Aviation needs to be considered more like music, acting, painting etc.
Plenty of the Hollywood set have spent many years a broke actors working part time jobs to try and make it to the big time. Plenty of big name bands have spent years doing free/cheap gigs harassing club owners/promoters etc.
If you want a laid down career for you, go to uni get a commerce/economics degree and go work for a bank or insurance company. Not as exciting or interesting as flying but you will make more money, have a regular lifestyle, and have a nice little career path laid out for you, if that's what you prefer.
It is also worth pointing out that once some people get into an airline they start banging on about the 'hard yards' as self glorification, when in fact they weren't so bad after all. Have heard one guy tell me about the 'hard yards' when he never even left Melbourne for his whole career!!! Funny stuff.