GROK's the Word

How are you Feeling...Really?

How are you Feeling...Really?

When someone new asks, “How are you?” do you find yourself answering “Fine?” The word ‘fine’ is a culturally expected response, especially in casual circumstances like when in line at...

Grok-a-bye-Baby

There truly is no way to prepare yourself for having kids. Prior to giving birth to my daughter Audrey, in my futile attempt to prepare for the unpreparable, (an excellent...

Celebrating Mourning

On a recent vacation in a Mexican village, I was surprised to find myself in the midst of a community in mourning. Two days before I came, a 21-year-old girl...

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...