Naturally High

What if kindness isn’t actually rare? In this heartfelt episode of Naturally High, Jeanne reflects on a deeply personal journey to Wales during a family medical crisis and the unexpected lesson that emerged along the way. Amid grief, uncertainty, and saying goodbye to a loved one, Jeanne found herself repeatedly met by extraordinary acts of kindness from complete strangers, including an Uber driver who refused to abandon her at the curb, nurses who went out of their way to care for her, and countless moments of genuine human connection that challenged her assumptions about modern life.

As she compares these experiences to the pace and emotional culture many of us have grown accustomed to, Jeanne explores an important question: Is kindness truly disappearing, or have we become so distracted, guarded, and disconnected that we no longer create the conditions for it to emerge?

This episode is an invitation to slow down, become more present, and reconsider the impact of even the smallest gestures. Jeanne reminds us that kindness is not simply something we receive; it’s something we can actively cultivate, witness, and pass forward.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
  • Why simple acts of kindness can have a profound impact during difficult moments
  • How presence and genuine human connection interrupt feelings of isolation
  • The difference between performative kindness and authentic compassion
  • Why modern life often conditions us to be guarded, distracted, and disconnected
  • How smaller communities may foster deeper social connections and support
  • The relationship between empathy, service, and personal fulfillment
  • Why kindness may be universal but significantly underexpressed
  • How witnessing kindness can be just as powerful as receiving it
  • Practical ways to create more opportunities for compassion in everyday life
  • Why healing often begins when we feel truly seen, supported, and acknowledged

Jeanne also reflects on recovery principles, community, and the idea that what is freely given to us is often meant to be shared with others. Through stories, observations, and personal insight, she offers a powerful reminder that the world may be far kinder than we realize, if we slow down enough to notice it.


Resources discussed in this episode:
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Contact Jeanne Foot | The Recovery Concierge: 

Creators and Guests

Host
Jeanne Foot

What is Naturally High?

On Naturally High you’ll receive transformational tools and hear inspirational stories that will guide you into holistically healing trauma in every corner of your life. You deserve to invoke your inner healer. I'm so glad you're here!

Jeanne: [00:00:06] Hello, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of Naturally High. So today I'm thrilled to be here, as always. And I want to talk to you about an experience I had when I was in Wales over the last couple of weeks, where I had a completely different experience with the emotional culture of a small town in Wales, and it left me pondering on how strangers showed up for me and others with such a great compassion of the heart and what it really reveals about being human and our presence as we go about our everyday interactions.

Jeanne: [00:00:46] So I didn't go to Wales expecting anything profound. I wasn't searching for something or breakthrough or any experience other than what was being presented to me. But something happened that I haven't fully been able to comprehend. In fact, it sort of stayed with me in a way that I can't really shake it off. And everywhere I went, people were incredibly kind, and not just in like a surface level, polite kind of way, but in a way that felt incredibly genuine, unfiltered, almost disarming. Like, why are they doing this? And it caught me off guard. And I want to share a particular moment because this was the moment that jump-started this whole experience for me. So I just came off a transatlantic flight. And what felt like the middle of the night was, you know, brought to me with harsh daylight, you know, shining through when you haven't slept all night.

Jeanne: [00:01:42] And I'm taken to an old hospital corridor hallway, and I know what's ahead of me. And as I arrive at the hospital to say my goodbyes to what would soon become my late mother in law, the Uber driver insisted on walking me in now. I said, please just drop me off at the curb. And he says absolutely no. And he escorted me right into as far as he could go before we had to say goodbye. So into the hospital and exactly the ward that I was going to. And I wonder if you guys would find that as an extraordinary moment as I did? Or would you think twice of the kindness that had been shown upon you? It really did for me. And I'm just curious what you thought about it. So it may not seem like a big deal, but something about it really, truly stayed with me. And the way he showed up and went out of his way, even though he didn't have to, he could have dropped me at the curb. He didn't have to lift my heavy bags, but somehow he felt that that's what he wanted to do. And I saw this kind of interaction over and over again, through many different occurrences throughout my time in the ten days that I was there. And this is what this episode is about. Different people, different places. Yet the same kind of energy was interwoven throughout my whole experience.

Jeanne: [00:03:06] And I started to recognize that this was not a one-off. This is a pattern. It wasn't just luck. And I was curious, was it me who was attracting this kind of vibe, or was it the people? But people were really willing to engage more and they just seemed less guarded. And I really like that about people very much in contrast to what we experience in North America. So I found myself softening because of it and willing to lean into the magic of what was, what is possible. Because where I come from, as you guys know, I'm Canadian. There's this underlying tension. We're moving quickly, we're in our heads, we're in our phones. We're not in even in the moment, we're, you know, hydroplaning through our life or cautious with strangers. And if someone is nice to us. It often feels restrained or there's an ulterior motive, sometimes even suspicious. But this felt different. It felt easy, and it made me reflect on it more and more. So my question to you is, is kindness actually rare, or are we just not creating the conditions for it to show up in our life? Because when someone's truly present, even for a moment, it changes everything. It interrupts whatever narrative that's going on in our head. It reminds us that you're not alone in the world in the way that we sometimes feel. So I'm going to tell you a little story about how we got here.

