We have little opportunity for reflection upon the deeper meanings of what we do and why. This internal purpose provides us with clarity, direction and the drive to get out of bed in the morning with the knowledge that we are embarking on activity that is meaningful and fulfilling.

So how do we build clarity, direction and more fully understand what gives us a sense of purpose? Of course, if someone reflected over recent years, they would see that their sense of purpose may have changed at different points in their life. For example:

• Qualifying as a pharmacist
• Raising a family
• Setting up a business or achieving a certain level of seniority within an organisation
• Carrying out work for a charitable cause.

Building clarity, direction and purpose becomes far more powerful when it moves from being driven by primarily externally motivated sources to more internally motivated ones. Externally motivated sources often reflect the desire to get something or more of that something. This could be the desire to have more money, a bigger house, a faster car, greater social standing or more power.

Internal or 'intrinsic' motivation grows out of the desire to engage in something, because we value it for the inherent satisfaction it provides. We all want to be well paid for our work and liked and appreciated for what we do, but perhaps the deepest human need is to have a sense of meaning in our endeavours and in our lives. An intrinsic purpose gives us that sense of meaning, clarity and direction to our activities and our relationships.

Deeply held or 'core' values fuel the energy on which clarity, direction and purpose are built. Core values are our 'blueprint' for life and underpin our identity. They define who we are and what we stand for.

They influence our emotions, attitudes and behaviours, are the driving force behind our motivation and are key to self-awareness in terms of achieving fulfilment. They are what we believe to be the most important things in our lives and often originate from our interaction with family and friends, experiences in early childhood, while at school and at other key stages of our development.

A person's values may have been influenced by their cultural background, religious upbringing or other environmental factors. Across cultures, religions and time, people have admired and aspired to the same universal values, such as integrity, generosity, courage, humility, loyalty and perseverance, while rejecting their opposites €“ deceit, greed, cowardice, disloyalty and sloth.

Values are extremely important because they determine what life means to us, what actions we will take and what we will move towards or away from. The activity in this section will help you to identify which values are most motivating for you personally.

It can also provide you with clues as to why you feel the way you do when your values are compromised, whether that is in your life at work or at home. To be meaningful, a value must influence the choices that you make in your everyday life and provide you with the power to align your future actions to your core values.