On October 6, Marshall Rosenberg would have celebrated his 92nd birthday. In this episode, I share a few minutes of his voice, along with some thoughts on what my time with him taught me about seeing, thinking, and the culture we live in.

I offer this as one person's experience of him, and I'd love to hear yours. What did you most appreciate about Marshall, or about what you learned from him? Leave a comment below.

Referenced in this episode:

Marshall Rosenberg — Needs and Empathy (audio recording, PuddleDancer Press, used with permission), available free at nonviolentcommunication.com

John Taylor-Gatto — Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Find Rachelle at rachellelamb.com

In this episode, I share a striking perspective on human connection from Malidoma Somé, a West African shaman: what if our speech isn't proof of our superiority, but something that actually gets in our way?

Watching David Attenborough's documentary on mountain gorillas solidifies the point. Join me as we explore presence, the limits of language, and what happens when we view NVC not as a rigid formula to perform, but as a genuine doorway to contact.

Referenced in this episode:

• Malidoma Somé — Of Water and the Spirit
• A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (2026 Netflix)
• David Abram — The Spell of the Sensuous
• Robin Wall Kimmerer — Braiding Sweetgrass
• Marshall Rosenberg — Nonviolent Communication

Find Rachelle at rachellelamb.com

Defensiveness isn't the bad guy. It's a natural human response — one that exists for good reason. The question worth asking isn't why other people get so defensive, but why do I?

In this episode I explore what defensiveness is actually protecting, why it's almost always about identity, and what it takes to let something land without immediately mounting a defense.

Referenced in this episode: Rainer Maria Rilke — Book of Hours, translated by Robert Bly

NVCLife Episode: My Partner Asks Too Many Questions (April 4, 2023)

Find Rachelle: rachellelamb.com