I've often thought that if we all could communicate in a more compassionate and loving way, that there might be more peace in the world. Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D. developed "Nonviolent Communication" to help us do that. According to Rosenberg, spirituality is at the base of NVC. It is a spiritual practice where we acknowledge the Beloved Divine Energy (God) within everyone and try to connect with it.
In using the process of NVC, we first of all tell the person that we are interacting with what we have observed--their behavior or actions; we then share our feelings about this; next we let the person know what our needs are--what we would like to see happen; and then we ask if they would be willing to do what we are asking. Bascially it is a four-step process.
Importantly, NVC forces us to get in touch with our feelings, which are not always obvious to us. It requires some introspection. And NVC also forces us to question what our needs are. Do you know what your needs are? There are some universal needs that all of us have--to be loved, to feel needed, to have food to eat--are some of these. But there are other needs which are more personal and specific to us as individuals. Getting clear on these may take more time and introspection.
Today, why not try using the process of NVC in your interactions with others. See if it makes a difference and let me know the results.
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