Hi, this is Monique Rhodes. Welcome to the In Your Right Mind Podcast, where we're learning how to be happier by working with our minds.
If you’d like to know more about what I teach, come to iintendtobehappy.com and we’ll get you on the path to being happier.
The Weight of the World
There’s a lot going on in the world right now.
It’s a difficult place at the moment.
Things are tricky. There are things happening that are so hard to take in.
And what I’m noticing is that people are waking up in the morning already feeling the heaviness of it all.
We can feel overwhelmed, uncertain, even hopeless at times.
But when we remember that we’re not alone in this — that everyone, everywhere, is trying to find their way through — something in us softens.
Remembering We’re Not Alone
That softening doesn’t happen all at once.
It usually arrives quietly.
Maybe you’ve had a hard day and someone reaches out without being asked.
Or you notice someone else who’s tired or stressed, and you think, I know that feeling.
Or a friend finally admits they’re struggling too, and you realize — oh, it’s not just me.
And that moment of recognition is so powerful.
It’s where connection begins again.
How Separation Creeps In
We live in a world that constantly tells us to be different, to be better, to be right.
Particularly in the West, we’re pushed toward individualism — toward measuring ourselves against each other.
But when we strip away all the roles, the performances, and the labels that create that separation, we’re left with something much simpler.
We’re just human beings.
We’re doing our best.
And most of the time, we don’t really know what we’re doing — and that’s okay.
Why Kindness Feels So Natural
From that simple truth, the most natural thing we can do is care for each other.
Not because we’re trying to be saints, or aiming for moral high ground.
But because caring feels good. It feels right.
When you hold the door open for someone, it feels good.
When you really listen to another person, it feels good for both of you.
When you offer your presence instead of a quick solution, something shifts — in them, and in you.
There’s a reason people feel better when they help a friend, volunteer, or support someone who’s struggling.
Science even backs this up — acts of compassion reduce stress, increase happiness, and even improve our health.
Helping others helps us remember what truly matters.
We’re More Alike Than We Realize
It starts with recognizing that we’re all in this together.
We’re not separate.
Your suffering is not so different from mine.
Your joy, your longing, your hopes — they’re not so different either.
That doesn’t mean we’ll agree on everything — we won’t.
But when we let our shared humanity guide us, something beautiful happens.
When Humanity Leads
Families become more compassionate.
Communities become more inclusive.
Workplaces become less competitive and more collaborative.
Even the smallest moments — in the grocery store, on the street, or online — start to feel warmer, more human.
And that’s how the world begins to change.
Not all at once, but moment by moment, through small acts of care.
Belonging to Each Other
We don’t have to fix everything.
We don’t have to have all the answers.
Sometimes, it’s enough to simply remember that we belong to each other.
And from that remembering, kindness becomes our natural response.
I hope this has been helpful.
As always, be kind, take care, and go gently in the world.
