Steve Trash
Steve Trash

Steve Trash Says

SEASON 1 + SEASON 2

Steve Trash has the ability to break-down complex ideas and explain them to kids in positive and easy to understand ways. His series of short character “interstitials” – STEVE TRASH SAYS – are seen across the US and around the world. Kids need pro-social behavior re-enforcers. That’s what Steve Trash Says is all about. Each episode is 60 seconds long.

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 101

TITLE:  THE BIG YOU AND THE LITTLE YOU
SUBJECT:  EVERY MOMENT IN LIFE GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO IT.   DO YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND AS THE BIG YOU OR THE LITTLE YOU?

STEVE SAYS:
 “Today we’re going to talk about the Little You and the Big You.
Every day, when you and I wake up, we get to choose whether we will act like the little version of ourselves (selfish, mean, inconsiderate),or the big version of ourselves (thoughtful, kind, helpful).
Making the big version choice is sometimes very, very hard.
You’ve had a bad day, someone was mean to you and you want to be mean right back to them.
That’s your choice moment.
Making the Big You choice makes YOU a better person.
Big You attracts more Big Yous and that grows and grows and grows.
Sometimes we don’t make a good choice and we behave like the Little You.
When this happens, recognize you made a mistake and apologize.
Bam! by apologizing you became the Big You again.
We need more Big Yous.
Thank you for making the right choice.
You are awesome!”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 102.

SUBJECT:  BEING UNINTENTIONALLY RUDE, INCONSIDERATE OR HURTFUL ISN’T ALWAYS BULLYING.  BEING INTENTIONALLY HURTFUL, EVEN WHEN ASKED TO STOP, IS BULLYING.

STEVE SAYS:
 “No one likes a bully. Being a bully is wrong.
But sometimes it’s hard to know if BULLYING is really what’s going on.
So lets look at this for a moment.
If someone says or does something UNINTENTIONALLY hurtful and they do it only once, that’s not really bullying.
That’s just being rude or inconsiderate.
Being rude stinks, but it’s not bullying.
When someone says or does something INTENTIONALLY hurtful and they do it once, that�s mean.
Being mean stinks, but it’s not bullying.
When someone says or does something INTENTIONALLY hurtful and they keep doing it, even when you tell them to stop or show them that you’re upset – that is bullying.
Bullying is wrong.
YOU would NOT enjoy being bullied, so don’t be a bully.
Treat others the way you would like to be treated.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 103.

TITLE:  MANNERS MATTER
SUBJECT: USING GOOD MANNERS WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER.

STEVE SAYS:
“Please.Thank you. Excuse me. I’m sorry.
These are all words that make life better.
They are good manner words.
Manners are how we show respect to others with our words.
They are our way of saying, ‘I like to be treated with respect, so I’m going to FIRST treat YOU with respect’.
Manners include saying ‘please’ when you’re asking for something.
Or saying ‘thank you’ when you receive something.
If you accidentally bump someone or accidentally step on their toe, YOU say, sorry or excuse me.
If you want someone’s attention, interrupting what THEY are doing is very poor manners.
Using good manners makes your life easier and better.
Get in the habit of using good manners FIRST.
And others will treat you with respect right back.
I promise it will make your life better.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 104.

TITLE:  RESPONSIBILITY IS THE STEPPING STONE TO SUCCESS
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE. SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE RESPONSIBLE?

STEVE SAYS:
“Successful people are responsible people.
Being Responsible means you keep your commitments.
If you say you’re gonna do something, you just do it.
You said you would, so you do. That’s responsible.
It means you know what is expected and don’t need to be told to do it.
If you are expected to brush your teeth before you go to bed at night, you just do it without having to be reminded. You just do it. 
That’s responsible.
It means you do NOT make excuses.
You were supposed to sharpen all the class pencils this morning when you got to school,
but you forgot to do it.
When asked why you didn’t sharpen them, you say, ‘It’s not my fault!
No one reminded me.’
No. It IS your fault.
Successful people are responsible people.
Responsibility is the stepping stone to all great success.
You can do it! I know you can!”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 105.

TITLE:  EMPATHY MAKES YOU A BETTER PERSON
SUBJECT: WHAT IS EMPATHY AND WHY IS IT VALUABLE?

