Up and down the hierarchy. Ups and Downs define the cyclic nature of life. That’s how you sum up real life in three words. But, rather than embracing that life is cyclical and that bad times are inevitable, we expect to always be on an upward cycle. Almost everything we do involves the involvement of others. And, because we are emotional and inconsistent beings, the results are not consistent. Howard Marks, value investor and author of The Most Important Thing, explains this concept as follows:
“Mechanics can move in a straight line. Time advances indefinitely. When properly powered, a machine can do the same. However, in fields such as history and economics, processes involve people, and when people are involved, the outcomes are variable and cyclical.”
That conclusion can be applied to life in general. I can’t think of a non-cyclical human process. Consider your energy. Wouldn’t it be great if our energy levels were consistently high? However, most of us have days when we feel great and days when we feel like a bag of potatoes.
Consistency
My personal energy goal is to be as consistent as possible. I’d rather be at 80 percent of my maximum energy potential every day than 95 percent one day and 30 percent the next. There is only so much that we can do. Even if we work with things we can control, we still won’t be able to control everything. Personal energy, once again, is a prime example.
You can live a balanced lifestyle by getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, and exercising regularly, but you will still have days when you lack energy. Why is this the case? Nobody knows. Math does not apply to the human body and mind. But this is something we don’t value enough in our lives.
A Closer Look On How Ups And Downs Define Cyclic Nature Of Life
When Howard Marks discusses market cycles, he states unequivocally that we cannot predict the future. Just because the market has been rising for X years does not imply that it will fall the following year. Trends cannot be extrapolated.
Understanding cycles will only help you understand your current situation. Marks advises investors to “figure out where we stand in terms of each cycle and what that implies for our actions.” For example, we can consider an example of a relationship cycle
A Relationship Cycle
Every relationship goes through ups and downs. It is, in fact, unavoidable. As humans, we evolve, our circumstances change, and new stressors emerge. All these things are beyond our control, and as significant as they are, we may become oblivious to the changes as they become an integral part of our daily lives.
People frequently believe that we have power over our relationships. Thus, nothing is more troubling than when your marriage or relationship is failing, and you don’t know why or how to fix it. You can feel it when you wake up, and you can notice it while you’re eating dinner. Sexual intimacy with your partner begins to wane, and your patience wears thin.
You find yourself in an uncomfortable, dark place in your relationship, and you’re not sure when or how this happened. If you are experiencing or noticing any of these symptoms, here are five things you can do to get your marriage back on track. But nothing will ever be the same again. None of the preceding questions or implications imply that you can predict the future. If you’ve been feeling tired for the past four weeks, don’t expect to feel better the following week. It also does not imply that you will feel worse.. This proves that Ups and downs define the cyclic nature of life.
Make decisions based on cycles.
Knowing where we are in a cycle allows us to make more informed decisions. When you’re running low on energy, you want to conserve it by avoiding activities that sap it. When you’re overburdened, you want to take a step back and avoid starting a new project. What will happen if you do that? You might become exhausted.
I’ve been making career decisions based on cycles as well. In that case, I tried a lot of different things when for the first time I started my blog. I created various types of content, changed the design of my website, covering a wide range of topics, used various media channels, and so on.
I said yes to everything at the start of the cycle. But, after 4,5 years, I’m more focused on specific actions. I refuse more things. For the time being, this enables me to construct something very specific. That could change later in the cycle. So, ups and downs define the cyclic nature of life. They are part of life and ups and downs ensure the cyclic nature of life.
Ways to deal with life’s Ups and Downs
“Life is not a straight line; there are ups and downs.”
“How you deal with the troughs defines you.”
Lee-Chin, Michael
- Recognize that life has ups and downs and that this is a normal part of the human experience.
- Enjoy the highs and rejoice in the victories. Make the most of them because, while we know they won’t last forever, that’s part of their allure.
- You can’t have the highs without the lows, or the ups without the downs. They can’t exist in a vacuum because there’s nothing to compare them to. It’d be a boring sameness with no curves.
- The highs are fantastic but consider the lows, which are, by definition, more difficult.
- Accept that there will be ups and downs rather than fighting them or wondering “why me?” It aids in keeping perspective, depersonalizing a situation, and making it easier to accept.
- Look for the bright side.
- Downtimes help us grow as people, become more rounded, and develop empathy for others who have gone through similar experiences, such as grief or illness.
- Use the declines to gain a better understanding of yourself and others.
- Look for the lessons that difficult times teach us and use them to effect change. The ups and downs can be times of transformation, even if you don’t notice it until you look back and connect the dots.
- Make the most of your experience by becoming more resilient. You’ve been there before, survived, and you can do it again. Resilience is what allows you to bounce back, and the more resilient you are, the faster you bounce.
- Focus on the positive, even when things aren’t going well – look for the opportunity that may be lurking among the difficulties.
Conclusion
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that nothing in life is constant. We must respect life’s cyclical nature. And knowing where we are in the cycle allows us to make better decisions . Ups and downs come in our life and ensure its cyclic nature. While there will always be ups and downs, understanding cycles will make you less vulnerable to those fluctuations. When you make wise decisions, the cycles will favor you. If we do the same for every aspect of our lives, we can thrive when cycles go up and down.
