The other night, I went to bed pondering the question of who I need to focus on serving in my spiritual advising and healing work. I know, “everyone” needs spiritual healing and clarity on some level (whether they know it or not), but I simply can’t serve “everyone” so I need to focus on a niche.

The answer came in a dream: I was at a zoo with a couple friends. We were the only ones there. Planes passed overhead, para-dropping crates into the zoo. We opened the crates and found little furry animals, that were scared, confused, cold and possibly hungry.

The crate that I opened had mostly cats in it. (Not a zoo animal, I know, but this is how dreams work.) I checked to see if they were injured or hungry, but they were simply scared and cold. I laid down in the midst of them, and they piled on top of me and around me, seeking warmth and comfort. I cared for them.

When I awoke, I figured out that the dream was not so different from real life, in a way. Here we are, on Planet Earth, which largely resembles a zoo. Our souls are taken from their natural habitat (the spiritual realm) and brought here to be caged in bodies, circumstances and other limitations. A lot of us feel like we don’t really belong here; we’re like aliens trying to fit in, but we never quite manage to do it.

Alone and confused, we seek comfort from people that know how we feel. Unfortunately, the story we often tell ourselves is that nobody knows how we feel (which allows us to feel special and unique), but the truth is, lots of people feel this way and just don’t admit it.

I’ve felt different my whole life. I can point to circumstances, such as my spiritual tendencies, or “the alienation of the modern man” as an excuse for why I feel different. But to be honest, it’s just an attempt at explaining it.

It’s true that I’m “different.” Does this serve as an excuse for alienating myself and not risking intimate relationships? It has. But this attempt at protecting myself comes at great cost.

I’ve been parachuted into this zoo for a reason: to reach out to others who feel alienated and confused in this material existence.

It is time to take a risk and reach out to each other – to build a caring community. The era of the individualist is done. We need each other. Now.