Low self esteem, feelings of worthlessness, and lack of purpose

[Athene]

I figured out sometime during college that I wasn't meant to be a career woman. I just didn't have the natural skills or the drive or interest for any particular field of work or study. It was a hard realization to come to at the time, because it's important to me that I do well in life and contribute to society. The only jobs I've had were pretty meaningless, and for the sole purpose of making money... like working at restaurants, stores, house keeping, etc. Nothing real. And I'm ashamed of that. It's embarrassing to me. 

Working a "basic" job isn't meaningless to you and your family. While you may or may not be contributing to society in any readily identifiable manner, you would in fact be contributing something, and positively impacting your household/your family's financial bottom line.

There's a very practical, very real value to that. 

I understand how not having the position or career one would like or imagines oneself to be in can have a significant impact on one's self-image. But, it seems to me that being able-bodied and not working at all might do much more damage in the self-esteem department.