Jeanne: [00:04:35] So a couple of weeks ago, we're sitting on a Sunday evening at 10:00. The phone rings, which is kind of alarming. And my husband receives a call from a hospital in Wales tracking him down to say his mother is very ill and we should come as quickly as possible. Now, bearing in mind that we live in Canada, this is really no easy feat at all for a Foot and, as a sidebar, my husband and I are both born in London, England. We're both British citizens, and this became even more complicated. As of this year, the UK requires us to have a visa or a British passport to enter the country. I had mine and unfortunately his was delayed in transit. So from a logistics perspective, I was chosen as the ambassador of the family to go and was on a flight the very next evening. So in spite of the circumstances, these experiences of kindness bestowed upon me at every interaction with people was not lost on me. In fact, I was already pondering the nature of the trip and what I was, what was ahead of me. So any, um, any pleasant, I was gonna say unpleasant, but any pleasant interaction was really something that really, you know, stopped me dead in my tracks. Like made me think and ponder for a moment. But these experiences were numerous throughout my time there.

Jeanne: [00:05:50] So it started with the very first interaction with the hospital when we got that call and the medical doctor offered his sympathies and condolences and went out of his way to locate us and track us down in the first place. He was going by what's in his mother's phone, rather than anybody giving a number and trying to figure out. And there's a reason for that later, but I just want you to understand that it was detective work to actually get to this far. And then he left us with a direct phone number to call back so we could get a hold of a staff member for updates as shifts changes. Then as I was entering the hospital and, you know, spending some time in the room, I was consistently offered tea, coffee, you know, meals, lunch, and dinner while we hung around the hospital. But the most surprising gesture, which still leaves me smiling when I think about this, was when I left the hospital and I asked the nurse, who do I need to call to grab a cab and she says to me, don't worry, I'll take care of it for you. And she did. And not only did she take care of the cab, she phoned a cab, she insisted on walking me out of the door, out of the hospital, right to the very place where the cab would pick me up. When I arrived back at the hotel, I went to pay the driver.

Jeanne: [00:07:08] His response was it had been taken care of. I said pardon? I was stunned that I'd been shown so much generosity when there was no reason to do so. And in other words, people don't have to go that extra mile. But I was experiencing this over and over again, them doing so, and I wasn't expecting any kindness to be shown as I slowly hardened over time and adapted my standards as to what not to expect from others. Which may be even like a simple hello when we walk past someone. Or is this just part of the Welsh experience, which I believe it really is? I couldn't help but ponder deeply about the contrast of the world I live in, where people barely acknowledge your presence, let alone try to connect with you and say hello. And it stayed with me. It really got under my skin. This was such a foreign contrast to what I experienced every single day in North America. And I started thinking, when was the last time I made someone else feel like this? Not in a performative way, but in a quiet, everyday moment. When was I going out of my way to do something that could be so powerful for someone else? Maybe a conversation, a kind gesture, eye contact, maybe even some truth. It's very different to perform a kind gesture just because you want to rather than you have to. Being kind to me brings me great inner joy.

Jeanne: [00:08:41] It aligns with my values. The investment I make in people may be only for a brief moment. Whether it's just saying hello with a smile, or having a banter or a joke with stranger, or paying it forward in any way. If I can make someone else life more comfortable or easier, the payoff to me is knowing I've contributed in a positive way to possibly a transformation for someone else. And I can be proud of the person I'm becoming moment to moment to moment.

Jeanne: [00:09:12] So this continuously happened as time went on and I wondered why people gave so selflessly. Is it easier to be kind to someone you don't know? Or is it in certain culture and not necessarily others? I really don't know. I think it can be easier to be kinder in smaller communities, because we have to rely on the people around us, and this is definitely a smaller community, but it's not isolated by no means. You see, I really can easily recognize this trait in other people because I believe that I carry it myself. I'm basically a kind person, and I take great pride in that. And it is easier for me to be kind than not to. I'm an empath, so I naturally don't want to see other people suffering, which is one of the reasons why I do that. I find I'm at my best when I'm in a role of service, and because it feels good, and especially even more so when I can ease someone's suffering in great need.

