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Discovering Kindness From Within (Feat. Leon Logothetis)

Motivational Mondays: Conversations with Leaders · 2025-05-12 · 34 min

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Leon Logothetis returns to discuss 'The Kindness Within: A Journey to Freedom,' a deeply personal documentary that diverges from his previous work by removing the 'happy-go-lucky' veneer to expose genuine emotional struggles. Unlike The Kindness Diaries Netflix series that showcased global adventures fueled by strangers' generosity, this film documents Logothetis's dark night of the soul - including suicidal ideation - and his spiritual journey to India seeking liberation through connection with universal love. Drawing inspiration from Paramahansa Yogananda's 'Autobiography of a Yogi' and guided by spiritual figures like Sadhguru and Nandiniji, the documentary explores how joy and misery stem from within and how emotional freedom emerges through vulnerability, authentic human connection, and recognizing our shared humanity beyond perceived differences. The film features conversations with spiritual leaders across religions - rabbis, Islamic scholars, Buddhist monks - demonstrating that spirituality transcends religious boundaries. For B2B operators and leaders, this conversation offers frameworks for authentic leadership, the importance of mental health support systems, and how vulnerability drives transformation.

Key takeaways

  • →Emotional freedom comes not from external success but from facing internal struggles and sharing pain with supportive communities, fundamentally shifting how we manage emotions and respond to life's challenges.
  • →The transformational power of love and human connection transcends religious and cultural boundaries, with people connecting to universal energy or 'source' through different spiritual practices that are equally valid.
  • →Consistent practice of reconnecting with freedom - whether through nature, meditation, or mindfulness of the present moment - keeps us attuned to emotional liberation even while navigating divisive modern life.
  • →Vulnerability and honest self-disclosure, rather than maintaining a successful public persona, are essential doors to genuine healing and inspiring others to shed their own protective veils.
  • →Small intentional steps toward mindfulness and nature connection (not requiring massive life changes) can anchor us to inner peace and hope when facing existential questioning or darkness.

Guests

Leon Logothetis

Topics in this episode

The Kindness Within: A Journey to FreedomThe Kindness DiariesAutobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa YoganandaEmotional freedomSpiritual awakeningDepression and mental healthThe transformational power of love and kindnessSadhguruNandinijiAjmer Sharif mosque

Questions this episode answers

What inspired Leon Logothetis to create 'The Kindness Within' documentary?

After experiencing a dark night of the soul and struggling with depression despite public success, Logothetis was inspired by randomly finding Paramahansa Yogananda's 'Autobiography of a Yogi' in a bookshop, which prompted an epiphany to go to India to find inner freedom and liberate himself - a journey he wanted to capture in film form to transform viewers the way 'The Motorcycle Diaries' transformed him years earlier.

How does Leon Logothetis address suicidal thoughts and depression in the documentary?

He discusses candidly his lifelong struggle with depression and a specific dark period involving suicidal ideation, while emphasizing the importance of immediately reaching out to therapists, psychologists, or hotlines and sharing pain with supportive loved ones as the pathway to freedom.

What is the main message about emotional freedom in the film?

Logothetis argues that we imprison ourselves mentally and that emotional freedom is achieved by recognizing the feeling of freedom we've experienced (like in nature) is always accessible within us, even amid divisive modern life and technology.

How does the documentary approach different religions and spiritual practices?

Rather than promoting one path, the film features conversations with spiritual leaders across religions - rabbis, Islamic scholars, Buddhist monks, and Hindu guides - demonstrating that people connect to universal source or God through different cultural and spiritual practices that are all equally valid.

Who are key spiritual figures featured in the documentary?

Key voices include Paramahansa Yogananda (through his writings), Sadhguru, Nandiniji, and Salman (at Ajmer Sharif mosque), along with various religious leaders representing different faith traditions.

Conversation analysis

Computed from the transcript - who did the talking, and the words that came up most.

