“Help….I need somebody. Help….not just anybody. Help….you know I need someone. HELP!!” –The Beatles

Yes, we all loved that song and the movie as we watched Ringo run away from those who wanted to steal his precious ring! It seemed like such an innocent and fun-loving song the way The Beatles presented it. But, in reality, it was John Lennon’s genuine cry for help. He had become overwhelmed and didn’t know where to hide.

Determine When It is Time to Retreat

We have all heard our friends, families, co-workers cry out for help, feeling as if everything they try to think, say, or touch seems to go in the totally opposite direction of their character. Everything is out of whack! How many times have we ourselves felt this way? We go about our daily business smiling, talking the talk, but feeling as if we’re not “walking the walk.”

Then doom and gloom sets in and we begin to lose confidence, self-esteem, self-worth. Our own cry for help begins to surface, only we are not quite sure where to Turn. Do we turn to friends, loved ones, church? Do we turn to self-help or spiritual books?

And if we are spiritual practitioners or journeying the path of spirituality, it becomes compounded by this idea that we are not supposed to feel this way. We think to ourselves, how can this be? We chant every morning, meditate, are in service to others for their own healing, adhere to dharma. This should not be.

Our Humanness Surfaces, If We Pay Attention

Well, guess what? At some point, our humanness with all its traumas surfaces. As a matter of fact, precisely because one is a practitioner or spiritual teacher/leader, challenges arise more often. And really, that is a good thing! It allows release of that which attaches to the energetic body and move on.

What we fail to understand is these moments are nature’s way of telling us something is not right in our life. It brings to light unanswered questions and conflicts within our subconscious mind. And, it becomes an opportunity to confront ourselves. Is it painful, confusing? Yes! But it is also through pain and sacrifice that we release and evolve.