Jeanne: [00:10:11] And I was actually overly complimented for how I was handling the crisis. But firstly, crisis is no stranger to me, but that's not the point. So I was in my zone of comfort. But as I've healed and grown, I was consciously aware of how much I was giving, so I don't undermine myself. It's kind of like that oxygen analogy. Like you got to put your own oxygen mask on first, otherwise we can deplete ourselves and we're absolutely no good to anybody at that moment. So in the last few years, I think all of us have become accustomed to a world that most of us no longer recognize anymore, where values such as justice, truth, civility to one another has been placed with lack of credibility, evil, misinformation, and self-indulgence. I think that is the currency today, and it is no wonder this unexpected civility to me stopped me dead in the tracks. It's a completely foreign contrast to what I experienced on a day-to-day basis. I do think innately people are good people. However, many of us have lost their way and it becomes difficult to think the best of people when we're being shown differently all the time. And maybe what I experienced in Wales wasn't something unique to Wales. Maybe it's everywhere.

Jeanne: [00:11:31] Are we starving for kindness? I think so. I think it's a national treasure that we've been lost in our everyday modern life. So I want you to think about it. When was the last time a stranger surprised you? Regardless of your answer, maybe it's time to pay it forward. What small action can you take to either initiate or receive kindness, or maybe even witness kindness? Because that will have an impact too. What if we can create this experience in any way, or even smaller communities, where people can feel safe, supported and experience the benefit of being witnessed like I did? But it will require something different of us. It will require us to slow down, to be open, to risk a little bit of vulnerability with people we don't know.And that's not easy, I know that. It goes against of how we've been conditioned to move through the world.

Jeanne: [00:12:26] But it got me thinking. Is it enough to just witness something and have gratitude for it? Or is there a call to action here? Do we know when we know more, we do more. Do you feel inspired to act differently? I believe we're in a world where kindness is universal, but it's underexpressed. And what allows people to be generous with strangers? It's very similar to the 12-step principle. I believe that we have to give away what was freely given to us. So we talk about that in recovery, that if someone, a total stranger, loved us up until we couldn't love ourselves anymore, then we have to do the same thing.

Jeanne: [00:13:04] We have to pay that forward. And that's really what I'm talking about here, is being generous of the heart. Just because it is like your insurance against it, losing it. But honestly, now that I felt it, I can't help but ignore it. I don't want to move through life half closed anymore. I don't want to assume distance when connection is truly possible. So I'm thinking, what would this look like to bring the same energy into our everyday life? Not all the time, not perfectly, but intentionally. Because if a stranger in a place I'd never seen before can make me feel this way, what can we do when we do this for other people that we know, as well as our brief interactions with strangers moment to moment. So when was the last time you were surprised by someone's kindness? And when was the last time you offered it freely without any hesitation, no strings attached? I think innately people are good people, but many of us have just lost our way. And I feel like I'm a very conscious person. So what does that mean? I mean that I'm very deliberate and intentional in how I navigate my daily life as compared to most people who are hydroplaning through their life. They're like, not in the car when they're really driving, their head is somewhere else. And I mentioned this because it's very hard for us to see these moments.

Jeanne: [00:14:21] If we're somewhere else and we're not present, we're not thinking about what is in front of us. We miss opportunities. And I think also, it's very difficult for us to think the best of people when we're shown the complete opposite. And maybe that's why this experience in Wales felt so different for me and really stuck in a way that I didn't anticipate.

Jeanne: [00:14:43] Are we starving for kindness? I think so. It seems to be a national treasure that's being lost in our modern-day life. Think about every moment. When was the last time a stranger surprised you? Regardless of your answer. It may be time to pay it forward. What small action can you take to either initiate or receive kindness today? Or maybe just even be a witness to kindness that would have an impact too. But what if we could recreate this experience in any way, even in our own communities, where people can feel safe, supported, and experience the benefit of being witnessed? How powerful would that be? It will require us to do something different.It would require us to slow down. I always say slow down to go fast, to slow down, to be more open and to risk a little bit, maybe even show some vulnerability with people we don't know. And that's not always easy. It goes against of how we've been conditioned to move through this world, think from the neck up and disconnect from the body down.

Jeanne: [00:15:54] I know it took me so far for so many years, but eventually I could not outpace myself anymore, which is one of the reasons I succumbed to doing this work. To do the emotional healing and emotional healing for me was not an intellectual pursuit. It was an embodied pursuit.