Share of words spoken

  • Speaker B53%
  • Speaker A47%

Most-used words

kindness25film20moment19love19movie17feel12freedom11beautiful11part11back10lives10away10hope9life9sometimes9child9

Episode notes

In this episode, Leon Logothetis - humanitarian, best-selling author, and host of Netflix’s The Kindness Diaries - returns to share the emotional journey behind his new film, The Kindness Within: A Journey to Freedom . Known for traveling the world on a vintage yellow motorbike, Leon has inspired many through radical acts of compassion. Listen to this episode to learn about... > > [08:42] How talking about pain helps with mental health challenges > > [16:09] The message of inner peace that Leon gives in maximum security prisons > > [31:31] The one simple trick Leon uses to release anger and anxiety But his latest journey is inward. Leon opens up about his mental health challenges and how giving and receiving kindness can be a gateway to emotional freedom. From reflecting on his conversations with spiritual leaders to his own struggles with anxiety, this powerful episode is a reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can start a ripple effect. You’ll learn how to release negative emotions through a simple writing practice, the spiritual truth Leon shares at maximum-security prisons, and why there’s always someone willing to help if you’re brave enough to ask.

Full transcript

34 min

Transcribed and scored by The B2B Podcast Index.

Speaker A: Hey, friends, it's Cory Andrew Powell here, letting you know it's time to treat yourself with an exclusive motivational Monday's deal at the NSLS shop. Listeners get 20% off shop wide with the Code Mondays. That's m o n d a y s. Need a new coffee tumbler? Or perhaps you want to keep it classy with a new hardcover notebook, we'll get them on sale. Listen, with this deal, I'm tempted to trade in my bowtie collection for one of those cute NSLS hoodies. And don't forget, use Code Mondays.

Speaker B: Ah.

Speaker A: At checkout. The that's m o n d a y s. Enjoy that 20% off@shop.nsls.org and stay motivated, leaders. Stay motivated. This episode includes references to suicidal thoughts and may be triggering to those who have experienced past trauma. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Motivational Mondays, presented by the NSLS, now impacting over 2 million members nationwide. And today, we have the privilege of reconnecting with a true champion of kindness, adventure, and transformation, Leon Lobothitis. Leon is a humanitarian, bestselling author, and the host of the Kindness Diaries, the inspiring Netflix series where he traveled the world on nothing but the kindness of strangers. His passion for adventure with a purpose has led him to uplift the lives of many and raise funds for underprivileged communities and remind us all of the profound impact generosity can have in our lives. And now he's back with a deeply personal and powerful documentary, the Kindness Within A Journey to Freedom, premiering on Prime Video. And it's a journey of his own emotional freedom and. And exploring his struggles, his resilience, and the healing power of kindness. Leon, it's great to see you again. Welcome back to Motivational Mondays.

Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me again.

Speaker A: Yes, it's my pleasure. And before we started recording, I told you that, like, this film is so beautiful. And it landed for me right at a time when I needed something. Something spiritual, some reassurance of there's something more, something bigger, and not to sweat the small stuff. And, like, this is a great project, and it did all those things for me. And just thank you for making it, first of all.

Speaker B: Well, thank you for saying that, uh, because that was why I made it. I made it because I wanted it to transform people the same way a movie many, many years ago, the Motorcycle Diaries transformed me. Uh, and the fact that you said it was beautiful is beautiful to hear, to be honest. So I appreciate that.

Speaker A: Yeah, you're very welcome. And I mean that from a standpoint of Cinematically, of course, because you do travel, um, to quite a few places, beginning, uh, the journey, of course, in India. It's like a spiritual. A spiritual journey, if you will. But. So, yeah, it's cinematically beautiful, but just, you know, the story you're telling and sort of the. The connection between people is interesting. And what I really found fascinating, too, was everyone has this different concept of God. And that was really profound, too. But before we get more into that, I just want to ask you about the documentary itself. And, you know, what inspired you to create the film and what do you hope viewers take away from it?

