48 -> 12. How do I Unlock my Potential

[halicore]

Howdy! I'm basically a hobbyist I Ching follower. In the beginning I would throw coins but now I just get ancy and use electronic means for consultation.
I graduated from college a year ago disillusioned with my degree, moved back to my parents house and became a hermit of sorts. In August of 2011, through a mutual friend on facebook I fell in love with someone 2300 miles away from me. I will be moving to live with her this coming August.

This summer I've been restless and wondering what to do with my life. In high school and college I rose up to leadership levels but I just grew weary and frustrated with what I was doing, didn't see the value or worth to myself or my fellow man. Since my year-long break I realized that I want to do something innovative and positive for humanity through social entrepreneurship. The problem is I have too many ideas-- I can't prioritize and pick which one is 'right' for me, plus the ones that I think would work really well I'm not technically suited for. This lack of a 'professional purpose' makes me feel useless, even though my personal life is fantastic.

So while I work a desk job I sometimes consult the Iching at eclecticenergies. Yesterday I asked "How do I find personal security?" and received:
48 -> 29
48. The Well
Line 3:
The well has been cleared out, but is not drunk from.
It makes my heart ache,
as it could be used to draw water from.
The king understanding equals receiving its blessing.
A valuable resource that is not being used. Being aware of the resource would mean being able to put it to good use.

Then I asked what if I put my effort into one of my more grandiose ideas:
(unforunately I didn't save this reading so I'll try to replicate it by memory)
12. Obstruction
Line 2:

Supporting surroundings.
Ordinary people have good fortune,
senior people are obstructed.
Progressing.

The surroundings support one. This provides stability, which is good if one doesn't have ideas to realize, like with ordinary people having a long time job. But they also limit one's space, and thus obstruct expansion. It is frustrating if one is a developed person, and is thus unable to realize one's ideas. There is progress anyway.

Then I asked "What if I crowdfunded this idea?"
(once again, I didn't save this, so I *THINK* it was...)
Hexagram 43, Line 2. A cry of alarm.
(or something similar. is there another hexagram that includes an alarm or bell ringing?)

That seemed really positive. But I got down on myself again.

Today I've been frustrated again and asked "How do I unlock my potential?"
I got:

48. The Well

The well.
The town renews, the well is not renewed,
but there is no loss, and there is no gain.
Coming and going, drawing from the well.
Being dried-up completely,
or not yet having a well-rope,
or a jug that is stuck in the well,
means misfortune.

A resource. Usually it is constantly there, not changing when all else does, while its output remains constant. One draws from it again and again. It can become unavailable, though, by running out, or getting unreachable or blocked.
(A well was situated central to eight square pieces of land with different owners. It was used jointly by all these eight households.)

(Changing lines are not relevant here, as there are too many.)

Hexagram is changing to:
12. Obstruction

Obstruction.
This is not the other not benefiting the noble one's persistence.
Much goes, little comes.

One cannot continue, one is being obstructed. This is frustrating. There is more loss than gain. This isn't the other going against one's interests, actually. Blaming someone may make one feel better, but isn't helpful at solving the problem.


So should I stop ignoring myself or putting myself down? That's what I'm taking from it so far, but I'm curious to hear what a more learned community has to say.

Thanks!

 

[ginnie]

If you have specific ideas, ask the I Ching about them one by one. If there is potential in any one of them, the I Ching will let you know. Your questions are interesting, but they are very broad. Hone your questions down so that they relate directly to the ideas you have. If you have already done that to some degree, it would be interesting to see what Yi had to say. But it's not so helpful to say that you "think" you got a certain response. It's good practice to keep a notebook or journal so that you don't have to guess when discussing the Oracle with others.

 

[rosada]

When trying to interpret a reading for others online we often only have little bits of information that we gather from what you, the questioner, have said in their posting. So this may not be relevant, but what jumps out at me here is your comment that the things you really feel excited about you are not technically suited for. I wonder if you should explore that further? Perhaps the I Ching is advising you that you should honor your instinct for such work and it would be worth your time to get the proper training to pursue it. I say this because of the change lines in your question, How to unlock my potential?:

48.2 Having talents but neglecting them.
48.3 Having connections but not using them.
48.4 Time to pause and put one's life on track.
48.6 A great life where one is able to use their talents for the benefit of many.

The resulting hexagram, 12. Standstill talks about not getting involved with activities that are inappropriate. This seems to refer both to your past experience being involved in a leadership role but not feeling you were doing anything worthwhile and also your finding that within yourself, your own mind tends to jump around and get involved in all variety of ideas leaving you too unfocused to function. This looks to me like you're being advised that as you pursue using your true talents the next step may involve detaching from some activities to more fully focus on others.

To sum up, it may be the I Ching is telling you that the way to unlock your potential is to consider what your talents are, what your connections are, get the proper training and all will be good but meanwhile be careful that you do not get distracted or you'll be Obstructed and never be able to move forward. I think of the famous curse, "May you live in interesting times." It's a curse because mild distractions all around can cause a person to waste their life away.

As to your question about security, 48.3 reads to me, "Get a job." 48.3 says you've got something going for you, you just need to find a king, an employer. It changes to 29: "The superior man...carries on the business of teaching." A teaching type job perhaps? Maybe. Over all I think this answer is saying you've got skills that will get you work but 29 warns permanent security doesn't exist in life - we all just have to keep going with the flow and adapting to every new situation yet it's an optimistic reading because "If you are sincere, if you have success in your heart, whatever you do succeeds."

Rosada