I was thinking about this a little more last night.  I went back and looked at my gallery so far and what I think I see is the development of a "hey, look at this" mindset.  I got into photography to share what I saw with others; for instance during my time in the Navy I could bring back images of my travels to share with family and friends.  From there I just began shooting things that caught my eye - that I found interesting, scenic, or maybe just colorful or unusually lit. 
In the days of film we were always constrainted by the amount we could carry and then we had to wait to see the results until the film was processed.
In today's digital world those constraints have been abolished.  I think the ability to take an almost unlimited number of shots, see the results immediately and the ability to process and publish my images immediately were the factors that got me back into photography. 
I think now, my answer to my own question would have to involve whether or not the image is the best choice for the "hey, look at this" goal - will it cause a reaction in the viewer, express an emotion or even just show a wonderful scene.