Thanks for all your wise replies folks. I'll reply more fully when I have a bit more time. I'm obviously not the only fed up person around here!! I am looking for ways to make things more positive for myself (getting some work would be a great start), but sometimes it feels like I'm, I dunno, punching around blindly in a sealed-up bag with no light in sight.

Make it happen.
Simplistic answer I know, but you only have one life, and it is short.
You owe it to yourself to make it what you want.
Some people say they have left it too late.
But now is the beginning of the rest of your life,
When else can you begin to change the rest of your life?
DO IT!

Sometimes deciding what you want/need to change, what you want to aim for then making a plan will help you move closer to what you want.

Small, incremental steps can be good as it feels good hitting goals you set for yourself and avoid feeling so far from your overall target. I can make you feel more confident and breaks the overall journey into smaller achievable steps.

If the main thing you need to change is something big then it's even more important to have a plan to cover how the change will affect you and anything you need to consider in the run up to the big change.

You are (for the most part) master or your own destiny if you're willing to take on that responsibility.

Whatever happens, I wish you well and hope you get what you want & need.

Me, too. It's not always an easy thing "to just change it," even one minor thing that matters.

I think it's best to concentrate on changing things that are in your own control.
I wish I had a wealthy good looking spouse might apply to most of us, but is largely outside our control. There is a large element of chance in life.

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