Where do you think you add value? It’s a question I ask myself often…it’s like looking yourself in the eye and asking what your purpose is…it’s a tough one.
To answer the question you could to start ‘categorising’ your life into work, home, social, good friends, acquaintances, neighbours etc and then thinking about the people who you would normally encounter; what do they think? How do they perceive my place at work, home, relationships? What I’m getting at is the value we all add, at least in our heads, depends on who we’re dealing with.
I’m not sure whether this is the best approach to answering that question for yourself honestly and truthfully. Instead of thinking of the value we might add as result of who the people are that we are dealign with, why not simply look within and ask what you think of yourself. Have I sought out something that will challenge me, challenge the way that I think, challenge the way that I approach a problem? Have I embraced something that will help me learn and grow in my own right? Then we can look outside ourselves and consider how we’ve contributed to others growing in their own lives, seeking knowledge and challenges for themselves.
It is both growing as an individual and contributing to others’ growth that is adding real value. So no matter what ‘category’ we’re talking about, both growth and contribution will add more value than anything else.