Ask HN: Rekindling Intrinsic Motivation

I work at one of a small group of companies that develops a somewhat niche technology that I fell in love with many years ago. For several years, I had a driving intrinsic motivation and truly enjoyed my work. At some point I was “discovered” by a successful manager, who elevated me to a more visible position, and in the intervening years, I also had a lot of success and monetary rewards. But I’ve come to realize that my intrinsic motivation has flipped almost entirely to extrinsic, and I am now acting conservatively in my career and have become too cynical about my work and contributions. I still appreciate the tech itself, but I can’t see it the way I used to. In my early 40’s, I recognize that I’m acting responsibly for myself and my family when I consider my financial benefits and stability. But I deeply miss the intrinsic motivation that went away with a perspective shift. Have any of you been through something similar and shifted your perspective back to what you found to be a more healthy and exciting motivation? I am not just asking about finding something new and interesting here, but rather about countering a more cautious and deadening habit of mind.