Episode Summary

Sarah de Jong grew up in rural Tasmania with a mother who left for Greece when Sarah was almost four — not out of abandonment, but out of her own battle with anorexia and mental illness. From that early experience of love stretched across distance and grief, Sarah built something quietly extraordinary: A Thousand Hearts, a global kindness movement now in its tenth year, delivering handmade pocket hearts to hospitals, palliative care settings, schools, and communities across the world. In this episode of Grit Diaries, Sarah unpacks what kindness actually means — the science behind it, the difference between being kind and being nice, and why inhabiting kindness as a daily practice might be the most powerful thing any of us can do.

Episode Pillars

• Humble Beginnings, Global Reach: How a handful of handmade pocket hearts given away for free in 2015 grew into a global kindness movement across the US, UK, Japan, Greece, Mexico, and beyond.
• The Science of Kindness: Why kindness works on the brain like a natural antidepressant — boosting serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins — and why even witnessing kindness has the same effect.
• Kind vs Nice — A Crucial Distinction: Niceness is transactional and external. Kindness comes from your core values and sometimes means saying what needs to be said. Sarah unpacks why we confuse the two and what we lose when we do.
• Stop Pushing the River: The wisdom Sarah's dad gave her during a difficult marriage — and how it became a guiding philosophy for learning to let go, say no, and stop mistaking busyness for purpose.
• Self-Kindness as a Practice: Why self-compassion goes far beyond bubble baths and treats — and how learning to look after yourself is one of the kindest things you can do for the people who love you.

The Kintsugi Connection

To see the visual story of Sarah's journey and explore more episodes of resilience, visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@kintsugiheroes/videos

If Sarah's story moved you, explore these related Hero conversations:

Exploring purpose and community?

Listen to Ian Westmoreland's story of building Kintsugi Heroes from a place of personal adversity.

Turning pain into purpose?

Discover how Daniel Lloyd's journey of resilience inspires millions to find meaning after hardship.

About Kintsugi Heroes: An Australian not-for-profit (DGR endorsed) dedicated to strengthening mental wellbeing through the power of storytelling. Partner with Us: https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/partners/ Donate (tax-deductible): https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/donate/#donate Website: https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kintsugi-heroes/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kintsugi.heroes/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Kintsugi-Heroes-100084850387170/