The Bhagavad Gita does not begin with a wise man. It begins with a strong man who is falling apart.

Two sides of one royal family are about to go to war. Arjuna is the best archer of his time. He asks his friend Krishna, who is driving his chariot, to stop between the two armies so he can see who he will be fighting.

Across the field he sees his own family. There is the grandfather who carried him as a baby. There is the teacher who taught him to use a bow. There are cousins he grew up with.

Arjuna's mouth goes dry. His hands shake and his bow falls. He sits down in the chariot and says, "I will not fight."

Here is the important part. The Gita's great teaching only happens because Arjuna admits he is lost. He doesn't pretend to be fine. That honesty is not weakness. It is the first step.

Many of us hide when we are struggling. A student doesn't say they're confused in class. A grandparent doesn't tell anyone they feel lonely. The Gita shows another way: say it out loud, and let someone help.

In the next seventeen lessons, Krishna answers Arjuna. It all begins with Arjuna saying, "I don't know what to do."