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I’m Meron, a writer, connector, feeler, and Leo (rawr). I’m the first in my lineage to be born in America and the eldest daughter of Eritrean parents, so I’m no stranger to straddling different worlds. A strategist turned Director of Engagement at SYLVAIN, I’m always looking for ways to center our common humanity and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.
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An artist or thinker worth following.
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Cleo Sol.
My sister put me onto Cleo Sol in 2020, and she quickly rose to and reigned as the number one spot in my top five. R&B and soul, devotional and affirmative, Cleo’s music is a light on the darkest of days. I am inspired by the deep inner work she’s done to know herself, love herself, and mother herself. Rather than keep that work buried in journals, she turned it into art, giving a generation—especially women, especially women of color, especially women of immigrant parents, especially Black women—a soundtrack of encouragement as we journey through healing, growth, and transformation.
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A tool or framework worth implementing.
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Create a balanced plate.
I recently started working with a dietician who helped me understand the importance of eating from a balanced plate. Different food groups work in harmony to provide essential nutrients that build and repair tissues, reduce inflammation, protect cells from free radical damage, reduce fatigue, and improve concentration.
This got me thinking about other modes of consumption. Who or what is consuming my time, my thoughts, and my attention? Is what I’m consuming nourishing my mind, my heart, my body, and my spirit? Is work taking up a bigger portion of my plate, tipping me off-balance and leaving little room for rest, wonder, connection, and joy? Am I only relying on the news to understand what’s happening in the world, or am I seeking other sources of understanding, through art and the wisdom of mother earth?
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Advice that’s changed the way I think or work.
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“You are at the center of your circumstances.” - Tonesha Sylla
This truth has taken me years to accept, and in true “the-truth-will-set-you-free-but-first-it-will-piss-you-off” fashion, I’ve spent a lot more time being pissed off by this truth than being freed by it. Accepting this truth means admitting that I’ve been wrong. It wasn’t “them,” it was me.
And that’s a real ego hit.
But what if that mistake, that failure, was essential and a part of my soul’s unfolding? When I remember to sit in this level of awareness, I feel powerful. I can shift my circumstances the moment I decide to make a different choice.
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News that has given me pause lately, and what I'm doing about it.
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This isn’t going away.
In February 2024, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and I’ve been trying to get rid of it ever since. Whether that’s through denial, resistance, therapy, or announcing it to the world (like now 🥴). But I was reminded for the hundredth time in a recent coaching session that this is not going away. That I’m trying to solve/fix/overcome this linearly when, by its nature, it’s divergent. So I’m trying something different. I’m creating systems (word to James Clear) that’ll support a more peaceful and clear inner life.
Today, that looks like experimenting with new ways of prioritizing my to-do list, using a whiteboard calendar to schedule my walks and exercise classes, getting groceries delivered, hiring a Taskrabbit to clean my house while I focus on organizing it, and game planning with my dietician on weekly movement and meal prep goals.
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News that has given me hope lately, and what I'm doing about it.
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Community spaces are thriving, and I’m here for it!
I’ve been back in LA for two years now, and I LOVE that “going out” has expanded beyond clubs, bars, and parties. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been grounding in community, rediscovering neighborhoods and community-oriented spaces that have not only been a refuge during a crisis (thank you Black Being, Walk Good, and The Plant Chica) but have also been great spaces to make fringe friends.
Whether that’s playing tennis to the backdrop of Afrobeats with the Sunday Morning Tennis crew, checking out a new collection at Supervsn Slauson, an afternoon of queer poetry with Cuties LA in Leimert Park, reading books at the park with live jazz playing in the background courtesy of Reparations Club, or enjoying daylight hours at Tea of Shiloh, I’m grateful for the thoughtful curation and design of spaces that’s been a source of inspiration, joy, levity, and rest for me and so many others.
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Just like Jay-Z dubbed his medley of classics during the final moments of his Blueprint 3 tour as “overtime,” consider this little round-up my version of OT:
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I agree that there are more “good” people than “bad,” but I think there are more scared people than both.
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It took moving back to a city with mild seasons to be deeply connected to the rhythms of nature and what seasons can teach us about our common humanity and need for rest.
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I would have never guessed that binge watching The Kardashians in this particular season of my life would inspire me to open my heart to more easily love and forgive myself and others.
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I’ve been forming friendships with people who are decades older than me and younger than me. They’re such sweet teachers and perspective shifters.
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I’m grateful to the teachers (artists) who inspire us to imagine new ways of being. Artists who practice rest as a form of resistance and believe that social justice can be the most pleasurable human experience.
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Progress Report is a bi-weekly newsletter of business considerations, cultural conversations, and fun recommendations from around the world and web.
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