Hello,

I’m Iris Bawidamann. When Mary reached out to me asking if I’d write this letter, I sat for some time meditating on what is alive for me and what I want to share with you… 

This is what surfaced for me…

Fear sits with me—on my shoulders, in my chest. A familiar presence I consciously keep in check so it doesn’t take over. Watching global politics, conflicts, and rising polarization, I often feel overwhelmed. The world is shifting. Fast. Unpredictably. And I wonder: What is my place in all this?

I take a deep breath. I sit with the fear. I allow it all. The overwhelm. The helplessness. The grief. For the first time in a while, I truly let it in. And then the tears come. This sadness feels personal—and yet so much bigger than me. Like I’m tapping into something many of us carry.

I’ve dedicated my life to peace. Initiating and supporting international projects, building bridges. I gave everything to help create a world without war.

Was it in vain? A voice whispers: Do you really think you made a difference?
Yes. I do. Just like many others. Like you.

But... was it enough?

I realize how much fear and doubt live in all of us. Different origins, same essence. No matter how world events unfold, fear is everywhere. Because if “they” win, I lose—and vice versa. It’s hard to imagine solutions that truly honor all needs.

But maybe that’s exactly what we need to dare to imagine.

Amid this uncertainty, I feel a moment of clarity…

So often, I want to act before I’ve taken time to deeply connect with my inner truth. What if I first bring awareness to what moves inside me—find peace there—and then act from that place?

What is mine to do, in this ever-changing world?

A friend once told me, “In every hurricane, there is a center. That’s where it’s calm. That can be your contribution—stay in the calm.”

Robert Gonzales said, “The minimum I can bring to any situation is a regulated nervous system.”

That gives me hope. That, I can do.

Another friend reminds me, “You need to hold a positive moment for 12 seconds to truly store it.”

I do the math: five moments per minute, 300 in an hour. That makes me a hope-giver.

Could 12 seconds change the world?

Not alone. But they can be a beginning. A crack of light. A seed of connection. A pause before we choose how to respond.

Maybe that beginning is here. Now. With this message. With you.

We won’t all agree on all topics. But we can stay in dialogue. See one another. Listen. Stay human. Let’s walk through this time hand in hand.

Are you in—even if it’s not easy?

If this resonates in your heart, you’re warmly invited to a space of presence and compassion—where we can pause, feel, and explore the transformation that is possible.

Join me for my 7-week course: A Course in Living Compassion – The Spirituality of NVC, starting May 7th.

Iris Bawidamann
CNVC Certified Trainer & Member of the CNVC Board of Directors