Do you think of your life as something precious, and do you want to do something important with it—something worthwhile? Many young people feel this way, but too often they go on to settle for lives that do not live up to this aspiration. One reason for this is that the aspiration is itself vague and undefined. It is difficult to articulate what we want out of our lives, and we get little guidance in the process. Indeed, Ayn Rand’s novels and essays are among the few things in our culture that offer us aid and inspiration in the process of defining our values. In this talk, Dr. Salmieri explores this aspect of Rand’s thought, with special emphasis on how her conceptions of reason, purpose, and self-esteem can help us to identify and achieve what we want out of life.