By Alyson Porter

When you’re feeling down, remember this: an upswing is always on its way. Plan for a steady, endless progression upward.

I’m a mom of four amazing kids—and I love each of them dearly! Every pregnancy was absolutely worth it. But, let’s be honest, pregnancy did a real number on my body. What used to be firm is now saggy, what was once strong feels weak, and everything that was once perfectly shaped now feels stretched out.

You get the picture.

Since having my second daughter, I’ve struggled with my body. Weight has come and gone so many times I’ve lost count. It’s been a wild rollercoaster. There was one particular low point when I felt completely defeated because I’d chosen a doughnut over eggs—again. I wasn’t even trying to be “good” at that moment. It was this exhausting cycle, and I kept beating myself up for it over and over.

I’d eat well, lose some weight, then sabotage it. And it wasn’t because I didn’t want to be healthy—I just felt so tired of the yo-yoing, tired of trying and failing and not making real progress. I felt like a broken record stuck in a loop, never truly getting anywhere. So why bother trying at all? Wouldn’t it be easier to just quit?

On one of those really low days, I felt like giving up for good. But then a dear friend came alongside me and said, “You can feel bad today, but tomorrow is fresh—no mistakes in it. Try again. And again. And again—until you get where you want to go.”

That advice has stuck with me across every part of my life: my relationship with God, parenting, my marriage, my work, my health. There’s always an upswing. There’s always forward progress—even if your momentum slows or you stumble. Just keep going.

Good things are coming your way, as long as you don’t quit. Failure only happens when you give up. Progress continues—even when you don’t feel it.