— A letter from Matteah —
Back in 2018, when I first dipped my pen in the proverbial ink jar to try my hand at writing, I titled my work “Reflections.” We’re growing beyond ‘Reflections’ and also exploring and experiencing ‘Resonance.” Here’s why:
If we are really on an evolutionary journey, if we are going to engage in growth and change, I believe our journey begins with – and is sustained by – reflective practice.
Change, growth, and transformation are hard to come by if at some moment we don’t pause to reflect:
How is it going? How am I showing up?How do I want it to go?
What do I want to stay the same? What do I want to be different?
Reflection is essential. But reflective practice is something we often don’t give space and time for.
The machines of productivity – the need to act and accomplish – push us onward.
These letters offer our reflections as we grapple with this work of collectively engaging in a journey of transformation – as individuals and leaders, as organizations, and as a society.
We invite you to join us in reflective practice as we offer questions that hopefully catalyze us to places of new insight, awareness, clarity, alignment, purpose, and courage.
However, the practice of reflecting is often internal and intimate. We turn inward, processing individually or as a group. We use mirrors – sometimes each other, sometimes our data, sometimes our principles and frameworks – to look back at ourselves.
But as Proponents iterates and evolves – embarking on its second decade – we are clear that we are about more than just reflective practice.
We are also about RESONANCE.
Photo credit: Pawel Czerwinski
Resonance happens when “the vibration from one object causes another to vibrate.” (Science Learning Hub)
It occurs when “two sources of excitation fall completely in sync and reinforce each other endlessly. In this state, sources convey an unbounded amount of energy over time.” (Notes on Resonance)
Resonance is about collective movement. A synergy. A coming together.
Our vision for Proponents is to be a NODE – a radio dial – that tunes into and turns up the volume, energy, and frequency of what we want to see in the world. To find and amplify what resonates.
To hold the space for the good that wants to emerge – in me, in you, and in us.
To hold the space for reflection AND resonance.
This work of supporting people toward systems transformation is both internal and external. While REFLECTIONS draw us inward, connecting us to ourselves, RESONANCE draws us out, sharing and connecting us to each other.
As we commit to being in practice of the reality we want to see in the world, this requires reflective practice. But we can’t do our work in isolation. We need the resonance of community.
Wishing you moments of insight, clarity, and courage,
Matteah