Lately I've found that my life feels like when I move forward I'm knocked back behind the starting line and I get frustrated. Despite all my work meditating, holding a positive and optimistic outlook and taking action, sometimes it's just hard. But you know what? Really it is OK to be in that moment and just feel it.

Working on our stuff does not mean that we are going to be shiny and happy all the time. Even on a day like today when we in the U.S. focus on giving thanks for all that is good in our lives. Especially on a day like today. All the emphasis on gratitude can remind and reinforce what is missing or not working in our lives. Being around others who give off the vibe and whom we perceive to be successful even if they might be faking it) - emotionally, financially, in relationships or whatever it is that we perceive to be broken in our lives - can undermine our own progress in seeing what is right in our own lives.

What do we do when we get to that place? We can focus on gratitude for even the most basic, simple things - breathing, the ability to access the internet and connect, food and shelter if we have those things. It can be a stretch but there is always something. Meditating helps us be in the moment rather than focused on evaluating and beating ourselves up for mistakes and failures. We can try to beat back our negative minds with all the turn-it-around positive talk we can muster.

Sometimes, however, it is right to just feel our frustration, to be mad at ourselves, to shake our fists at the sky. Let it out and get it out. Catharsis can be freeing so, on occasion, I might throw a little pity party and rage against the Maria and loudly curse the fates, the universe or whomever is conspiring to keep me down. Allowing myself to feel those feelings allows me to eventually gain some valuable perspective and move past them.

When I'm done feeling sorry for myself I can evaluate the situation more rationally. I can remember that I've had setbacks in the past but eventually I was able to move on and make progress. But progress never happens by sitting still. I have to get back up and try again even if it sometimes feels like I'll never pick up speed. Eventually I'll get turned around and the wind will be at my back rather than gusting in my face.

What do you do when it feels like you aren't making progress? Do you push yourself to buck up or do you sometimes wallow? And is it helpful or more painful than it is worth?

Related Reading:

Oh My Aching Debts: A Step Ahead and Two Steps Back

Susan Adams at Forbes: How To Survive A Demotion

Getting kicked down the career ladder stirs up a conflicting mess of emotions these days. You feel humiliated and discouraged, but at the same time you feel lucky to have any job. What's the best way to cope when it happens?

Kathleen at The Maxwell Minutes: Two steps forward, one step back

Tuesday I woke up and realized that I hadn't cried at all on Monday and had slept 8 hours.! I was excited as that was progress......then Tuesday afternoon I went to USAA for a meeting and in the middle of the meeting just began to cry....Joe always dealt with that stuff and I never bothered to learn as that was his area of expertise..... so many decisions to make without him......I had a pretty tearful day although I shopped and actually accomplished much.....but that is the way grief is....three steps forward and one back.

All Things Bright And Beautiful: One step forward, two steps.......?

I saw my dr later in the afternoon for a routine check. He said that he can not say this was not a mini stroke :( My optician says it sounds very much like a mini stroke :( But both say that no permanent damage has been done :) My doctor said yesterday that he feels it is a neurological problem and he is arranging more tests and a consultant appointment.

So I left the dr's feeling - well I don't know how I felt really.

Weight Loss Challenge - One step forward, two steps back...

I can so see why people throw in the towel and quit exercising. It's time consuming and, for me and I suspect a lot of other people, not exactly a laff riot. It's work. Or like another chore in the day. A must, not a wanna.

Angie at Keep Believing: two steps forward, one step back...

I don't know if you have noticed or not, but to me when I read over the last 7 months of posts, I notice a slight trend in the overall mood of this blog. As I read, I notice that the first several weeks after Brian's death were full of, "I don't feel like doing this" mentality. My mentality is changing a bit to not wanting this for anyone else, to understanding that it does get easier, to simply forcing some mood changes at home....

P.S. Yes, I am geeky enough to make sure I had a 2 to 1 ratio of forwards to backs. I may not keep a very clean house, but when the math doesn't add up, I have a sleepless night.

BlogHer CE Maria Niles now has an earworm of One Step Up by Bruce Springsteen at PopConsumer and Beyond Help.