Speaker B: So what inspired me was that, as I mentioned many years ago, I watched the movie the Motorcycle Diaries. And, uh, at that point I was a, ah, broker in the city of London. And I was, uh, living somebody else's dream. And I was very depressed, um, anxious, no sense of purpose. And I stumbled across that movie, um, and it transformed me. It, uh, inspired me to quit my job and to start traveling around the world relying on kindness. And I always wanted from that moment to create something in the form of a film. Specifically, uh, a film, yes, we've done tv, but specifically a film that would touch people's lives, that they would watch this film and they would be different after watching it. Um, and as you know, because you've seen it, it's a very personal journey. Um, the kind of styles was more kind of the happy, go, lucky side of Leon. Right. Okay. A lot of cool adventures, a lot of, uh, cool people that I. And this one was really removing, uh, the veil. Right. And showing what was truly going on within me. Um, and I think many of us can relate to that because, you know, we put on a face and we tell the world everything's fine, but, uh, in many respects, uh, it's not. Uh, and the movie was. Is an attempt to inspire people to shed that veil, their own veil, to share their pain, to go on an adventure and to find freedom within. Mm.

Speaker A: Yeah. And you absolutely were riding, like, the highest level of that success. I mean, the book was a success to see. You know, you had the series, um, and then you're on every. I mean, as far as American tv, clearly, that I would know of. You know, you're on the Rachel Ray show and you're doing the Michael, uh, Strahan show and, you know, on ABC and all these, I mean, like, really serious television promotion. Um, and all the time you're kind of, like, still struggling with something. And that was fascinating because, like you said, it was a dichotomy of what we saw and who you were.

Speaker B: Yes, exactly. And again, I think many people can relate to that. It was just playing out in front of millions of people for me. Right.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: Um, and the movie, the kind of the inspiration for the movie, the, the exact moment, you know, I had a. I had a dark night of the soul and I really wasn't doing very well at all. Uh, and I called up my therapist and, uh, he helped kind of keep me going. And the next morning I went into a bookshop and I randomly picked up a book called the Autobiography of a Yogi, which is by Paramahansa Yogananda. And in that book, which I'd seen many, many times, but I'd never picked it up, I randomly opened it up to a specific page. Again, randomly looked at a paragraph, and I read the following words. If you reveal God to me, he was talking to his, uh, soon to be guru. If you reveal God to me, I will follow you anywhere. And I had an epiphany in that moment. And I'm not talking about the God that lives up in the sky. I'm talking about the universal energy of love that lives in everything that ever was and ever is and ever will be. Um, and in that moment I had this epiphany that I was going to go to India and I was going to find God. And really what I meant by that was I was going to try with all my might to free myself, to liberate myself. And, uh, that's kind of how the movie began.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I don't want to give away like, you know, parts of it because first of all, there's so much I could never really give it away because you really have these beautiful textures. Every corner, every moment there's something. But I have to say, though, tapping into something that, that is discussed in the earlier part of the film, I. I can't recall her name, but she's the woman when you go to the river. Ah, sure.

Speaker B: Nandiniji.

Speaker A: Nandiniji.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker A: Um, she talks about the universe. Has sort of already kind of figured things out for us. Like. So when you talk about the Ram, the randomness of that moment for you with that book, was it really random at all? Right. I mean, that's the part that's so fascinating. Was like, you know, this was part of a guide that you were on for your own awakening, it would seem.

Speaker B: 100%. I'm going to tell you a story that isn't in the movie. We tried our best to put it in the movie, but we couldn't. So. And it relates to the universe. So after about two or three days, I was in Rishikesh and I was on the verge of giving up. In fact, I had given up. I was in a hotel. I was on my way to the director's, uh, room and I had made the decision to go home after two days, right. And as I was on my way to his room, I saw an open door in this hotel, this small little hotel in the middle of nowhere, right. And I was like, okay, I'll walk into that room. And it turned out to be a library. And it wasn't a great library, but it was a library with a few books. And what book do I find there? Paramahansa Yogananda's other book, the Divine Romance, which is all about finding God. And in that moment I was like, well, okay, uh, that's clear. I mean, I'm not going home. So I, I, you know, I'm just going to keep going until something happens. But yeah, it's, it's an interesting point you make about the universe already knows what's going to happen.

