Alright, let me share a bit about my experience when I got I Ching hexagram 35, Jin, which is often translated as Progress. It was a while back, maybe last year. I felt stuck, really stuck, with a personal project I’d been pouring energy into. It felt like hitting a wall repeatedly.
So, I decided to consult the I Ching. It’s something I do sometimes when my own head gets too noisy. I didn’t have my yarrow stalks handy, so I just used the three-coin method. Found three pennies, took a few deep breaths to clear my mind, and focused on my feeling of being blocked, asking for some clarity or direction.
I did the six tosses, marking down the lines each time. You know, solid lines, broken lines, changing lines. After I finished tossing and recorded the results, I looked it up. Turned out I got Hexagram 35, Jin. Progress.
My first reaction was a bit skeptical, honestly. Progress? It felt like the exact opposite of what I was experiencing. But I sat with it. The image associated with Jin is the sun rising over the earth. That made sense. It felt like potential, like light starting to spread, even if it wasn’t fully bright yet.
Applying the Idea
I thought about what “progress” could mean in my situation. The project wasn’t moving because I was trying to do everything perfectly behind the scenes before showing anyone. The hexagram seemed to suggest it was time to move forward, to bring things into the light, like the rising sun. It often mentions being received favorably, maybe by showing your worth.
So, I shifted my approach. Instead of trying to perfect the whole thing in isolation, I decided to:
- Identify the core parts of the project that were actually working well.
- Prepare a simple, clear presentation of just those parts.
- Reach out to a couple of trusted friends and colleagues whose opinions I valued.
- Show them what I had, focusing on the potential, the ‘sunrise’ aspect, rather than all the unfinished bits.
The Actual Process and Outcome
I spent an afternoon tidying up just the essential elements. Made it look presentable, but didn’t obsess over perfection. Then I scheduled two separate video calls for the next day.
During the calls, I kept it brief. Showed my work, explained the core idea, and asked for honest feedback. I tried to embody that feeling of clarity and straightforwardness suggested by the rising sun image.
The results were surprising. Both people were really positive. They saw the potential I’d been struggling to see myself. One gave me a brilliant idea for overcoming the specific obstacle that had me stuck. The other offered to connect me with someone who had experience in a key area I was weak in.
Looking Back
That experience with Hexagram 35 taught me something important. Progress isn’t always about massive leaps. Sometimes it’s about having the courage to move forward into the light, even with something imperfect. It was about shifting from hidden effort to clear, visible steps. Getting Jin didn’t magically solve my problem, but it gave me the nudge, the change in perspective I needed to take the actions that led to progress. It really felt like the sun starting to peek over the horizon for that project.
