Some things are worthwhile because we decide they are; others are worthwhile in part because we made them that way ourselves.

The morning before yesterday, I talked with @yaya about some of my past experiences,
and she asked whether I thought luck or ability mattered more in getting to where I am today. I thought about it for a long time and felt that luck probably played a bigger role,
Meeting the right people by chance, catching some opportunities at just the right time. Change the timing, the environment, or the field, and the same effort might not have led to the results I have today. I’m not willing to chalk all of that up to my own ability.
But looking back, those coincidences were able to change me in part because of things I had done before. Because I liked something, I was willing to learn a little more; because I cared, I was willing to invest a little more. At the time, I might not have known what any of it was for, let alone when it might come in handy.
So you see, luck doesn’t come out of nowhere. I had made all the preparations before luck arrived, and that’s when luck could make a difference.
Because I like it, I invest in it;
Because I invest in it, it becomes worthwhile;
And because I invest in it, that doesn’t mean my efforts will necessarily pay off. Some investments helped me develop skills, some earned me trust, and some simply helped me understand more clearly what kind of life I want to live.
But I know this much: when you keep doing worthwhile things for long enough, they can turn into luck, because sooner or later an opportunity comes along and some of what you’ve done happens to be useful. We call that moment good luck. Many other efforts never get that moment, but that doesn’t mean they were wasted.
Even if some things didn’t bring me good luck in the end, I’m still glad I took them seriously.