STEVE SAYS:
“You and I are very much alike.  
Even if we have different skin color.  
Even if we are from different parts of the world.  
Even if we worship in different ways.  
The places we’ve lived, the happy things that have happened to us,the sad things, can be dramatically different. 
And this can mean we FEEL differently about different things.
Everyone’s life experience is NOT the same.
And that means practicing empathy is very important.
Empathy means you see the world through someone else’s eyes. 
Through someone else’s eyes.
Ways you can show empathy?
Ask someone to play who looks lonely.
Comfort someone who is feeling upset. 
Ask someone about themselves.
Empathy is feeling things that others might be feeling to better understand them.
You and I are very much alike, even if we have different skin colors, even if we’re from different parts of the world, even if we worship in different ways.
Empathy makes you a better person.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 106.

TITLE: GOOD FRIENDS – HOW DO I GET THEM?
SUBJECT: THE BEST WAY TO HAVE A GOOD FRIEND IS TO BE A GOOD FRIEND.

STEVE SAYS:
“The best way to have a good friend is to be a good friend.
What does this look like?
Well it’s pretty easy. 
Just think about how you’d like to be treated by your friend..
That’s the way YOU should treat them.
Keep your promises. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
Be dependable.  
Remember, everyone makes mistakes.  
So, apologize when you make a mistake.   
That’s the great thing about being a friend.  
Apologies make a big difference because there’s already trust and friendship there. 
Be loyal.
Be respectful. 
Look out for that friend. Think about ways to be helpful.
Think about ways to be kind.
Think about ways to make them laugh.
Think about ways to surprise them with joy.
Just think about how you’d like to be treated by your friend. That’s the way you should treat them.
So, the best way to have a good friend is to BE a good friend.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 107.

TITLE:  DO NOT LIE
SUBJECT: LYING, NOT TELLING THE TRUTH, CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES.

STEVE SAYS:
“Lying – not telling the truth – causes more problems than it solves. 
Lets say you got so mad at your brother or sister and you hit them.
When asked, do you tell the truth or do you lie?
You really did hit them.
You think, “I don’t want to get into trouble.  
All I have to do is lie and it will make things better.”
But lying does NOT make things better.
Lying actually makes things worse.  
Because the truth will ALWAYS comes out. 
When we lie, even one little lie, it makes others doubt that anything you say is true. 
You are NOW known as a person who does not tell the truth.  
No one will believe ANYTHING you say.
Lying, not telling the truth, causes more problems than it solves.  
So, be trustworthy.
Be responsible.
Do not lie. 
Tell the truth.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 108.

TITLE:  COURAGE
SUBJECT:  WHAT IS COURAGE AND WHAT DOES IT REALLY LOOK LIKE?

STEVE SAYS:
“Courage is the ability to overcome fear of doing something.
It takes courage to introduce yourself to someone new
It takes courage to stand up for yourself.
It takes courage to stand up for a friend.
It takes courage to do something that you’ve never done before.
It takes courage to make the right choice, when you feel peer pressure to make the wrong choice.
When others laugh at you or threaten you for not stealing, or not lying, or not using drugs, stand tall and be brave. 
Be courageous. 
Now I know some people who believe being couragious means that you’re never afraid. 
But that’s not true. 
Ask anyone who’s courageous.
They’ll tell you that you stand up for what is right even if you are afraid. 
Courage is the ability to overcome the fear of doing something.
Be courageous.
I know you can do it.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 109.

TITLE:  CAUSE AND EFFECT
SUBJECT: ALL YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

STEVE SAYS:
“Cause and effect. Something happens and then something else happens. That’s cause and effect.
Lets say that Alice uses her time wisely and completes her class work.
What’s the possible effect?
She learns, grows, and is happy and gets to go play outside.
Lets say that Samuel crumpled his field trip form and shoved it down deep into his backpack.
What’s the possible effect?
He may not get to go on the field trip that he really wants to go on because he never found the form.  
It’s scrunched down in the bottom of his backpack.
Nadine leaves her brand new laptop on the kitchen table where she knows her little sister can reach it.
What’s the effect?
Her little sister gets peanut butter and jelly in it and it totally stops working. 
Something happens and then something else happens – that’s what cause and effect is.
Cause and effect. Be responsible. 
It’s the cause that leads to a positive effect.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 110.

TITLE:  BE HELPFUL
SUBJECT: HELPING OTHERS IS GOOD FOR YOU TOO.

STEVE SAYS:
“Do you want to feel great?
Wanna feel awesome?
Look for ways to help others. 
Wait what?  I want to feel good. 
One of the best ways to have good feelings about yourself is to help others.
If someone has their hands full, you can help them carry their load. 
You can help wash the dishes. 
You can help your mom put the groceries away at home. 
A friend at school has fallen down on the playground – you can help them up.
Remember, the help that you give someone is really important to that person, 
but it is even MORE important to YOU. 
When you do good for others by helping, you’re also doing good for yourself. 
You become a better person every time you help others, every time you help others.
Do you want to feel great, want to feel awesome? Look for ways to help others.
Someday you’re gonna need help and won’t it be great if others choose to help you?
Yeah… it will.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 111.

