IS THIS FOR YOU?

See if any of these situations sound familiar.
        You long for life to serve all beings - you want to change the world where life is better for everyone.
·       You really want to have fewer misunderstandings, especially with the people who are close to you, yet it keeps happening and you revert to old habits of reaction and/or argument or shutdown.
You believe in acting in accordance with the Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have done unto you, or some version of that, yet you don’t have a way to express yourself or listen that is in alignment of this caring value, especially during more heated conversations.
·       You are tired of having the constant “tape” inside your head filled with self-judgment and criticism either inward towards yourself or out to others.
Maybe you’re tired of feeling angry and irritated and having that be the only thing that comes out of your mouth, you want more joy.  Or you find that the constant judgment of yourself isn’t actually motivating you to change, it’s hindering you from being all you can be.
·       You long for your family to get along better, but are unsure how to get there. Or you long for ways everyone can get a long better, not only at an interpersonal level but at a systemic level.
You wish you knew how to be heard by your children and have them know how much you love them and want them to be ok, yet your kids only hear your judgment and “micromanaging” as a sign they aren’t good enough. You’re afraid that you’re losing your close bond. Or you want to be able to understand where they’re coming from, especially when they speak or act intensely.  
·       Maybe you’d really like to be heard when you’re upset and all you get back is consoling or advice that doesn’t really help you feel heard.
·       And you’d like to know how to support your loved ones when they’re upset rather than have them say back “you don’t understand!” after you’ve offered advice or a solution.
   ·     You long for deeper connection to understand yourself and others.
   ·     You can’t stand conflict and either run away from it, avoid it or say nothing.  Or you can’t stand conflict, yet you find yourself yelling and arguing to protect yourself, and you don’t know any other way to act.
·       You have a “good” relationship with your partner but you don’t have the type of connection you’d like. Maybe you end up snapping at each other for seemingly small things and can’t get past old patterns of interaction.
You long to have a very close, authentic relationship with your partner and you aren’t sure how to ask for what you’re wanting or how to listen to your partner when they are saying or doing things you don’t enjoy.  Or even how to support your partner.
         You want to act for climate and social justice and you're not sure how to do it nonviolently.