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NVC Academy Co-Founder and CEO Mary Mackenzie shares her thoughts monthly in our Growing Roots newsletter. Read and enjoy Mary's current and past blog posts from her deep experience as a CNVC Certified Trainer for more than 20 years.
Empathy is Magic
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 4/1/2024
First, on the personal side… I’ve already planted half of my vegetable garden and it was so completely enjoyable. Remember how challenging this was for me a couple of years ago? My inner jackal did have a few things to say this year, but not nearly as many as in past years. And, I gave her loads of empathy so we made it through. I am thrilled about this. I can’t wait to see my seedlings pop up! If it’s a successful garden, I’ll share pictures in a future letter.
Living at the Intersection of Yoga, Activism, and NVC
Peaceful Living Blog • 5 minutes • 2/27/2024
Hi friends, My name is Itzel and I’m happy for this opportunity to share a bit about myself and how I came to teach NVC. I was an activist before I knew what the word meant. When I was a child, I often argued with the adults around me about what I thought was “right.” If I had a nickel for every time a grown-up said to me, “You should be a lawyer,” I probably would’ve collected enough money to pay for the law school education that I eventually got. I left my traditional legal career path after more than a decade to become a...
May You Fall Madly in Love This Year
Peaceful Living Blog • 5 minutes • 1/29/2024
Greetings dear readers of the Growing Roots Newsletter! Mary Mackenzie invited me to be a guest writer for this issue to which I happily agreed. She also shared that her messages are typically more personal in nature, something I always appreciate in a newsletter. The challenge for me then is to...
Happy Beloved New Year to YOU!
Peaceful Living Blog • 3 Minutes • 12/29/2023
It is the first day of 2024 and I am filled with gratitude and awe. Yesterday, I celebrated my 9th year of hosting my annual New Year’s Peace Meditation. We had over 800 people register from many, many different countries and the meditation was interpreted into 4 different languages. It was incredibly moving, connecting, and hopeful for me!
Feeling Joy is Feeling Everything
Peaceful Living Blog • 3 Minutes • 12/1/2023
It is the first day of December and it seems to me as if 2023 went by with a flash. I have felt deep despair about the growing division between people and the devastating impact it has had on human beings, all life in fact, including our planet. And, I have also experienced many moments of joy and satisfaction this year.
Mourning the Suffering in Our World
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 11/1/2023
Less than 2 weeks ago from the time I’m writing this letter, Hamas militants crossed from Gaza into Israel and killed more than 1,300 people, most of them civilians. Israel then retaliated and killed over 3,000 Gazans, most of them civilians. The death rate continues to increase every day.
Happy Birthday, Marshall!
Peaceful Living Blog • 3 Minutes • 10/1/2023
October always makes me think about Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of Nonviolent Communication. He was born October 6, 1934. If he were still alive today (he died February 7, 2015), he would be 89 years old!
Changing Seasons and Idealistic Visions
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 9/1/2023
The season is changing. What have you done to nurture yourself these past several months? It has been summer in my part of the world and moving into fall.
Everyone is a gift when living interdependently
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 8/1/2023
I ended last month’s Growing Roots letter with a question to you: “Do you remember that you are a gift?” I hope you had moments throughout July that reminded you of this! I am still thinking about it, actually.
Growth Happens
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 7/1/2023
I want to report that after writing last month’s Growing Roots letter, I did indeed employ my tried-and-true method of moving past inertia: First step time limits. In doing so, I made progress on planting my vegetable garden.
First Step Time Limits to Support Forward Movement
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 6/1/2023
Last year, I planted my vegetable garden in February. It was an enormous amount of work to get it ready. This year, we decided to move the garden farther away from trees (to avoid the ongoing tree root issue and allow more sun). So, we created 4 new beds. Now, they are ready to be planted, and yet… forward momentum has stalled.
Let’s Celebrate!
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 5/1/2023
I am writing to you with CELEBRATION on my mind. The NVC Academy has launched its new and improved website!! If you have not checked it out yet, please do so now: https://nvcacademy.com.
I am not an angry person…
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 4/1/2023
Recently, I have been pondering anger, how I express it and the jackal story I tell myself about it. Marshall Rosenberg taught that anger is a natural emotion that is based on a judgment of someone else or myself. I agree with this, so I have been doing some “enemy images” and self-empathy work (and praying for those who are most likely to be the recipients of my anger). My goal was to clear my judgments and take responsibility for my “stuff.” It has helped a lot, and yet I still feel a general anger in me that is not directly related to anyone or any specific situation.
Unexpected Sweetness
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 3/1/2023
It is 5:30 in the morning. I am sitting in a medical facility waiting for my wife, Kim, who has just gone in for a minor surgical procedure. I have only had a couple of hours of sleep and I can barely keep my eyes open. I am not very worried, but am a little worried about Kim. The kind of worry that happens to me when anyone I love (human or animal) is put “under” anesthesia.
I have choice…
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 2/1/2023
That is my mantra this year. It came to me when I was headed somewhere to do something that I had wanted to do, and yet I was feeling annoyed about it because traffic was heavy and overwhelming. I then gave myself a few moments of self-empathy where I connected to the deeper needs that were propelling me to do the thing in the first place. In an instant, my annoyance and looming resentment slipped away and I felt happy and relaxed.
Happy New Year!
Peaceful Living Blog • 2 Minutes • 1/1/2023
I greatly enjoyed my New Year’s Peace Meditation yesterday as it brings together NVC enthusiasts from across the world. It is one of my favorite traditions for welcoming the New Year!