TITLE:  BECOME A PROBLEM SOLVER
SUBJECT:  PROBLEM SOLVERS MAKE THE WORLD BETTER.

STEVE SAYS:
“Do you want to be rich?
Do you want to be successful?
Do you want to be happy?
Then be a problem solver.
The world has all sorts of problems that need solving.
Some are small. Some are large.
When you have the mind of a problem solver you see problems as figure-out-able. 
You know it can be solved. 
You may not know the answer but you KNOW that there is a solution. 
And this is really important because it gives you the juice to keep on working 
even when the problem is not easily solved. 
We need MORE problem solvers than problem MAKERS.
Spend your life learning and growing and always ask, “What can I do to help solve problems?”
Being a problem solver will make you a better person.
It will make the world better.
And when you make the world better, you make YOUR life better too.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 112.

TITLE:  DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
SUBJECT: JUDGING A PERSON BY THE WAY THEY LOOK IS LAZY.

STEVE SAYS:
“There is a very old saying, it goes something like this, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.  
It means don’t make a guess about a person just by the way they look.  
Because it’s really, really likely that your guess is wrong.
It means don’t make guesses about a whole group of people either.
My mind.  Your mind. Our minds are kinda lazy and we don’t want to take the time to get to know others that appear to be different than we are 
because it takes WORK, it takes work, to really know them
but it’s been my experience that these people, the ones that appear to be SO different than we are, can sometimes grow to be really good friends. 
Judging a book by its cover is super lazy and it’s not fair.
It’s not fair to you or the other person 
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
Because you’re robbing yourself of the opportunity to make a really good friend.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 113.

TITLE:  DO NOT STEAL
SUBJECT: WHY STEALING IS WRONG.

STEVE SAYS:
“Stealers stink. 
Taking something that is not yours is called stealing. 
It is wrong. 
Lets say you have a brand-new tablet with you favorite games on it, your favorite music on it, even pictures of you and your friends.
Someone steals it. 
How do you feel? 
I’ll bet you feel pretty lousy.
Because that person had no right to take it. 
They cheated.
They took a short-cut.
Stealing is lazy and selfish. 
There will always be people that have less than you.
There will always be people that have more than you.
Being resentful that someone has something you want should make you want to work hard to get that thing honestly.
But you must not steal to get it.
Stealing is wrong and you’ll be ashamed of what you’ve done.
Be honest.  Be proud.
Do not steal.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 114.

TITLE:  PAUSE, PREDICT, THEN ACT
SUBJECT: BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING, PAUSE, PREDICT, THEN ACT.

STEVE SAYS:
“All actions have consequences.
A consequence is a result that follows something you do or do NOT do. 
These results can be good or bad.
Stay up late past your bedtime?  
The consequence – you’ll probably be tired and grumpy at school the next day.
If you get mad and HIT your friend.
The consequence – you’ll probably get in trouble because hitting is wrong.
If you don’t study for a test, there’s a good chance the consequence will be a bad grade.
If you’d paused to think about any of these you’d have seen the outcome and you could have changed your behavior.
Want GOOD outcomes?
PAUSE 
PREDICT
ACT
Before you act, pause.  
Ask yourself what might be the outcome of my action? 
Predict the possible outcomes if you do or do not act.

Then, make a good choice.
Actions have consequences. 
So make your life the best life possible.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 115.

TITLE:  DON’T LIE – TELL THE TRUTH
SUBJECT: TELLING THE TRUTH BENEFITS YOU AS MUCH AS IT BENEFITS OTHERS.

STEVE SAYS:
“We human beings are sooooo amazing. 
But, everyone messes up.
So when you mess up really big, admit it. 
When I was a kid, my Mom told my brother and I to NOT play baseball in the living room.  
She was VERY specific.   
Do not throw the ball in the house. But we did.  
And sure enough, we broke a glass vase in our living room.
We messed up.  We messed up big.
Now we had a choice – admit what we’d done or try and hide it by lying.
Do you know what we chose?  
Yeah, we walked in and told our Mom what we’d done.  
Did we get in trouble?  Yeah, you bet.  
We got in trouble because we’d disobeyed our mom 
but we got in LESS trouble because we were honest and told the truth. 
It was the honorable thing to do.
If you tell the truth, people will like you and trust you. 
Tell the truth.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 116.

TITLE:  UNDERSTANDING MISTAKES
SUBJECT: EVERY MISTAKE YOU MAKE – PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD – IS PROGRESS TOWARDS YOUR GOAL.

