How should I approach [sharing my own] services and offerings? And subsequent casts

[millionsoftrees]

Hi everyone. Hoping for some insight here.

It's been a few (10+) years since I've been struggling with "my offering." Either I am confident with my (alternative field) services offered, or shy and sheepish, and either way, I haven't had a client in my field despite my teachers and elders telling me I'm really good at what I do, and even telling me I should be earning a certain amount of money. It appears I have some really deep issues around this area that are blocking my entry into professionalism, which have come out in a way that I see them more clearly now.

Recently I was interviewed on a broadcast show and I blew the "what services do you offer?" question at the end. Every single personal insecurity was on full display. As a subsequent cast said (below), I "threw myself away." The whole conversation went great, and then when I was asked to present myself professionally, I became extremely anxious and had a lot of difficulty. There was another part of the interview where social anxiety came through pretty hard, too. I'm feeling a lot of shame around it and the Yi hasn't made me feel much better.

I asked the question in the subject line and got 23.2.4 to 64.

Foreboding, wow. I have nothing to offer in this regard (2), which isn't nearly as scary as line 4, which commentaries say is a serious calamity or terrible misfortune. Wow.

I asked "what's the best way for me to move forward after the shift from the interview?"

48.1.4

This is the clearest to me, basically saying that no one will want to work with me now, but I'm going through some transitions that could change that in the future. Of course, re-lining a well is a huge undertaking, and I should expect a long haul transition. But, my my muddy water is temporary.

More immediately, I asked if I should ask the host to delete the conversation from public view

34.4.5.6 to 9

Not sure how to interpret this. 4 seems to say yes, 5 and 6 no. To 9 seems to indicate that big motions (such as what I asked about) are not in order.

"What if I let it be?"

40 uc

I feel like this basically is not saying much besides "a choice needs to be made: let it go or move forward," the Yi evading the question

So I asked, "what should I do?"

And I got

34.4.5.6 again!!!

I've only had repeat casts a couple of times. Of course, statistically, it's extremely rare and so clearly means something. Is it trying to tell me that I should have the interview deleted, because that was the question the first time it gave the answer? Like, "hey, I've already told you what to do?" But those lines seem to indicate that putting more action into the situation may complicate it, especially if it's made from a place of stress, rather than methodical calm.

Any insight? Thanks very much.

 

[Trojina]

Re 34.4.5.6>9 You should stop thrashing about and let developments develop. You don't yet fully know how the interview was received or what it might lead to(9). You're kind of being too vigorous (34.6), you can relax a bit (34.5) and leave space or room for the idea that however good your 'pitch' might have been, that you felt you didn't make, it still doesn't account for how others view your services. I mean there's always the mystery factor in how what one says is received, we don't control it.

Also 34.4 makes me think you did a good job of the interview.

34.6 of course is trying to either charge forward or pull back and can do neither. He, the goat in the hedge, only gets free when he settles down a bit, stops pushing to advance or pulling to retreat and relaxes and wiggles his head around a bit in order to release himself.

You are under the impression you now have to take some kind of action to advance or retreat. You don't. Rain comes when it comes (9)...chill out. Certainly do not ask for deletion of the interview, that would be the ram pulling his head backwards through the brambles and he'll get nowhere that way. Think about knots and how you approach them, this is what you're being told. If you had a great bit tangle in a ball of wool what do you do ? You can't force it to straighten out you often have to sort of loosen and wiggle....34..4.5.6>9 is a good cast IMO.

40...yes let it be, don't dwell on it.

I asked the question in the subject line and got 23.4.6 to 64.

23.4.6 changes to 16 not 64.

 

[Trojina]

When I thought it was 23.4.6>64 I wrote

Seems to suggest you need a different sort of avenue to express/reveal your wares. If you were thinking of selling them for example to a certain group/place then here you are being advised to rethink that. It looks like you aren't well positioned to give what you have to give. In 64 nothing is yet in the right place. 23.6 calls for a quite a radical reshuffle. I'd think this was very much calling you to look at the actual places/venue/audience....where you are putting your services. It could be you will feel much more comfortable about self promotion in a different setting. It's like 'where' needs to be right for you and you aren't in the right 'where' yet and so it doesn't feel right. You might start to promote your work in very different arenas than you had been thinking perhaps. Perhaps rather than think 'I have to sell myself' you could go easy on yourself and take yourself, show yourself, somewhere you hadn't thought of where you're really comfortable.

Now I know it changes to 16 it's more like you need to reimagine the presentation of yourself .

 

[Hans_K]

I asked the question in the subject line and got 23.4.6 to 64.

