More than 50 ways CNVC has contributed to me

Greetings, Marshall, Valentina, Margo, Board and LT members, CNVC Staff, Trainers and Candidates,

 Back in April, 2006, I felt on fire with inspiration and gratitude to be involved with CNVC.  Jori and I had moved to California a few months before so she could become the interim director.  Although I had great admiration

(and trepidation) for her willingness to take that on, I had more interest in cooking her dinner than doing the work of an ED.

 One way I did contribute was by helping out answering the phone during office staff meetings.  I especially enjoyed connecting with folks in our network, even when they were unhappy.  That experience really helped me to sharpen my skills of presence.

 Once, I listened to someone who reported feeling very angry about some things that had transpired in the past between them and CNVC.  It seemedhard for this person to connect with any gratitude for anything that CNVC had done.  I remember feeling confused and sad about this.

Connecting to my need for acknowledgment and gratitude inspired me to write a blog post entitled "More than 50 ways CNVC has contributed to me".  In light of Glenda's recent request to inquire about our Appreciation, I dug it back out, dusted it off, revised it and offer it again in the Spirit of Gratitude.

Thanks, Glenda, for making your request to connect to gratitude around my relationship to CNVC.  Although the past couple of years have offered me challenges to keeping my heart open in my dealings with CNVC, number 1 on my current list of gratitudes is the growth and liberation that those interactions have inspired in me.

Right now, when I think of Marshall, The CNVC leadership and staff, and the network of Certified Trainers, candidates, practitioners and Friends, I'm savoring warmth and appreciation...

"More than 50 ways CNVC has contributed to me"

1. Co-sponsored the mediation training where I first met Marshall (a golden oldie!) (and a life transforming event!)

2. Organized the first IIT I attended in Puerto Rico (another golden oldie)

3. Offered Special Sessions that included NVC practitioners from around the world to work directly with Marshall, inspiring social transformation projects

4. Provide a website with a listing of me and my training offerings, accessible by anyone anywhere with a computer

5. Give me a logo and a "brand" with ever increasing recognition

6. Give me a community wherever I go in the world

7. Open doors for me because of Marshall's reputation and the inspiration his work continues to engender

8. Answer the phone whenever I call for support

9. Answer an email whenever I need support

10. Act as a warehouse for my book and material sales

11. Ship me books and other materials whenever I want, at a discount that helps to support me

12. Certify me as a trainer, and thus open doors for me

13. Offer me the opportunity for a tax deductible donation to a cause I believe in

14. Make and keep agreements to protect the Nonviolent Communication service mark and copyrights

15. Make and keep agreements to provide me with an ever-increasing number of materials: books, cds, videos, cassettes, pamphlets, newsletters, puppets,ears, etc

16. Give me a list of skilled people in every part of the world to help me connect my friends and family with NVC

17. Give me a network of people to support me in growing myself, my practice, my training offerings

18. Give me a source for inspirational stories, testimonials, etc

19. Provide me with sound bytes of Marshall wisdom

20. Built a network and community of 200+ Certified trainers of which I am a part

21. Built a network of hundreds of local NVC supporters around the world

22. Organize and implement Marshall's schedule which continues to be a primary way NVC is spread throughout the world

23. Offers scholarships to folks to assist them to attend training when they do not otherwise have the means to do so

24. Act as a central clearinghouse for information and other resources.

25. Offers and provides supportive services to a Board of Directors to guide the mission and vision of CNVC and NVC

26. Maintains tax exempt charity status in the USA

27. Offers free materials to those who have a need but not the ability to pay

28. Offers open board and other meetings to contribute to transparency and clarity.

29. Offers access to provide blogs on cnvc.org

30. Offers resources for my students to access on the website

31. Fosters connection through promoting e-groups

32. Offers a feedback mechanism through the CNVC website to collect appreciations and mournings related to CNVC decisions

33. Fosters worldwide community through the Global Community Circle.

34. Struggles to create a life serving system within a domination structure

35. Offers ongoing training to CNVC staff

36. Offers IIT's in Europe and the USA

37. Offers a mechanism to connect trainers with requests for training throughout the world

38. Offers a community of trainers connected through yearly reports and our yahoo group

39. Does fund-raising to continue to support the work

40. Is beginning to live the dream of a multi-lingual organization

41. Protects the copyright and service mark for my use as a certified trainer

42. Provides resources that I can use to make my own materials in my training

43. Provides resources that I can use to continue to deepen my practice of NVC

44. Re-opened the Certification path for folks near completion while continuing to work on revamping the system

45. Provides inspiration and support to spiritual seekers in many traditions, and those who are hungry for spirituality "outside" a tradition

46. Sponsors the gratitude project

47. Provided me the opportunity to volunteer in meaningful projects, like the GCC, staff training and LT

48. Contributed to my financial sustainability and opportunities for community by inviting me to organize several IITs and Special Sessions

49. Provided me with the opportunity to meet and make life-long friends among the CNVC board and staff, especially Danielle, William, Dot, John Buck, The Wileys, Stefan, Dee and Miguel

50. Introduced me to open space, sociocracy and many other valuable tools and technologies

51. Created and fostered a training network that fulfilled my need to learn NVC by providing me with quality trainers and collaborators (especially Marshall Rosenberg, Christa Morf, Jorge Rubio, Eva Rambala, John Kinyon, Wes Taylor, Robert Gonzales, John Cunningham, Towe Wildstrand, Sura Hart, Sylvia Haskvitz, Lucy Leu, Rodger Sorrow, Anne Bouritt, Kirsten Kristensen, Karsten, Schact-Petersen, Marianne Gothlin, Liv Larson, Andreas Basu, Dominic Barter, Gary Baran, Miki and Inbal Kashtan, Gregg Kendrick, Mary MacKenzie, Bridget Belgrave, Gina Lawrie, Catherine Cadden, Myra Walden, Jeff Brown, Susan Skye, Liv Monroe, Barbara Larson, Jacob Gotwals, Jack Lehman, Hawkeye Landis, Rita Herzog, and last but from least, Jori Manske.*)

 I'm guessing if I tried, I could come up with 50 more!

Would you be willing to say how you feel, right now, connecting to this with

me?

With Celebration,

 Jim

*It was massively fun for me to make this list of my teachers.  I'm sad that it is likely that I inadvertently left someone off the list.  This means more about the state of my memory that the impact you all have had on me!