GROK's the Word

Got Empathy?

In Nonviolent Communication, when we teach empathy we often begin with the following phrase “Are you feeling (insert feeling guess) because you’re needing (insert guess)? Students of NVC know that...

Observation as Liberation

Of the four components of Nonviolent Communication, I find observation to be the most challenging and at the same time, the most liberating. When I’m describing an observable fact, then...

Practicing Peace: The Language of Liberation

Sitting on my cushion before sunrise, I listen to the Pacific Ocean breaking against the shore and seals barking the day awake. The seashore is a constant reminder of the...

The Jackal Train to Freedom

Several days ago, I wrote an email to my sister letting her know I would be in town and asking her if we could get together. Today an email arrived...

Empathy the Hard Way

I work in a minimum security womens facility that is more like a college dormitory than a jail. The women take classes in life skills, parenting, substance abuse, knitting, and...