I have been following a trajectory of opening over 23 years with Voice of Hope and then with the next iteration, BayNVC. I have no illusions about nor desire for “staying open.” Rather I experience this movement as increasing ease with oscillating between closing and
Co-er-cion (noun) forcing of somebody to do something, the use of force or threats to make somebody do something against his or her will force used to compel somebody, force or threats used to make somebody do something against his or her
Shelter in Place orders pressed a pause button on many businesses, not just their internal operating structures, but also for many, functioning came to a full stop. The coronavirus safety protocols are easing and many businesses are starting up again, some in limited ways and
Meeting the needs of NVC Students in PrisonGive today! I really like how needs for purpose and meaning are deeply met by my work with BayNVC's social justice project, Safer Communities. The project brings NVC skills and consciousness to people whose lives have diverted into incarceration. Since
I know it is not the question, “Are you feeling x , because you need y ?” The way I think NVC approaches empathy is not with the particular meaning of ‘feeling what another feels,’ like an empath does. This meaning of empathy is showing
Since the other name for Nonviolent Communication is Compassionate Communication, just what do we mean by compassion? For me, as a “word nerd” (translate: delighted when learning word origins, loving to understand), I wanted to uncover the original meaning of “compassion.” It turns out to be
I’ve been thinking about expectations lately, hearing how often a statement that begins, “I expected
In 2006, I was introduced by Jane Connor to a practice which Marshall Rosenberg used, and I witnessed him use it through the years I knew him. He kept a 3”x 6” index card folded in half in his pocket, and “he would pull it
Thoughts on Making, Keeping & Changing Agreements with Care PRINCIPLE: HOLD EVERYONE’S NEEDS WITH CARE This principle can be a beacon to co-creating meaningful and satisfying agreements. I take it to mean being willing to dig inside to discover what your needs may be in the situation.
Have you noticed how creative people can be? We constantly makeup stories to explain people’s words and actions, rallying our best efforts to make sense of the world. As meaning-making animals, we have elevated story-telling to an art. After retiring from her career, my step-grandmother sewed
When someone really hears you without passing judgment on you, without trying to take responsibility for you, without trying to mold you, it feels damn good. . . . When I have been listened to and when I have been heard, I am able to