Help please, not an expert but I've been playing a long time

[coolmoedee]

I have recently noticed that I get in the money most of the time I play in MTT but usually I'm only getting my money back or finishing out of the real payday's. I feel that I'm playing solidly but when there is a lull in the cards, and the blinds are up, I never know when to make moves and such. Let say im in the final 30 of a big mtt. I have the average stack but because the cards arent coming my way, after 30 mins im in the lower 20%. Then I'll make a raise with ak, get re-raised all in by bigger stack holding 77 and I lose when i call. I have won a few larger MTT's in my 7 years of playing poker. I have a real job and only play about 5 tourney's a week. I feel my game is sharp yet when it comes down to the end, im always left hoping to double up instead of picking guys off, what can I do differently? Take more chances once im in the money? Take more chances early?

My other thought is that I dont know when to re-steal and things like that. I usually only get chips when I raise with a real hand and either take it down right there, or someone goes all in vs me and i have the best hand. I almost never accumulate any chips trying to steal or re-steal and i'm sure i lose more chips making moves than I win. Are there things I can pick up on, some simple "stealing chips for dummies" I can read?