You know, for years, I was that guy, always overthinking everything. Every little decision, every little fork in the road, I’d sit there, chew on it, analyze it from every angle until my brain felt like a mashed potato. It was exhausting, honestly. I’d waste so much time just spinning my wheels, trying to figure out the “perfect” next move. It wasn’t about big, life-altering stuff most times, just those smaller things where a quick nudge or a clear path would save me hours of internal debate.
Then, one day, I was chatting with an old friend I hadn’t seen in ages. We were grabbing coffee, and I was, of course, agonizing over something silly like whether to take on a side project or focus purely on my main gig. He just sat there, listening to me ramble, and then he goes, “Man, you’re making this too hard. Ever just… ask the universe?” I scoffed, naturally. I’m a pretty grounded guy, or at least I thought I was. But he leaned in and started talking about this old system, the I Ching, and specifically, one bit he found super useful for getting a quick read on things, especially when you need a push: Hexagram 42.
I’d heard of the I Ching, sure, but always thought it was some deep, ancient philosophy for gurus and mystics, not for a regular dude like me trying to decide if I should buy the cheaper, slightly-less-features washing machine. My friend, though, he wasn’t talking about deep dives. He was talking about getting a quick ‘yes, move forward’ or ‘maybe slow down’ kind of vibe. He said for him, Hexagram 42, often called “Increase,” was basically the universe saying, “Go for it, things are looking up for growth.”
I was skeptical, but also, frankly, desperate to stop the endless mental loops. So, I figured, what’s the harm? I went home and grabbed three coins. Yeah, three normal coins. My friend had shown me the simple way: toss ’em six times, add up the numbers, draw a line. Heads are 3, tails are 2. That’s how you build up your hexagram. It sounded a bit like a game, which was actually kind of liberating after all my serious analysis.
The next morning, I had another one of those annoying, small decisions staring me down. It was about whether to reach out to an old contact for a potential collaboration. Part of me thought it was a long shot and might be a waste of time. The other part felt a tiny pull. This was it. My chance to “ask the universe” about this specific thing. I took a deep breath, mentally framed my question: “Should I pursue this collaboration with [Contact Name] for a quick, positive outcome?” Then I tossed those coins. Six times. Carefully drew my lines.
When I looked it up, sure enough, it was Hexagram 42, “Increase.” No moving lines, just a solid 42. And the short, quick interpretation I found was something like, “Favorable conditions for growth, advance with confidence, a good time to move forward and expect benefit.” It wasn’t flowery or vague; it was pretty direct. It felt like someone just said, “Yeah, go on, what’s the worst that can happen? It looks good.”
Now, I could’ve ignored it. I could’ve gone back to my overthinking. But something clicked. It felt like a permission slip, a little nudge to just do the thing I was already considering, but was too hesitant about. So, I sent the email. I just did it. And you know what? Within a couple of days, I got a positive reply. Not only did they respond, but they were genuinely enthusiastic. We actually met up, and that collaboration turned into a really fruitful short-term project that boosted my confidence and gave me some great connections. It wasn’t some magic bullet, but it was a fast, clear answer that helped me get unstuck and move forward.
That was the start of it for me. I realized this wasn’t about fortune-telling in some spooky way. It was about tapping into an intuitive sense, using an ancient tool to cut through the noise of my own anxious thoughts. When I needed a fast answer, especially for things where I was just debating ‘should I proceed?’ or ‘is this a good time to push this forward?’, I started using Hexagram 42 as my personal barometer.
My Simple Process for Fast Answers with Iching Hexagram 42
- I define the question clearly: I make sure it’s a ‘yes/no’ or ‘proceed/don’t proceed’ type of question, focused on something I want to see grow or increase. Not like, ‘will I win the lottery?’ but ‘should I invest effort into learning this new skill now?’
- I grab my three coins: Just plain old pennies, nickels, whatever. I don’t make it a ceremony. It’s just a tool.
- I focus on the question: I hold it in my head, feeling into the intention, and then I toss the coins six times, one after the other.
- I record the lines: I just quickly jot down the lines, building the hexagram from bottom to top. It’s super fast, takes less than a minute.
- I check for Hexagram 42: If it’s Hexagram 42, “Increase,” I take that as a green light. A positive nod. It means the energy is there for growth and advancement.
- I just go for it: If it’s 42, I usually just act on the intention behind my question. It’s like having a little personal cheerleader telling me, “Yeah, this looks good. Push forward.”
It’s not about being blind or ignoring common sense, mind you. If I get Hexagram 42 but my gut is screaming ‘no way,’ I’m not going to jump off a cliff. But for those times when I’m just caught in indecision, when a project feels stuck, or I’m wondering if it’s the right moment to initiate something new, and 42 pops up, it gives me that instant confidence boost. It’s like a shortcut past my own mental roadblocks, a quick way to get clarity on whether the current conditions are ripe for forward movement.
It’s really changed how I approach those smaller, yet time-consuming, decisions. I used to spend hours, days even, ruminating. Now, if I feel that familiar swirl of indecision, I remember my friend’s advice. I grab those coins, ask about “increase” for my situation, and often, that quick glance at Hexagram 42 gives me the fast answer I need to just move on. It frees up so much mental energy for the bigger, more complex stuff, leaving the minor decisions to this quick, practical tool.
