Actually, Nate, you hit on the one main thing to “finding your passion,” but then you dismissed it — which was a red warning light to me. “Also, a purpose might help keep you motivated or contribute to the overall enjoyment of your work and life in some meaningful way or some junk. But that’s probably all secondary to making a few greenbacks.”

Your purpose far outweighs your “passion” and especially those “greenbacks.” I’m having a huge, long experience with having lost my purpose and meaning in life; it’s called an existential crisis in some worlds. Yes, I need money, and yes, I want to get back to my passion, which was writing. I’m sitting on the outer edges of it now and have only a few vague clues on how to get back into my groove.

I suggest poetry and listening to some motivational speaker on youtube (not Tony Robbins — he’s a bit too intense). Anyway, that’s what I’m doing. I don’t like “feeling lost” either!!! Denial is more fun.