I have a gift for you.
It’s a gift that was given to me and it is changing my life and my relationships.
It has given me a language that I didn’t even know I didn’t have.
For me, this gift is everything a gift should be. Simple yet revolutionary, beautifully articulate yet infinitely understandable, defined but not a recipe, immediately practical yet intensely personal.
This gift is a message contained in a book. The book is “Non Violent Communication – a Language for Life” by Marshall Rosenberg.
I would like to make a few requests of you (these aren’t pre-requisites, you may still receive this gift without complying).
- Can you commit to read this book in January?– its message was revolutionary for me and I regretted not reading it earlier so that I could have benefited sooner. I would like you to benefit from it as soon as possible. What better time than the start of a new year!
- Would you consider paying this gift forward? – find a way of paying my gift forward. I trust you will find a way to gift someone something you value – your time, your care, a book. Love does not like being cooped up – it wants to radiate through the universe. Help it.
- Would you gift the book if you have no further use for it? – if for some reason the message did not resonate with you, that’s cool, but I would wish that this book would not gather dust on your bookshelf when it might be busy changing someone else’s life for the price of postage.
- Please consider not selling this gift? If you really don’t want it and are unable/unwilling to pass it on, please send it back to me.
That’s it. Beyond these fairly reasonable requests, you can do what you choose with either the book or its message. I hope it is as revolutionary for you as it has been for me and presents as many new options as it removes.
Why Am I Doing This?
The short and simple reason is Love. Corny I know – but that’s it. Deal with it.
The slightly longer reason is that I care that you (and everyone else ) are happy and fulfilled and operates from empathy and compassion (and receives the same).
Lately I have not been operating from empathy and compassion – damn near forgot about them. Truth is I’ve been operating from anger and frustration for a while, this book helped me rediscover empathy and compassion as more fulfilling places to operate from and provided immediate improvements I could make to get there. It takes deliberate practice and self awareness but my relationships are significantly improved, I have more joy in my life and I feel more responsible for my own feelings.
Something this powerful should be shared, I believe it should be required reading for everyone and this is the simplest way I know to start.
If even one person who receives this gift experiences the changes I experienced, my investment would be more than repaid.
So, what are you waiting for?
How To Get This Gift.
I initially have 15 copies to gift. You can have either the paperback or the kindle edition.
My preference is to gift the paperback as they are easier to share than the kindle editions. But I leave that to your discretion (if you had the kindle edition and couldn’t share it. perhaps you might consider buying a kindle edition as your paying it forward or share)
IMPORTANT! To get this gift please tweet:
@mhsutton Mike, I’d like to #receiveTheGift.
I will pick 15 random responses at 00:01 on January 01 2013 (GMT) and contact each recipient individually to sort out delivery.
For paperbacks: I’ll place the relevant order on Amazon (with Amazon or a marketplace vendor) and give them your preferred delivery address and you’ll get the gift in the post.
For kindle editions: I will gift your kindle email address the book from my own kindle address.
Happy to see Rosenberg has had such a profound impact on you 🙂
– Bob
Bob – profound is an understatement. How do we get this knowledge and practice into our children? It offers a great opportunity to create the change we are seeking in the world.
I am forever grateful to you for leading me to his work. I would have continued to stumble angrily through life confused about why I feel the way I feel and lacking the tools to help myself.
-Mike
Hi Mike,
Good you came up with this awesome idea!
I have here the dutch version: “geweldloze communicatie”.
Read it (twice, it certainly is a gift. It has my nametag on it, but would like to give it to someone that thinks it’s easier to read in Dutch. If that person can promise me to give the book forward to someone that likes to recieve this gift as well.
In this way i can and want to tribute to your gift sharing initiative
Mary
Email:[email protected]
Hi Mary and thank you for your comment.
Its wonderful that you are willing to gift your book to someone who can also benefit from it.
Would you like to me shout out on twitter to see if there are any dutch speakers who would like to receive your gift?
Thank you Mike! Because of your offer to tweet to Dutch people the ” giving forward” of the Dutch version of the book i feel included in your action, which makes my smile. Know some of the 15 lucky people that are going to recieve your gift (whom are Dutch).unfortunately I only have 1 copy give.
I heard about NVC at a few places now (the Ruby Rogues podcast with Angela Harms being one of them).
It’s interesting that your offer to gift it, helped me to decide to buy (& of course read) it. (Took this post as a reading recommendation)
Stephan – I feel delighted that my act of making the offer to gift the NVC book convinced you to buy it and commit to read it. Please share what you learn, I would be very interested in your learning from it.
cheers, Mike