True, you have to work hard in order to be able tobe proud of what you've achieved.
I do think that it's OK sometimes to get opportunities via friends or family, like a job opportunity for instance, and that it's not an achievement in itself, but this should be an occasion to prove what someone is made of and that it was not a mistake to give that person said opportunity.
I've had a friend refer me for a job recently, and I wanted to make sure to do an excellent job to not let her down, and also because I enjoy a job well done. If the result is positive, I fell that I can be proud, even if I had a little help at first to get in.