Jeanne: [00:16:12] And so it got me thinking. Is it enough just to witness something and have gratitude for it? Or is there a call to more here? When we know more, we do more. Do you feel as inspired as me by what I'm sharing? I believe we live in a world where kindness is universal, but it's truly under-expressed what allows some people to be generous with strangers knowing that there are enough and have enough or others just miss the boat completely. I know it reminds me of the 12 step principle that, you know, when it comes to service work, we're asked to help others and serve others. It's like your insurance against your recovery. You have to be of service in order to protect what was freely given to you. And sometimes we have to love ourselves before, love others before they can love themselves. And I think that's the same when it comes to kindness and compassion. Maybe there has to be ambassadors of kindness and compassion who show the way for others to follow. So I feel like if it's playing with my mind in a way that's making me think about it constantly, there must be something more here.

Jeanne: [00:17:23] I don't want to move through life half closed anymore. I don't want to assume distance when connection is available. And I think it's not just connection. I think it's a belonging that we know we belong. Loneliness is pervasive. It is something I personally have suffered from. And you say, okay, well, why would you suffer? You're loved, you have a family. You have all the things. Yes, I do, but it doesn't matter what we have. It matters how we feel. And loneliness really causes us to disconnect from ourselves. And I want to be able to take risks of vulnerability, connection, and compassion, not just for myself, but for others as well. I want them to be able to help access that for themselves, because when they can do that for themselves, they can do it for others. And there's a ripple effect that happens here when that happens. So I've been sitting with this question, what would it look like to bring the same energy into my everyday life? Not all the time. Not perfectly, but intentionally. Because if a stranger in a place I've never been before could make me feel this way, then what could we do for others? If we were to do random acts of kindness to people that we know and don't know? Think about it.

Jeanne: [00:18:36] I want to share something I've been experimenting with, and I'm going to start really, really small because I'm mindful about where I want to put my energy and going with my work. So after working with hundreds, probably thousands of people, I've noticed really how lonely and disconnected people feel. And there's a lack of belonging. I think the lack of belonging comes from feeling misunderstood. So we may have the greatest love and appreciation for the people closest to us, like our family members. But sometimes they're not the people who get us. Sometimes it's people, whether it's in the rooms, who have shared experiences, who have different values. And I think this is the call to action. We want to find the people who have the same values, shared experiences and longings. Then maybe it doesn't align with family members, because I think when we share a vision for something, this is where connection truly happens. Kindness isn't just a nice thing to wish for. It's something we actually get to practice over and over and over again. And that's what practice is. It means we come back to it over again. It's kind of like babies, you know that? They say that babies in orphanages have, um, an absurd mortality rate, which is very heartbreaking to think that these babies weren't cuddled and picked up enough that they literally killed their, their joie de vie, their, their ability to want to be loved and to be on this planet. And if they don't get that initial connection, they literally die. They become ill. They don't live.

Jeanne: [00:20:26] So I'm not talking about some superficial kind of kindness or act, but a place where shared values, shared vision, true connection, and companionship and kindness is really what it's about. I think that meaningful connection, kindness, and compassion is the litmus test for how we can catch our own inner critic and offer something gentler. Instead, the one where you know how to say no without collapsing or fawning or being not genuine and authentic to yourself. The one way you can sit with someone else's pain without rushing to fix it, without taking it into your own body. That's what I want to explore together.

Jeanne: [00:21:11] So I'm going to open a six-week circle, a beta testing, and I'm looking for 8 to 12 people who really, really want to go do something different. Connect. Go deep. Maybe we'll call it the "Kindness and Nervous System Safety Circle," I don't know, it doesn't even have a name. I think that's not important. I think what's important is we find the right people who want to do this. We're going to meet once a week, 75 to 90 minutes on Zoom, and each week we'll have a similar theme. Kindness towards yourself when shame shows up, kindness and relationships without rescuing or people pleasing, boundaries as an act of love and what it feels like to be part of a community where kindness is the standard, not the exception. It's gentle, it's real, and there's no performance in the room, and it's built from everything that I have learned during my personal journey and my professional training.

Jeanne: [00:22:06] I'm a person who's been in long-term recovery for over 33 years now, and trauma healing has been my bailiwick since I was a little girl of I was going to say seven, but I don't think I was trauma healing at that. I was probably trauma-bonding, but later came into trauma healing. In the last 25 years, everything I've learned as a person in long term recovery has been my impetus for all the work I do today. So this is a beta round, which means two things. It's going to be intentionally small and personal, and the price is intentionally lower than it will be later. And I want honest, real people who are willing to show up and tell me what worked, what didn't, and what they're hungry for. So if you're listening to this podcast and you feel like, yes, this is for you, that intuitive nudge, don't question it. Just do it. I'd love to have you. I'll put the details in the link in the show notes, or you can email me directly at Jeanne, J-E-A-N-N-E at therecoveryconcierge.com. So that's Jeanne@therecoveryconcierge.com, and just say kindness circle, and I'll take you from there. Kindness isn't rare. We just don't create the conditions to notice it or express it. So until next time, how are you going to stay naturally high?