I had always believed that the true American dream was to sing and dance on the big stage one day—that we all envisioned ourselves on TV, strolling down the red carpet, our lives made into the next reality TV show. The “top” was to be a celebrity. But what I realized was that I didn’t need to be a celebrity to live a good life. What I saw was something different.
I noticed that people who got picked for all these great things weren’t singing the traditional song and dance of “get a degree, get a job, and get married.” Rather, I would see them on television doing their own song and dance. And they were much happier. Much happier than I seemed to be.
They were talented in different ways and seemed to get lucky. Was I not good enough to get a special invitation from Ellen DeGeneres so I could do my own song and dance on a treadmill?
Value related to money is the second meaning.
The first meaning of value is the set of standards we want to live by.
2) We must dig to find value
"We need to dig up all the ways people have designed your life for you in the past, and even what you might have buried yourself in. It’s like digging for gold, as the steel king Andrew Carnegie once put it, as he made many people around him very valuable and successful. When we remove the dirt, you will find your gold. But at the same time, remember that once you find the gold, the important thing is to recognize both meanings of value in it. To remember the roots and not just let the shiny nugget cloud your vision so you only hang it on your Christmas tree."