By Robyn Young

I love learning. It exhilarates me. Over the past few years, most of my learning has been focused on self-improvement—and that’s been the most exciting, most empowering kind of learning I’ve ever experienced.

But I’ve noticed a pattern. I dive into new principles, apply them in my life, and feel amazing for a few days. Then, out of nowhere, I hit a slump. I get sluggish, irritated, short-tempered. I used to get really upset by those days. I fought them. Denied they were happening. I even judged myself harshly—thinking, I was feeling so good, why can’t that last? What’s wrong with me that I keep slipping back into struggle?

Then, the other day, it clicked: it’s the Law of Rhythm. Just like the ocean’s ebb and flow, our lives move in rhythms. There are seasons for everything—and not every season is summer. Summer fades into fall, then winter—but spring always follows, bringing summer again. We can count on it. Life works the same way. We have good days, and we have bad days. But like the seasons, those bad days don’t last forever. By law.

Here’s another thing I’ve noticed about my own rhythm. Since learning the laws of thought and really trying to live by them, my down days look very different than they did before. I’m gentler with myself. Kinder to my family. My tone is softer. I’m more patient, more loving. I have more control over my emotions and reactions. I’m seeing my progress clearly.

The picture I have of my life isn’t a flat wavy line with ups and downs anymore. Now, it’s a wavy line that’s steadily climbing upward. I still experience lows—but my lows are higher than they used to be.

So I’ve decided I won’t call them “bad days” anymore. Instead, I call them “rhythm days.” They might look the same to others, but to me, they feel completely different. I am the difference. I know the challenging days are just that—a temporary phase with an end, making way for something better. And the challenges I face today are shaping a better tomorrow.

For every down, there’s an up. I can count on it. By law.