by Bridget Webber

Created on: February 22, 2009

Whether or not you feel that life is worth living depends very much on your personal circumstances and views on life and death. If you are in good health and are living a comfortable and happy life then you are far more likely to believe that life is worthwhile then another person who lives alone in poverty and who is in poor health.

How you view afterlife, or the lack of it may also enter the equation. Suicide bombers most likely believe that their time on Earth is worth limiting so that they can enter their version of heaven in glory. For them their lives are a disposable commodity. Those of us with different beliefs can't even begin to understand such far reaching concepts.

How we weigh up the value of life is a very personal matter that encompasses, not only our core values, but also our current experiences and personal strengths and weaknesses.

Having previously worked in a crisis center for some years I have met many people who have gone through periods of time when they have felt that life was not worth living. More often than not, with support and understanding they changed their minds. This shows us that it is possible for emotions, which often temper our feelings about living, can change in either direction at some point.

As a positive person who enjoys life and who rejoices in it as a gift, it would be flippant of me to assume that others must feel the same as me. We are all born with different psychological and physiological make-up. Both our genetics and our experiences play a large part in how we view living and our own place on planet Earth.

Based on my own experiences helping others though, I do understand that if you don't feel that life is worth living right now you may still be able to find strength later and to experience life joyfully. Our feelings and emotions are not set in stone, just as our circumstances are not.

We have at our disposal the ability to change and to craft our life for better or for the worst. Life may shove us off of our path to happiness now and then, making us feel that the journey is far too painful to continue. However human beings, just like garden bulbs, are designed to grow towards the light.

If you are reading this as you weigh up your own feelings on the matter then consider that just like such bulbs, we need certain elements to be in place in order for us to prosper and grow. People who err on the side of believing that their life is worthless are generally undergoing circumstances where the right elements for them are not in place.

Gathering resources together, re-evaluating circumstances and reaching out for support from others who are well enough to see your worthiness can help shift things back into perspective and move the right elements for growth back into place.

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