No Houdini, that cleaning out clutter idea of mg's is a really good idea. I was feeling pretty stuck a few years ago, and wondering what to do about it. I felt like cardboard, stuck in a rut, doing lots of things because I had to and not because i enjoyed them. One night I dreamt that I cleaned out a lot of stuff I didnt need, I had put old wardrobes etc on the footpath out the front of the house for people to take.

When I woke up, I cleaned quite a few things out of my house, including over two hundred books which I took to various second hand bookshops (still have heaps more). I got rid of old artwork (kept the best) dried up paints & art equipment, clothes that had had their day, clutter in the kitchen (jars, old plastic containers, gave away CDs that I didn't listen to. The whole house felt clearer and simpler.

Something that took more thought and time was getting out of a "dead" relationship - kindly, fairly, firmly. It was tough but years later we are still friends with no bad feelings. Despite initiating that change myself, I found it very hard on my own for the first couple of years, however it was the right thing and I have no regrets.

I have spent four years moving out of one career and into another. I'm now working in a great workplace, though I travel to another city during the week to work. This is the best compromise to achieve a happy working life, at present.

another thing I did was think "what were all those things I wanted to do when i was 19?" and i went out and did a lot of them. (this project is still underway!!)

I agree too, with mg's suggestion to make a change in one area of life and it will spread to others. I joined a choir and got back into the folk scene. These two things had a wonderful impact on my life.

years later I am leading a pretty happy life

good luck

freda