STEVE SAYS:
“Making a mistake is no fun.
It can be embarrassing. It can hurt your feelings.   
It can make you want to roll yourself into a little ball and never try anything again.
When I was a kid, I was a lousy magician.  
I couldn’t fool anyone.  
But each time I made a mistake, not doing a magic trick well,I’d review my performance and asked myself, “How can I be better at that trick?”  
I’d look at my performance to see how I could do it better next time and then I’d go to work trying to make that happen. 
I did NOT blame someone else for my mistake. 
I did NOT blame some one else for ME being a stinky magician.
I also always assumed that through work that I COULD get better.
And I did. 
Over time I got a lot better. 
Properly understood, every mistake you make is actually progress towards your goal.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 117.

TITLE:  BE YOURSELF
SUBJECT: THE BEST WAY TO MAKE FRIENDS IS TO BE YOURSELF 

STEVE SAYS:
“Friends are awesome.
I know lots and lots and lots of people all over the world, but I only have a few friends.  
Real friends.
My real friends are very important to me.  
The best way to find a real friend begins with being yourself.
Trying really hard to impress others and be like everyone else is not a good way to find a real friend.
I’m not saying be ugly to others.
You should always be kind and courteous, to everyone you meet. 
Finding a real friend starts with being the best you that you can be.
love the things you love, be happy with yourself and who you are. 
Like a magnet, this will draw friends to you.
You might like the same video games, you might like the same music, you might like acting in plays, whatever.
That’s being the best you that you can be.
Want to make friends?  Be yourself. “


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 118.

TITLE:  BE RESPONSIBLE
SUBJECT:  RESPONSIBLE MEANS DOING THE STUFF YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU NEED TO DO IT.

STEVE SAYS:
“Responsible is always better than irresponsible.
Responsible means you do the stuff you need to do when you need to do it. 
You make good choices, even when you don’t really want to. 
Like doing your chores.
Or being safe.
Or being kind.
Or exercising.
Or feeding your pet.
Or practicing reading.
Or helping cook dinner.
Or picking up trash you dropped.
Or eating healthy food at lunch.
What does being irresponsible look like?
Leaving your toys all over the living room.
Crumpling up your papers and shoving them in your backpack.
Lying and say that you don’t have homework.
Leaving the lights on in your house when you leave.
Responsible means you do the stuff you need to do when you need to do it.
Responsible is always better than irresponsible.
Being responsible will always have a better outcome for you.
So be responsible.
It makes the world better.
It makes you better.”


STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 119.

TITLE:  YOUR BRAIN IS LIKE A MUSCLE
SUBJECT: EXERCISING YOUR BRAIN ACTUALLY MAKES IT STRONGER

STEVE SAYS:
“Did you know that your brain is kinda like a muscle?
It’s true.  When you exercise your brain, it gets stronger.
A strong brain is not something you get from your Mom or Dad.
Working at hard stuff that we don’t give up on makes our brains stronger. 
I am dyslexic.  
Somewhere between my eyes and my brain, the words and letters get super jumbled.
I can’t fix this, BUT I can focus. I can work at it. 
In doing this I make my brain stronger.  
I concentrate. I practice reading a lot, so my reading skills get better. 
Reading is hard for me, but it’s SUPER, SUPER important.
So, I do not give up. I keep working at it. I focus. I do not give up.  
Are there things that are hard for you?
Then, work that muscle.
Work that brain.  
Strengthen that muscle.
You can do it.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 120.

TITLE:  THE LIST
SUBJECT: MAKING A LIST OF YOUR SUCCESSES, CAN HELP OVERCOME A LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE.

STEVE SAYS:
“People can do some pretty amazing things.
Doing amazing stuff takes self confidence. 
Self confidence is not bragging.
It’s inside you.  
Having self confidence is much better than not having self confidence.
Here’s how you get it.
Make a list of hard things you’ve done. Problems you’ve overcome. 
Like, you were terrible at riding a bike when you first started, 
but you stayed with it and you now are GREAT at riding a bike. 
Like, you are NOT good at Math, but you studied really really hard and made an A++ on that math test. 
You moved to a new school and didn’t know anyone. 
But you made friends. 
There ARE things you are good at.
People can do some pretty amazing things! Doing amazing things takes self confidence. 
Make a list. Make a list.
Remember the things on that list.
Be self confident.
Go do amazing things.”

SEASON 2

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 201.

