Meaning Before Form: More Than Principles On a Page
- Jaclyn Baker
- May 22
- 1 min read
At ODNOS, our values are more than principles on a page.
They’re commitments—to each other, to our clients, and to ourselves—put into practice and tested everyday.
We’ve spent the past couple of months exploring the shape of each one through the lens of the I Ching—an ancient system of change made up of 64 hexagrams, each composed of six lines: some broken (yin), some solid (yang).
Each hexagram we’ve shared reflects a different commitment we’ve made to ourselves and one another:
Excellence — Qian, the Creative
Adapt & Innovate — Gé, Revolution
Decisive Action — Xùn, the Gentle Wind
Relentless Self-Motivation — Dà Chù, the Taming Power of the Great
Straight Talk — Zhōng Fú, Inner Truth
Resilience — Gèn, Keeping Still
The lines that make up each hexagram—yin and yang—aren’t in conflict.
They hold tension, yes, but they do so in relationship.
Together, they form a structure that holds.
That’s how we think about our commitments, too.
They’re not static.
They move.
They meet each of us differently.
They play out in conversation, in constraint, in conflict, in clarity.
They grow with us, and sometimes because of us.
These animations are a reflection of that unfolding.
Line by line.
Commitment by commitment.
The form of what we value, drawn into being.
