Going through life is hard. You never know what may come your way, and sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are difficult to navigate. Here are a few reminders that I give myself, and I hope they can help you too.

1. Write for yourself

I think this one is particularly relevant to me right now because I only recently started writing regularly. If you write for yourself, your writing will be better. Your passions and emotions come through your writing, and if other people can see it, they're more likely to enjoy it. Also, writing shouldn't make you miserable, if that's what you really want to do.

You should keep in mind who your audience is, because you'll be able to give them content that you think they should read. But write what you care about.

2. Always Keep Fighting / Love Yourself First

These two phrases come as courtesy of actor Jared Padalecki.

He uses them as mottoes for his campaigns to fight the stigma around mental health. They're reminders that you shouldn't give up and that you matter. People aren't told these things very often, and sometimes it may help to tell yourself.

3. Don't look/wait for only the "big stuff" in life

This is a reminder to appreciate the small moments. If you wait for the big stuff, you'll miss the small stuff that's equally as precious. Good laughs with friends on quiet nights should be appreciated just as much as a big promotion. Appreciating the smaller stuff will make life feel less bumpy.

4. Don't let the world make you bitter

The world can be a cruel place, and people are going to hurt you. It sucks, but it's true. The important part is that you learn from them, and you learn to let go. Don't allow anyone to change you into something you don't want to be. Don't lose your hope, confidence, or sweetness.

5. If you can't bend, you'll break

Keep an open mind. Other people are going to have ideas that are different, and you aren't always going to be right. Also things won't always go as planned. You'll have to find new ways to get to where you want, and not doing so will make things more difficult and lead to more trouble. Being able to change the way we think is important for growth.

6. Be patient

This one is hard. We like to see change and progress immediately, but things don't always work that way. The good things take effort and time. I rather not spend my time being frustrated.

7. Make good decisions

This one seems kind of obvious, but sometimes we want the easy way out. Sometimes we want to have instant gratification because we don't want to put in any effort. We want the easy decision. But the easy decision now, can be a bad decision in the long run. Think things through, and don't ignore all of the consequences you'll have to face. Put in the extra effort now, it will always be worth it.