Our world is hungry for a compassionate style of leadership!

Greetings, Friends,

Happy New Year to you! May your coming year be abundantly full of the joy that comes from savoring many met needs!

2008 seems like my most challenging year ever. My heart broke as both my Mother and my Mother-in-law passed away and as Dad struggled with his grief over losing his partner of 60 + years. Additionally, the roles I had been playing within The Center for Nonviolent Communication changed dramatically. Jori and I also traveled extensively offering NVC in a variety of places, from Atlanta to Maui and Texas to Alberta. We also went through one of the most intense political seasons I have experienced. And the economy....

One thing that helped me to care for myself and to remember my own spiritual clarity during these transitions was my participation in our Compassionate Leadership community. I feel so grateful for the support, empathy and growth I receive there! Even as my mourning remains alive in me, I feel wide-open to abundant possibilities as I anticipate the coming months of 2009.

About a year ago, I wrote to many of you and asked you to consider joining us as Jori and I teamed with Rodger Sorrow and Kathi Aichner to offer a new 9-month NVC integration program. I felt full of anticipation and wonder, not knowing what would emerge. Now, I do not seem to be able to find the words to adequately express the connection and beauty I enjoyed in the community the 26 of us co-created.

Some of our participants have tried to put their experience to words, and their feedback is sprinkled throughout our website (http://compassionateleadershiptraining.com/), along with some brief videos. My hope is that hearing from them will inspire you to consider joining us for Compassionate Leadership 2009. We're expanding our offering this year to two 9-month retreats. We hope that by locating one retreat in the West (Albuquerque) and one in the East (Atlanta), we can contribute to accessibility and ease for more of you. Additionally, we have changed the format to 3 gatherings rather than 4 in order to support us all in preserving resources.

Speaking of resources, I know that some of you may be feeling anxious because of the transitions occurring in the global economy. You might be telling yourself that you cannot afford the luxury of an extended NVC training. You may be deeply connecting with your own needs for sustainability and protection.

We remain committed to making our program available regardless of any temporary lack of funds that may be present for you right now. I have a deep trust and faith in your ability to tap unbounded abundance through NVC consciousness. One of the most powerful components of our program is the Leadership Plan. This document, created by you with the support of the Trainers and other participants, can include strategies that can support you in contributing to the sustainability of our program and your own financial freedom. No matter what your current economic situation, we would like you to apply to participate in our program if you sense that joining with us would contribute to your well-being.

I'm guessing that many of you reading this are hungry to find ways to continue to integrate NVC into your life, and from that place of integration, find a meaningful and powerful way to contribute to creating the world you would like to live in while supporting your personal liberation and enhancing your relationships. I'd enjoy it immensely if you would join our Compassionate Leadership 2009 community in order to take your next step in generating that world!

Our Compassionate Leadership team and I would like to connect with you if you have any response to this letter, including specific questions about the program.

Warmly,

Jim Manske

PS If you are in our neck of the woods, we are offering a training on a donation basis next Sunday. For details, see:
http://radicalcompassion.squarespace.com/storage/ABQ%20NVC%20Jan%2009.pdf