BEING RELATIONAL GAZETTE
BALTIMORE MEDIATION’S NEWSLETTER AND TIPS – MAY 2018
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER

Happy May! We are starting the celebrations for Baltimore Mediation's 25th Anniversary dedicated to conflict transformation, and isn't it glorious to feel the warm spring air finally here. 
The tulip bulbs I brought back from Holland and our Mediators Beyond Border's gathering and work in The Hague last fall are in full bloom. I love flowers as they are beautiful, perfect and imperfect, and unique, like relationships. The spring season is about new beginnings. Maybe there is a relationship in your business or in your personal life, in your home or with extended family, that needs reconciliation... Or at least to let the other know you are open for reconciliation. This does not necessarily mean that you are reunited or that you are in agreement, but that you are ok with each other. There is a mystery in the act of recognition of another's reality. And when ours is so different from another's, it's as if a mini-death happens when we recognize another's reality, with love, and that mini-death clears the path for new life. We accept, we hope and we remain open. So each time we are able to recognize another's reality, we enter a new season for ourselves, and create seeds for a better tomorrow for all. Happy Spring! 
GRATITUDE…. ACCOLADE HIGH FIVES!

Louise Phipps Senft will be inducted into the International Academy of Mediators (IAM) as a Distinguished Fellow at the annual international conference in Scotland this Month! The IAM is the leading organization for the advancement of commercial mediation throughout the world.   
Louise was honored at the Maryland State Bar Association Awards Dinner, where was she awarded the Chief Judge Robert M. Bell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Alternative Dispute Resolution!
Baltimore Mediation has partnered with the Christopher Reeve Foundation. Louise will be providing Relational Advocacy in crisis to families with a loved one who is paralyzed. Tune in to the nationally syndicated webinar May 23.   w ww.christopherreeve.org .  
CLIENT HIGHLIGHT – Imhotep Fatiu
Imhotep Fatiu, a Baltimore native, is the founder of UrBan Philosophy, a concept and system of analysis that redefines thought and recreates an ethical behavior code which is geared towards the transcendence of self, family, and community, designed specifically for those living in the repressed conditions found in urban areas of the United States of America, but is also utilized by those outside of urban areas who are eager to understand how to master their thoughts and critical thinking. 

Imhotep studied African history and culture, politics, psychology, sociology, and world history for 20 years to develop the UrBan Philosophy. He created and currently facilitates the UrBan Life Skills Class and SEMO Department at a local elementary school and is the director of the Sandtown Safe Streets. Safe Streets is a group of men dedicated to being violence interrupters . Louise and the Baltimore Mediation team have provided the training for the Safe Streets members. Imhotep has been a leading participant in the conflict transformation trainings Baltimore Mediation has provided to the Safe Streets Violence interrupters. https://health.baltimorecity.gov/safestreets

You can also find at his restaurant, The Grub Factory. Bon Appetit!
TIP OF THE DAY:
THE SEVEN WAYS OF BEING RELATIONAL: BE CENTERED
This month, we are focusing on the second way of being - Being Centered.
 
To ‘Be Centered’ is to find and stay in the center within you, to find and stay centered among others - being alert to triangling, and to choose unitive triangles.

Much of being centered comes from the ability to calm the body, namely to calm your primitively instinctual monkey mind and your racing heart. One of the most ancient ways of doing so is by concentrating on your breath. When faced with a conflict, try to take a moment to take several deep breaths before engaging in the conflict.
Try it! And let us know what happens! office@baltimoremediation.com 
I CAN RELATE BLOG... 

Please follow us at the American Bar Association "I Can Relate! Blog"






OUR TRAININGS

Baltimore Mediation’s June Training is just around the corner. If you are interested in enrolling, visit the link below. Can't join us in June? We have several other nationally-recognized trainings!




SPEAKING EVENTS

Louise was the Plenary Speaker at the 2018 District Court ADR Volunteer Appreciation Continuing Education Event on April 25, 2018. She discussed how a mediator’s mindset and skillset is preparation to navigate life crises and disasters, reflecting on her family’s personal crisis with life-changing paralysis and negotiating the non-believers in the medical arena, and providing learning tips and skills practice.
Louise is available to speak at events, conferences, schools, companies and more. Her speech themes, include but are not limited to, Relational Leadership for You, for women, executives, politicians, physicians, families; Transformative Mediation: what it is and why you need it; Stories from the Trenches; How to Transform the Adversarial Ethic in Your Life; Where is God in Crisis?; Relational Advocacy in Healthcare: Crossing Silos and Moving Mountains; and Creative Miracles for Healthcare and Well-Being: The Side-by-Side Partnership of Integrative Medicine and Western Medicine.
IN A RECENT…

Mediation , one of our participants highlighted that she liked how Louise kept asking them open questions throughout the session. By asking open ended content questions, you can help people more deeply and more critically to think about the problems they raise. Try beginning a dialogue or meeting by asking, "What are your goals for today? What would you like to get out of today's meeting?" Asking open ended questions is also empowering, allowing people to decide and choose for themselves. 
QUOTE FOR THE MONTH:

"When faced with a feeling of stagnation and confusion, it may be helpful to take an hour, an afternoon, or even several days to reflect on what it is that will truly bring us happiness" - The 14th Dalai Lama
TEAM HIGHLIGHT – Margaret Holden
Margaret Holden "Maggie" is a Massachusetts native and will graduate this month from Loyola University of Maryland in Baltimore. She majored in Communications with a minor in Marketing. She is the newest team member at Baltimore Mediation, and has been working as a social media and marketing intern since January.

Maggie also worked as a marketing intern at FILA, as well as an Office Assistant in the Academic Affairs building on campus. She is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Honors Communication Society Chapter at Loyola. We are very proud of her! She has four siblings and loves spending time with family.
YOUNG LEADERS ARE SAYING…     

"The seminar provoked me to take a look at my relationship with other people and how I interact with others. Your ideas about perception and how we perceive each other through our interactions allowed me to reevaluate myself and change my actions."
- Scott Walters , Senior at McDonogh School

Louise spoke to the sophomore, junior, and senior Relational Leaders at McDonogh High School in February.
Being Relational became a best-seller in 2015. Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent book store. Louise Phipps Senft is now available for book signings, book talks, corporate speeches, organizational retreats, and conference keynotes! Have her visit your company, your local
bookstore, school, conference, retreat or organization.
Call us today to schedule!
443-524-0833

SHARE OUR NEWSLETTER! BE RELATIONAL! 
BALTIMORE MEDIATION | 443-524-0833 | Office@Baltimoremediation.com