Speaker A: Yeah. Because I had, I, um, I spoke to a really amazing spiritual guide, um, named Suzanne Giesemann recently. And you know, she told me what she have to convince people of often is to stop explaining things away as coincidence or, you know, because we're really good. Oh, that's a coincidence. No, maybe it was actually a spiritual presence telling you something, or maybe you were in that moment in tune with the universe that was trying to convey a message. And so even those conversations with her really made me stop and think about. So I think her conversation made me realize about what you had going through. Maybe that wasn't random at all. Um, and you do talk about the darkness and you, ah, speak about that very candidly, um, beginning with the thought of suicide, which is a very serious, um, topic. Um, but I guess without getting too much into that particular conversation, I guess I'm wondering, was it that you felt unfulfilled in life despite having all the physical accomplishments and the potential trappings you could afford all those things? What was the emptiness that led you to that feeling?

Speaker B: So, you know, I thought, as many of us do, that my problems would go away if I was right. And what I realized in my own way was that although success by doing all these shows and by doing all these books and by speaking, uh, to the amount of people that I speak to, that everything would go away. And I realized that in fact, when I got what I wanted, what I thought I wanted. It didn't go away. Right. And it actually in some ways got worse because I realized that the only way it was going to go away was if I faced it.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: So, you know, I, I've suffered from depression pretty much my whole life. Uh, I think many of us have mental health, um, challenges, and that was mine. Um, and it just, it just nearly took me down. It didn't. Because I had the right people to reach out to. I had people who loved me and I shared my pain. And it sounds so simplistic, but sometimes, and of course, I'm not a therapist, not a psychologist, but sometimes sharing our pain is the door to freeing ourselves. Um, but many of us don't want to open that door because we think if we share our pain, we're never going to find our way out of it. But obviously, the most important thing, if you do have those feelings is to, um, speak immediately to a therapist, Speak immediately to a psychologist. Call a hotline. Do something where you have, on the other side of that phone or on the other side of that zoom, someone that is going to show you love.

Speaker A: Well, I mean, I glad. I'm glad you put that part in your film too, because a lot of people are always experiencing that level of darkness. And you talk about it from the, the time point of being a child. And then I drew a parallel. There's a moment in the film when you're in India and you're meeting children who are sort of in this really dire, destitute situation. Um, and in some ways the innocence of a child, they don't really understand how maybe dire it is for them because they feel love. They are actually in an environment that's supportive of them, and they're just, um, they're thriving still. So what was that like for you, meeting those children?

Speaker B: I mean, look, there's. There's innocence there, right? As you just said, um, and a child just needs to be loved. Uh, obviously a child needs also to be fed and to, to have clothes on their back, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But at base, a child just needs to be loved. Whether that child lives in America or that child lives in India, that child lives in Europe. Ultimately, a child just need to be. Needs to be loved. And the truth is that we are all just big children and we just need to be loved as well. Right. Like, you can transform through love. And again, I don't want to give too much away from about the movie, but love is a big theme in the movie. Uh, and the transformational power of love is quite extraordinary.

Speaker A: Yeah. And again, we both, you and I both are like kind of weaving, so we don't tell too much of what's in the movie. However, I will reference something without giving too much of the context about the love part. And I made a note of it. I think one of my favorite moments is with, uh, when you're, uh, at the mosque in Ajmer Sharif. Mosque.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: And the. I wanted to make sure I said it properly. The Sina Basina moment.

Speaker B: Yes, yes.

Speaker A: And when the hugs and the, the parallel between the hearts, man, I was like, oh my God, I'm getting like teary eyed. Yeah, because the hug, I. I wanted that hug, you know. And so anyway, when you guys watch it, when you see this movie, look out for that part because it's, um, it's brief, but it's one of the most, for me, profound moments in the film that, that really expresses the love that you're talking about and from between strangers even.

