So sure, there can be meaning in being useful to society. But that's not really my point. My point is that meaning does not need to be a goal. If you hang your life's worth on the meaning you find, I am betting you're going to be disappointed a lot of the time. It doesn't need to be that way. Look beyond meaning for worth and value.
Then what gave your life "worth" and "value" would be what gave it meaning.
You're pretty much saying the same thing, but with different semantics for meaning.
Meaning doesn't necessarily mean to "some big end goal". People use it for anything that they feel makes their life worth it ("gives it meaning"). So "being of help to others" to "enjoying family life and friendships" or "expressing myself through playing the piano" to "religion" can all be said to imply meaning.
I would normally feel a sense of ambiguity when somebody wrote of "giving their life meaning" (but less so when spoken, because they might emphasise '_/meanin/_'), but would not feel much about the phrase "the meaning of life", nor "life, the universe, and everything!".
Well said.