<prompt> Human: Guys, I am 32, laid off more than a year ago from a pretty cushy contracting job in accounting that I hated but worked at for 5 years. I never finished my degree because I was working and I honestly wasnt ready at the time. Now I have about 12K in credit card debt from not working and am seriously depressed contemplating suicide sometimes with crushed self esteem. Ive never had problems finding a job in the past but with all this time out of the job market and feeling like absolute shit for not working or living out my life the way I wanted I dont even know how to begin looking for a new job. I also dont want to do bullshit accounting anymore and would do anything just to make enough to pay off my debt and go back to school for something completely unrelated. Im seriously considering cleaning houses or working as a waitress in a strip club. Should I consider this for real? Also, if I got another corporate job and they did a background test would they see this and think I was nuts? Any advice would be appreciated. I feel completely hopeless and dont know what to do.  <response>: 1. You are not your job.2. You are not your education.3. You are not your debt.4. You are not your credit score.Go ahead and let those sink in. Next thing to remember is that complacency is often an enemy of happiness. You had a cushy job, and you hated it, but you stayed. Why? What would you rather be doing instead? There is a pervasive and toxic idea that you have to be passionate about some kind of work or job, but Ill tell you what Ive my experience has been: Most people arent. That doesnt mean most people necessarily hate their jobs--though many do--it just means that most people work to fund the other aspects of their life. The trick is figuring out what kind of job you could find tolerable or, ideally, enjoyable.You came here looking for advice, but we cant really point you in the right direction. Your first step coming up with a plan. Short-term plan and long-term plan. Short-term plan should probably include getting some kind of job to stop the debt from accumulating. Long-term plan is just as important. If all you do is react to things, life will just keep happening and youll end up wherever it shoves you instead of where you want to be. Dont go back to school because it seems like the thing to do. Let me tell you, as an older non-trad student nearing completion of a degree, its rough. Unless youre doing it because you are certain itll help you get where you want to be, reconsider. I know a lot of this sounds like a bunch of platitudes, but that doesnt mean it isnt good advice. Last thing: remember that success isnt binary. Success is a building made out of the bricks and mortar of failures and smaller successes. You got laid off? Fuck em. Sent a resume to another business and no answer? Call them a few days later to see if theyre hiringreceived your resume. No luck? Fuck em. Real failure is just a choice to stop trying. 