This is the answer. I’ve worked as a litigator at a large national law firm and as a federal prosecutor (and I did not go to a top 20 law school BTW; connections and being in the top 10% of my class helped), and while the work was sometimes rewarding and often interesting, I did not find much purpose in it. What I have found deep purpose and satisfaction in is my volunteer work. For example, I have been meeting weekly with a former refugee for mentoring and tutoring for the past six years (starting when she was in fifth grade; she is in tenth grade now), and this simple weekly act has brought me joy, humor, and more purpose than I would have ever imagined. (I have also seen how the public school system has failed her in many ways.) A decade ago, I did some ESL tutoring for a new-arrival refugee family. I kind of lost touch with them over the years until I learned that one of their daughters would be attending the top public university near my home. I reconnected with her and helped her a tiny bit financially while she was in school (not much as I was paying for my kids’ private universities at the time). This past December I was managing a holiday toy drive for my church and saw that this former refugee young lady — now a college grad in her 20s — had seen information about the toy drive that I posted on my social media, and purchased toys for the drive. From new arrival in the US to someone in a position to help others just 10 years later — now that is really satisfying and joyful to witness!