Don't listen to the naysayers who are telling you to give up on finding fulfillment in work. It is possible, but you need to be intentional about it. Step back

Don't listen to the naysayers who are telling you to give up on finding fulfillment in work. It is possible, but you need to be intentional about it. Step back and find a worthy goal, something that you believe will advance humanity and make the world a better place. Take some time to think hard about this -- there is such abundance in our field that it can be easy to bounce from one opportunity to the next without stopping to think about what it is that you want to accomplish over the long term. Once you've decided on your goal, figure out what you can be doing to advance that goal. Optimize career decisions toward reaching that goal. Maybe this means changing jobs to work with experts in a particular area. Maybe it means finding a startup that is doing interesting work in that area, or starting a company of your own. You mentioned that you're able to work for a lower salary. Take advantage of this, and realize how lucky you are to be able to do so. There will be some (perhaps many) days that are frustrating and draining. Accept that this is part of the process. Anything worth doing is hard. And don't give up. This won't guarantee success or fulfillment, but it raises the odds. Realize that progress comes from lots of people working hard on things that are important. Some will succeed individually, others won't, but collectively they will move things forward. Finally, get some exercise. It really does help with health and mood!