When I took part in my first workshop in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in 2008, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and what journey I would be embarking on. Until then, I was completely untainted in dealing with myself, more precisely in dealing with my feelings, my emotions, and my 'buttons,' whose existence I knew next to nothing about. This time, it wasn't supposed to be an intellectual, mind-guided journey into my inner being, but rather a listening and feeling, a physical experience that I had never allowed in my life up to that point.

I just found this method so promising, clear, and simple: How do I express myself in such a way that the person I'm talking to can listen to me to the end, understand me, and, in the best case, fulfill my request? During this workshop weekend and in the annual training that followed, I learned that NVC is much more than a communication model. It is also an invitation to become more and more friends with yourself. The more awareness I bring into my everyday life, the easier it is for me to develop understanding for myself, to accept myself with my 'flaws', and even to learn to love myself.

And the better I manage to do this with myself, the easier it is to develop understanding for those around me and my environment. NVC for me is first and foremost about connection - the connection with what is currently alive in me and in my counterpart. And once a state of connection is achieved, many things change that previously seemed unchangeable: one-sided perspectives open up, anger and feelings of guilt change, and unexpected solutions often emerge that seem to arise from a natural flow.

In recent years, I have deepened my path to become more comfortable with my vulnerability. Because what I have learned, especially on my journey with NVC, is that our vulnerability and how we deal with it often leads us to closing our hearts, putting on a mask and no longer being available. At the same time, our vulnerability is the key to connection between us as humans. And this battle between withdrawal and protective reaction on the one hand and showing ourselves authentically and daring ourselves towards others on the other hand is something we as humans fight every day.

My contribution is to give us all the chance and opportunity for growth and development towards:

• more connection with yourself and those around you
• other forms of conflict resolution and
• a mindful coexistence where the needs of all living beings play a role.

I would like to see this change not only on an interpersonal level, but also for our societies. And I'm very happy to contribute to that!