part of supporting emotional well-being. And I find that incredibly powerful. Because when we're struggling, our world can become very small. We can become consumed. By our own fears, our own problems, and our own uncertainty. And sometimes reaching beyond ourselves creates an opportunity to reconnect, to remember that we are not alone, to remember that we can still contribute something meaningful. To remember that even during difficult seasons, we still have something valuable to offer. I want you to think about what that means. We live in a world where so many people feel disconnected, lonely, invisible, unimportant. And here we have research suggesting that a simple act of kindness can help strengthen the very connections we're missing. What if one of the ways forward isn't always about doing more for ourselves? What if sometimes it's about looking around and asking, who could use a little love today? Kindness creates a ripple. Now let's talk about something that I think is almost magical, the ripple effect. Because here's what fascinates me about kindness. We rarely get to see its full impact. We see the immediate moment, the smile, the thank you, the shoulders relaxing, but we don't always get to see what happens afterwards. Imagine a teacher who arrives at school completely and utterly exhausted. She's overwhelmed. She's questioning whether she can keep doing this. And then a colleague stops her in the hallway and says, I see how hard you're working. I just want you to know that what you do matters. Maybe that teacher walks into her classroom feeling a little more hopeful. Maybe she responds to a struggling student with a little more patience. Maybe that student who has felt like a problem all week finally feels understood. And maybe that student goes home and treats a younger sibling with a little more compassion. Maybe that sibling carries that experience into another relationship. Can we prove that every step in this imaginary chain will happen? Of course not. But research gives us an Interesting reason to consider how our actions can influence others. In twenty ten researchers James Fowler and Nicholas. Christakis published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examining how cooperation spreads through social networks, then analyzed laboratory experiments in which people participated in group activities with others. They found that cooperative behavior influenced other people to cooperate in later interactions. That influence sometimes extends through multiple connections, reaching as far as three degrees of separation in the experimental. networks. Now, cooperation in a laboratory experiment isn't exactly the same thing as everyday kindness, but the finding is still fascinating. Our choices can influence the choices of people beyond our immediate interaction. And isn't that something? You might not know the people who are affected by your kindness, you might never hear their names, you might never see the difference, but your actions can become part of a much larger story. It's like dropping a small stone into a still pond. The stone may be small, but the ripples keep moving long after it disappears beneath the surface. And that brings Me to something I really want you to remember. Never measure the significance of your kindness by the size of the act. You don't have to change a thousand lives today. You can start by changing one moment for one person, and that moment might become the beginning of something much bigger. So, what kindness can teach us about our schools? Now you know that education is something incredibly close to my heart. I've spent years working with students, teachers, families, and school leaders, and one of the things I've come to believe is that so much of what we call a behavior problem is really a belonging problem. I often say that we don't have a behavior problem, we have a belonging problem. Now that doesn't mean behaviors don't matter. Quite the opposite. It doesn't mean we ignore harm or eliminate expectations. It means we get to understand the human being behind the behavior. Think about the student who constantly disrupts class, the one who refuses to participate, and the one who seems angry at everyone else. Or the one who's already been labeled difficult. What happens when an adult approaches that student with curiosity instead of immediate judgment? And there's fascinating research about kindness in schools too. In a study published in 2012, researchers worked with students ages 9 to 11 in 19 classrooms in Vancouver, Canada. Some students were asked to perform three acts of kindness each week for four weeks. Others were asked to visit three different places. And here's what researchers discovered. While students in both groups showed improvement in well being, the students who practice acts of kindness experienced greater increases in Pyrrhic. Acceptance. In other words, practicing kindness helped improve how positively these students were regarded by their classmates. Now think about what that can mean for our schools. What if we stopped treating kindness as something we simply put on posters? What if we made it something students actually practice? What if kindness became part of the daily culture? Not just a kindness week, not just an assembly, not just an inspirational. Slogan hanging on a wall, but an actual experience. Students learning to notice when someone is struggling. Students helping one another. Students practicing gratitude. Students welcoming someone who feels left out. Students learning that their choices influence the experience of everyone around them. And what if adults modeled those same behaviors? Teachers encouraging teachers, administrators recognizing their staff, families working