Speaker B: Yes, yes. But the question is, are we really strangers? If you think about it, we're not. Again, like, if you come from your mind, then yes, we're strangers. But. But if you come from your heart and you feel each other's humanity, we're not strangers. I get why we think we are. Right. Don't get me wrong. But if you are at base operating from your heart, from your soul, we are not strangers. And, uh, you're talking about Salman, who's. Who's a legend. And he basically says that in the movie. He basically says that when he first met us, me and the crew, he. He didn't feel like we were strangers. And that's like. And we'd never met him before. But that's when the, the heart centered kind of, um, the heart centeredness takes over.

Speaker A: Yeah. Well, another message there too, that is tied into that. I think it's about the, the decision that we are making to perceive what is. So to speak. So if I don't perceive you as a stranger, then therefore I look at you as a brother, a fellow human, and I love you. But it starts with me having to make that conscious decision to see you that way. And I just realized that in this moment as you're speaking, because another one of my favorite moments is when one of the spiritual guides says, um, that kind of same point about turning inward. Right. And once you realize that, the joy and misery and the problems and resolutions of the world sort of kind of start me very often with you. Yeah, you have no more problems. But that's because you're making a conscious decision not to invoke those kinds of behaviors and patterns. That's what I took that to mean. Is that close?

Speaker B: Absolutely. And that's Sadhguru. That's Sadhguru saying that. And he's basically saying that all joy, all misery stems from within. And he makes a joke and he says something like, uh, we're just lousy managers of ourselves. M. And he's right. Right. I mean, you know, it's, it's a, uh, it's simplistic and beautiful, but it's also right. Mhm.

Speaker A: Yeah. No, very true. And I think, um, with that, I guess in a more layman's term, is just managing our emotions better. But you're right, there's tools that we need to have in place. Support systems, other people, and all those things kind of tie into that. So, um, I mean, there's just so many. There were so many messages in the film that it, you know, it's sort of one of those films that I think you can go back to when you need it. Like, you can be having one of those days. Like I told you, I've been having this period of just questioning things and like, you know, where am I going? What am I doing? What's it all for? Is it for anything? Why bother? Like, and, and the more we get sort of disconnected in this, um, this age that we're in of divisiveness and the technology making us colder, those feelings can manifest further. And I got to tell you, watching this film really gave me hope. It gave me hope.

Speaker B: Well, that gives me a lot of joy. Because the whole point, another part of the point of the movie is to transform, but was to give people hope.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You know, and I say that by the Ganges. I don't know if you remember the scene where I say, if you're struggling, I want you to know that there's hope.

Speaker A: Yes, I do recall that. And uh, I wanted to splash around that water with you, believe me. So now, uh, the term emotional freedom. Right. That's something that you tap into as well with that. But what are some of the biggest lessons I guess you've learned in pursuit of emotional freedom?

Speaker B: So I think we all desire emotional freedom. Right. We all want to be free. Um, I actually give, uh, speeches in maximum security prisons. And one of the things I say to them, in fact, the first thing I said to them is I say, look, I've never been incarcerated, so I understand if you don't want to listen to anything about to say. But before you make that judgment, know that I have spent most of my life imprisoned up in my mind. And they all get it. They're like, okay, all right. Okay. So we all know what it's like to be in our own mental prison. Some people don't, because they have freed themselves. Right. Um, and freeing yourself means, you know how you feel when you are walking in pure nature. Right. When was the last time you went into pure nature?

Speaker A: Yeah, it's been a while.

Speaker B: Okay, so. But do you remember the time, the last time you went into pure nature?

Speaker A: Yeah. I had a beautiful walk on a beach called Bone beach in Florida where all the whole beach is just washed up, bleached white trees and just ocean for miles. And I just walked it, and it was stunning. And I keep that feeling with beautiful.

