Over the years I’ve encountered many people—friends, colleagues, clients—who are put off by the language of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). It’s too jargony, they say. Too artificial. And way too “woo-woo.” And I get it because sometimes I don’t like the vocabulary of NVC either. Because
A student of mine wrote me, agitated, that she thinks she's about to jump into the abyss. Jumping into the abyss is a major part of what I've been living and teaching for many years now. It is an integral part of what I have come
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
Cross-posted from The Fearless Heart, a guest post by BayNVC outreach manager Anna Barnett: How would your life change if you knew that your basic needs would be met no matter what? If earning money wasn’t necessary to keep a roof over your head and food in
Of all the various things one might learn in this modern age of information, getting a handle on our communication can be one of the most rewarding and potentially transformative. Why? For two simple reasons: it is our primary medium for interfacing with other human
Last week I was in the intensely uncomfortable position of breaking the news about the shootings in Charleston to a number of people taking part in one of BayNVC Leadership Program’s retreats. While contemplating how to do it, I was painfully aware of the exquisite
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
Paul Levy, director of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, is trying something revolutionary, radical, maybe even impossible: He is trying to convince the people who work for him that the E in CEO can sometimes stand for empathy. The Boston Globe "Empathy" and ˜meaning"
Q: I have always tried to encourage my children in their development through praise of certain behaviors, though I don't believe in praise or criticism of the person. For instance: "I notice you are doing a great job being patient, or generous, etc." Or: "Thank
People often think about NVC as a practice for communication with other people. It is that, of course. But it is also much more, offering an approach to how we think about and experience life, and a consciousness that can support personal, interpersonal, and social
Real fearlessness is the product of tenderness. It comes from letting the world tickle your heart, your raw and beautiful heart. You are willing to open up, without resistance or shyness, and face the world. You are willing to share your heart with others. Chogyam