[burntoutfire]

The problem with that is that, outside of our personal lives, most of our meaningful activities and contributions in society are organized as jobs at companies (or various government bodies). In my country even more so than in the US, as there's almost no volunteering here. It's just hard to feel like you're living a meaningful life without a job, or running a company yourself.

[pdimitar]

If you get a long enough break from work your hidden inner voices will start talking. You will discover that your identity isn't tied to your work-for-money activities.

IMO (I can't be sure of course) you simply never got off the hamster wheel for long enough to give your inner voices a chance to speak.