life becomes easier when you have mantras to turn to—words of wisdom so reliable you can refer to them time and time again, trusting them to deliver apt advice no matter what stage of life you’re in. These tidbits push us forward when little else seems to do the trick. They illuminate even the most clouded of situations and remind us of what we believed when things were easier to sift through, to parse, to understand. Though mantras make obvious sense for big-picture dilemmas and life-changing moments, their usefulness far exceeds this application. We humans grapple with all kinds of stuff—what to eat for dinner, when to move to a new city, what the next step in a relationship should look like.