Whenpeoplesucceed,itisbecauseofhardwork.Luckhasnothingtodowithsuccess.

　　ThereisahumoroussayinginEnglish–“Thegrassisalwaysgreenerontheothersideofthevalley”.Thesayingisusedironicallytopointoutthatthereisatemptationinusalltoinsistthatothersaremorefortunatethanweare.Thisisnowheremoretruethanonthequestionofluckandhardwork.Whenfacedwiththe“badtimes”,weoftenfindcomfortintheideathatweare

　　specialinourdegreeofmisfortune.Ifeelthatsuchanattitudeisnegative,andthatitcanbringonlyfurthermisfortune.

　　Manyfamouslysuccessfulpeoplehavebegunfromsmallorigins.Maowasthesonofa(modestlyprosperous)peasant;theexplorerCaptainCookwassopoorthat,asachild,hehadtoworkbydayandstudybynight;manyoftheaffluentAmericansoftodayarethechildrenofthepoorimmigrantsofyesterday.Beethoven,itshouldberemembered,becamedeafbeforetheendofhiscareer.Therearemany,manymorepeoplewhohavealsomadegenuine,thoughJessspectacular,successesagainsttheodds.Withinhisownterms,apersonwhoisbornintopovertyinIndiaisagreatsuccessifhemanagestoownahouseinlaterlife.Povertycannotbereducedbymerelycomplainingandblamingothers:nomatterhowguiltyotherpeopleare,eachindividualmustreachouttosuccessforhimself.Indeed,someeconomistsbelievethattheworldoperatesbywhattheycall“theruleofthejungle”.Theybelievethatineconomicsapersona1waysattemptstogainprofitfromhisneighbor:thatgiventhechancethepoormanwouldquicklymakehimselfrichbytradingtohisownadvantage.

　　Also,itispresumptuoustojudgeanotheraccordingtohisorherapparentfortune.Nomancanevertrulyunderstandthesufferingsofhisneighbor.Amanwhoappearscomfortablyrichmayhavesufferedelsewhereinhislife-throughthedeathofalovedone,forexample.Retiredbusinessmenhaveoftenworkedlonghoursintheiryouth.Surely,itmustbewisertorespectachievementthantodenythatanyonehasachievedgoodintheworld.

　　Torelyonnotionsofluck-tobelievethatlifeisakindoflottery-isanattempttoescapereality.Paradoxically,theonlytimeapersoncanclaimthatluckismoreimportantthanworkiswhenhereflectsonhisownsuccess.Becauseofthatmodesty,thegreatmanthenbecomesevengreater.