Is it H23.2.4 to H64 or H23.4.6 to H16?
I think there is a typo somewhere

Edit: I made a typo myself

 

[millionsoftrees]

Re 34.4.5.6>9 You should stop thrashing about and let developments develop. You don't yet fully know how the interview was received or what it might lead to(9). You're kind of being too vigorous (34.6), you can relax a bit (34.5) and leave space or room for the idea that however good your 'pitch' might have been, that you felt you didn't make, it still doesn't account for how others view your services. I mean there's always the mystery factor in how what one says is received, we don't control it.

Also 34.4 makes me think you did a good job of the interview.

34.6 of course is trying to either charge forward or pull back and can do neither. He, the goat in the hedge, only gets free when he settles down a bit, stops pushing to advance or pulling to retreat and relaxes and wiggles his head around a bit in order to release himself.

You are under the impression you now have to take some kind of action to advance or retreat. You don't. Rain comes when it comes (9)...chill out. Certainly do not ask for deletion of the interview, that would be the ram pulling his head backwards through the brambles and he'll get nowhere that way. Think about knots and how you approach them, this is what you're being told. If you had a great bit tangle in a ball of wool what do you do ? You can't force it to straighten out you often have to sort of loosen and wiggle....34..4.5.6>9 is a good cast IMO.

40...yes let it be, don't dwell on it.



23.4.6 changes to 16 not 64.

Thanks so much for this enlightening and supportive response I can see what you mean.

 

[millionsoftrees]

Whoops, it was 23.2.4 to 64

Is it H23.2.4.6 to H64 or H23.4.6 to H16?
I think there is a typo somewhere

 

[millionsoftrees]

When I thought it was 23.4.6>64 I wrote




Now I know it changes to 16 it's more like you need to reimagine the presentation of yourself .

Sorry, I made a typo... It was 23.2.4 to 64. So no line 6, but a line 2. More emphasis on stripping the bed. The word Misfortune. It's why I felt so shocked and wincey.

 

[Trojina]

Well 23 is Stripping....the tearing down of outworn structures which can be painful and also calls for quite a radical re-evaluation and re-reading your first post I just get the sense that doing this self marketing for this skill you have isn't your own path, it's something others tell you you want that you don't really want ?

I mean there's a great deal of self condemnation in your first post that I don't believe is quite true.

I haven't had a client in my field despite my teachers and elders telling me I'm really good at what I do, and even telling me I should be earning a certain amount of money. It appears I have some really deep issues around this area that are blocking my entry into professionalism, which have come out in a way that I see them more clearly now.

I don't like this. I don't like the fact someone tells you that you 'should' be earning a certain amount of money. Why should you? Earning money is not a moral virtue. Who decides you have deep issues that are blocking you ? Did you yourself actually decide any of this or is this not something you want for yourself anyway ?

23.2.4>64 is not asking you to confidently push through and try to make strides ahead, it really isn't. Nothing is where it should be for you to do this and moreover it could just be wrong for you, it could be undermining you that you have this pressure to take a route that actually you don't even want to.

I think the whole thing needs rethinking. I don't think you can take it for granted that what they think you want or need is actually what you want ?

I could be wrong of course but if I am I still don't believe self castigation is the way forward because if you are hesitant to self promote there might be an intelligent reason for that. Not a blockage or a fault but that hesitancy might be trying to move you in a different direction or maybe do the same thing but in a different way ?

So I don't want to detract from the interview which looks like it went well but I also don't think pushing yourself is the way through. The readings together give me the sense there's quite a reorientation going on which might involve what feels like loss. The change patterns for the 23.2.4>64 are 40 and 37. I don't want to over emphasize these just notice them. Makes me wonder if you would find things easier by going back into more of a familiar structure in your life whether that's through actual family or other things you felt supported by. I get the sense you may have 'cut loose' a bit too much. That's just an impression which may not hold but you aren't on solid ground with this reading and it's possible you need more stability in order to make the transition (64) that you are in the midst of. This may be a personal transition or a professional one.

 

[millionsoftrees]

When I thought it was 23.4.6>64 I wrote




Now I know it changes to 16 it's more like you need to reimagine the presentation of yourself .

Well 23 is Stripping....the tearing down of outworn structures which can be painful and also calls for quite a radical re-evaluation and re-reading your first post I just get the sense that doing this self marketing for this skill you have isn't your own path, it's something others tell you you want that you don't really want ?

I mean there's a great deal of self condemnation in your first post that I don't believe is quite true.



I don't like this. I don't like the fact someone tells you that you 'should' be earning a certain amount of money. Why should you? Earning money is not a moral virtue. Who decides you have deep issues that are blocking you ? Did you yourself actually decide any of this or is this not something you want for yourself anyway ?

23.2.4>64 is not asking you to confidently push through and try to make strides ahead, it really isn't. Nothing is where it should be for you to do this and moreover it could just be wrong for you, it could be undermining you that you have this pressure to take a route that actually you don't even want to.

I think the whole thing needs rethinking. I don't think you can take it for granted that what they think you want or need is actually what you want ?

