Article Response #2: Luck, talent, and hard work


Author: Michael Deane

Title: From Poverty to Power: Celebrities Who Started With Nothing

Main topic: mini biographies of famous wealthy people who started from the bottom


This article, written by Michael Deane, may be considered an inspiration to those who feel that if they are not rich today, they never will be. I think that the fact that the world  is always changing (along with our personal circumstances) is almost blatantly obvious, but it does help to remind ourselves of it once in a while. The problem is, however, that the people spoken of in the article are more the exception than the rule. They did have great talent- but also, they found themselves in the right place at the right time. You may have the best singing voice in the world, but if you are not in the right place and time to be heard, no one will listen to you. It is partly talent, but also luck, that got Oprah, J.K.Rowling, Jay-Z, and the others mentioned to their lofty, successful positions. That being said, luck is not always just a matter of arbitrary chance. There are dozens of sayings that express this: “chance favors the prepared mind”; “some people are destined to be great, but more often they are determined to be great”; “a winner never quits, and a quitter never wins”; bottom line is, hard work pays off. Effort may, in the end, be the biggest part of success of all.

The law of attraction, an idea that’s steadily gaining popularity, may explain how all these hugely different factors tie together. Some people want something a lot, and they channel their energy correctly into positive thinking and harnessing positive “vibrations” that allow that situation to actually come to happen. Some do it automatically, without even realizing it- and call the outcome “pure luck”. The process is easy, but the reason why not everyone is able to make it work is that not everyone has the determination to work really hard at something. Or perhaps life just doesn’t want to let everybody be super rich and popular and famous – we would all be the exact same, and then where would fortune go from there, if it didn’t completely lose its value?

The way Deane wraps up his article is a perfect conclusion. It is an encouragement- an incentive nudge immediately following the evidence of “miracles do happen”, which prompts people to get off their feet and go change the world (especially their own) for the better. I would replace his use of the word “talent” with “passion”, however, as I don’t think talent exists – it is merely the result of hard work driven by our love for the given sport or activity. I feel that I should here return to my argument that things such as luck may be perceived to be randomly given out by nature, but in truth they are just results of our own hard work. You must not be afraid to get your nails dirty from effort, and the best way of ensuring this is to have a true passion for your goals. If there is one thing that the people discussed in the article have in common, it is that they all love what they do. It is impossible to work day after day for something you don’t want- something that your heart wouldn’t chase after if it could spontaneously sprout legs. I share Deane’s encouraging outlook regarding the inspiration coming from these fortunate celebrities, so I will follow his lead in my conclusion; perhaps not everyone can make it to the top, or even chase after their dreams, but you will not know if you are one of the few who can until you give it a try.