In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to lose sight of the things that really matter. Between paying bills, stressing about work deadlines, and everything else we have to manage, we can easily overlook all the little things that make life so beautiful. However, these seemingly insignificant parts of our journey here can totally alter our outlook on life, if we choose to remind ourselves of them.

Here are 5 things you should remind yourself of every day:

1. Remind yourself to remain grateful for all the blessings in our lives.

Maybe your car broke down yesterday, and you can’t afford the repairs at the moment. Perhaps you just lost your job and can’t find a replacement. Maybe you forgot to pay the electric bill this past month. But really, when you reflect on your life as a whole, do these things really matter in the end? Will you allow these trivial parts of modern life to take away your peace? Instead of thinking about everything that seems to go wrong, start directing your thoughts toward things that go right. Express gratitude for your family, friends, the fact that you woke up to a beautiful sunrise, the nourishing breakfast you had today, and anything else you feel thankful for.

Notice how your whole outlook changes when you silence the negative thoughts, and instead allow positivity to color your life. All change begins within our mind, so if you don’t like your current situation, start examining and questioning your thoughts. They might just have gone off on a tangent without you even noticing.

2. Remind yourself that the only limits that exist are in our minds.

Limitations only exist if we allow them to. As a human being occupying this planet, you come from the universe just as we all do. You represent a fragmented part of the cosmos, which means that the universe gets to express itself through you. Don’t let the monotony and hardships of modern life make you believe that you only exist to pay bills and die, because that will only perpetuate the idea that you must live within societal expectations and limitations.

Every morning, remind yourself that you have unlimited potential, and no one can dictate your abilities and lifestyle except for you. You control your vessel, and you get to decide where to sail. You have supreme control over your life, and no one can live it but you. Rise above the status quo, and aim to reach your full potential – you deserve to become the best version of yourself.

3. Remind yourself that happiness begins and ends with us.

No matter your attitude, you chose it right when you woke up this morning. You either woke up thinking of everything you had to do today, and how little you wanted to do it, or you woke up thankful for another day, feeling excited for new opportunities. With each new sunrise, we have the power to transform our lives through our thoughts, because we ultimately become what we predominantly think about. If you want a happier life, then start creating it with more positive thoughts.

Gratitude, humility, and dedication will get you there – you just have to have patience with yourself. You can’t change your whole life overnight, but the small changes you do make will accumulate, and your life will finally start to look like the one you’ve envisioned.

Of course, no one can feel happy 100% of the time, but if you strive to look at the bright side of every situation, then happiness seems much easier to achieve.

4. Remind yourself to give unconditional love.

All of the problems we experience here on Earth stem from the fact that people don’t really love themselves. If everyone filled up their own cups with love and care, they wouldn’t feel the need to take from others. While people may have different definitions of love, we can all strive to go within more and heal ourselves with positive affirmations, meditation, and self-care. By showing ourselves love in abundance, we will never again feel empty.

So, when you wake up tomorrow, say to yourself “I love you, no matter what. You’re doing the best you can, and I will never give up on you.” If you show yourself some compassion and make a habit of doing so, the clouds begin to roll away slowly, and life begins to look like a much brighter, less hostile place.

5. Remind yourself that you choose how to occupy your time.

Many people unfortunately don’t like how they spend the majority of their time. If you don’t enjoy your job or your degree plan at school, you need to sit down and reevaluate your goals and dreams.

Will your current job get you closer to your ultimate goal, or does it simply pay the bills and put food on the table? Do you enjoy what you’re learning in college, or do you feel uninterested and restless during most classes?

We all deserve to live fulfilling, meaningful lives, and if you don’t remember your “why,” then remaining in school or at the job that drains your energy will only continue to drag you down. Don’t waste your life doing something you hate just because you feel afraid to see what will reveal itself when you strip away everything that no longer serves you.

Each morning, ask yourself if you feel excited for the day ahead. If not, think of how you’d rather spend your 24 hours, and build your life around that. We can all live our passion; it just takes believing in ourselves and committing to following our hearts, no matter where they lead us.