in partnership with schools. School leaders demonstrating that human dignity is non-negotiable. Because here's what I believe. We don't create thriving schools simply by telling students to be better. We create thriving schools by building environments where people experience what better can look like and feel like. And that's why this global kindness movement is such an extraordinary opportunity for education. Imagine entire school districts participating in a season of kindness. Imagine students becoming kindness ambassadors. Imagine classrooms recording and celebrating acts of compassion. Imagine schools teaching young people that they don't have to wait until they're adults to make a difference. They can begin right now. And imagine those students carrying those lessons into their homes and communities. That's how we begin to transform culture. Pass Kindness Forward. One billion acts of kindness. Now I want to spend some time talking about the movement that I am incredibly excited to be involved with. It's called Pass Kindness Forward, or as it began in Puerto Rico, Pasalo Pallante. The idea behind the movement is beautifully simple. Do an act of kindness, receive an act of kindness, and pass kindness forward. But what makes this movement extraordinarily? Is its ambition. From November 1st, 2026 through January 31st, 2027, Pass Kindness Forward is launching a worldwide initiative called Global Kindness Season. And the goal? 1 billion acts of kindness in 92 days, reaching across 195 countries. 1 billion. I want you to really think about that number. One billion moments of compassion. One billion opportunities to lift somebody up. One billion opportunities to remind another human being that they matter. One billion choices to bring more love and light into our world. And this isn't a movement that came out of nowhere. It has roots in Puerto Rico. Following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, communities demonstrated the incredible power of neighbors helping neighbors. People showed up for each other. They shared resources. They supported families. They rebuilt. They cared. that spirit helped inspire a movement focused on intentionally passing kindness forward. In November 2025, the initiative reported more than 1.1 million. Acts of kindness in just five days across Puerto Rico. More than a million acts in five days. The campaign brought together communities, public officials, students, educators, and local leaders. It demonstrated what can happen when people come together around a common purpose. And now the movement is reaching for something even bigger. One billion acts of kindness around the world. And you know what I love most. most. You don't need money to participate. You don't need a degree. You don't need to be famous. You don't need a huge social media following. You don't have to be the CEO of a company or the leader of an organization. You just have to be willing to make a difference. Because kindness is one of the few things that every single human being has the ability to contribute. Think about that. At a time when so many people feel powerless to change what's happening in the world, this movement reminds us that our choices still matter. You may not be able to solve every global problem, you may not be able to change every broken system, you may not be able to eliminate every injustice or heal every hurting person, but you can choose how you show up. Up in the world today. And that's where your power begins. Now imagine millions of people making that choice together. Imagine children intentionally being kind to one another. Imagine teachers recognizing the contributions of their colleagues. Imagine employers showing genuine appreciation for their employees. Imagine families choosing patience instead of frustration. Imagine strangers taking a moment to help somebody they don't know. Imagine someone sitting alone being invited into a conversation. Imagine someone who feels forgotten receiving a message that says, I was thinking about you today. Imagine what could happen if kindness became something we intentionally practiced every day. And here's what makes this movement so powerful to me. It's not simply about counting acts of kindness. Yes, the Billion Act goal is incredibly exciting. And yes, the idea of people from 195 countries participating in the Save movement is extraordinary. But what matters isn't the number, it's the people behind the number. Every act represents an opportunity for connection. Every act represents a choice. Every act represents a moment where somebody decided to make the world a little better for someone else. And every one of those moments matters. This movement is inviting individuals, families, schools, businesses, churches, nonprofits, and communities around the world to get involved. And I want to extend that invitation to you. Think about how many acts of kindness you could intentionally. Commit to in those 92 days. It might be one act a day. It might be two. It might be ten. You might be hooked. Maybe you'll invite your entire family. Maybe you'll bring the idea into your workplace. maybe you'll challenge your school. Maybe you'll invite your church or community organization to participate. And remember, kindness does not always require money. sometimes it's helping someone carry their groceries. Sometimes it's a handwritten note. Sometimes it's checking on a neighbor. Sometimes it's forgiving someone. Sometimes it's listening. Sometimes it's simply giving someone your undivided attention. Sometimes it's standing up for someone who needs an advocate. And my personal favorite, sometimes it's leaving a little duck for somebody to find in the most random place in the woods. The possibilities are