I've always been a curious follower of Veritasium's adventures. I like them because they explore cutting-edge science as well as the nature of life and society. One video of the latter which left an impression on me was about the role of luck in our lives.

Derek's concluding advice: dream, pursue, work with the belief that you are the author of your success, but always reflect in hindset with an appreciation for the luck that propelled you along the way.

I strongly believe by acknowledging the role of luck in all of our paths, we can create a more empathic society. We can celebrate each other's achievements while deeply understanding the unpredictability of chance. Society can offer a warm embrace that listens to stories of both win and loss, of both fortune and misfortune.

I wanted to give an appreciation to all the luck that I've somehow stumbled into in my life.

1. My parents are hard working, especially my mom who was the first in our Chinese family to attend college and immigrate to America.
2. When I immigrated to America, I could only print "hello world." My first teacher in second grade devoted a lot of her time to tutor me in this new language and put me on my feet.
3. In that year, I created lots of miniature books filled with messy drawings, half-formed English, and funny titles. They were dumb, but my teacher gave them love and praise, which strenghthened my confidence in that year of transition.
4. In third grade, while my English skills were still budding, my teacher gave me Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson. Her confidence in my abilities empowered me to reach outside my comfort zones and sparked my love for learning. I consumed that book passionately.
5. By the sheer luck of the Connecticut magnet school blind lottery, I got a ticket to attend the Academy of Aerospace Engineering high school.
6. My geometry teacher shared his love for proof-based maths. The class was rigorous and difficult. But my brain became hardwired to love the euphoria of devising logical geometry proofs following Euclid's propositions. Since then, I've loved deconstructing complex, murky problems with logic and fundamentals.
7. My European history teacher treated every. single. one. of our academic questions with a passion that filled the room. No stupid questions — that was her motto. My inquisitive nature was born there. She taught me to be curious, sceptical, and reflective.
8. Our school had a connection with local aerospace companies in Connecticut. I had the opportunity to work in quality engineering, handling and inspecting real aircraft components just after my senior year. I learned the responsibilities of employment, the exactness of engineering, and how to talk to my boss.
9. In the first week of college, I sent an email pitching a course planning app idea to a computer science professor, expecting no response. Instead, he returned with encouragement, guidance, and good criticism. He's been a mentor since.
10. And all the countless moments in-between which guided my path.