Compassionate Connecting: Hiking El Morro Canyon

About Compassionate Connecting

"Compassionate Connecting" describes our intention to facilitate communication and contribute to deepening relationships between people, within groups and organizations through the practice of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) GiraffeSurfer@gmail.com

What is Nonviolent Communication (NVC)?
NVC is a form of language based on work by Marshall Rosenberg that is sometimes called compassionate communication. Its purpose is to strengthen our ability to inspire compassion from others and to respond compassionately to others and to ourselves. NVC guides us to reframe how we express ourselves and hear others by focusing on what we are observing, feeling, needing and requesting.

Surfing Metaphor
I like to use waves as a symbol for needs, and "Compassionate Connecting" is the surfboard. The challenge then becomes how to catch the wave so that we can all surf -- to connect and stay connected to others even as we identify our conflicting strategies. Once we each truly hear each others needs, finding mutually satisfying strategies is much more likely than before.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Hiking El Morro Canyon

"Hello" "(hello, hello)" "Is there anybody out there?"

I went on a hike today at El Morro Canyon near Crystal Cove in South Orange County. I was expecting clouds and cold, but I had to put plenty of sunscreen on, as I was gloriously surprised with sun and no clouds. It was beautiful out! I took a few pictures with my phone, as my Nikon is still being repaired... (I'm feeling annoyed and frustrated as I'm wanting to express my creative self through quality pictures, and my phone-cam's colors just don't match reality).

It was interesting to think back on my hike and how different the two halves were. In the first half, I found myself thinking about the connection I was expecting from a friend that canceled at the last minute, and feeling a little bummed about that (a form of sadness, but not as intense). I observed myself thinking of running into people I knew on the trail, and running into strangers instead (the heart, I think is a little funny that way).

On the second half of the hike, I was really soaking in the beauty of the place and noticing all of the details -- all of the life around me and below me. A little green worm caught my eye. It was furiously crossing the trail from left to right (East to West). I was puzzled at how a worm barely an inch long could know where to go, and to risk its life to cross an 8 to 10 foot wide path just to get to the other side -- that's 120 body lengths and its visibility (not sure if it even has eyes) are not even a quarter inch off the ground. I was amazed at how quickly it was moving, and how clearly it seemed to know where to go. How does it know? Does it know?

I also noticed a beetle crossing the path in the same direction, though not as neatly in a straight line -- it was more zig-zagging it's way to the other side. Much more quickly than the worm, but it took many more steps to make the same distance.

I was pretty well captivated by the green of the hills and the occasional patches of flowers. I kept wondering to myself how beautiful everything was, when all of a sudden, the path opened up again around the corner and the blue ocean came into view - it was breath taking. Then, it seemed that I could hear the voice that created the beauty speak as if smiling along with me, and celebrating that I was enjoying it all and listening. I no longer felt alone - cause I wasn't.