By Renae Pelo

For eighteen months, I lived near the breathtaking Caribbean Ocean in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The steady rhythm of the ocean soothed and energized my soul in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Each morning, as I splashed along the shoreline during my walks, I felt the waves gently—or sometimes powerfully—lap against my feet and legs. Some mornings were calm and serene; others were wild and stormy. And I loved every single one of them.

While I took countless photos of sunrises, I found myself captivated just as much by the waves. I’d hold my camera low to capture the mist spraying in the air, the dramatic arc of a wave crashing over a rock. The ocean never ceased to amaze me. Whether tranquil or turbulent, its rhythm filled me with joy and reminded me of how deeply connected we are to life and to nature itself.

There’s something about rhythm that draws us in. Babies find comfort being rocked back and forth in loving arms. Children rush to the swings and teeter-totters, chasing that rise and fall. Nature itself is filled with rhythm: the changing seasons, shifting temperatures, the waxing and waning of the moon. We’re wired to crave movement, change, and flow. When life gets too still for too long, we create change ourselves—because we’re never meant to be static.

Yet when change arrives unexpectedly or brings discomfort, we often wish things would just go back to how they were. That’s when the Law of Rhythm reveals itself as a true gift. It reminds us that everything in life moves in cycles. When we’re in the midst of hard times, we can trust that they won’t last forever. Just as surely as the tide recedes, it will return—again and again.

Those hard moments can feel permanent. The cold sore on the night of the dance feels as big as the moon—but it fades. The fever that kept us up with the baby finally breaks. The honeymoon glow dims with the first fight. Teenage love falls apart when someone new arrives. We get a raise—and then the car breaks down. Life flows in patterns: up and down, back and forth.

From the Law of Polarity we know contrast has purpose. The Law of Rhythm teaches us not to resist the lows but to observe them, ride them out, and trust another high is on its way. The more we practice tuning into life’s rhythm, the easier it becomes to surf the waves instead of being tossed by them. Over time, we get used to the highs—and when they start to feel normal, we begin to seek the next growth, the next climb upward.

Growth—that feeling of progress, expansion, moving forward—is what we truly crave. When we focus on what we want, we invite more of those uplifting feelings into our lives. The journey shifts—from riding unpredictable waves to climbing steady stairs.

Leslie Householder, author of Hidden Treasures, reminds us:

"Keep in mind that the Law of Rhythm guarantees that we will feel ups and downs. But as we learn to live 'by law,' we can ensure that our 'lows' are only the absence of a 'high.' This keeps us climbing."

Contrast brings depth and color to our lives. If every morning on that beach had been a glassy sea with perfect sunrises, I might have stopped noticing. It was the surprise of each new day—sometimes calm, sometimes wild—that made my time there sacred and unforgettable.

The Law of Rhythm is a true blessing. When we observe it, trust it, and learn from it, we can use it to grow, rise, and expand. Because it is the law.