Genuine question. I’ve always defined my worth by how much I could provide, fix, solve, or support. I was the dependable one, the one people called when they needed something. That used to feel like purpose.
Lately, though, life’s quieter. Friends moved away, family became independent, work’s less demanding. And I’m realizing…without someone actively needing me, I don’t really know who I am. I’m not sure what to do with myself when there’s no one to “show up” for. It’s oddly disorienting.
If you’ve felt this, how did you navigate it? Did you find a new identity beyond being useful? Or did you reinvent what “being useful” meant?
Would really appreciate hearing other men’s perspectives on this.