You can feel it when you're doing what gives your life meaning. For me, I am at my best when using my skills and resources to serve my family and friends. It could be as simple as hosting a get-together or helping someone move.
This is a helpful reminder that I get most satisfaction from those things - cooking, gardening, physical activity, socialising with and helping/nurturing others, etc.
In the modern world, most of us 'make a living' by doing quite abstract tasks and fall into the trap of using that income to replace what we think of as mundane tasks with more convenient alternatives (fast food, movies instead of conversation, etc). In a sense, we alienate ourselves from what our lives actually are.