Most of us are brought up believing that life is serious, and that the decisions we make are very important. But this theory makes life pretty dreary! Here are five aphorisms that might allow us to better enjoy the journey and trust that good things are coming.

1. Our Time on the Earth is Limited, Be Happy!

If money can’t buy us love and happiness, then why do we strive so hard for it? Sometimes we are overtaken with what we perceive as our duties and responsibilities, but really there is only one: the responsibility you have to yourself.

Of course this will sometimes involve others! However, ultimately, personal fulfillment is the key here. If you find yourself in a situation that is hard to just ‘let go,’ try the glass-half-full approach.

Sometimes the situation is just not serving you, and it’s time to move on. We’re just blips on the radar of time anyway, and our decisions will have very little, if any, impact on life in the long run. The average lifespan in the US is about 660,000 hours long and we spend about a third of that time asleep. Life is short, live it!

2. The Universe is Unimaginably Large, You Are Quite Small

In fact, we are only now starting to really comprehend what’s out there. However, we do know that space is full of galaxies and stars that are huge on a scale that makes our local ones look pretty insignificant.

We don’t know how we got here, and maybe never will.

Who knows, there are probably civilizations out there thinking that they’re the only ones on the block, living their own lives that they think are very important.

This is all the more reason to love each other and enjoy the time we have.

3. Worrying Doesn’t Do You Or Anyone Else Any Good

Sometimes life throws things at us that are difficult to handle. You may find yourself in new and uncharted territory.

Instead of worrying about it or focusing on how difficult it is, embrace it! It’s a new experience, you will learn from it and get better. Try to go with the flow. If you are being ridiculous, try to laugh at yourself!

If you find yourself failing to get a good night’s sleep or focusing on problems rather than positives, try meditation. It can help you turn your brain off, and if you’re negatively focused, this will help you to gain some perspective.

Problems have this funny way of breeding more problems. You don’t have any, your life is beautiful!

4. Your Work is Not Your Life

Everyone at some point hears about the inherent morals in hard work. Well, the truth is that if it’s too hard, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. When life is too hard, that means you’ve come up against a rock and are failing to go with the flow.

This isn’t to be confused with taking on a good challenge.

Climbing a new mountain in life can be extremely rewarding and healthy, in contrast to the fatigue that comes with ‘hard work.’ If you’re feeling overwhelmed, step back and take a deep breath.

This is all it takes to fix a bad day at work sometimes. If you find that work is consistently bringing you down, it may be time to peruse the help wanted ads.

5. Life is Absurd, and Ridiculous

We tend to worry and care a lot about things that don’t matter, such as what other people think.

We put on uncomfortable clothes to go to work. We miss the joys of bringing up our children because we’re too busy videotaping and photographing for posterity, rather than just living.

We do things that make us miserable because we’re convinced that we have to. We yell at people who are driving slowly and safely.

We argue and fight because we’re convinced that we’re right, instead of being satisfied that everyone is unique and has an opinion. If you can take a step back and laugh at yourself, then you’re a step ahead.