Post by Elijah Chao

What if we took a little time to Sonder? The Resonance Project launched our new impact arm, “Sonder”, two weeks ago at Victoria Theatre with over a thousand youths. Sonder is all about taking the time to realise that the people around us are far more than just what our impressions often lead us to believe. We are the sum of journeys travelled, stories unfolded, and the trials/triumphs that make life vibrant. Yet, most of this depth goes unexplored and unheard. In other words, much of who we are gets hidden. If we Sondered more, friends would be in a better position to journey with one another. We would begin to love and care for each other not only out of mutual interest, but a deep respect for the people we truly are and the challenges we have already overcome. In a sense, we would then get to journey with a person, rather than just through the construct of school or work that holds many friendships together. This would mean placing value in the person, rather than what the person can do for you. The more we did this at Reso, the stronger of a community we became. We were then able to support one another, making the difficult days better. We hope that through Sonder, we might inspire many stronger relationships and communities across youth in Singapore. At the end of each of the Sonder shows, we shared an original song. The message was simple: Sonder might work, or it might not, but we have to try, and we have to do so together. The chorus goes like this: “There’s no certainty for tomorrow There’s no forgetting of the past We just have to live in the moment And have each other’s backs It’s time for us to take the first steps We won't know the impact we have We can make a change, It’s never too late For new beginnings…