Pre stream entry I never really had to worry about direction in my practice. It took care of itself. The process knew the way. All I needed to do was trust it, and so I did. Now it seems to be waiting for me to form an intention. It isn’t really going anywhere, as far as I can tell, and I feel slightly disoriented, Maybe I’m just being ridiculously impatient, but it feels like I need to make a decision. Is there anything in particular that I should keep in mind when I form my intention in order not to screw things up?

I once stated loudly that I had given up on happiness and would settle for an interesting life, and the following years were a bit too interesting, so I’d like to avoid forming an intention that I would later regret. Been there, done that, and I don’t want to find out exactly how much mess a badly formed intention can make this time.

I am loathe to diagnose stream entry or anything like that over the web on a forum, but I will give advice that works equally well for post-stream entry post-Review practice as well as any phase before it.

That sense of "I need to make a decision", that sense of "what should I keep in my mind?", those sensations of questioning, of doubt, of impatience, of disorientation, of intentions, of hesitation, etc. When those processes occur, make those sensations themselves, both mental and physical, the object of inquiry and investigation right then.

That is very understandable.

Oh, of course. Thankyou! There’s the direction, right there in front of me. Haha!

How one can be so unreceptive to what is blatantly obvious is comical.

That is actually a gold mine for investigation presenting itself out in the open. How could I not see that? Yay, work to do! I’m happy now.