Speaker B: So that was a feeling of freedom, right?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Okay. So. So that is what we're all searching for. Yeah. And it's easier, I think, to be free on Bone beach. And it's easier for me to be free whilst I'm in India. And it's much harder to be free when we're out in this world that we live in.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: When we have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, when we turn on the news. Yeah. So the aim is to free ourselves. And the most, sometimes the simplest way. And I don't want people to think, oh, you have to quit your job, or, oh, you have to go to India to find God. You don't. Right. You don't have to take that type of massive step. I just happen to be able to do that. You can take one small step, like your step, a step that I think you took, based on what you're just saying to me, is going on to Bone Beach. You went onto Bone beach. You had this moment of freedom. It happened a long time ago, but you feel it now. So you can always go back to that moment, and you always know that that's where you're heading to that moment. And it's there. It's in you, it's within you. It's. It's something that is. Is available at all times. And. Okay, it's not so simple because sometimes we have issues that our freedom is forgotten, but that is what we're aiming for. Does that make sense?

Speaker A: No, it really does. And also, um, another great moment for me in the film, um, is this message of. Very similarly what you said when you're discussing. I think it's, um, the idea that the sound of a running stream or the ocean, it's happening. The sound of the world is still happening even while you are not able to hear it. And so it's that sort of like recall or uh, just sort of awareness of like there is all this, the soundtrack of nature is still going on. Whether I'm in New York City or actually in the environment where I could hear that soundtrack of nature. And just that mindfulness of remembering that it's still there is a part of that.

Speaker B: It is still there. And that was one of the beautiful things of the film. Obviously I'm biased, but all these wise souls. That was Nandini G. She was talking about the sound of the river.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Sound of the river is always there. You're just not attuned to the sound of the river. Right. And right now, right here, I sense that you and I are hearing the sound of the river right now. Will we be hearing the sound of the river in one hour? I don't know. Probably not. Right. But we know that it's there. And that's a beautiful thing that she said. What a powerful thing.

Speaker A: Yeah, it is. And it's interesting too for me because I happen to live in a community with a really large Indian population. And I've been in this community for about 20 years. And um, and so I go to a lot of the events, I get invited. And um, this film for me too, it allows me now to have really a, uh, broader conversation with some of my neighbors as well when it comes to um, cultural things that maybe I had not been aware of or thought of. So I just can't wait to kind of talk, talk to them about the stuff I've learned in your film. But you know, even that in itself is educational because it makes you look outside of your own religious practices or your own beliefs and understand how other people have a very other. A, uh, very different concept of all these things, God, religion, and neither one is necessarily wrong or right. That's the part like, you know, it's kind of open ended still in that regard. It's not like there's a wrong or right either way.

Speaker B: Yeah. And what I learned on the trip was that it's really God, universe, source, whatever you want to call it. We get connected to it through feeling and everyone gets connected to it differently.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You know, some people get connected to it through the Bible and great, if that's the way that they get there, if that's the way that they, they need to live their lives and fantastic. Other people get there through being in the Ganges.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: But it's all ultimately the same thing.

Speaker A: Well, I think that raises A point that I think is the big, difficult dilemma that we face when it comes to the term religion. Because you do have many people saying that theirs is the only way. So there's part of the problem. And I think what was interesting about your film is that it. I mean, we're all aware that that's there, and you have extremists on every side and every religion, and everyone thinks theirs is the one. But I love that your film also, you know, you talk to the rabbi, you talk to the man who's Islamic, you talk to the. Oh, the, um. The. The m. Tibetan monks. Yes, the Buddhist. Buddhist monks. And that was. I love that part in the film when he was like, you know, when he explains their perception of God and you're like, didn't Hm, see that coming?

Speaker B: Yeah, exactly.

Speaker A: You know, so, um. But I love that, you know, you sort of show that we're all existing in these different levels of our own constructs of religion, and there's really no need for us to have a fight about it. I mean, that's what I thought. And I watched your film. Like, why are we fighting about this? We all have our version of it, and it seems like it keeps us all harmonious if we can just stop imposing them on other people.

Speaker B: Yes. Uh, I think sometimes religion. I think spirituality is sometimes turned into religion, and religion is used as a weapon by man to control. But when you meet people like I met, you know, pure individuals who are connected to source, you realize that we're all one. And I know that's a cliche. I get it. And for years, we're all one. I'm like, what are you talking about? We're all one? That doesn't make any sense. But when you go on an adventure like this, and when you go on an adventure within, wherever it may be, India, Los Angeles, New York, it doesn't matter. You realize that that statement we all want is actually truer than the truest thing you could ever hear. Yeah.

