When you have a dream and you’re working to realize your potential, every day offers a new challenge.

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Some days bring setbacks in your business or career, others a family issue, and sometimes it could just be that you’re having a hard time getting yourself going — our motivation can suffer despite our best efforts.

It’s because of times like these that a few simple daily reminders of our greatness and potential can go a long way.

We need the kind of messages that remind us that what we are going through is normal and that we’re not really screwed up. That our challenges are part of the human experience and that we can not only get through to the other side of these obstacles but also do something great with our life.

Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential.

– Winston Churchill

Below are five powerful messages that you can use as daily mental notes to help you overcome adversity and rise to your potential.

Each of the reminders below is meant to target a specific, common challenge that most of us experience. They also work well as affirmations that you can use to turn these powerful messages as deeply ingrained beliefs that will lead to success.

1. “I am worthy.”

This one is by far one of the most powerful and important reminders of all, since the belief of not being worthy plagues the vast majority of people.

We don’t believe that we’re good enough, and this is no more evident than when we experience challenges. It’s during hard times that we doubt ourselves more than ever, and use these events as reasons to reaffirm why we’re not good enough.

But you are good enough and you are worthy. This idea of unworthiness is completely false and unreasonable and born simply from your inner dialogue — a small, automatic mechanism of your subconscious mind that doesn’t know a damn thing about your potential.

You’re worthy of whatever it is you were called to do. Never stop reminding yourself of this.

2. “It’s normal to doubt myself. Even the most successful people doubted themselves before they realized their vision.”

Doubt is a plague that can kill even the greatest amount of energy and excitement. It can stop us dead in our tracks and we often develop a condition that involves us sabotaging ourselves with doubt just as we begin to really get rolling, so it’s imperative that you remind yourself regularly that:

  1. Doubt is a perfectly normal part of the process and
  2. Even the most successful people throughout history doubted themselves

It’s especially important to remind yourself that doubt is a normal part of the process because it’s easy to forget. And when you forget, you begin to believe yourself when the doubt creeps in…

I’m probably not smart enough…

My idea probably isn’t good enough…

I don’t think I can do this…

All of these are ideas born from doubt that need to be squashed as soon as they come up, so never stop reminding yourself that those who came before you doubted themselves at some point as well.

3. “There’s always a way.”

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Sometimes, we’re so steeped in darkness that it seems as if we’ll be completely consumed by it. We feel like there’s no way out and we’re about to give up.

It’s at this point that this reminder is most powerful.

There’s always a way. There have been times in my life where I was frightened, not only for my future but for my life as a whole. I felt like the darkness was closing in around me and that there was nothing I could do about it.

And then another day came and a solution presented itself.

It always seems to work out that way. Things get bad and then something in you arises to meet the challenge, like a weaponless spiritual warrior suddenly granted a sword to fight the demon.

There’s always a way — remind yourself of this when you need it the most.

4. “Passion and love guide me.”

I’m not talking romantic love, I’m talking about what inspires you — your calling.

If you’re doing something that you’re not meant to do, it doesn’t sit well with you. If you pay close enough attention, you can feel it. And you can also sense when something feels right. Follow this feeling long enough and you’ll find your happiness.

This, as much as anything else, is what I’ve found to be the true source of happiness. That progress is made while working on our passion.

The thing is, it’s easy to forget this and to begin settling when everyone around us is telling us we’re crazy. Never let this happen.

Let your passion, your love of things (whatever those things are), guide you through life and you’ll never be steered wrong.

5. “All I can do is all I can do.”

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This is one of my favorite quotes of all time, and it is stupidly simple.

It means that if you give your all, you’ve done all you can do and you can’t kick yourself for what happens next. If you give your all, then that’s the best you could do.

But the thing is, it’s also a reminder that you can probably do more. And that’s really why this reminder is powerful.

If you’re honest with yourself and you truly want to realize your dream, you’ll typically find that you haven’t given things your all. In that case, this message can be a powerful reminder to continue to push yourself forward until the day you begin to perform on a level that you feel good about: “Yes, I gave my entire heart and soul today and left everything on the table.”

Once you get to that point, you’ll be living a life of no regrets. And that’s powerful.