Interest or career growth?

Many people do stuff only if it is useful. Which language to learn? Spanish or Mandarin because it will be useful for me in my work. Who to become friends with? X, Y or Z because they will be useful to me in the future growth of my business or career. Where should I go? A, B or C so that I can meet new people who could help me expand my business or in my career.

I find these thoughts very hollow. Passion, genuine interest and what your soul wants is being thrown to the wind. Finally, it all boils down to what would help you grow your bank balance.

I am learning Portuguese because I like the language and not because it could be useful to me in the future. I bake bread not because I want to become a professional baker. Everything does not have to be about career for me. 

I like to do things because I have a passion for those things. I genuinely enjoy those things. I like to make friends with people not because they might be useful to me in the future but because I genuinely like them.

Is this thought process because of the stage of life I am in? Is it a function of age? Is it because of my disease which enables me to see life from a different perspective? 

I don’t know the answers to these questions. and neither do I care. I do and will continue to do things only to satisfy my soul and not to fill my resume or LinkedIn contacts list.