Spreading Kindness Through Hand-Carved Heart Rocks: Tom Ballard's Journey with Bipolar Disorder
Tom Ballard, known as the Heart Rock Guy, has distributed over 210,000 hand-carved, heart-shaped rocks to spread kindness and love. So far, he has learned that 106 lives have been saved as a result.
Tom shares his journey before and after his bipolar diagnosis at 29, describing how creating these heart rocks became a therapeutic activity that helped him manage his bipolar. He explains the process of making these rocks, the responses from recipients, and his belief in the power of kindness to strengthen connections and potentially save lives.
Tom also talks about his school presentations, designed to encourage kindness among students, and the impact of those initiatives. He offers personal insights on living well with bipolar disorder, emphasizing self-grace, lifestyle adjustments, and finding purposeful activities. The episode highlights a heartwarming outreach story and extends an invitation to listeners, offering to send them a hand-carved heart rock in times of need.
Reach out to Tom here and send him a message sharing your takeaway from this episode to have a FREE heart rock sent to you!
00:00 Welcome to Live Well, Bipolar: The Heart Rock Journey
00:17 Tom Ballard: The Heart Rock Guy's Story
01:00 The Birth of the Heart Rock Movement
03:18 Spreading Kindness Through Heart Rocks
06:23 The Ripple Effect of Kindness
14:17 Living Well with Bipolar: Tom's Personal Strategies
19:20 The Power of Kindness and Creativity
22:54 Impactful Stories and the Circle of Kindness
28:55 Living Well with Bipolar: Finding Your Purpose
32:19 Final Thoughts and How to Connect with Tom