"Many of us arrive at a new spiritual community with a similar mindset. We are often a combination of hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. We are typically voracious for genuine nourishment. We are usually at least somewhat angry with ourselves, our loved ones, and God. We are generally longing for—and, if we are honest, simultaneously fearful of—authentic connection. We are also weary of life and, at minimum, our own old ways of thinking and behaving. Initially, the focus of our path is usually (quite understandably) ourselves and alleviating our personal suffering."