TITLE:  BE GOOD – BE AMAZING – DON’T BE MEAN
SUBJECT: BE GOOD – BE AMAZING – DON’T BE MEAN

STEVE SAYS:
“Be Good.
Be Amazing.
Don’t Be Mean.
I say these words all the time.
But what do they mean exactly?
Well… Be Good.
Means be a good person.  
Do good things.
Be good to your friends, family,
and even to strangers.
Treat everyone… everyone with kindness and respect.
Be Amazing.
I want you to work hard and become the best of the best.
Love baseball?  Work hard be amazing.
Love math?  Work hard be amazing
Lastly… Don’t be Mean.
Be kind.
Help others.
Don’t hit people.
Don’t be ugly.
Don’t call people names.
You never make yourself bigger
by making someone else feel smaller.
Be Good.  Be amazing.  Don’t be mean.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 202.

TITLE:  YAW, PITCH AND ROLL
SUBJECT: A GOOD ATTITUDE HELPS YOU GET WHERE YOU’D LIKE TO GO

STEVE SAYS:
“Attitude.
I nearly jumped out of my seat the other day.  
I heard a world famous astronaut Chris Hadfield explain attitude.
He said, it’s one of the most important things when flying a spaceship or a jet airplane.
It’s particularly important when flying a really fast and expensive aircraft.
Attitude is the word that pilots use to describe the orientation of the plane.
Yaw.  Pitch.  Roll.  
If you have the wrong attitude,
it’s VERY difficult to make that wonderful machine go where you want it to go.
I realized that this famous pilot was ALSO saying that our feelings (good, bad, hope-filled or full of despair)
can also determine where we go too.
Just like a jet airplane, our personal attitudes matter.
A good attitude (cheerful, positive, determined, resource-full) is much more likely to get you where you really wanna go  
than a bad attitude (depressed, negative, fatalistic).
Want to get somewhere really cool?
Have a good attitude.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 203.

TITLE:  HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT?
SUBJECT: PERSEVERANCE MATTERS

STEVE SAYS:
“Perseverance… continuing… even when things are difficult.
Lets say you want to learn to juggle.
Juggling is hard.
But you really want to juggle,
So you try.
You drop the balls and they go everywhere.
You try again.
You keep trying.
You keep trying this because each failure,
properly understood,
can teach you how to better succeed.
Giving up on hard stuff is easy.
Persevering is hard.
Eventually, guess what?
You’ll be able to juggle three balls every time you try!
But it takes perseverance.
Sticktoitiveness.
Work hard.  Don’t give up.
Many things we want are difficult.
They will take hard work.
They will take perseverance.
Want something bad enough?
It will take perseverance to get it.
But stay at it. I know you can do it.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 204.

TITLE:  MAKE A BACKWARDS PLAN
SUBJECT: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

STEVE SAYS:
“What if you could figure out a way to reach your goals,
to have success, to have and do the things you want?
How?
Begin with the end in mind!
I call it a backwards plan… start by deciding what you want.
Then walk backwards from there to where you are now.
Want enough money to buy that new video game?
Walk backwards.  
Write out the steps it will take to get the video game.
Make a plan to earn and save money to buy it.
Want to be in really, really good shape to run that upcoming field-day race?
Walk backwards, and make a plan to start working out,
eating well, and getting really strong.
Want to be a world famous doctor?
Then walk backwards and make a plan to study, learn, and get good grades.
Want something important?
Begin with THAT in mind and work backwards.
Begin with the end in mind.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 205.

TITLE:   LET IT GO
SUBJECT: DEALING WITH MEAN PEOPLE

STEVE SAYS:
“If someone says something mean to you,
stop, think, then let it go.
If your first impulse is to be mean right back…
Don’t.
This keeps the circle of mean-ness going and going
around and around.
And because it keeps on going around and around unless you stop it,
it will come back to you eventually.  
It has to, it’s a circle.
There are lots of reasons that someone might have been mean to you.
They may be grumpy because they are sick and don’t feel well.  
They may be sad because their pet just died.
They may be mad because someone was mean to them and they couldn’t be mean back.
Being mean right back might make you feel better,
but this keeps the meanness circle going.
The circle will just keep going and going and going, unless you stop… think… act.
Be the big you… just let it go.
This is hard, really hard… but just let it go.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 206.

TITLE:   WHAT DID YOU SAY?
SUBJECT: GOOD COMMUNICATION IS REALLY ABOUT LISTENING

STEVE SAYS:
“There are about 8 billion people on the planet Earth
and we’re communicating with each other all the time.
Each one of us has had many challenges,
triumphs, successes, and failures.
This means we often understand the world differently.
When we communicate with each other,
we sometimes believe that it’s about us talking,
but it’s not.
Good communication is really about listening.
It’s about understanding the other persons point of view.
But I want to be understood.  
Yes, I know.  
But people will only understand you
if they feel you are really understanding them.
Being understood is important to everyone.
If you really want others to understand your ideas,
you must first seek to understand their ideas.
Good communication is as much about listening as it is talking.
Seek first to understand… then to be understood.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 207.

