This is our 143rd original episode of Like You! 143 was Mister Rogers’ favorite number, so I’ve made this episode a tribute to him! I’ll be sharing 5 Mister Rogers Quotes that are an inspiration to Like You.
Episode Notes
Learn more about Mister Rogers, or watch old episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, by visiting misterrogers.org.
Like You is listener supported. You can support the show by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or becoming a patron on Patreon. You can also support the show by shopping in our online store or purchasing songs from the show on our Bandcamp page.
Please send us a voice memo, drawing, or letter at hello@likeyoupodcast.com. We play a voice memos from listeners either at the beginning of an episode or during the affirmation segment of the episode. If your child wants to be included, record a voice memo and send it to us. Your child can introduce themself and then say a favorite affirmation, sing a line from a Like You song, say what they like about the show, or share whatever they feel! Keep it short (10-20 seconds). For more info on how to record and send a voice memo, see this post, or click here.
Like You is a production of Perpetual Motion. The show is written and produced by Noah Glenn. The show’s artwork was illustrated by Mia Saine. Episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn.
This episode features original music by Noah Glenn.
Find us here:
Transcript
Hey everyone! Thanks for listening to Like You. If you want to help us keep making new episodes, you can support the podcast by subscribing through Patreon or Apple Podcasts. A subscription gives you access to special bonus content, like affirmation minis, song downloads, and other special perks. Grownups can find more information in our episode notes, or on our website. You can also show your love by leaving a five star review wherever you listen to the podcast. I’m glad you’re my podcast friend, now let’s get on with the show.
[intro music]
Noah: Hello! I’m Noah and this is Like You: Mindfulness for Kids. I’m so glad you’re here. This is our 143rd original episode of Like You! I know 143 might seem like a strange number to celebrate, but it happens to be the favorite number of one of my personal heroes, Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers. So I decided to make my 143rd episode a tribute to Mister Rogers. I’ll be sharing 5 Mister Rogers Quotes that are an inspiration to Like You. So listeners of all ages, find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe. Remember, you’re always welcome to interact with this podcast by speaking up to answer my questions or by repeating affirmations aloud. Or if you prefer, you can just think your responses quietly in your mind.
Have you ever watched an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood? Even if you haven’t, chances are that your parents watched it growing up; maybe even your grandparents. That’s because it was on television from 1968 to 2001; that’s more than 30 years! Maybe you weren’t born yet in 2001 when the show ended its run, but you may be familiar with a newer show called Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Daniel Tiger has taken a lot of the songs and lessons from Mister Rogers and re-introduced them to kids of today.
I grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and I credit Mister Rogers as a big inspiration for me to create this podcast. So on this episode I’ll be sharing some of the wisdom he’s taught me through the years.
Let’s start with a short breathing exercise. Mister Rogers once said:
“Sometime in your day today, try to turn of all the noises you can around you and give yourself some quiet time. In the silence, let yourself think about something, or if possible, think nothing.”
So for our breathing exercise today, I want to just sit silently together and breathe slowly in and out. That’s all. As you breathe you can choose anything you’d like to think about. Or you can try to completely clear your mind and think of nothing. Do whatever you can to make things as quiet around you as possible. I’ll turn down the music, and we’ll just breathe. You’ll know I’m still here, because you can hear me breathing in and out. Try to match your breath to mine – slow and steady. And we’ll just breathe together in the silence for a few moments. Here we go.
[Breathing in and out in silence]
Now as we end this moment of silence, I’ll share another Mister Rogers quote about silence. He said:
“How many times have you noticed that it’s the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?”
Do you ever feel that way? That quiet moments can be special? Maybe it’s a quiet moment snuggling with your mom or dad. Maybe just looking out the window and sitting with your thoughts, and getting to know yourself. Be sure you take time throughout your day to appreciate the quiet moments.
Right now on the count of three let’s all say I like me. 1-2-3. I like me.
I like you too. You make each day a special day by just your being you. There’s only one person in this whole world like you. And people can like you exactly as you are.
Now as I said, I want to share some wisdom I’ve learned from Mister Rogers over the years. I’m going to share 5 Mister Rogers quotes about mindfulness that inspire our podcast.
But first, I don’t want to keep you in suspense any longer. Have you been wondering what the number 143 has to do with any of this? Why was this Mister Rogers’ favorite number? It’s because this number represented his favorite words “I love you.” The word “I” has one letter. The word “love” has four letters, and the word “you” has three letters. Put that together and you have 143. So 143 is like a little secret code to say I love you. Does that make sense? When this podcast is over, find someone you love, and tell them 143.
Now let’s get to it. Here are 5 Mister Rogers quotes that inspire Like You. After each quote I’ll give you a few moments to reflect on the words and think about what they mean to you. Then I’ll share a few thoughts of my own.
Here’s quote number one.
