| If you could use universal wisdom as your guide | | | | hunting must be right in front of me. This |
| to business decision-making, instead of a realtor, | | | | contradicted my conscious attitude toward that |
| would you? I did. | | | | office completely, but that's precisely the point of |
| When I was seeking an office space to relocate | | | | consulting higher, wiser guidance. |
| my private practice in Jungian therapy and the I | | | | When game is "in the field," it is no longer hidden |
| Ching, I asked the I Ching where to locate. The I | | | | in a forest--of the many offices listed for rent in |
| Ching is an ancient Chinese oracle that lets you | | | | the paper. Now the goal of my search is right in |
| ask any question and read the selected parts of | | | | front of me. Staying with the metaphoric image, I |
| the text that answer it. It's a little like having | | | | asked myself, "How long does game tend to |
| God's email address so you can immediate | | | | stand around in the open?" Probably not long, I |
| feedback in writing. | | | | guessed and I arranged to meet the landlord and |
| The first three offices I viewed were interesting, | | | | signed the lease within the hour. |
| but the I Ching simplified matters by discouraging | | | | While I was still discussing matters with my new |
| each of them in turn. Next I visited a property on | | | | landlord (and ask yourself if a "building owner" |
| the north side of town that I immediately | | | | being called the "lord" of your "land" might not be |
| dismissed because it lacked a view of the Flatiron | | | | an ancient concept underlying a modern concept!) |
| Mountains that tower over Boulder, Colorado. | | | | another tenant called to claim the space. It's a |
| "How can anyone do meaningful spiritual work | | | | good thing I followed the hunting image and acted |
| without a good view of the mountains?" I | | | | quickly. |
| wondered. | | | | After eight years in that same location, with the |
| I cast an I Ching reading, with the sole intent of | | | | best landlord I have ever had, the building had |
| discarding this office along with the others, but | | | | proven itself an absolutely ideal location for many |
| the I Ching read: "Game is in the field and it | | | | reasons that no human wisdom could have |
| furthers one to catch it." One secret to using the | | | | anticipated. The "lord of the land" became a |
| I Ching is to match the metaphor to your current | | | | trusted friend and ally who invited me to park my |
| situation. Since the book is 3,000 years old, there | | | | RV in the back lot any time I wanted. When my |
| are no category headings for "condo swaps" or | | | | truck had only first gear for two months, the |
| "retail office space." | | | | building's traffic circles made this no problem. |
| The concepts are enduring images from the | | | | When it was time for me to seek physical rehab, |
| past."Game is in the field" is an ancient image of | | | | a wonderful physical rehab instructor moved into |
| the hunt. Now, I have never been hunting in my | | | | the building just down the hall. When I needed to |
| life... or have I? After reflecting, I recalled telling | | | | rent a public space to present poetry readings, |
| friends that I was office hunting! I felt a physical | | | | there was a perfect rentable room right in the |
| surge of energy upon this recognition, a cue I | | | | front of this same building. |
| was getting the message. Many modern concepts | | | | And, by the way, for the three different evenings |
| are based on similarly ancient images (since the | | | | that I rented that poetry room... I had a fantastic |
| more things change, the more they remain the | | | | view of the Flatiron Mountains towering over |
| same). | | | | Boulder. Occasionally my ego is slightly correct! |
| If my "game" is in the field, whatever I was | | | | The rest of the time I consult the I Ching. |