Exploring the word plenitude

The word plenitude comes from the Latin noun plenitūdo, and refers to something or someone that is complete, whole, full. This word makes me think of the moon, of the full moon; when the Earth is between the moon and the sun, and we see the moon in its plenitude.

Comunicación Plena (Integrative Communication) began in Argentina at the end of 2017. Just before it was born, I had a profound experience of plenitude during a 9-day Nonviolent Communication (NVC) gathering in Chile. The place where it happened is called Punto Cero (Zero Point). This makes me reflect on how, at different moments in my life, I have felt that way—at zero—or, as Caroline Myss says, these are moments when the mystery finds me, and I go through a reset across multiple dimensions of my life. This makes me think that plenitude is not static; it is dynamic, and that movement is what makes plenitude possible—a constant balancing that helps us feel life.

At that Zero Point, I physically and energetically experienced what, in the words of Nonviolent Communication, is trusting life and connection. Interestingly, the medium for that experience was a game. A game of identifying each other, walking as if blind, and then finding one another. At first, the game felt impossible—but finally, blindly, I found the person I had chosen at the beginning of the game. Among, I believe, about 80 people.

Today, I feel like I'm in the middle of a great reset, and my vision of plenitude is similar to the moon: it is always there, full, complete—and depending on light and shadow, we may see it as incomplete, nonexistent, or full. Plenitude is dynamic, and it depends on who sees it and from where. Sometimes I worry about the static images presented on social media about what plenitude is. It's portrayed as a peak experience, as something you arrive at. And yet I see it more as an attitude along the way.

Sometimes I criticize myself because, in terms of communication, it’s not always "full"—it just is. I believe that NVC has given me the tools to reflect on how I communicate, to listen more, and at times, to bring more awareness into the moment. But it doesn't always feel full. Today I know that for me, plenitude means living through “less-than-full” experiences—according to what we think they should be—with as much awareness as possible, with reflection, and with a relentless pulse to evolve, learn, and become more whole in who I am: my light and my shadow. That energy that protects my integrity and dignity at all times.

Today I know that plenitude means integration—integrating who I am, and also letting go of concepts or beliefs that eclipse my essence, that prevent me from hearing it. Plenitude also means having clear boundaries so I don’t erase myself in relationships, so I don’t get lost in others’ voices or their perceptions of me.

When I was new to NVC, trying to integrate it, I began to fall silent—to feel myself more, to reflect, to connect, to gain clarity. After, I was able to bring more my honesty and express my needs.

Later, as I opened more to empathy and deep listening, I noticed that I also silenced myself out of fear—fear of making others uncomfortable, of causing conflict, etc. I also went through vulnerable moments in my sense of power: I lost some emotionally safe spaces because I wasn’t in my home country, nor near those dearest to me, and it was a time of political uncertainty too. That made my light and my power coil inward to protect me, to help me navigate unfamiliar spaces, in a language that didn’t allow me to express myself fully. Now, I have more consciousness of what my context is and what might facilitate or be defying my expression or other’s. That’s why it’s so important to acknowledge the context, the power dynamics, when we’re unable to fully bring our voice.

I feel passionate about accompanying people who are going through migration processes, and who feel like they’re losing their power, rebuilding themselves, and finding their voice in a new land.

Claudia Sánchez

📧 info@comunicacionplena.com

📱 +57 319 650 0685

Photo taken in Chile, 2017