Bonus Episode One: I Wrote A Book

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.

Chapters

• 0:10 Opening Moments On The Street
• 0:22 Welcome To Kindness Matters
• 0:46 Mission And Impact Of The Show
• 1:28 Gratitude To Our Listeners
• 2:00 A Bonus Episode Announcement
• 2:13 Introducing The New Book
• 2:42 Why This Book Now
• 3:10 Kindness In Quiet, Ordinary Moments
• 3:34 Reading From The Introduction
• 4:16 Kindness As Defiance And Courage
• 4:29 What The Book Asks Of Us
• 5:06 Where To Find The Book And Next Steps
• 5:49 Closing And Host Signoff

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:10

Walking slow down the street. Strangers smile.

SPEAKER_01: 0:18

When I doesn't matter. Welcome to the Kindness Matters Podcast. A show that celebrates the powerful truth that kindness can change the world. Every week I aim to shine a light on people and organizations making a positive difference in their communities, proving that compassion, empathy, and connection still thrive, even in challenging times. This podcast is about more than good storytelling, it's about real impact. Through heartfelt conversations, inspiring acts, and everyday example of humanity, the kindness matters podcast invites listeners to rediscover the power of kindness as a force for healing, growth, and genuine connection. If the message of this show resonates with you, please share it with your friends and family.

SPEAKER_00: 1:28

Hey friends, welcome back to the Kindness Matters podcast. Before we get into anything today, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for choosing to spend part of your day here. Whether you're listening while driving, folding laundry, walking the dog, or just taking a quiet moment for yourself, time is the one thing that none of us get more of. And the fact that you chose to spend some of yours with me honestly means more than I can say. Today's episode is a little bit different. It's a bonus episode, and I wanted to take a moment to share something that's kind of been living in my heart and on my keyboard for a long time. I've written a book. It's called Still Changing a World: Small Acts of Kindness That Make a Big Difference. And today isn't about selling you anything or something. It's about inviting you into the why behind it. Why this book? Why now? There was a time when changing the world felt like a shared effort, right? We didn't always agree. But disagreement didn't automatically mean distance. Lately, that feels different. Everything feels sharper, faster, louder. A lot of good people I know are tired. Tired of explaining, tired of defending, tired of hoping things might soften again. This book came from noticing something important. Even in divided times, the impulse toward kindness hasn't disappeared. It's just quieter. It shows up in small moments. Ordinary moments. Moments that don't make headlines. But still matter. I want to read a short section from the introduction because it really sets the tone for the whole book. Changing the world has never been about grand gestures alone. It's always depended on daily choices, how people treat one another when no one is watching, and how they respond, when it would be easier to harden than to care. Kindness, once assumed to be neutral or expected, can now feel almost defiant. That word defiant stuck with me. Because kindness today isn't passive. It isn't naive. And it definitely isn't weak. Sometimes it's the bravest thing in the room. What this book is and isn't this book doesn't ask you to agree with everyone. It doesn't ask you to abandon your beliefs. And it definitely doesn't ask you to ignore harm or injustice. It asks something simpler and harder. How do we keep choosing humanity when it would be easier not to? That's the space this book lives in. Not the loudest space, but the truest one. If this resonates with you, if you felt tired, overwhelmed, or unsure how to stay kind without disappearing, I think this book will feel like a conversation you didn't know you needed. You can find Still Changing the World wherever you buy books, but especially on Amazon. And I'll link it in the show notes. And if you want to go a little bit deeper, stick around because I'm going to have another episode coming up soon, another bonus episode. And I want to talk about something the book explores that really matters right now. Why kindness is not neutral and why it takes courage. Thanks for listening in. Again, I am your host, Mike Rathman, and you have been listening to the Kindness Matters podcast.