endless. And the beautiful part is that every act, no matter how small, contributes greatly to a larger mission. I also want to encourage you to share your experiences because kindness gets recognition. Because stories can inspire others. When we hear about people doing great things, it reminds us that goodness still exists. It reminds us of what's possible. And it can inspire us to become part of that possibility ourselves. Imagine turning on the news and hearing stories of kindness from all over the world. Imagine opening social media and seeing people celebrating generosity, compassion, and humanity. Imagine children growing up in a world where being kind isn't viewed as extraordinary. It's just simply what we do. that's what I believe this movement has the potential to inspire, and I get to help make that happen. Kindness when it isn't easy. And here's something important. It's easy to be kind when everything is going well. It's easy to be generous when we have plenty. And it's easy to be patient when we're well rested. It's easy to smile when someone smiles at us first, but what about when we're exhausted? When we're frustrated? When somebody cuts us off in traffic? When somebody makes an assumption about us, when we're facing criticism, when somebody treats us unfairly, what does kindness look like then? I think that's where our character begins to reveal itself. Because kindness isn't simply an emotional response to pleasant circumstances. It's a choice about who we want to become. one of the questions I've been reflecting on is this: Who am I becoming through the way I treat other people? Not just the people who are easy to love, not the people who agree with me, and not the people who can do something for me. Everyone. Now, we are human beings. We're going to have moments where we don't respond the way that we'd liked. We're going to get impatient, we're going to say something we wish we hadn't said, we're going to get overwhelmed, and that's a part of being human. But kindness also creates an opportunity for repair. We can apologize, we can accept responsibility, we can change the way we approach the next interaction. And I think that's one of the most beautiful things about becoming. We are not permanently defined by yesterday's choices. We can choose differently today. We can choose differently in the next moment. And that means a kinder world is always possible. because people are always capable of growing. Now, don't forget to include yourself. There's one more person I want you to think about when we're talking about kindness. You. Yes, you. Because some of the most compassionate people I know are also the hardest on themselves. They're the first to show up when somebody needs help, the first to offer encouragement, the first to forgive someone else's mistake. But when they make a mistake, they need rest. When they fall short of their own expectations, suddenly that compassion disappears. And the words they speak to themselves are words they would never dream of saying to anybody they love. So let me ask you something. If kindness is rooted in recognizing human dignity, doesn't your own dignity matter too? If every human being deserves compassion, why would you be the exception? Being kind to yourself doesn't mean avoiding responsibility. It means recognizing that you too are worthy of patience, grace, and care. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is rest. Sometimes it's asking for help. Sometimes it's forgiving yourself for something you cannot change. Sometimes it's taking the next courageous step towards becoming the person you are becoming. And sometimes it's simply looking in the mirror and saying, I'm still learning, I'm still growing, I am worthy of love along the way. You cannot build a world where everyone matters while continuing to believe that you don't. So please include yourself in the circle of kindness that you are creating. Alright, the seven-day kindness ripple challenge. I don't want you to finish listening to this episode and simply think, well, that was nice. I want you to do something with it because information can inspire us. But experience is what has the power to transform us. So I'm inviting you to participate in something I'm calling the seven-day kindness ripple challenge. Seven days. Seven intentional opportunities to bring more love into the world. And here's what I'd love for you to try. Day one, see someone. Find one person who might feel invisible. It could be someone at work, someone at your home, a cashier, a neighbor, or a student. Acknowledge them. Look them in the eyes. Ask them how they're doing and actually listen to that answer. And then make sure you record your act of kindness for the Past Kindness Forward Challenge. Day two, speak life. Tell someone something you genuinely appreciate about them. Be specific. Don't just say good job. Tell them what you admire in detail. Tell them how they've made a difference. Let somebody hear something wonderful about themselves that they may not already know. And then record it for the Pass Kindness Forward Challenge. Day three, give without expectation. Do something helpful for someone. Offer your time, lend a hand, take care of a task, make somebody's day easier and expect absolutely nothing in return. And then record that for the Pass Kindness Forward Challenge. Day four, choose compassion. When you encounter someone who is difficult, frustrated, or struggling, pause before reacting. Ask yourself, what might this person be experiencing that I cannot see? You don't have to agree with them. You don't have to excuse harmful behavior. Just practice responding with humanity. Then record it for the past kindness forward challenge. Day five, extend grace to