I could be wrong of course but if I am I still don't believe self castigation is the way forward because if you are hesitant to self promote there might be an intelligent reason for that. Not a blockage or a fault but that hesitancy might be trying to move you in a different direction or maybe do the same thing but in a different way ?

So I don't want to detract from the interview which looks like it went well but I also don't think pushing yourself is the way through. The readings together give me the sense there's quite a reorientation going on which might involve what feels like loss. The change patterns for the 23.2.4>64 are 40 and 37. I don't want to over emphasize these just notice them. Makes me wonder if you would find things easier by going back into more of a familiar structure in your life whether that's through actual family or other things you felt supported by. I get the sense you may have 'cut loose' a bit too much. That's just an impression which may not hold but you aren't on solid ground with this reading and it's possible you need more stability in order to make the transition (64) that you are in the midst of. This may be a personal transition or a professional one.

Thanks for the thoughtful engagement. I should clarify that the people who have told me I should be earning have said so when I've expressed my desire to. It's been something I've been wanting and trying to make happen in various ways, but it hasn't happened. My hesitancy to self promote has come from those failures and my observations as to why, from 'pushing the river' to unresolved issues, which is also my observation personally and in therapeutic contexts. Indeed, what I've been trying to make happen may not be right, and maybe my awkward response to the question made me see that. Could be otherwise of course. But being put on the spot after a conversation where I felt really positive and honest, and not feeling aligned with it, well... Yeah.

I absolutely am going through a transition. Well, things have been really chaotic for me for a while: Kundalini awakening, off the wall traumas, and then a particular devastating loss less than a year ago. Just a surface level summary. Life took me for a real tumble. Only recently I've actually been able to slow down and begin healing my life to re-orient. And much of that is going back to basics: nature, living off a savings so I can forget about income for a while, taking care of myself, being creative, and practicing traditional crafts.

I totally see the self-castigation. It's something I'm doing a lot of work on.

 

[rosada]

How should I approach offering my services?
23.2.4 - 64.
Splitting Apart - Before Completion.

23.2.4 is acknowledging you’ve had some experiences and now know what doesn’t work.
64. Before Completion encourages you to visualize and plan where you want to go next.

Together I see these hexagrams as saying your approach should be “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

The best way to move forward?
48.1.4 - 43.
The Well - Breakthrough.

48.1 Realize nobody cares about your past performance. (So quit beating yourself up about it.)
48.2 Put some time and attention into improving your presentation then…
43. One must resolutely make the matter known - Advertise!

What should I do?
34.4.5.6 - 9

I see hexagram 9 as being about how we do not move forward in a straight line.
It’s more like we travel in a zigzag, first trying to return to our course after being pulled off our path by the demands of the outside world (9.1)
So we renounce those outer world pulls and decide to stay home but we over compensate and get pulled off our course again only this time from the opposite direction, from the demands of the people in the home. and thus we need to make an effort to return to our own path once again (9.2)
which leaves our conscious desires and our unconscious efforts to comply so confused we don’t know if we should be coming or going (9.3).
But thankfully if our intention has been clear we little by little move ahead (9.4)
and indeed finally align with those who support our path rather than pull us off it (9.5).
The final line warns that our progress is the result of continued micro-corrections as we persevere and thus not to push for too much all at once (9.6)

 

[millionsoftrees]

How should I approach offering my services?
23.2.4 - 64.
Splitting Apart - Before Completion.

23.2.4 is acknowledging you’ve had some experiences and now know what doesn’t work.
64. Before Completion encourages you to visualize and plan where you want to go next.

Together I see these hexagrams as saying your approach should be “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

Hmm, I see!

The best way to move forward?
48.1.4 - 43.
The Well - Breakthrough.

48.1 Realize nobody cares about your past performance. (So quit beating yourself up about it.)
48.2 Put some time and attention into improving your presentation then…
43. One must resolutely make the matter known - Advertise!

That makes a lot of sense, and the positive perspective on 48.1 really illuminating.

What should I do?
34.4.5.6 - 9

I see hexagram 9 as being about how we do not move forward in a straight line.
It’s more like we travel in a zigzag, first trying to return to our course after being pulled off our path by the demands of the outside world (9.1)
So we renounce those outer world pulls and decide to stay home but we over compensate and get pulled off our course again only this time from the opposite direction, from the demands of the people in the home. and thus we need to make an effort to return to our own path once again (9.2)
which leaves are conscious desires and our unconscious efforts to comply so confused we don’t know if we should be coming or going (9.3).
But thankfully if our intention has been clear we little by little move ahead (9.4)
and indeed finally align with those who support our path rather than pull us off it (9.5).
The final line warns that our progress is the result of continued micro-corrections as we persevere and thus not to push for too much all at once (9.6)

I read through the translations for 9 alongside your commentary and I can see the story of the hexagram much better now thank you