I Ching

There is a turning point which recharges you and eventually brings success.  It is associated with a turning of darkness back towards the direction of the light, the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the day when darkness begins to decrease and the hours of daylight increase.  It is the beginning of a turn-around; a time of letting go of the old and making way for the new; a time of new beginnings, and it starts with rest.

Don’t move too fast.  The new momentum is just beginning; the turn-around demands that your energy be recharged by adequate rest, so that your life-force will not be spent prematurely.  This principle of hibernation, of allowing energy to renew itself and be strengthened by rest applies to many situations – recuperation after an illness, the slow return of trust after period of estrangement, the careful development of new relationships after a splitting apart of old ones.

1. Everyone suffers setbacks from time to time.  The lucky ones suffer some small ones early in life, so that they learn that they can survive a period of collapse.  In this case, a minor setback is little more than an inconvenience, so long as proper action is taken before it goes too far.  Persevere, return to the main road, and good fortune will lie ahead.
2. Spectacular comebacks in any field are a sign of self-mastery.  Achieving success the first time, on the strength of one’s natural abilities, is good luck; coming back after failure or disappointment is a sign of true strength of character.  Follow the example of such people; they have much to teach you.
3. Those who continually reverse their direction run great risks, and are sometimes thought to be brilliant, but most often are considered merely foolish.  Chart a steady course, and move steadily toward your goal.
4. Those under the influence of inferior people can often be turned around by the positive influence of a single good friend.  A willingness to abandon the herd instincts of a crowd may lead to lonely moments, but with the help of another like-minded person can lead to success.
5. When the turning point arrives, the noble search their own heart, and in so doing discover their proper course.  Those who are honest with themselves rise to the occasion during moments of great importance.
6. Blind obstinacy always brings misfortune, because opportunities available to the open-minded are lost when rigid pride prevails.  Once a golden opportunity has been missed, trying to re-create it will be not work.  The best attitude in such a circumstance, is to be humble, let go, and learn from your mistake.