Alright folks, let’s talk about something that really clicked for me a while back, something about coming full circle. You see, I’ve always been a bit of a curious soul, picking up different bits and bobs of ancient wisdom here and there. And one day, I stumbled upon this thing called Hexagram 24 from the I Ching. Now, don’t get all fancy with the terms; for me, it just hit me straight in the gut with its core idea: Return.
I remember it clearly. It wasn’t some deep academic study. I was actually going through a pretty rough patch. Felt like I hit a wall, everything was just… stuck. My work, my personal life, felt like I was spinning my wheels in the mud. I picked up this old book, one I’d half-heartedly skimmed before, and landed on Hexagram 24. The words weren’t flowery or complex, but they talked about “The Turning Point,” about things coming back. It wasn’t about going back to what was, but about a fresh start, a natural cycle where after things go all the way down, they start making their way back up again.
My Own Journey of Return
I started seeing this “return” everywhere in my life, not just in some philosophical text. I recalled a period years ago when I just lost my focus completely. I was young, ambitious, flying high, and then bam! I crashed. Hard. I messed up a big project, upset some important people, and frankly, felt like a complete failure. I just wanted to hide under a rock. For months, I pretty much did. I avoided calls, barely left the house, just feeling utterly defeated.
But then, slowly, something shifted. It wasn’t a sudden burst of inspiration. It was tiny things. One day, I just found myself picking up my old sketchbook, something I hadn’t touched in ages. I started doodling, not for any project, just for the sheer joy of it, like I used to when I was a kid. Then, I dug out an old coding project I’d abandoned years ago, a simple game idea. I wasn’t trying to make money or impress anyone; I just started tinkering with it for fun.
That was my first real “return.” I wasn’t going back to the big, stressful project I failed at. I was returning to the fundamental reasons I ever got into creative work and coding in the first place: the simple pleasure of building, of creating, of solving little puzzles. It felt like I was shedding all the layers of expectations and pressure I’d piled on myself, and just coming back to the raw, unadulterated passion. It was tough, you know? It wasn’t a straight line. There were days I felt like giving up again, thinking, “What’s the point?” But that little spark, that feeling of returning to the basics, kept nudging me forward.
Understanding the Cycles
Another time, a few years later, my health took a dive. I’d been burning the candle at both ends, thinking I was invincible. My body basically said, “Nope, you’re not!” I had to really scale back, rest, and rethink everything. It felt like another low point. All my routines, my vigorous exercise, my long work hours – all gone. For a while, I felt like I was losing everything I’d built up.
But again, the idea of “return” popped into my head. It wasn’t about returning to the unhealthy habits. It was about returning to a state of balance, of listening to my body, of rebuilding from the ground up, bit by bit. I started with simple walks, then gentle stretches, then slowly reintroducing healthy meals. It wasn’t about getting back to my ‘old’ self exactly, but about returning to a fundamental state of well-being, acknowledging that sometimes, you have to go back to square one to build something stronger and more sustainable. It was painful, frustrating, but also incredibly grounding.
The Meaning of “Return”
So, what did all this teach me about Hexagram 24 and this idea of “Return”? It’s not just about things coming back exactly as they were. It’s about a cycle. Things go down, things come up. You hit a low point, but that’s often when the seeds of a new beginning are planted. It’s about recognizing that moment when the tide starts to turn, even subtly.
- It’s about renewal. After a period of decline or stagnation, there’s an opportunity to start fresh, to re-evaluate, to come back with new insights.
- It’s about resilience. Life throws curveballs, you stumble, you fall. But the power of return means you can always pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and begin again.
- It’s about simplicity. Often, “returning” means going back to the core, to the fundamentals, shedding the unnecessary complexities that might have led you astray in the first place.
I started looking for these turning points, these subtle hints of “return” in my daily life, too. A bad day at work, but then a small success the next morning. A disagreement with a friend, but then a sincere apology and reconciliation. It’s about understanding that nothing stays static, and that even in the lowest moments, the potential for a fresh start, a new beginning, is always there, waiting.
For me, Hexagram 24 isn’t just some abstract concept. It’s a lived experience. It’s the quiet understanding that after every winter, spring always returns. And often, it’s more beautiful than before.