TITLE:   DON’T ACCEPT THE GIFT
SUBJECT: DEALING WITH DISRESPECTFUL PEOPLE

STEVE SAYS:
“If someone gives you a gift,
but you refuse to take it,
who keeps the gift?
The giver does.
If the gift is disrespect…
lets say someone is rude
mean, OR insulting to you,
don’t take it.
Ignore the gift.
Smile it off.
Rise above it.
If you choose not to give the disrespect back,
they keep the gift and
the circle of disrespect just floats away.
This is not easy, because your feelings may be hurt or you may get mad.
But, don’t continue the disrespect circle.
Ignore it.
Rise above it.  
Don’t accept the ugly gift.
If you choose to disrespect someone that’s disrespected you,
that disrespect will come back around the circle to you
again and again.
It gets uglier and meaner and stupider.
Don’t do it…
Just smile.
Let it go.
Rise above it.
Don’t accept the gift.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 208.

TITLE:   GO TEAM CITIZENSHIP GO!
SUBJECT: WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?

STEVE SAYS:
“Keeping your school clean.
Recycling.
Obeying Laws.
Being a good neighbor.
Volunteering to help others.
Respecting the property of others.
Being honest and trustworthy.
All of these are examples of good citizenship.
What’s a citizen?
A citizen is one person in a group of people.
For societies (which are large groups of people) to work well they must be filled
with good citizens.
Poor citizens are out for themselves only.  
They are selfish.  
They do not tell the truth.  
They only do things for themselves.
Good citizens realize that they are part of a team
and they do their part.
The best team will never win
if everyone on the team is out for only themselves.
Being a good citizen means that you’ve decided to play your part and help the whole team win.
Thank you for being a good citizen.
You are awesome.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 209.

TITLE:   STICKTOITIVENESS
SUBJECT: GETTING WHAT YOU WANT IS SOMETIMES REALLY HARD.

STEVE SAYS:
“Stuff is hard.
No really.
Sometimes what you want to have or do or be is just so hard.
You want to be a great athlete?  But it’s hard.
You want to do really well in school?   But it’s so hard.
You want to be a really good musician?  But it’s so hard.
Well, that’s just life.
Yeah, the good stuff is sometimes really hard.
It takes work.
It’s takes grit.
But that’s okay, because I know you can do it.
You have grit.
You have stick-to-it-ivness.
That’s right.  
You can figure out how to work at something, even when it’s hard, until you get it.
Will there be set-backs while you’re trying?
You bet.
But staying at the hard stuff is important.
Why?
Because not only do you accomplish what you set out to accomplish,
but it makes you a better, stronger
and more self-confident person.
You have grit.
You have stick-to-it-ivness.
Go get em
Don’t give up.“

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 210.

TITLE:   EXCUSE ME!
SUBJECT: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “BE CIVIL”?

STEVE SAYS:
“Civility… What is it?  
Civility means being polite,
using your manners,
and treating others with respect…. ALWAYS.  
Say please, thank you, and
excuse me.
It also means that you try to treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Being Civil is especially hard when you don’t like someone.
They make you mad or
you disagree with them.
But being civil is not for them! It’s for you
Here’s why.
if I accidentally make someone mad
and they respond to me with civility,
it’s much more likely that I will be the “big me”
and apologize for my mistake.
But if they act ugly to me, with no civility,
I’m likely to act ugly right back .
This is bad for both of us.
Being civil is about showing the strength of your character
and doing the right thing.
Try to always make the civil choice.
Civility means treat others with respect… always.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 211.

TITLE:   STOP. THINK. THEN ACT!
SUBJECT: SELF CONTROL – CONTROLLING YOUR EMOTIONAL REACTIONS

STEVE SAYS:
“Self Control.
Stop.  Think.  Then Act.
Self control means you make good choices even when you don’t really feel like it.
In life there are going to be lots of times
when you feel something very strongly!
Self Control means that even when you feel something strongly you…
STOP.  THINK.  THEN ACT.
Strong emotions can hit us at any time,
like when we are very excited, scared, or angry.
Strong emotions are really okay!
We just have to learn to act with self-control when we have them.
Lets say your friend accidentally bumped you.
If it hurt you might just punch him right back?  
Is punching him… a good choice?…
No.. it’s not.
So what do you do when a big emotion hits you,
Make sure you’re acting with self- control!
1. Stop
2. Think.
3. Then Act.
Self Control means you decide the best way to act first and then you do THAT.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 212.

