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Inspiration and Encouragement for Your Personal Growth Journey

Stories and learnings from my own personal journey into deeper compassion, healthier relationships and nonviolent living. Please feel free to leave comments and questions on any posts; I love being in conversation with you.

The Energy Behind Our Words

The Energy Behind Our Words

On this week’s podcast, there were several questions concerning how we can introduce our loved ones to Nonviolent Communication.

And just like anything else, the best way to teach something is to live it.  The best way to inspire others to learn NVC will be to offer them an experience of being in connection with you that feels better, and more authentic, and more loving, and less judgmental than being in relationship with others.

The Protective vs. The Punitive Use of Force and 3 Strategies to Try

The Protective vs. The Punitive Use of Force and 3 Strategies to Try

I was sitting with competing emotions recently–feeling peace and joy regarding the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday for those of us in the US, and conversely, feeling a lot of dread and hopelessness surrounding the increasing violence not only in the Middle East but in regions all across the globe.  I found myself wondering “Is violence ever justified?” You may be surprised to find out that indeed, sometimes force is exactly what is needed.

The 2 Main Differences Between Boundaries and Requests

The 2 Main Differences Between Boundaries and Requests

There are two main misconceptions about boundaries. The first is that a boundary is a punishment.  Now that you’ve gone and done this terrible, awful thing to me, my only option is to punish you for your actions by enforcing a boundary. The second is that a boundary is something I force you to do.  “You will not speak to me in that tone of voice”, or “You will not continue to disrespect the family in this way.”

Where Did My No Go? A Codependency Question

Where Did My No Go? A Codependency Question

As children, we adapt strategies that allow us to survive the environments we live in. Often, these strategies are life-serving and we carry them into adulthood where they help us create the lives we long for. Other times, they are detrimental to ourselves and our relationships. On the podcast this week we talk about one such adaptive strategy:  co-dependency, especially as it related to parenting. 

When a Feeling Isn’t Really a Feeling

When a Feeling Isn’t Really a Feeling

On today’s call, we continue to develop our feelings literacy by discussing faux feelings – the feelings that aren’t really feelings.   Faux feelings can trip us up because they masquerade as things we can feel, but are really interpretations of actions outside of us.