If your life has an important purpose, does that make you a more valuable human being?

If you're a regular receiver of the Winner's Circle Network, or if you are familiar with my work at The Pacific Institute, you know that I believe a strong sense of purpose is important.

I think it is so important that I spend a lot of time urging others to develop a sense of purpose.  But don't make the mistake of confusing purpose with worth, as many do who are continually looking outside themselves to feel worthy.

You see, when you determine your personal worth by your job, career, family, social position, income or appearance, you create a dilemma for yourself.  The dilemma is that you must constantly work for approval, love, acceptance and control in order to feel worthy.

So if you lose your job, or your children grow up and leave home, or you retire and begin to look and feel older, you may find yourself feeling worthless or even depressed.  You can spend a lifetime looking outside yourself to feel worthy. The truth is that all of us have an inner value.

Every human being is worthy, simply because she or he exists.

A sense of purpose will help you live a more satisfying life, but always remember that you give meaning to what you do, what you do does not give you meaning.