TITLE:   STICKS AND STONES . . .
SUBJECT: YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE

STEVE SAYS:
“There was once, a really wise woman.  
Her name was Eleanor Roosevelt.
She said,
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”  
This means that others may say ugly, terrible, mean,
or untrue things about you.
Just because they said it, doesn’t make it true.  
You get to choose your response.
But you don’t HAVE TO respond with hurt feelings.
You don’t have to respond with anger.
Your response is your choice.
Your choice!
If those words are untrue…
choose to ignore them.
If the words are true…
Take them to heart
and change yourself to be better.  
Remember this old saying…
“sticks and stones can break my bones,
but words can never hurt me”.
Your thoughts…
your actions…
… are your choice.
Sticks and stones can break my bones,
but words can never hurt me.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 213.

TITLE:   DID YOU REALLY POST THAT?
SUBJECT: DEALING WITH MEAN COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

STEVE SAYS:
“I love social media…
It’s remarkable being able to connect instantly with people all over the world.
I have a famous friend that said something mean about another person on Twitter.
Later (after my friend thought about it),
he deleted the tweet and he tweeted that he was sorry for being mean.
I tweeted a compliment to him for trying to be better and not be mean.
In the meantime, someone else said something mean to me about my tweet.
I really, really wanted to write something mean and hilarious back.
It was funny, but really mean.
I did not respond at all.
Days later I responded to the “mean tweet” and said
“I understand what you meant
and thought that the most important thing was
my friend was trying to be better.”
He was.
We all mess up.
When we do, the best thing is to say you’re sorry and attempt to do better in the future.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 214.

TITLE:  THE POWER OF WORDS
SUBJECT: PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORDS YOU USE, AND TAKE LESS OFFENSE TO THE WORDS OF OTHERS

STEVE SAYS:
“I love words.
Because the words we people use have real power.
They have the power to hurt.
They have the power to heal.
They have the power to make someone laugh.
They have the power to make someone squeal with delight.
They have the power to make others think deeply.
Wise people have two rules for the words in their lives.
Rule One…
Wise people pay really close attention to the things they say,
even when they are trying to tell the truth.
They try to be kind and helpful and never be mean with words.
Rule Two…
Wise people take LESS OFFENSE to the words others use.
If someone says something mean to you or about you,
just let it go.
It was mean, but it’s just words, it’s not you.
Wise people control the words they use, and they control the way other peoples words affect them.
Be wise.  Use your words well.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 215.

TITLE:  BODY, MIND, HEART AND SOUL
SUBJECT: TAKING CARE OF THE WHOLE SELF

STEVE SAYS:
“What if you and I are kinda like the four tires of a car.
Each tire of our car must be cared for,
or our ride will be super bumpy and
can send us off the road into a ditch.
Each of our tires has a name.
Body Tire.
Mind Tire.
Heart Tire.  
Soul Tire.
Body tire is our physical body.  
We must eat right, sleep, and get plenty of physical activity.
Mind Tire is our intelligence.  We must learn, grow, and create.
Heart Tire is our caring.  We must show kindness, sharing, and love for one-another.
Soul Tire is our spiritual self.  
Our soul is who we really are deep, deep, down inside.  
It’s the magic part of us that just… is.  
Not our body.  
Not our mind.
Not our Heart.
All four tires must be cared for
or we’re in for a really bumpy ride.
Take good care of your
Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul.
Beep Beep.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 216.

TITLE:   THE BOY WHO CRIED “WOLF”
SUBJECT: BEING HONEST MATTERS

STEVE SAYS:
“The boy that cried wolf…
Do you know this story?
There once was boy who was responsible for keeping the sheep safe in his town.
He thought it would be funny to lie to the townspeople by telling them he’d seen a wolf.
Wolfs like to eat sheep.
So he ran to town and told the townspeople that he’d seen a wolf.
The townspeople left their jobs and came running to help.
But there was no wolf.
The boy laughed AND laughed.
The boy thought it would be funny to do it
again and again and again.  
Each time it happened, he just laughed and laughed and laughed.
But one day… there really was a wolf.
The boy ran to town and yelled to the townspeople that there was a wolf!
But they did not believe him, and would not come to help.
All the boys sheep were eaten.
Telling the truth matters.
Being honest matters.
Be honest.  Tell the truth.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 217.

