About life being what you make it:

Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (NIV)

My dad, when my life was filled with so much trauma growing up with a facial deformity and the consequent shame and humiliation, used to tell me life is what you make it. I did not like the advice as a youngster but dad was right. Life may dish out a lot of garbage but we have the option of bagging the garbage and turning the garbage into fertilizer sold at a farm store. Some of the greatest achievements in the history of the world were built on people taking some kind of need or adversity and turning the need or adversity into an advantage. For every need you or others have, you can turn the need into an opportunity to serve God and others. For every hurt, there is an opportunity to serve Christ. For every moment of depression, there is an opportunity to reach out to others with depression. For every embarrassment, there is an opportunity to grow in wisdom and serve God. For every failure in life, there is an opportunity to build toward success. Life is indeed what you make out of it, whether you are given little or much.