Meditation is like a well. When you need water, you go to the well to satisfy your thirst. But when you aren’t thirsty, you forget about it. You still have to maintain the well–oil its hinges, clean its faucet–but you don’t always need the water it provides. It’s only when a natural disaster hits or a plumbing line breaks that you realize you’ve prepared well.

Meditation is preparation. What happens when life circumstances don’t go your way? When your world and your wants don’t align, there’s a positive side. Receiving something you don’t want means you get to call on meditation for help. Meditation is a path to love what doesn’t fit. Meditate so you have enough spiritual ammunition to counteract what chaos brings.

You can’t expect your spiritual practice to serve you if you can’t call on it in times of need. When you receive bad news, mindful breaths suddenly become a lifeline. All the prior work you’ve done–meditating when things were going well–allows you to fall back on your practice when you need it. Start a meditation practice so when you get thirsty, you’ve already built the well.