Speaker A: Well, you also have walked the walk. I mean, people can say that. But your work in general, if you look at, like, sort of, um, the project you did in which you travel the world based on kindness, like, you had to literally live that or else the whole thing would not, you know, be accurate. So you're speaking from a place of experience. I do wonder with that, though, can you share, maybe, when it comes to, um, the kindness as a transformative force, if you will, what do you recall, like, what do you recall about, um, maybe one of the most profound acts of Kindness that you've witnessed or experienced through your travels?

Speaker B: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, we all know what it feels like when someone is unkind to us. And we all know what it feels like when someone's kind to us. And when someone's kind to us, we feel loved, we feel connected, we feel valued. Right. And that in itself is transformative. So the greatest moment for me of kindness that I received, let's call it, uh, within the moot, within the T. The TV show the Kindness Diaries, was I was in Pittsburgh, and I would go out to people in the street with my yellow motorbike, and I would say, hey, can I stay in your house tonight? And most people would say, no, obviously. Right. So I went up to this guy in the. In the park and I said, hey, can I stay in your house tonight? And he looks at me and he goes, look, I'm really sorry, but I'm homeless. He didn't look homeless, but I was like, oh, no. I just asked a homeless man to stay in his house. So I'm like, I'm so sorry, blah, blah. And I was about to walk off, but he turns around and he says, if you want, you can stay with me tonight. I will feed you, I'll protect you, and I will give you some clothes. And that's ultimately exactly what happened. And he taught me that kindness is free. And, uh, you don't have to have anything to be kind. Um, and he taught me that true wealth is not in our wallets, it's in our hearts. And that doesn't mean that money isn't important. It is important. But the truest of wealth is how we treat each other. Uh, again, no perfection. You know, I'm the kindness guy, but that doesn't mean that the kindness guy isn't mean. Sometimes he is. Doesn't mean the kindness guy doesn't have meltdowns. He does. Yeah, right. The. But I've made a choice to try my very best to come from a place of love. And that story and that guy's kindness and his love just transformed me. And it was so beautiful. And I ended up, you, uh, know, like I said, sleeping on the streets of Pittsburgh. And it was a transformative experience, and he became my friend. And as you know, at the end of each episode in the Kindness Diaries, we gave unsuspecting good Samaritans a life changing gift. So we ended up putting him up in an apartment and sending him back to school. He wanted to be a chef, but that's just one moment. But that, that Moment kind of was the entire essence of the Kindness Diaries right there. Right. The transformative power of love right there.

Speaker A: Wow, that's incredible. You know, I was thinking too, there's a two way street with this too, because when you're out there now, you're vulnerable in a way because you're out here trying to find places to sleep and everything. Um, were you ever nervous or a little afraid? Like when people said yes and you did go in their houses, like, here's the stranger word again. I mean, you don't know them. So just from a visceral reaction, like, were you kind of like, I better sleep with one eye open tonight. I don't know.

Speaker B: So look, I followed my intuition. So there were many people that said, you know, you can stay with me tonight. And I said no. I said, look, I don't know, I made some excuse because intuitively it didn't feel right.

Speaker A: Right, right.

Speaker B: There was a. Actually a homeless guy in Chicago who offered to do the same, but it didn't feel right. So I thanked him and I, I, uh, left. Yeah, really intuitively I would go with my int. Intuition, which I guess going back to the movie is about going with your heart. Right. So everything flows through your heart. Um, and if you follow that, then things generally will work themselves out. And again, I don't want anyone to think, again, we're talking about the kind of size. But I don't want anyone to think that I'm Pollyannish. And I think, oh, ah. All you have to do is live with your heart wide open and everyone's going to be kind to you and there are going to be no problems, there's going to be no war. No, that's not what happens. Life is life. Bad things happen. We see it every day. You turn on the news within five minutes, you see all the terrible things. You go on to Twitter, you go onto Facebook, you'll. You'll see the, the horrific things. I'm not saying bad things don't happen. I'm saying let's choose to focus on the good whilst knowing that there is bad.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And when the bad comes, you deal with it as best you can.

Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, it's, um. Again, that's the resilience factor. Many people kind of get stunted in a bad situation or, you know, a bad moment and they really can't get out of it. But, you know, when people are limited, for example, in their circumstances. This is a great example. The homeless guy still found a way to help you. But many people want to Be kinder, uh, but they feel limited by their circumstances. So to your point, you know, it's not all about money, but what advice do you give to someone who's like, hey, I really want to live a life rooted in kindness. I don't have anything. Uh, these times are difficult. How do I balance that?

Speaker B: You don't need anything to be kind. That's what the homeless guy taught me in. In Pittsburgh. He had nothing, but he was kind. So you don't need to have materialism, materialistic things to be kind. And I'm not suggesting give away all your things, right? Have as much as you want, but show some love, show some compassion. Live from the heart. Make a choice. And if you do or say something that you're not proud of, get back on the kindness wagon. As I like to say, it's okay. You're not. You're not. You are imperfect.

Speaker A: I m. Guess that's a nice segue. I have two more questions for you. That's a segue, A, uh, nice one into this next question, which is the idea of people who are struggling is something that we all identify with, I mean, from different levels of struggle, whether it be emotional, financial, just whatever those situations may be. So what would you say to audience members who are listening or watching, who, uh, may find it's difficult to keep hope? As you know, you and I talked about hope while they're struggling. How can they keep hope and keep optimism during that time?

Speaker B: Surround yourself with good people. Go to a therapist. And if you. If you have no money to go to a therapist. I have a friend that goes to therapy, uh, from a university that gives it for free. Trainee therapists. There's always a way. Go online and read books about what's ailing you, whether it's anxiety, whether it's depression, whether it's a lack of kindness. Make a decision to focus your life on the good as opposed to focusing the life on the bad. You can always find someone to help. Always. You know, you may think to yourself, oh, well, there's no one out there. There is at least one human being that is willing to help, to be of service, to mirror love back to you. At least one human being. If there isn't a book, find a book about love, about kindness, about hope, about compassion, and read it. There's always a way.

Speaker A: Yeah, I do love that messaging that it's sort of like, you know, making the effort, asking people to just not wait to be saved, if you will. Sometimes we have to save ourselves, and that comes from education and making the connection or reaching out to people. So sometimes that does fall on us to actually let people know that we. We need that hug. Right? We just have to let them know we need it.

Speaker B: Absolutely. And I'll tell you, I'll tell you one trick that I've used in the past when there's been no one around. Let's say I've felt rage. I think we've all felt rage at times in our lives. I'll, uh, take a piece of paper. I'll, uh, take a pen, and I'll let all my rage out onto this piece of paper. And no one's ever going to read it. I can burn it afterwards. And I let it all out. And I promise you, you will feel so much better if your anxiety and your anger is at 90%. After you do that, it'll go down to 50%, if not less.

Speaker A: Wonderful, wonderful words of wisdom. And it's. This is an enlightening conversation that is the perfect. Sort of like cherry on top after watching your wonderful movie. And we're just. I'm glad you made it. And so, um, thanks for being here with me again today. So you are, of course, the host of the Kindness Diaries on Netflix. And now this wonderful new documentary, the Kindness Within A Journey to Freedom, which is on, uh, Prime Video now. Is that actually airing yet on Prime Video?

Speaker B: Yes, it's on prime right now.

Speaker A: It's on prime right now. Yes. Okay, so everyone, you've got to check it out. The Kindness Within A Journey to Freedom. And I will tell you, it will be transformative. And, Leon, thank you so much for being here today with me, uh, on Motivational Mondays.

Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me

Speaker A: Again, thank you for listening to Motivational Mondays, presented by the National Society of Leadership and Success and available wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. I'm Corey Andrew Powell, and I'll see you again here next week.

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