what do you do about "bad meditation" days?

[anagogy]

I think I disagree with this because - isn't it that, during the times when you have a heavier weight on you, the work you do strengthens you that much more? Like if meditation is compared to climbing a steep hill every day - on the days you have no weight, it's a regular old workout, you gain an average amount from it. on the days you have a heavy backpack, rather than it being "little gain," it's actually working your leg muscles more than it would have without the backpack. so on those super distracting days, isn't it extremely beneficial to adamantly seek the silence??

this is the philosophy ive been using, and sometimes, like today, i break through to a more rewarding silence than if I had been clearheaded initially.

i'm more wondering what you all do when you find your mind unnaturally cluttered and can't seem to find the silence.

In certain situations you are absolutely correct. But it is sort of like working out when you are sick. It could just make you sicker to exert yourself when you are in a resistant place. It really just depends on the circumstance.

There are challenges that strengthen you, and there are challenges that kick you when you're down... I suppose it just takes a level of discernment to determine which is which.