yourself. Do something kind for your own mind, body, or spirit. Rest, take a walk, pray, journal. Spend time doing something that brings you joy. Give yourself permission to be a human being, not just a human doing. Then record that for the past kindness forward challenge. Day six, repair a connection. Think about a relationship where a small repair might be possible and healthy. Maybe you owe someone an apology. Maybe someone deserves a thank you you never express. Maybe there's a conversation you've been avoiding. Take one step towards healing where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Then record it for the Past Kindness Forward Challenge. And day seven, pass it forward. Invite three other people to participate. Share what you've learned. Tell someone why this matters to you, and encourage them to create their own kindness ripple. Now here's what I where I want to connect this challenge to our bigger mission. These seven days are just the beginning. Because Global Kindness Season gives us 92 days to build on what we start. From November 1st through January 31st, I am inviting you to become intentional about kindness. Make your pledge, invite others, celebrate the moments of connection, and be part of the global effort to reach one billion acts of kindness. Remember, you don't have to be extraordinary to do something meaningful. You simply have to begin. The world we leave behind. I want to close today by asking you to imagine something with me. Close your eyes for a moment if you're somewhere safe to do so. And picture the world you want the next generation to inherit. What do you see? Do you see a world where children are afraid to make mistakes? Where people hide their struggles because they fear being judged? Where success is measured by how much we accumulate and how many people we outperform? Or do you see something different? Do you see communities where people look out for one another? Schools where every child knows they belong, workplaces where people are treated with dignity, families where love is spoken openly. A world where we celebrate one another's growth instead of competing over whose light shines brightest. Because I believe that world is possible. Not because I think humanity is perfect, and not because I believe kindness will magically solve every problem, but because I believe every act of love moves us a little closer to the world we want. And because I believe we're here for something greater than simply getting through our days. We're here to connect, to learn, to grow, to discover, to create, to contribute, and to love. And maybe, just maybe, the greatest impact we have on this world won't be measured by the things we accomplish. Maybe it will be measured by how people felt when they were in our presence. Did they feel valued? Did they feel encouraged? Did they feel safe enough to be themselves? Did we help them believe in something greater? Did we leave them with a little more hope than they had before we arrived? Because here's what I know. We may not be able to change the entire world in a single day, but we can change somebody's somebody's experience of the world in a single moment. And that matters. It matters more than we know. So today I want you to remember something. Your kindness is not. Insignificant. Your compassion is not weakness. Your love is not wasted. Every time you choose to see the humanity in another person, you contribute to a better world. Every time you help someone feel that they belong, you create possibility. Every time you pass kindness forward, you become part of something greater than yourself. And now we have an extraordinary opportunity. 92 days. Countries. One billion acts of kindness. What if we did it? What if we actually came together across borders, languages, cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs and demonstrated what humanity is capable of if we choose to care for one another? What if this became more than a campaign? What if it became a way of life? What if the greatest legacy we leave behind isn't what we built for ourselves, but the love we helped create around the world? And wouldn't it be incredible if we stopped waiting for the world to become kinder and started becoming the people who make it so? If today's episode resonated with you, I would love for you to share it with someone who needs a little hope. And I want to personally invite you to join me in the Pass Kindness Forward movement. From November 1st, 2026, through January 31st, 2027, we're joining a global effort to inspire 1 billion acts of kindness. 1 billion opportunities to make the world a little brighter. Invite your family. Invite your friends. Invite your schools, workplaces, churches, and communities. Because here's what I believe. One act of kindness can change a moment. One moment can change a day. And one day can certainly change the life. And when we choose to pass kindness forward, we create the possibility of changing the world. If you'd like to stay connected with me and the work that we're doing to create more belonging, connection, love, and possibility, visit Awesomeconsulting.org/subscribe.. And before you go, I have one final question for you. What if the kindness you choose today becomes the reason someone else believes in tomorrow? Think about that. And then go out and be that reason. I'm Jenni, Awesome, and this is the Thriving School Podcast, where a better tomorrow is possible. Remember, the future isn't something that simply happens to us. It's something we create through the choices we make today. Choose love, choose light, choose kindness, and whatever you do. Pass it forward. Until next time, keep shining your light because a better tomorrow is possible, and it begins with us.