There are a lot of reasons you might be reading this right now.

Maybe a new friend from yoga class shared this link on Facebook. Perhaps it’s part of a re-vamped daily healthy lifestyle that involves getting up extra early to meditate, eat homemade raw farmer’s market fruit smoothies and reflect on positive affirmations. You are feeling awesome and making progress toward greater spiritual heights. Cool! My sincerest congratulations.

Then again, you might be reading this because you feel like total crap today and you’re looking for something, anything, to make you feel a tiny bit better. Let me assure you: even if it doesn’t work, you’re doing great, too.

I emailed a buddy recently to ask about a home study course that our meditation teacher was planning to offer for the second time. Was it worth the fee when you took it last year? I asked. “Yes,” she replied, “Although J. said she wanted to punch the screen when she was reading it…but I think that was progress.”

Amen to that.

Don’t get me wrong. At some point, I hope that you, I and the rest of humanity will get to where this lady is. Or this guy. It’s worth the effort, and we’re not going to stop trying because today sucks.

That said, some of us are not there yet, so just this once, I’m not going to try to say something to “make” you feel better. The internet is full of offered solutions to your problems, and yes, many of them have the potential to work if given enough time or effort.

If that’s not where you’re at right now, though, here’s your empathy instead!

Here’s to you, all you suffering, sad, angry, confused, anxious, exhausted seekers who got up early to bike to hot yoga, gave up wheat, quit drinking, left your bad relationships and still feel like hell for some reason.

You deserve to be a little pissed off.

Congratulations on waking up to the crappiness of this moment, even if you know it’s all in your head. You’re on your way.

Love elephant and want to go steady?

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Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: April Milani/Pixoto