We live in a world of opposites. Day and night. Hot and cold. Love and hate. Bitter and sweet. Everywhere you look, there is an ebb and a flow, a cycle of growth followed by decay followed by renewal.

When shooting a bow, the archer must first draw back the arrow — thus storing up the potential energy — before releasing it to fly forward. Retreat, then advance.

Our lives are no different. There is a natural rhythm to our internal energy, and the most efficient pathway towards the life of our dreams is to learn how to recognize and manage our highs and lows.

Sometimes we think we are above such petty fluxes. We think we’re the exception to the rule. We think we can muscle through our down cycles through shear force of will or by dogged determination. Sometimes we can. But man is it exhausting.

Often when we feel like we’re being buried by life, we are really just being planted and getting ready to grow. The important thing is to try and understand what these ebbs and flows are trying to tell us. The feedback mechanism can be found in our bodies.

How so? The next time you are about to take action on something important to you, check in with your body. Do you feel exhilarated or exhausted, full of excitement or inexplicably tired? Is your mind clear or does your head feel clouded and heavy?

You can fool your mind, but the body doesn’t lie. Listen to it. Note, I am not talking about negative thoughts, fear, worry, or trepidation. Those are different. What I am talking about is observing your gut instincts as manifested through the body.

Where in your life are you feeling the pull to draw back, to get quiet, to seek solitude? Maybe, like me, you’ve felt the recent urge to unfollow, unsubscribe, and unfriend your surplus of connections. Maybe you crave long walks alone or deep conversations with a trusted friend or loved one. Perhaps you just feel like cleaning out your closet. Whatever it is, recognize it. Relish in it. Recharge yourself.

Maybe, just maybe, life is preparing you to spring forward.