Lots of retired people say they miss being needed more than the paycheck. Being useful to someone matters at every age.

Work hands people two separate things, money and the knowledge that somebody is waiting on them. The second turns out to be harder to replace. Being useful is not about importance, it is about belonging to something that would notice your absence.

Find one place this week where you are genuinely needed, at home, on a team, or on a shift. Take the job nobody wants and own it. Being counted on is a feeling you can arrange for yourself at any age.