Having a biological child is one way to influence future life. What are some others that might feel like time well spent? I was ambivalent about being a parent

Having a biological child is one way to influence future life. What are some others that might feel like time well spent? I was ambivalent about being a parent. I have one child and the experience has changed me more than I anticipated; shedding indulgent hobbies, valuing sleep more, going without more luxuries, being willing to just observe my surroundings, practicing perspective-taking (I readily do this with other animals, harder with people), singing more, feeling like I have a sense of purpose. I used to teach math and science to groups of students, and now with the one student who is also family I don’t know what the relative positive influence of on life on earth will be my actions. I suspect greater, given the changes that might have taken much longer to materialize, if at all. I’d guess that adoption and fostering, relationships that increase one’s responsibility for others, would have had similar effects on my life.