For the past six months, I've had the honor and the privilege of facilitating a group of women who are committed to bringing peace to the world. I work with them every other week exploring and implementing compassionate communication. These brave women have realized that the best way for them to experience peace on Earth is through the opening of their own hearts and minds — and they practice that every day.
I find this both fascinating and inspiring. Here is a group of women willing to let go of communication patterns that have served them (well or not-so-well) for years. They’ve come to understand that their own assumptions, beliefs and perspectives color how they hear what others are trying to say. They’re willing to give up their ego-interpretations in order to get to the heart of conversations with friends, strangers and lovers — with compassion, love and understanding.
This takes real guts. And lots of practice.
And so, session by session, they’ve been learning and practicing and — most importantly — raising their awareness. Because our group understands something at a very deep level: it’s all about paying attention to what’s really going on, not what we’ve perceived is going on. And we need to do that with ears and eyes and hearts that are open to seeing things differently.
See things differently. Hear things differently. Perceive things differently. Not the way the world perceives, with anger, hurt and defensiveness. But with love, vulnerability and open-heartedness.
Each one of these women is brave. Each one is determined. Each one is bringing peace to the world through her very own open heart.