“Everyone longs to be loved. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.”
[short silence]
Do you that you are loved? Do you have people in your life who show love to you? And people who you love? The very title of our podcast let’s you know how important this idea is to me. Like You means that I like you, and it means I want you to like yourself. It’s all about loving others, and knowing you are loved. 143.
Now, here’s Mister Rogers quote number 2:
“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”
[short silence]
Listening – REALLY listening – is a big part of mindfulness. I often describe mindfulness as stopping to pay attention to what’s happening inside you and around you. And that’s what this quote is saying, that it’s important to listen to ourselves and to our neighbors. The more we listen to ourselves, to our bodies, to our feelings, the more we understand who we are deep down inside. And the more we understand who we are inside, the more we can understand other people. Because we really share a lot in common. This is actually another one of the hidden meanings of our podcast title, Like You. It also means I am a lot like you, and the people around you are a lot like you too. You’re not alone.
Now here’s Mister Rogers quote number 3:
“Who you are at this moment, with the way you’re feeling, is fine. You don’t have to be anything more than who you are right now.”
[short silence]
Sometimes we all feel like there are things we’d like to change about ourselves. We may say “I wish I was taller, or older, or funnier, or smarter… or something-er. But I want you to know, that you don’t have to change anything to be the person you were meant to be. You are wonderful just the way you are.
Now here’s Mister Rogers quote number 4:
“When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.”
[short silence]
We talk a lot about feelings on this podcast, don’t we? That’s because talking about our feelings helps us know that we’re not alone. There’s no feeling that wrong to feel. It’s ok to feel happy, sad, angry, scared, worried, silly, sleepy, lonely, jealous, confused, or calm. Or anything else. We each have lots of feelings that can change from moment to moment. It’s ok to feel all these things, and it’s ok to express your feelings. I hope you never feel that you have to hide your feelings. And if you ever have a feeling that feels overwhelming, I hope you’ll talk to someone who loves you and tell them how you feel.
And finally, here’s Mister Rogers quote number 5:
“Our society is much more interested in information than wonder, in noise rather than silence… And I feel that we need a lot more wonder and a lot more silence in our lives.”
[short silence]
Do you ever notice how much noise and information you hear in a day? There’s school, and TV, and music, and playtime, and video games, and YouTube videos, and sports, and music lessons, and on and on. But it’s important to stop sometimes, to appreciate quiet moments, and to take note of wonder in the world. This podcast is my attempt to bring a little more wonder, and a little more silence into our lives. So let me say thank you for listening and being a part of that for 143 episodes.
Now it’s time for affirmations. Affirmations are words you can say about yourself to remind yourself how wonderful you are. All the affirmations on this episode are inspired by Mister Rogers. I have taken words from his songs, and his show, and his quotes, and turned them into short affirmations you can say any time. I’ll say each affirmation twice. So you can listen the first time, then say it together with me the second time. Here we go.
It’s alright to wonder.
I am loved exactly as I am now.
I am kind.
I’m a good person even though I do bad things.
I have something valuable to bring to the world.
I am brave and I am strong.
I like who I am deep down inside.
My heart is full of love.
If any of those affirmations stood out to you, feel free to write them down, or just store them safely in your mind to say when you need it. If you have an affirmation that is special to you, I would love to hear it! If you’d like to send a recording of your favorite affirmation to play on the show, have a grownup check our website or episode notes for more information.
Now I’d like to end this episode with a song that was written by Mister Rogers. This is one of my favorite songs ever. When my kids were babies, I sang it to them almost every night, and I’ve always wanted to sing it to you on this podcast. So I got permission to record my own version of the song. It’s called “It’s You I Like.” As you listen, you can sing, or dance, or sit quietly and relax.
It’s you I like,
It’s not the things you wear,
It’s not the way you do your hair
But it’s you I like
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys
They’re just beside you.
But it’s you I like
Every part of you.
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you’ll remember
Even when you’re feeling blue
That it’s you I like,
It’s you yourself
It’s you.
It’s you I like.
If you’d like to learn more about Mister Rogers, or see old episodes of the show, have a grownup visit misterrogers.org.
I can’t wait to spend some time together again soon. Until next time, I like you, I’m proud of you, and I’m glad we are friends. Have a happy and peaceful day. 143.
Like You is a production of Perpetual Motion. It is made possible by our subscribers on Patreon and Apple Podcasts. Become a supporter by visiting Patreon.com/likeyoupodcast, or by tapping “subscribe” on our show page in Apple Podcasts. You can also tell your friends about the show or leave a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts. Like You is written and hosted by me, Noah Glenn. I also composed and performed the Like You theme music and other music that appeared in the episode. Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Mia Saine. Our episode art is created by Lindsey Glenn. Grownups can find more information about Like You by visiting our website at likeyoupodcast.com. Thanks for listening.
