How to Break Through With No Connections or Resources? The Hexagram of Gathering Together (Cui / 萃卦) Reveals: When People Gather, Success Follows

A lot of people want to make something of themselves, but the first thing out of their mouth is always the same: I don’t have connections, I don’t have resources, I don’t have a background, so I’ll never make it.

It sounds reasonable on the surface, but really, it’s just laziness.

Are connections something you’re born with? Do resources fall from the sky? Is a background a free gift for topping up your phone bill? None of the above.

All of these things are built, gathered, and nurtured little by little.

If you don’t have connections right now, go out and meet people. If you don’t have resources, learn to pull resources together. If you don’t have a powerful background, be your own background.

The ancients saw this clearly, and dedicated an entire hexagram to the idea: the Cui (Gathering Together) Hexagram.

Cui is 泽地萃 (Gathering Together), with Dui (The Joyous) above and Kun (The Receptive) below — a marsh sitting above the earth. What does that mean? Water flows across the land and gathers into a vast wetland. Scattered across the ground, water is nothing much. But when it pools together, it becomes lakes, seas, and bodies deep enough to hold great ships.

What is “cui”? It means gathering, assembling, bringing scattered things together into one place.

The Hexagram Judgment of the Cui Hexagram states: “亨，王假有庙，利见大人，亨利贞，用大牲吉，利有攸往。”

What does it mean? When people gather together, things flow smoothly and get done easily. Even for a major ritual like a sacrifice, when everyone is present and united in purpose, offering a large sacrificial animal brings good fortune, and moving forward is favorable.

Think about it: the ancients even waited for everyone to gather before holding a sacrifice. So why do you think you can’t build a career just because you don’t have people or resources right now?

If you don’t have people, go gather them. If you don’t have resources, go pool them. If you don’t have a team, go build one.

The question isn’t whether you have these things right now — it’s whether you know how to gather them, whether you can gather them, and whether you can keep them once you do.

Why can some people turn a scattered mob into an army, while others can’t hold onto a team even when they have people? There are three key differences.

First: do you have a reason that makes people want to join you?

The Hexagram Judgment says “the king comes to the temple to offer sacrifice.” Why do people show up? Because there’s a temple, a sacrifice, a shared ritual, and a shared belief.

You can’t gather people with money alone. People who come for money will leave the second the money runs out.

What works instead? Shared goals, shared values, something everyone believes in together.

If you want to gather people, first figure this out: besides making money, what’s the point of what you’re doing? Who will it help? What will it change? What growth will the people who follow you gain from it?

Once you’ve thought that through and can explain it clearly, people will naturally want to come on board. People don’t mind hard work — what they mind is hard work that means nothing.

If all you ever think about is making money for yourself, why should anyone work for you? When you have a goal everyone believes in, that’s when people will want to fight alongside you.

Second: can you arrange the people you’ve gathered properly?

The Xiang Commentary on the Cui Hexagram says: “泽上于地，萃。君子以除戎器，戒不虞。”

A marsh rests above the earth, with water gathered together. Seeing this image, the junzi (superior person) organizes weapons and guards against unexpected misfortunes.

Just listen to that — how clear-eyed the ancients were. When people gather together, their power grows, but so do their problems. More people means more opinions, more complications, more conflicts. That’s why the first thing to do after gathering people isn’t to celebrate — it’s to “organize weapons and guard against the unexpected”: set rules, establish order, and prepare for surprises.

A lot of people get excited when people join their project — they drink, eat, slap each other on the back, and have a grand old time. But when it’s time to actually get to work, no one knows who’s in charge of what, who does what, who has the final say, or who to go to when things go wrong. It’s all a total mess.

What happens then? The more people you have, the more chaotic it gets. The harder you work, the worse it turns out. In the end, everyone parts on bad terms.

Gathering people is only the first step. The real skill is managing them well and arranging things properly once they’re there.

Third: can you make this gathering last?

The Cui Hexagram speaks of “亨, 利, 贞” — penetrating, favorable, correct. Just gathering people isn’t enough; you have to walk the right path and make it last.

What’s the “right path”? It means you gather people to do honest work, to benefit everyone, to get the job done right. Not to form cliques, not to build exclusive little circles, not to cheat or swindle people.

You can gather people with underhanded tactics too, but they’ll fall apart just as fast as they came together — and you’ll go down with them in the end.

People gathered through the right path may come together more slowly, but they’re steady, long-lasting, and reliable. Everyone comes together because they believe in the cause, and their bond grows stronger as they achieve things together. That’s the kind of team that can’t be broken or worn down.

So how can an ordinary person with no connections and no resources break through by “gathering”? Three paths, taken one step at a time.

First: start with a small circle. Don’t try to build something huge right out of the gate.

When a lot of people hear “connections” or “resources,” they immediately think of meeting big bosses, getting into elite circles, or skyrocketing to success overnight.

Cut the crap. You get into circles at your own level. If you don’t have anything to offer, even if you get invited to a fancy dinner, no one will actually include you.

When it comes to gathering people, start with the people around you.

Your classmates, your coworkers, your friends, people in your industry, like-minded people you meet online — these are your starting point.

Build good relationships with these people, help each other out, work on small projects together, grow together. Keep them in mind when good opportunities come your way, and they’ll do the same for you. The more people you help, the more people will be willing to help you.

Once you’ve built a solid small circle, more people will gradually join. As the circle expands outward, your network will grow wider and wider.

Don’t look down on small circles. Even the biggest careers start with tiny teams of just a few people. Even the widest networks start with one or two friends.

Gathering people is just like saving money: you start with a dollar here and there, and over time, it adds up.

Second: set the rules before you start working. Don’t wait until everything’s a mess to fix it.

Once you’ve gathered people, don’t rush to charge forward. First, lay down the rules.

What kind of rules? Three things are most critical.

First, division of labor. Be clear about who does what, who’s responsible for what, and who reports to whom. Don’t let everyone pile in on everything, fighting for credit when things go well and shifting blame when they go wrong. Clear division of labor is the only way to be efficient.

Second, sharing the gains. Decide upfront how profits will be split, how losses will be shared, and how credit will be assigned. Don’t be awkward about talking money. If you wait until you’ve already made money to discuss it, it’ll be too late — no amount of “brotherhood” will save you. Be tough on the terms first, be a gentleman later. When money matters are clear, relationships can last.

Third, decision-making. Set rules for who calls the shots on big issues, who can make calls on small ones, and how disagreements get resolved. Don’t put everything to a vote, don’t make every decision yourself, and don’t just go with whoever yells the loudest. A clear decision-making mechanism keeps the team from falling into chaos.

“Organize weapons and guard against the unexpected” — when you’ve got your tools ready, your rules set, and your contingency plans in place, you won’t panic when things actually go wrong.

A lot of teams don’t fail because they lack skill — they fail because of internal chaos. And the root of internal chaos is always not setting the rules properly at the start.

Third: give value first, then talk about rewards. Don’t just think about what other people can do for you.

A lot of people approach networking with the mindset of “I know you, so you owe me a favor later.” They add people on WeChat everywhere, hand out business cards left and right, and say “let’s keep in touch” to everyone they meet.

What happens? When they actually need help, those people don’t even reply. Why? Because they have nothing of value to offer them.

The essence of networking isn’t how many people you know — it’s how many people are willing to help you. Why would anyone want to help you? Because you can help them too.

If you want to gather people and build a network, first think about what you can give others. What skills, resources, information, or opportunities do you have that other people need?

Put your value out there first. Help others first, and they’ll remember your kindness and be willing to help you in return. If all you ever do is take, who would want to be around you?

What’s the core of the Cui Hexagram? It’s “a marsh resting above the earth.” Why does water gather into a marsh? Because the land lies low, it can hold water, and it supports it.

If you want to gather people, you have to be like the earth: humble yourself, be tolerant of others, and lift people up. The more arrogant you are, the more you put on airs, the more you try to take advantage of people — the less anyone will want to be around you.

The humbler you are, the more genuine you are, the more willing you are to give — and people will naturally gravitate toward you.

The Cui Hexagram is all about the wisdom of “gathering”: when people gather together, their power grows. When resources gather together, things get done easily. When hearts gather together, you can get through any obstacle.

No connections? Go meet people. No resources? Go build them. No background? Build your own circle.

Don’t use “I don’t have resources” as an excuse. Resources are never something you’re born with — they’re something you gather.

If you’re willing to give, if you understand the rules, if you have a clear direction — people will naturally come. When people come, resources follow. When resources come, things get done.

It’s really that simple.