Meditation isn’t about self-perfection. It’s about relaxing into groundlessness so you can actually enjoy your life. 

Today I was on an Elephant Academy video discussion with famous and wonderful and wonderfully self-deprecating, grounded, warm and funny Ada Calhoun (She’d hate hearing all those compliments strung together because she’s not focused on herself, and because I am lazily generous with my adjectives).

We discussed how Joe DiMaggio, the great Yankee Clipper and Hall of Fame ballplayer for the Yankees back in their glory days, made everything look easy. But it’s because he was the first to the field, every day, to practice—and the last to leave.

He took grounder after grounder, and it made him great.

Writing is a craft, just as is baseball. And so, too, is life itself. You want to stress yourself out because your friends are all going to yoga class and meditation lectures and apparently living fabulous lives on Instagram?

Well, remember,

“One reason we struggle with insecurity: we’re comparing our behind the scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel.” ~ Steven Furtick

If you’re struggling—financially or emotionally or career-wise or relationship-wise or all of the above—remember you’re not alone.

You’re not alone.

Remember maitri. Remember true meditation is an act of kindness, not escape or punishment.

PS: read Ada’s viral article on Women’s midlife crises on Oprah.com, here,—and you’ll realize you’re far from alone.