You can't change the past, but you can learn from it. When you review your past, do it with forgiveness and to seek some wisdom, but with no self-flagellation. Forgive yourself for any perceived "errors" or unfortunate choices. Let go of the past without losing sight of it.

Look to the future with hope and with some purpose. If there are ways in the here and now to set past "unfortunatisms" right or improve situations, without contorting yourself into knots, do some of them. But don't fret if there aren't or you've done what you can. The past is done.

There is no reason you can't shift your focus or career or line of work or your outside-of-work goals and activities, if you want to. You don't have to. Second and third careers can begin at 69, 59, 49, any time. New devotions can be acquired at any time.

It doesn't have to be dramatic. You can shift things into new directions bit by bit. You don't have to slam on the brakes, ditch the car and hike off the highway in a random direction.

Pick something you feel is important to you. Say, climate change, gerrymandering, home healthcare, mentoring, whatever, big or small. Doesn't matter. Could be tiny and could be the first of many tiny things or it might be in service of a huge societal goal. If you feel it is important, start on it in small ways. Doesn't matter how big the topic or how small the start, begin making steps. Be sure to appreciate and gain satisfaction from small steps. That keeps you going forward. A couple of years of small steps (don't have to be artificially constrained to be small) and then they start getting bigger and having more impact as you get into it. After 20 years, you will be amazed at what you have accomplished.

This is what I have begun. I had no midlife crisis, but somewhat later I have rededicated myself to a right-livelihood way that is a modification of what I have been doing. It is a way that helps me move society forward, at least a little bit, to get something done that needs doing. I have no idea what I might accomplish, but I know by choosing a good direction there will be some good come from it that doesn't simply benefit me.

Choose a forward direction, and start moving forward. A journey of a thousand kilometers begins with a single step. Focus on each step, with your head held high, looking forward. In other words, don't look at your feet, but be very aware of what they are doing.

Whatever you do, embrace the present. Find joy in the present, even if it is only a butterfly flitting by.

I was really hopeful you weren't as unaware as it now seems you are. I worded it that you were trying to make some kind of joke to give you a chance to recover.

You need to get a bit of basic knowledge about the USA's best friend and not assume that Canada is kind of America-lite. Canadians find it really disrespectful when Americans assume Canada operates like the US, the way your post assumed. I don't think it was your intention to be arrogant; rather it seems your ignorance has tripped you up.

Canada has a parliamentary system with a Prime Minister. This campaign is taking 34 days. It was called at Trudeau's choosing two years after the last election, though he could have gone the customary four years (less likely because he has a minority government) and could be as much as five years.
https://www.parl.ca
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Canada

Very different from the USA. You need to know these things.

I was polite, gave a clue in the post title, giving you some room to realize your error and affording you an excuse to cover it up if you took it. I did not refer to you personally; only to your words. But you came back with a personal slam about "need to get a grip on yourself".

So.

It is a big mistake to assume, as the article starts out, that the positive states of "divergent thinking and imaginative mind-wandering" are "irrational".

First, the rational / irrational dimension of thinking is orthogonal to the imaginative wandering dimension. Orthogonal meaning that the dimensional axes cross and are not parallel. We use those processes for different purposes at different times. Presumably "divergent thinking" is akin to "imaginative mind-wandering", though neither are defined.

Second, "irrational" has a very negative sense all around it and linking other dimensions of thinking to something so negative is needlessly giving them a huge burden to get out from under.

But read the article. The concepts of fractal nature and fractal neural activity are important and lead to the idea that thinking itself is fractal. Good article.

... "little d" democratic benefit.

The Republicans who go along with the RepubliQons just to stay in minority power over the majority throughout the nation DESERVE to be forced to split from an increasingly murderous and seditious wing of their party.

Either it's their party or they need a new party.

Schisms in the opposition are doubly beneficial when the opposition is both undemocratic and lethal.

Lethal by endless war and brutally spreading plague.

Undemocratic by needing voter suppression, gerrymandering and dirty tricks to maintain its grip over an electorate that is progressive, liberal, and Democratic, each by straight majority.

Use reality, truth, and shame for ignoring those two as wedges to split the guilty RepubliQon party into at least two pieces. For the sake of the freedom of future elections and freedom of the People of the United States of America.

So, yes, they ARE taking the "livestock de-wormer".

100% vaccinated is an illusion. You had best drop it.

Shaming is a powerful tool for achieving your goals. If "double-stupid" people are shamed then even stupid people take note and some wise up.

Further, and perhaps more importantly, shaming stupid RepubliQons makes it more toxic for wobbly middle voters.

I presume one of your goals is to see middle voters view Qonservatives and the GQP as toxic and UNHEALTHY and DANGEROUS, which is the reality. Many here at DU have that as a goal.

Women have a right to choose what to do with their own bodies. Their bodies, their choice.

Anti-maskers & anti-vaxxers do not have a right to medically endanger children and others who CAN'T BE VACCINATED.

Other people's bodies, not their choice!

You see, values have value. Ensuring that citizens have a base level of income, health care, and housing is a value that has value. It either is funded by employers paying living wages (significantly above current minimum wage) or by a corporate-tax-paid guaranteed basic income.

If employers are going to reap profits from making the minimum wage lower or ridiculously lower, then they can afford to pay higher taxes.

Oh, and by the way, these values that Democrats place value on? They are true christian values.

It's a way to be nice to them and to smack them in the face with facts.

If they can be persuaded they were lied to, they can "save face" and simultaneously leave their lying media sources.

Just calmly insist on the truth and let them get heart-attack-danger angry. It's a stage of grief.

Counter every idiotic assertion with facts and be calmly entertained by their paroxysms of anguish.