The Beatles may have had it right when they sang, “All you need is love” over and over again in their song. Love really is an amazing entity in our lives – from a mother’s undying love and a child’s innocent love to a teenager’s first sweet love and an adult’s intense romantic love. It is what makes us human and, for some, it’s what makes life worth living. Many people feel that love is difficult or too complex, but it really isn’t.

At its core, love is pretty simple – it makes us feel good! At its most basic level, love uplifts and energizes us. In fact, it can actually change our body chemistry by raising oxytocin and dopamine levels. Oxytocin is a chemical that calms and helps bond couples together by promoting intimacy. Dopamine is the brain’s pleasure chemical. When we fall in love, dopamine is released, making couples feel elated and energetic about each other. Love is truly one of the most positive things that can happen to us.

So how does love impact us so positively? Here are 5 ways it happens:

1. Love makes us happy.

This may sound so unoriginal, but we do tend to forget the simple things in life. So, here’s a reminder: Happiness is good for your health. Studies have shown that it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, combat stress, boost your immune system and even protect you from aches and pains.

But the aches and pains you DO want are from the times you spend with your loved ones laughing so hard that your face and sides begin to hurt – now that’s love! When you truly love someone, it is so easy to be able to let go and act silly. And even though loving someone doesn’t mean that every day is filled with sunshine, there is still an underlying joy that happens when you are around that special person.

2. Love gives us hope.

When you experience love in any form (as a new mother, while dating, in a marriage), you feel like there is hope for good things to come. In a relationship, you tend to share your hopes and dreams and encourage one another to strive for your goals. Relationships move forward when plans are made and dreams are accomplished together. Hope can be a fragile concept, but love can help make it stronger.

3. Love makes us peaceful.

When life is chaotic and everything feels like it is falling apart, all you need to do is turn to that special person and feel calm and safe – that’s love. Knowing sometimes that a warm hug is waiting at the end of the day is all that is needed to feel at peace.

4. Love inspires us.

Watching someone you love do or say something amazing can give you such a sense of pride and inspiration. It’s exciting when you feel this kind of overwhelming love for someone else. That pride in someone else should also inspire you to want to be your best self. Inspiration is a motivator, it can push you to not only be the best you can be, but also accomplish tasks you may have been putting off.

5. Love makes us grateful.

When you have love in your life, gratitude is definitely a prevalent feeling. We should strive to make every single day a loving one, expressing our gratitude not only through words but through actions as well. It's easy to take things for granted, but when you are in love, it’s easier to be thankful for what you have. In fact, it's hard to be anything but grateful.

The word “love” itself is such a positive one, but the feelings love inspire are even more uplifting. It is a complex emotion when it comes to navigating a relationship but, simply put, love makes us smile. So, think positively and remember what the Beatles say … “love is all you need!”