Consumed by feelings of failure, self-doubt, the world and this life bumps us left, and right, and we wind up feeling guilty, confused, not enough. There is still joy and community, but this life too often feels like a mishmash of light and dark, good and bad.

There is a salve. A solution, a path. it’s making friends with ourselves, all of ourselves—the parts of ourselves we like, and the parts of ourselves we feel bad about. The solution isn’t out there, it isn’t to be better or more. It’s to make friends with what’s right here.

But these are just words. We can actually do it. It’s the Buddhist path and meditation practice called Maitri. It’s in a community of like-minded caring community. It’s this February, with Elephant, right at the start of the Eastern or Lunar New Year. There’s no better way to begin the rest of your life than to invest in making friends with yourself, fully.

Take a leap. For $1 more, a friend or family member can join you, to make it more fun and safe and relaxed for you. It’s online—you can do it from anywhere.