Podcast Episode #1 (1)

Greta Bintrup, a student studying elementary education, discusses the importance of kindness. She believes that all humans desire to be loved, valued, seen, heard, and understood. Greta shares a personal story of feeling excluded in high school and how a small act of kindness made a big impact on her. She emphasizes the importance of being kind to others and offers practical ways to encourage kindness in daily life, such as talking to someone new, giving sincere compliments, and helping others. Greta believes that if society only focuses on itself and doesn't serve and support one another, it will crumble. She emphasizes the importance of seeing others the way God sees them and concludes by reminding listeners that even small acts of kindness can make a difference in someone's life. So today we're here talking to Greta Bintrup on the topic of teacher education about kindness. So Greta, would you like to say a few words of introduction, like who you are? Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for having me. So my name is Greta and I am a student at the University of St. Francis. I am studying elementary education and I believe that kindness is really, really important. So I'm so excited to share this with you guys today. So what makes you really passionate about this topic? Where does your fire for this topic come from? Well, what makes me really, really passionate about this topic is knowing that we, as human beings, all have the core desires of wanting to be loved, wanting to be valued, wanting to be seen, wanting to be heard, and wanting to be understood. Those aren't selfish things. I think that as human beings, we all just desire those things. And since we're all made in the image of God, we're all so unique and so beautiful, and we all have this dignity as God-given beings. So I think it's really important to share in the fact that God loves this person. God gave this person dignity, so I'm going to love this person. I'm going to affirm this person in their dignity. So I think it's really important to show other people just how much they are loved, how much they're seen, how much they're heard, how much they're valued, because they are valued and they are loved. So what really makes me so passionate about this topic is just showing other people that, yes, you are loved, you are valued, you do matter. So that's what I'm really passionate about. So what are some really concrete examples in your life of really good stories that you've seen, either from other people or people treating you this way? What are some really good examples of real kindness you've seen? Well, I have a lot of examples, because I have been on both sides of this issue. But I just want to say that the smallest thing can really make a difference in someone's life. Now, I can exemplify a chapter in my life. When I was in high school, I remember I was at youth group one time, and I was sitting with this group of girls, and I just didn't feel very included in the conversation. I just felt like no one really cared that I was there or cared about what I had to say, and that's always really hard. So I felt like that. And then there was this one girl who brought donuts, and she was just kind of like passing them out to people. And then suddenly she just randomly asked me, like, hey, Greta, would you like a donut? And it actually meant so much to me that she asked me that, because I wasn't feeling very included. So knowing that, like, yes, someone actually saw me, someone noticed me, someone, like, cared enough about me to think about how I would feel actually meant so much to me. So that was a very small thing, but it just goes to show how much the simplest gesture can really make a difference in someone's life. Bless you. So, you know, you're talking about these simplest gestures, these little things. Like, what are little ways that others can encourage kindness in their daily lives? I think the best way to encourage kindness in your daily life is to be a kind person yourself. So be a role model. Like, be the change that you want to see. So if you want to encourage other people to do it, you have to start by doing it yourself. So take time to talk to someone that you wouldn't normally talk to. Give someone a sincere compliment. If you think someone's hair looks great, tell them that. If you think someone did a really good job on their math assignment, tell them that. If you think someone did a really good job playing soccer, tell them that. If someone needs help carrying their books, help them carry their books. If someone needs help with English and you're really good at English, help them with their English. Talk to someone you wouldn't normally talk to. Even just smiling at someone is a way to show someone that they're acknowledged and that they're cared for and that they're valued. So even just taking time to smile at someone. When you're waiting in line at lunch, talk to the person in front of you in line. Talk to the cashier next time you go shopping. If you see – if you go somewhere and you notice an employee is really struggling, tell them they're doing a great job. They probably – you never know how much they need to hear it. So – because the thing is, like, you never know how much someone needs the smallest gesture of kindness. You never know how much someone needs that smile, that kind word. You just never know how much that means to someone. So if you really want to encourage other people to do this, you have to start by being a role model, and you have to start by exemplifying this yourself. Well, if we're not doing things for other people, then we're doing them for ourselves. And if society only does things for itself, like, if everyone in society only does things for themselves and they don't go about life with the intention of helping other people and serving other people, then I think that society would inevitably crumble apart because we, as human beings, like, we are communal beings. Like, God made us, like, for each other. So if we're not serving one another and helping one another, like, the world just won't function the way that God intended it to. So we really, really need to, like, work together in life to help one another and to support one another as much as we can. Great question. So God loves everyone. God made everyone a unique human being on purpose, for a purpose. We're fearfully and wonderfully made. And God gave everyone a unique dignity. So, yes, there will be people in this life that we don't like. There will be people that we come across that get on our nerves, or maybe they have really annoying habits or whatnot. But no matter what, like, every single person you come across is a person that Jesus died to save. So, and even, like, the worst sinners, like, God loves everyone. So I think it's important to, like, see people the way God sees people. It's really important to be like, God loves this person, so I am going to love this person, too. God loves this person, so I am going to love this person. I am going to show this person how much they're loved. That's really beautiful. That's really good. So I just wanted to, like, conclude. Like, are there any just, like, really, like, final messages of just, like, practical ways or inspiration that you can give people as we grow in this, and they try to, you know, just be more kind and listen to other people? I think the one thing that I want to share is that if you're ever doubting whether or not your words and actions matter, like, if you try really hard to be a kind person and you're wondering, like, well, does it even matter? I just want to say that yes, yes, it absolutely does matter. You never know how much the smallest gesture of kindness can make a difference to someone. And maybe you can't change the whole world. Maybe you can't find a cure for cancer. Maybe you can't cure world hunger. I don't think I could cure world hunger or find a cure for cancer. But if you can just, like, start with the people around you, start with your community, just, like, because the thing is, like, we're all such amazing, unique, beautiful individuals that even if you make a difference in the life of one person, even if you just help one person, that person is so beautiful and so valuable and so dignified that it's worth it. So you don't have to feel discouraged because you can't find a cure for cancer. You can't solve world hunger. Making a difference in the life of one person is infinitely worth it. So if you're ever doubting, like, oh, does what I do even matter? Am I making a difference in this life? Like, you absolutely are making a difference. That's really wonderful. So thank you so much for being on this podcast today and just for all your beautiful words and your, like, wonderful message and everything. I just, yeah, I hope that everyone can learn to just, you know, even, you know, myself, too, just, like, that we can think about other people a little more and love people a little more, even in the little ways. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. I'm so, so glad I got the opportunity to speak on this podcast today. So thank you for having me. It was really wonderful. And this is just a topic that I'm so passionate about. I think it's something that we all, myself included, need to work on. So thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah.