Another Day in Paradise

It has been an amazing day as I go on using Nonviolent Communication daily.  Tuesday’s are the days that I write World Empathy day Tips.  How fun it is to have built this community which is around the world.  It started as a project that was requested by Rita Herzog, my mentor.  She suggested that I start a social action project. 

Well, I did and it is a doozy.  People from all around the world are finding it from others, my you tube videos, website, and sometimes I don’t know how.  It is a day of increased compassion, communication, connection, and understanding.  I send out the tips each week.. Wednesday is World Empathy day.There are over 70 now.  So that’s World Empathy day..  I always thank Rita for the motivation. To join World Empathy Day or information please go to http://empathyday.com/  and sign up for the short yet powerful tips.  Well gonna go now and start writing the tip for the week.

May all your needs be met,
Rick Goodfriend

Hi:
I just finished a communication skills video explaining World Empathy Day. The video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP75bawZ0zg . If you would like weekly communication and join with others around the world in this consciousness, then please sign up at http://empathyday.com/ . Hoping all is well.
Rick Goodfriend
www,walkyourtalk.org

Communication Skills Training – Why World Empathy Day

Communication Skills that CAN Help Bring Peace to Your World  

What is World Empathy Day (WEday)? It is simply a day that is celebrated each Wednesday with increased thoughtfulness for communication, compassion with others and self, understanding and forgiveness.

Empathy, as Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, founder of Nonviolent Communication has stated, is a deep understanding what another may be experiencing. That person can also be ourselves. Empathic listening helps to develop trust, understanding, compassion, forgiveness, anger/stress management and increased positive energy. It is a powerful communication skill either for business or personal relationships.

Offering empathic listening is simple and easy to learn. It is only 2 questions. We “guess” what the other person’s feelings and needs may be. You also set the intention to want to understand the other person and also for yourself to be understood. If a person is angry these 2 questions might calm the person down in seconds. It really is amazing to observe. Participants of WEday receive brief weekly communication skills training tips.to help support this consciousness.

Why We Need World Empathy Day?

Most people are empathy deprived. We do not receive the deeper understanding that we each need. Can you remember the last time you were listened to without a judgment, unasked for advice or a story that you really did not want to hear? This is a dysfunctional way to communicate that most of us practice. Wit empathy, we learn to understand the other person by focusing on their values and what they are wanting to satisfy these needs.

Many times when we want to be listened to, the focus is forced away from you, and back to them. That is why most people never are really heard, deeply. The same goes with unasked for advice, as the person that wants to be heard is now focusing on the other person’s inflicting advice, instead of what they need to say. One way to alleviate going into fix-it language or unasked for advice giving is to ask the person if they would enjoy hearing advice or a suggestion. By asking, this builds trust between each other as the person now has more choice to decide.

As empathic listening skills are used, both people are understood deeply. Both people develop more positive energy to help get through the day with more calm and less stress. It is a way to charge our emotional batteries. These empathic listeners are changing the consciousness of the world by changing the way they peacefully interact with others

Empathic listening skills can be taught to everyone, even children as young as 4 years old can mediate with their playmates and play in peace. Proactives from non-profit organizations to corporations to small groups of individuals have learned these skills in workshop. They have learned  to interact with others in life-enriching ways. These are the communication skills that will be mainstream not just for the public but in the coming years for the business world. It is an easier and faster way to build a connection and trust with clients, customers or patients.

Who Are the Participants?

There are participants from all around the world. From California to India, Germany, Canada, Sri Lanka, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Indonesia, United States and so many more. All celebrating and uplifting their peaceful thinking and communication skills on Wednesdays.

Everyday can be World Empathy Day! Of course, you may have this consciousness any day, yet brief communication tips are e-mailed each Wednesday to help participants develop and remind of this consciousness. The topics of the tips range from empathy or deep listening skills, self empathy to expressing skills. The Future of World Empathy Day? There is already a network of communication trainers around the world that can teach these skills. A movement to find sponsors to help organize and pay these trainers has begun. Participants of World Empathy Day receive the weekly tips and also invitations to free WEday teleclasses, audio and video communication lessons. The website to sign up for World Empathy Day is at http://empathyday.com Rick Goodfriend is a certified corporate speaker focusing on customer/client customer service communication skills and can provide keynotes, trainings and consultation for your business or organization. The contact number is 805.898.9336 or http://walkyourtalk.org Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Goodfriend

Communication Skills Training: How to Calm Yourself Quickly During Difficult Conversations

Here is my newest article, hope that you enjoy it.

How to Calm Yourself Quickly During Difficult Conversations

When a conversation becomes “difficult” with another person, an effective tool to help keep your calm is silent empathy. A “difficult” conversation may be when there is an intention of blaming, shaming, guilt or fear involved. Silent Empathy is a quick process to identify what the other person may be needing emotionally or physically. By connecting with them in this way it helps you calm down by seeing the humanness in them and not an enemy image.

Here is the process of silent empathy.

1: Time Out: If possible, try to take a “time out” from the situation.. Ask for a 10 minute recess or state that you need to go to the restroom, take a walk, etc. If you can’t take a break for some reason, just do the 2nd step silently while the other person is speaking.

2: Silent Empathy: Imagine what needs may not be satisfied by this person that may be the cause of their intensity. Maybe they need rest, understanding, ease in their life… Just take a guess silently. You don’t need to be correct because just trying to identify the needs not being satisfied will work to calm you down and keep you from getting angry. This is a way to see them as human and not as an enemy image. There is a needs list that may help to identify these needs at the website listed below.

My Real Life Example: Somebody started yelling at me early in the morning a few days ago. Silently, I guessed what needs may not have been met for her (silent empathy technique). Silently, I guessed she was needing more rest, cooperation, mourning (she had just lost someone close) and maybe ease in her life. I took a deep breath. This silent empathy exercise calmed me down enough to see her humanity, to be able to be present and focus on her when we spoke again. I was then able to be calm. compassionate and had a more meaningful conversation without both of us shaming and blaming each other. Usually the speaker sees my calm or senses it by my body language and they calm down. It is amazing to observe this happening.

So try this silent empathy tip and watch your communications and relationships become easier and closer with life enriching communications.

Personal and business communication skills are never an easy subject, yet Rick Goodfriend wants communication with others to be easier, more satisfying. The website at http://walkyourtalk.org/ is where you may sign up for free weekly communication tips and teleclasses.

Rick Goodfriend is also a certified corporate speaker and can provide keynotes, trainings and consultation for your business or organization. The contact number is 805.898.9336

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Goodfriend

Communication Skills Learning Tip using Nonviolent Communication

I just added 8 new Communication Skills learning posts using nonviolent communication models.

Here is one of the weekly communication skills tips from World Empathy Day.  You can receive these free weekly tips by signing up at www.empathyday.com

Dear World Empathy Day Participants:http://www.walkyourtalk.org/

Celebrate World Empathy Day on Wednesday, a day of increased consciousness for understanding, creativity, harmony, and contribution for others and yourself. This is a weekly tip to help you move into this consciousness during the week.

Empathy Tip #105 – Give Me Some Space!

My computer was moaning and groaning this week, the fan whizzing faster and faster with each program that I was using. It was laboring and sounded in so much pain. I performed several features to help it run smoothly, yet I could hear it continue to run noisy and in agony. I was worried too, was this the end of my hard drive?

THEN, I noticed how close to the wall the air vents were located. It was not receiving any air to cool itself. I moved it away to give it some space for the air to circulate and now it is running smooth and in a sense “happy”

This Weeks tip is the same. Move away from your walls that may have a strangle hold on nurturing yourself and give yourself the space to breath, to create, for stimulation.

Example:

I focus so much on my work I may not move for hours at my desk, yet I know how beneficial it is to move around to keep me calm, creative and at ease, Now I set my watch to beep every 45 minutes to remind me to create my space, an openness for nurturance.

I have different strategies to instill “opening the space” such as walk around the block, breathing exercises and stretching, or even eating, offering myself empathy. I find a strategy to nurture and take care of myself even for a few minutes.

I come back refreshed and sometimes with a solution to a challenge.

This can work before communicating with another for ease and connection

For this week:

Find yourself a few strategies to meet your need for nurturance, to create more space in your life. Set a time factor for this strategy such as hourly, every 2 hours, daily, etc. Whatever works for you.

As always, I enjoy your communications how this tip may have worked for you.

May you find ways to meet all your needs this week.

Rick Goodfriend

Founder – World Empathy Day

 

———————————————————————-http://www.youtube.com/rickiis

Videos on Communication Tips:

Products and Services:http://www.walkyourtalk.org/indexmaterials.htm

Communication Skills Training Tip #98 – The Gift of Empathic Listening

Communication Skills Training  Tip #98 -  The Gift of Empathic Listening

The Tip:

A powerful communication skill is just focusing on another while they are speaking. It is a huge gift to them, listening and focusing skills. It is not about the words, yet it is the intention of our listening.  Offer silent empathy to initiate the connection by guessing the persons values that they would enjoy satisfying. Very simple yet powerful. They will sense your caring and understanding when you offer this type of empathy.

Example:

I was on a plane ride from the east coast back to California ). I sat next to a man who was going to visit his brother in San Diego. We chatted for a bit and I was sensing some emotional pain from him. I heard some of the past actions of his brother. I asked if he wanted to talk about it? He asked me if I really wanted to listen?

So I listened and offered empathy.  I didn’t say much yet I kept my focus on him. I just listened until I saw his energy rise.  I also guessed silently what he was wanting and offered a few empathy guesses to build more connection. I knew he now had been heard and offering this empathy was healing.

The Lessons:

When you observe a big reaction from an empathy guess, let the speaker have space to process This is when the shifts and healing begins. The main guess that he agreed with, was the need for trust. After that guess I could see his energy shift. I decided that this was a powerful moment for him and stopped the focus. I wanted to offer the space to receive his own clarity and understanding.

Listening Skills can be powerful and easy:

So, it really doesn’t take much in the way of listening skills to make a difference in communication with another, just your focus, intention and a few silent or verbal guesses to help another start healing Of course the connection with another as I had with him felt terrific, Not only does his energy rise, so does mine from a connection when offering empathy.A needs and values list may be found at the website below as several videos on Communication and listening skills..   

A video on these skills:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eZcGhEejok&feature=channel_page

Personal and business communication skills are never an easy subject, yet Rick Goodfriend wants communication with others to be easier, more satisfying. Additional Business and personal communication Skills are at http://walkyourtalk.org/ where you may sign up for weekly communication tips, teleclasses and workshops. Successful communication with anybody is possible with the proactive skills taught. Rick Goodfriend is also a co-creator and host of a television show on proactive communication and resides in Santa Barbara, California continuing to surf, hike and practice personal communication skills.

Rick Goodfriend is also a certified corporate speaker and can provide keynotes, trainings and consultation for your business or organization. He has been on over 200 television shows speaking of communication skills training.

May all your needs be met all week long.

Transforming Intense Feelings Before Communicating Them !! !

Greetings World Empathy Day Celebrants:
Celebrate World Empathy Day on Wednesdays, a day of increased consciousness for
compassion, communication, understanding and forgiveness.

Welcome to new participants. Please forward
this tip to interested friends, family, and peers to help WEday expand.

WEday Tip # 101 – Transforming Intense Feelings Before Communicating Them !! !

One of the most difficult communication skills is expressing ourselves
honestly and with compassion, especially if upset . Here is a tip to make that skill easier.

Yes, accept the moment for what it is. Before expressing to another
person, accept the situation or the emotions that are present . This will help calm any nervousness,
fear, anger … before communicating with another.

. Free 6 min. video on this Tip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZr-e-GE9mA

Example:
Someone has not emailed me back the information I requested. It has
been a week. My thinking is full of judgments. I want to call them and
express what is going on with me, the disappointment, the
consideration for my time, the ease of having this information …

Using this tip, I accept what is
I accept what is, The information isn’t here, yes, I accept that I am upset, I
acknowledge this feeling and say I accept it , (4 times) Already I am calming
and become more present. I am now ready to take action (compassionately).

Try this tip in this way? Transform your emotions
Take some of your emotions and focus on them, and say to yourself ” I accept
this emotion __________ as being present now. ” Process one feeling at a time and say it 3 – 5 times slowly.
Does the intensity diminish?

If you have time, let me know how this works for you

May all your needs be met.

Rick Goodfriend
Founder – World Empathy day
805 898-9336
www.empathyday.com

PS. Free 30 minute WEDay Teleclass this Saturday,
April 11th, 9:00 AM Pacific Time. Topic will focus on expressing
skills. Call (218) 339-4600: Pin number is 339299# ( Don’t forget the #
at the end ) You are responsible for toll charges, yet you get me free

PPS. Suggested Services, Books and Cd are at:
http://www.walkyourtalk.org/indexmaterials.htm
Last Week for my birthday discount, 50% off all my services and materials
Use Coupon Code in the shopping cart: accept

Communication Skills Training Tip – 4:30 min

Communication Skills video from my last workshop teaching Nonviolent Communication ( NVC ) developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg .

News Alert: It is Possible to “Change” People?

News Alert: It is Possible to “Change” People?

We Never Know What Challenge Is Coming Next

I was on a walk and a man walked right in front of me. I almost stumbled. Preparing something nasty to say to him, I remembered from Nonviolent Communication that I would probably pay for my “words of wisdom” to this guy. He looked angry and tired, was working as a gardener on a very humid and hot day. I finally thought of some words to say to him. I said, “Good Morning”. The look he gave me was surprising. He looked back at me continuing to walk and gave me a huge smile and a “Good Morning, Good Morning” back. He went into the yard and was continuing to smile.

We can Have the Tools To Change Others

We can change people, we can change our community, we can change the earth, as easy as it may be with a “Good Morning”. Not only did I help change this man’s attitude, mine changed. I’m guessing the needs met by my good morning may have been, to be seen and noticed. Who knows where he was going to go next, maybe be physically or emotionally violent, yet a “good morning” helped cause a shift. The power we have with a few words.

So my request to you:

I ask you for this week, if you see someone walk by you looking sad, lonely, angry, acknowledge their presence with a good morning, afternoon or evening. Watch your energy and theirs rise. What a simple way to serve our world.

Please pass this article on and help to change the world one person at a time and make your day and personal and business communication relationships easier and more satisfying.

We all have the basic skills to enjoy communicating with compassion. Personal and business communication skills is never an easy subject, yet Rick Goodfriend wants communication with others to be easier, more satisfying. Rick Goodfriend is founder of World Empathy Day http://empathyday.com where you can find many more tips on relationship communications and how to solve difficult challenges. A CD written by Rick Goodfriend on creating instant calm is at http://walkyourtalk.org/ along with coaching and other products. Successful communication with anybody is possible with the proactive skills taught.

Rick Goodfriend is also a co-creator and host of a television show on proactive communication and resides in Santa Barbara, California continuing to surf, hike and practice personal communication skills. May all your needs be met easier and faster.

World Empathy Tip # 85: How to Daydream and Satisfy Your Needs

Hello World Empathy Day Celebrants:

Celebrate World Empathy Day (WEDay) on Wednesdays, a day of increased consciousness
for compassion, communication, understanding and forgiveness.  This Saturday’s free teleclass information may be found below. Sign up for tips at www.empathyday.com
A video discussing fix-it language and needs is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LdPgvoKP5Q

I was just daydreaming and this weeks tip just came to me. Daydreaming and Compassionate Communication can go hand
in hand. This is a fun way to use Compassionate Communication consciousness to satisfy your needs. This tip is easy and can
have amazing results for calm, positive energy and ease in your day to day life. Try this one now, it takes a few seconds to do.
For fun and connection, please let me know how it works for you..

Preparation: Take a few deep nourishing breaths.

1: Imagine what need or value you would enjoy having satisfied today
Needs list may be found here.

2: Daydream on a strategy that may meet this need.
Take a minute or two and enjoy your daydreaming. You may even feel more relaxed when you have finished. Try your
strategy when you have time, yet is not required.

May you find ways to meet all your needs this week.

Rick Goodfriend
Founder – World Empathy Day
rick@empathyday.com
www.walkyourtalk.org

Weekly Notes and Resource Links:
The Communication Tips E-book is coming out soon.
• Some teaching videos http://youtube.com/rickiis

Free 30 minute WEDay Teleclass this Saturday,
Saturday, December 6, 9:00 AM Pacific Time.
Topic will focus on satisfying our needs easier.
Call (218) 339-4600: Pin number is 339299#  ( Don’t forget the # at the end )
You are responsible for toll charges, yet you get me free.

New Article – Emotional Intelligence – Business Communication Skills Training

Emotional Intelligence – Business Communication Skills Training – Tip# 3: Empathy

 Business communication skills have been taught for centuries yet empathy skills, especially the ones developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg must be the most powerful. Why use empathy communication skills in your conversations with customers, management and employees? What other skill do you know that builds trust in seconds, really helps you understand deeply what the other person is really needing. Additionally if there were any past problems the skills can be used for expressing any regret and help to heal the past problems.

Why Use Empathy Skills in Business?

So real empathy skills are powerful. I have seen people say they use empathy and it is ineffective. Ineffective because they have left out parts of the method. I have discussed already in past articles the use of intention and focusing. Also the use of self empathy to ready your day of experiences that may be ahead. I will describe empathy as we offer it to another, verbal empathy.

2 Steps for building Trust and Communication.

There are really 2 steps to this process. One is identifying emotions of the other person and then the values or needs. Obviously identifying the needs is most important. There is a list of needs or values in the website listed below. The more irate the other person may be the faster I want to guess what they are needing. I can do this silently or verbally. All I might say is”So you value ________”? Notice that this is a question. So if a person is upset, I jump to identifying the need and say or think in my mind, ” So you value being heard” heard is the value not being met.

Guessing Incorrectly is OK

I can guess incorrectly yet this is fine. It shows at least we are trying to understand the Otherer person. Remember our intention is important which is to want to understand the other person. They might say No, t is not understanding and state a different need. Don’t let your ego get in the way here, but stay focused on this person. They are telling you what is important to them. This is building the connection and trust.

Who Uses Empathy?

Empathy is a funny word, maybe you see it as fluffy and not to be used in business, yet it is very highly as in Steven Covey’s book of Highly Effective people and several books concerning Emotional Intelligence. Want easier sales and more trust from your customers, try using empathy in your business communication skills.

Personal and business communication skills are never an easy subject, yet Rick Goodfriend wants communication with others to be easier, more satisfying. A CD written by Rick Goodfriend creating instant calm is at http://empathyday.com/Calm/ . Additional Business and personal communication Skills are at http://walkyourtalk.org/ where you may sign up for weekly communication tips, needs list, teleclasses and workshops.

Here is a video about these listening skills.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eZcGhEejok&feature=channel_page

Keywords: Emotional Intellegence, IQ, Business Communication Skills Training, management training, NVC,