by karen | aikido, blog, Leadership, Spiral Daily |
How do you ready yourself to communicate with another? “You must be a martial artist because you bow to me when we begin,” someone said to me at a meeting. While funny, there is deep lesson to be learned here. The martial bow is about honoring the...
by karen | aikido, blog, centering, performance improvement |
I left to run an errand. On the way, I was stalled behind a school bus, then a trash truck. Ahh…center, unexpected time to breathe and focus. I set aside a day for writing. Then, I just couldn’t get in the mood. Instead, I went for a swim....
by karen | blog, Uncategorized |
Jonathon Haidt’s Ted Talk ‘Common Threats Can Make Common Ground’ I found very insightful. He uses the analogy of astroids headed for earth and shares historical data to show polarization trends in our country over time. I’ve watched this talk...
by karen | aikido, blog, conflict, Leadership, performance improvement |
My aikido teacher, Kevin Choate Sensei passed away unexpectedly on December 1st. I still feel sad. Yet, I notice a quickening in my aikido practice as I try to assimilate the essence of his teaching before it fades. Kevin Choate Sensei, Karen Valencic Colorado July...
by karen | blog, centering, conflict, Spiral Impact |
It seems all too common to sacrifice growth and community to be ‘right’. Relationships, businesses, and governments falter as people defend STRONG positions by talking over each other, leaving the room or refusing to consider other opinions. Innovation...