Successful people often like to think they made it by virtue of their talents and hard work, choosing to ignore the huge contribution of luck and serendipity.
If you are interested in this topic, The Atlantic has an interesting article, Why Luck Matters More Than You Might Think, which includes a section where the author Michael Lewis describes the chance events that helped him become a famous author. If you are interested in the computer modeling that shows the importance of fortunate events, here is a video called A Shadow on Meritocracy.
Cat World 
wow another thought-provoking piece!
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I agree with your piece. I also enjoy another adage: “it’s amazing how good luck follows hard work and planning”.
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Yes it seems to be a two-way street. Hard work and preparation leave you better prepared to take advantage of serendipitous events, and serendipitous events make it more likely you will be successful.
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