Getting lost can be a frightening experience.  Whether it's in a strange city, or a neighborhood you've never been in before, ore even a strange country.  The simplest thing to do to prevent this is to travel with someone who knows his way around.  
    The same is true of our journey to spiritual enlightenment.  We can get lost in basically two ways.  By following false gurus or teachers who don't know what they are talking about, or by just giving up, usually because we don't seem to be making enough progress.  Again, the best solution is the same: stick with a spiritual school that helps to guide you at your own pace toward the ultimate truth.  And don't trust any guru or preacher who claims to provide instant enlightenment.  It simply doesn't work that way.  You can't go on a diet and loose fifty pounds in one day and you can't go from an essentially materialistic life to being one of the few truly enlightened individuals overnight.