This is a very common experience. Sooner or later you get out of "survival mode" in your life and start to wonder what's left. I think this used to be called a

This is a very common experience. Sooner or later you get out of "survival mode" in your life and start to wonder what's left. I think this used to be called a mid-life crisis. Speaking generally, I've seen people find their way out of it by making their lives be about something other than themselves. That can mean kids, a community, a cause, or anything that requires setting their ego aside. I don't think this is a flaw of western culture, as many characterize it. I think our parents and their parents did a poor job preparing this generation for dealing with this because they were rarely prosperous enough to think about more than just survival. That could hit any culture that went through less prosperous times equally.