Man, let me tell you about this wild ride I had with the I Ching, especially that Hexagram 17. You know, for a while there, I was just drifting, felt like I was waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did. Just kinda stuck, you know? And then, one day, I just stumbled across this old book I had lying around, a dusty copy of the I Ching that someone gifted me years ago. Never really touched it, always thought it was too complicated, too “woo-woo” for a practical guy like me.
But that day, something just clicked. I picked it up, flipped through it aimlessly, and my eyes landed on Hexagram 17. “Following,” it said. Sounded simple enough, right? But the more I looked, the more it felt like it was talking directly to me, telling me to stop just sitting around and actually follow something, someone, some path. But what? That was the big question.
My first thought was, “Okay, this is some ancient wisdom, gotta be a catch.” I tried to intellectualize it, you know, read all the commentaries, tried to piece together what it really meant. Spent a good week just diving into different interpretations, watching videos, reading forums. It was a mess. Everyone had a different take, and I just got more confused. It felt like I was trying to build a spaceship with a bunch of random spare parts.
My First Real Dive into It
Then, I decided to just ditch all the fancy explanations. I remembered a friend once told me, “Just feel it, man, don’t overthink it.” So, I went back to the raw translation, the basic lines of Hexagram 17. What stood out to me was the idea of finding something worthy to follow, something that resonates with your core. Not just blindly following, but consciously choosing a direction.
I started by simply journaling about my day-to-day frustrations. What was making me feel stuck? What was I really avoiding? It hit me pretty hard that I was always waiting for someone else to make a decision for me, whether it was about a new project at work or even just what to have for dinner. I was letting life happen to me, instead of for me.
The turning point came when I had this big presentation coming up at work. Usually, I’d just do the bare minimum, follow whatever template was given. But this time, after wrestling with Hexagram 17, I felt this urge to actually lead it, to put my own stamp on it. I went to my boss, not to ask for permission, but to propose a completely new approach. My boss, bless her heart, looked at me like I had three heads, but she listened.
- I started researching new tools and methods that no one else in the team was using.
- I spent late nights reworking the entire presentation deck, making it visually engaging.
- I even practiced my delivery in front of the mirror, trying to inject more passion into my voice.
It was uncomfortable, I’ll tell you that. There were moments I wanted to just go back to my old ways, to just “follow the leader.” But that Hexagram 17 kept nagging at me. It wasn’t about being a trailblazer every single time, but about finding something genuine to commit to and then following that commitment through, wholeheartedly.
The Messy Middle and the Breakthrough
The actual presentation day was nerve-wracking. My hands were shaking, and I almost forgot my opening line. But then, as I got into the flow, something shifted. I wasn’t just presenting information; I was sharing an idea, something I genuinely believed in. I could see people in the room leaning forward, nodding. It wasn’t perfect, I stumbled over a few words, but the energy was different.
Afterward, a few colleagues came up to me, saying how refreshing it was. My boss, she just gave me a quiet nod and a smile, which, coming from her, was like winning the lottery. That experience, man, it wasn’t just about the presentation. It was about me taking the reins, choosing my path, and then following that path with conviction, instead of just waiting to be told what to do.
It taught me that “following” isn’t passive. It’s an active choice. You choose what to follow, whether it’s an idea, a principle, a goal, or even just your own gut feeling. And once you choose, you commit. You don’t just idly tag along. You immerse yourself. This whole thing made me rethink a lot of my everyday habits, from how I approach my chores to how I listen to friends. I started actively listening, actively engaging, instead of just letting conversations wash over me.
So yeah, Hexagram 17. It wasn’t some magic spell. It was just a mirror, showing me how I was living and nudging me to actually do something about it. Still got a long way to go, but now at least, I feel like I’m actually walking somewhere, not just standing still.
