I think we often miss what ingredients led to change or fulfillment. Sometimes we confuse the primary intention with the secondary influence. For instance, a man enjoys going golfing a couple times with some friends and decides to take up golfing. But it wasn’t really the golfing per se that he appreciated, but the time spent connecting with others. Another example would be I go walking in the woods and really enjoy the experience, therefore deciding I should do it more. But the more influential element of my experience was solitude, not just the woods.
It’s not that the primary intention or experience is of no worth. It is part of it. But when we think of how we find meaning in our experiences we can often miss the hidden or secondary reasons for our change or interest. Sometimes the supporting actor/actress makes the whole movie. It’s important to understand a broader and deeper picture to what we find meaningful and fulfilling because if we just take the experience at face value we will go back to thinking just golf is what we need.