TITLE:   WORK FIRST, THEN PLAY
SUBJECT: PRIORITIZING YOUR TIME

STEVE SAYS:
“Gracie is my dog.
She and I love to walk in the woods.
But some things I need to do are important,
but not very fun.
When I have important things to do, I do them first.
I get them out of the way.
Work First.  Then Play.
I do the important things first BEFORE I do the fun things.
It’s a really good habit to develop because
doing the important thing first insures that you get it done.
If you have homework, but you really want to go play with your friends,
do the homework first. Reward yourself with play.
If you have been “killing it” in your favorite video game
but you’re supposed to wash the dishes,
do the dishes first.
Then play videogames.
Feed the dog first.  Then Play.
Clean your room first.  Then Play.
Unload the dishwasher first.  Then Play.
This is really good habit.
Do the first things (important things) first”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 218.

TITLE:   IS THAT AN ELEPHANT?
SUBJECT: THE VALUE OF SHARING AND LISTENING TO OTHERS

STEVE SAYS:
“What if you were standing in a room with an elephant.
He’s a nice elephant, so there’s no chance he’ll hurt you.
You are blindfolded.
Your shoes are glued to the floor.
Your job is to guess what’s in the room with you
It’s an elephant,
but you don’t know it.
You have to guess using only your hands.
If you are touching his trunk you might think it’s a big huge snake.
If you are touching his leg you might think it’s a tree.
If you are touching his tail you might think it’s a rope.
If you are touching his ear you might think it’s a fan.
Life is like this.
Each of us has only one perspective.
We can only “see” one part of the elephant.
This is the value of sharing and listening to others.
Other people are touching different parts of the elephant.
You and I will NEVER be able to understand everything.
But we can get closer to the truth
by getting to know people from other religious traditions,
other races, and other places.
Together, we can see the elephant.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 219.

TITLE:   THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE
SUBJECT: YOUR ATTITUDE CAN HELP YOU SOLVE PROBLEMS

STEVE SAYS:
“There was once a man named Henry Ford.  
He said this,
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t… you’re right.”
He meant your attitude plays a big part in your ability to solve problems.
Our minds are only capable of seeing things
we believe are possible.
If you don’t think you can make the baseball team,
your mind won’t look for ways to make it possible.
Because you believe it’s impossible.
If your mind thinks it is possible, it might actually be.
There is no assurance that you’ll make the baseball team,
or become a cheerleader,
or make the honor-roll.
All these things take hard work.
But thinking it is possible gives you a better chance.
Because your mind will find ways to make it possible.
Think it’s impossible… your mind will find ways to make it impossible
Think you can’t… you can’t!
Think you can… it just might be possible!”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 220.

TITLE:   EVERYONE MESSES UP
SUBJECT: EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. DON’T JUDGE OTHERS.

STEVE SAYS:
“Humans are fantastic.
But we all mess-up.
We all do bad things.
We all say ugly things.
All of us!
So judging others is silly because we all make mistakes.
We are the sum total of all the things we’ve thought, done, and said –
the good, the bad, the funny, and the ridiculous.
This means judging other people is kinda tricky,
because we’re all imperfect.
You might be judging someone who is having a bad day,
or on a day when they don’t feel well,
or on a day when they are afraid.
Consider giving them another chance.
When you judge someone else
and you’re pointing a finger at them,
three of your fingers are also are pointing back at you
to remind you that you make mistakes too!
We are all imperfect.
Be kind to each other.  
Judge less.
Forgive and love each other more.”

STEVE TRASH SAYS – EPISODE 221.

TITLE:   REAL MAGICAL LIFE VS PRETEND MAGICAL LIFE
SUBJECT: BALANCING SCREEN TIME WITH NON-SCREEN TIME.

STEVE SAYS:
“Man we are lucky.
We get to live in a world with computers,
tablets, cell phones, and all kinds of amazing digital devices.  
We can connect with our friends, our families,
and people all over the world through screens.
I call this the PRETEND MAGICAL WORLD.
It’s pretend because a screen
is between you and the world.
We also get to live in a world where we connect with our friends,
our families, people around the world,
and with nature, with no screens.
I call this the REAL MAGICAL WORLD.
It’s real because there’s no screen between us.
To be happy, healthy, 21st century citizens,
we should spend as much time in the real magical world
with no screens (playing talking hanging out having fun)
as we do in the pretend magical world.
It makes us better people.
We are lucky to have both magical worlds.
Use them wisely.”

Hey everyone – Steve Trash Science on APT (and many more PBS affiliates) would not be possible if it weren’t for our WONDERFUL “early support” production sponsors. These are the folks that got in line FIRST to make sure Steve Trash Science had the money to become a reality. They are terrific. Thank you all so very much! Here they are: