If all else fails, think of a platypus. Who doesn't smile at a platypus?

Say you’re having a bad day. Well now, that’s all right, tomorrow is a new day. But what if tomorrow’s another bad day? That’s all right, the weekend is coming. And what will the weekend bring? Plans with friends? A hot date? Quality time with the family? Maybe there’s none of that. But that’s all right, you can have some time to rest. It’s no big deal. Just a rough few days at work.

Maybe then you lose your job. Well, that’s no good. But it’s all right, you have a lovely home to go to and ride it out. But maybe you can’t afford your home any more, maybe you now have to move in with roommates or family who you dislike. But you’ll find a new job and get your home back. Except maybe nobody wants to hire you. You’re overqualified, you’re underqualified, you’re not right, you had an excellent interview but we’ve decided to go with someone else, you don’t know the right people. It’s all very frustrating, but all you need is some support to get through it.

How about you go and cry on the shoulder of your significant other. But let’s say you don’t have one. Maybe you did and it didn’t work out. Maybe you didn’t because you’re fundamentally unlovable. But surely that can’t be true. You’ll find somebody. But what if you don’t. What if you’re too unattractive, too dull, too mean, too slutty, too frigid. What if you fall for people who are already taken? What if you fall for people who don’t want you? What if you don’t fall for anybody at all? What if you’re always going to be alone?

Well, you’re never really going to be alone, you always have your friends to lean on. They love you and will always be there for you. Or, you know, they like you and will do what they can to help. Well, they sort of like you. You’ve been such a downer lately. Nobody wants to hear your whining all the time. Sure, things are rough and all, but buck up, have some fun, won’t you? Really, you’re not that close with them, so they shouldn’t be obligated to carry you through this crisis. That’s all right, you can deal with it yourself. Besides, isn’t it a bad idea to rely on other people to make you happy? Shouldn’t you be responsible for making yourself happy?

Of course, maybe you’ll feel better if you spend some quality time with yourself. Get back to your hobbies. Build something, craft something, write something, go hit the gym, go outside and play. These are things that people do for fun, aren’t they? You can start a new project. Lots of new projects. You’ve got all the time in the world while you look for a new job and a new home and maybe some new friends, the ones you’ve got weren’t really cutting it, and you ought to try to get out there and date again, time’s a tickin’, that true love of yours won’t be out there forever, and it really isn’t a problem, because once you’ve done all of these things everything will be all right, won’t it? Maybe? But maybe you never much liked your job, and maybe it was awfully hard to find the friends you’ve got already, much less a whole new set, and maybe you’re better off alone because anyone you’ve ever given your heart to has stomped on it, and really, will things be better when you’ve ticked off all those boxes anyway?

But tomorrow’s another day. What happens tomorrow? Well… it’ll be the same as today, really. And the day after that? Well. In fairness, you never know what could be around the corner. Maybe there’s something wonderful waiting for you. But today was just like yesterday, which was just like the day before, and you’re still waiting for something, anything, to bring a smile to your face, to promise that you’ll get through this.

And if you do? What’s waiting on the other side? Well there’s… ah… hmm. There must be something. Something that will make it worthwhile to push through all the bad days. And if you can find one thing, just one thing waiting on the other side, one thing that will make life worth living, you’ll do whatever it takes to carry yourself through, even if you have to do it all alone. It’s not a problem. All you need is that one reason to keep going.

What if you can’t find a reason?