Cliche quotes. They’re overused, unoriginal, and at times, just downright cheesy. I love inspirational quotes, but there are some that I instantly label as corny or unhelpful. But sometimes these cliche pieces of advice are overused for a reason. When I took the time to reevaluate, I realized some of these quotes deserve a second chance.

• Live for the moment.

In my short lifetime, I’ve heard this phrase an insufferable amount, probably because I’m a worrier. I’m constantly looking ahead to the future at all the tasks I need to accomplish and how it could go wrong. But remembering to live in the moment has helped me handle stressful situations with grace and wisdom. I simply deal with the present task the best I can, rather than being distracted by a million other things.

• A smile goes a long way.

When stress, anxiety, and depression are weighing me down, a smile seems like a futile effort. But studies show that smiling releases a chemical in the brain that can actually make you happier. And not only can a smile brighten your own day, but it can also brighten other people’sdays. In a sea of faces, the smiling ones stand out like a flower in a field of weeds.

• You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

This one was on a poster in my 5th-grade teacher’s classroom. I walked past it every day and vividly recall thinking it was, to put it simply, dumb. But a few more years of life experience have helped me come to appreciate this quote. I’m always so afraid to step outside the confines of my comfort zone, due to a crushing fear of rejection. But every time I manage to overcome this fear, I am surprised at not only how much I accomplish, but also how much fun I have. And I’d always rather know I tried rather than wonder what could have happened.

• Life’s a journey, not a destination.

I don’t really know what my calling in life is. I just know I’m on this planet, and eventually, my time here will come to an end. That’s the destination, but it’s not what’s important. It’s important to make the most of the little moments in life, as cheesy as that sounds.

• Dance like no one’s watching.

This and a million other variations of “be yourself” are so overused that it’s laughable. But in all honesty, in a world where conformity is the goal of many, this is one of the most relevant cliches. The moments where I’m dancing without care are the most beautiful moments in life. The moments where I stop caring what other people think are the moments when I am the happiest.

• Life isn’t about finding the sun, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Sometimes the darkest clouds don’t have a silver lining. Sometimes you simply cannot find the sunshine. But dancing in the rain is good too. Life is full of difficult moments and seemingly impossible struggles. If I’m set on finding happiness that isn’t there, the struggles will be that much more prevalent. By choosing to be happy, even when it seems like there’s nothing to be happy about it, the struggles will eventually fade away. Sometimes you just have to look at the situation from another angle.