My first encounter with NVC happened at the NVC INDIA CONVENTION in January 2016, organized by Reena Ginwala and her team. I remember feeling that I had finally found a way of 'Being' that resonated with my soul and spirit. Then, at the NVC INDIA CONVENTION in September 2017, I personally met Jim Manske and Jori Manske. I was deeply inspired by Jim's vision of sowing NVC seeds, so that one day the whole Earth might be covered with a forest of NVC trees. I requested Jim Manske to be my assessor, and I feel grateful to him for being an encouraging, respectful, and compassionate role model of Living NVC through his teachings, example, and feedback along my certification journey.

I am immensely grateful to Dr. Marshall Rosenberg for bringing this compassionate consciousness to the world. Hearing his description of the divine energy quality of needs as 'BELOVED DIVINE ENERGY' made me fall in love with this consciousness. I have chosen to live my life securely attached to the source of this 'Beloved Divine Energy' in me. I am also able to open my heart and connect with this 'Beloved Divine Energy' in the needs of others, even when I may not agree with their strategy.

I value this communication model of speaking to myself and others using the language—and more importantly, the consciousness—of observations, feelings, needs, and requests. This dialogue model helps me discern clearly and consciously choose my response in any given moment. For this wisdom, I am deeply thankful to all my NVC teachers: Jim Manske, Jori Manske, Katherine Singer, Yvette Erasmus, John Kinyon, Aya Caspi, Arnina Kashtan, Thom Bond, Miki Kashtan, Kirsten Kristensen, Agnieszka Rzewuska-Paca, Reena Ginwala, and our late Robert Gonzales. With some of these trainers, I continue to learn and grow.

As an accredited T-Group Trainer of the Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Science, I had some awareness around my thoughts and feelings. NVC gave me a new jewel of needs awareness—the needs that get expressed through my (and your) thoughts, feelings, and actions. With this came deeper self-connection, clarity, self-empowerment, compassion, and a stronger connection with others.

I am currently a student of John Kinyon's NVC-based Conflict Coaching & Mediation Training Certification Program. I see my passion for NVC find purpose in using these skills and consciousness to bring peace within myself, peace within people, peace between people, and peace within the community.

Finally, I want to acknowledge my family—my dear husband and my three children—for their loving support, encouragement, and feedback on my NVC journey. In my relationships with them, I practice living NVC. I care for and honor the idea that "just as my needs matter and I have choice, so also your needs matter and you have choice." This is making life more wonderful for us, as we more fully love and are loved.

Sending warm regards and gratitude to all my co-travelers as we journey together and walk each other home.