How can I learn to adapt when things change?

First look at the situation in front of you, then decide what to do. If the original plan will not work, you can take another route. On one hiking trip, we intended to visit Qingtiangang, but rain and wet grass led us to Xiangtian Pond instead. We still had the outdoor activity we wanted, simply adjusting to the conditions rather than forcing a confrontation with the environment.

Accepting the present situation also means recognizing how much you can bear. I discussed a woman who wanted to take on her birth family's financial burden without having the means, causing herself great suffering by struggling beyond her capacity. Handle what you can first. What you cannot yet do can be set aside until you are able, or you can seek help from charitable organizations, relatives, or friends. Accepting your circumstances in this sense means seeing the current conditions clearly and then looking for a way forward.

If your work is affected, consider other uses for your existing expertise, opportunities to collaborate or learn, or a change of direction. When someone else does well, you can ask for advice and develop yourself instead of responding only with jealousy or attacks. Religious services are similar. One proposed method does not mean there are no other options. Understand the problem, communicate, and then find a suitable approach.

I have used the complementary personalities of the Seventh and Eighth Lords to discuss knowing when to yield and when to stand firm. Life changes frequently. Sometimes we need to advance, sometimes hold our position, and sometimes relax. During the pandemic, for example, daily life, classes, and activities all required adjustment. Even when many things did not go as we wanted, we still needed to learn to remain steady inside and face new circumstances.

You can also practice making your thinking more flexible in everyday life. Choose chess, puzzles, board games, or casual games you enjoy and exercise your mind. If games do not appeal to you, watch films or read novels or comics, consider how the characters respond to events, and think through possible outcomes. This is everyday practice in thinking, and it can help you learn to adapt.

Some changes are very practical. During the pandemic, fellow practitioners mentioned that clients no longer wanted to meet at the office, so they sent files and discussed matters by phone instead. Friends and students also switched to video meetings and working from home. Consider whether another method can still accomplish the work originally intended.

YOYO also shared the situation of a father working in sound services for outside events. As wedding banquets and other events were canceled one after another, the family naturally worried. Alongside doing what was possible to support the father, YOYO used divination to ask the Bodhisattva for guidance. The reminder was to accept the situation first and look for other possible sources of income. If that was not immediately possible, the time could also be used to rest and do other things, rather than remaining trapped in worry about lost income.

Reduced income and unpaid leave are real difficulties. You do not have to pretend nothing is wrong. Master Ji Gong reminded us that once something has happened, we should first accept it and then consider how to resolve it. Continual complaining leaves the problem where it is. Reducing that drain can also help body and mind feel more settled.

Life still has to go on. In discussing life during the pandemic, I reminded people to make the necessary safety preparations while finding ways to enjoy life within its limitations. Accept this stretch of the path, find what you can do now, and keep moving gradually.

Sheng Zhen Men had to adjust in this way too. When the pandemic suddenly intensified and people could not attend in person, we held a work meeting to discuss whether video sessions were possible. We first simulated how they would work and what problems might arise, organized the procedure so participants could understand it, and continued making adjustments as we went. This was our experience of adapting services during that period.

Questions and fear are normal when first facing the unknown. Work with companions to find solutions, try the parts you can manage, and then consider what to change. Looking back on that transition, YOYO also said it was tiring at the time and could take two or three times as long as usual. Doing it happily did not mean the process involved no hardship. It meant looking back afterward and seeing that you had truly accomplished something you did not previously know how to do.