Oh, striving is certainly necessary to succeed at all. But empirically, things still seem to be zero sum. Out of a group of people with dreams and motivation, s

Oh, striving is certainly necessary to succeed at all. But empirically, things still seem to be zero sum. Out of a group of people with dreams and motivation, some will connect up with opportunities to express and manifest them, and some will not. There are gatekeepers everywhere, in every institution, at every level, in every sphere. I've experienced dire poverty and luxuriant affluence, in cycles, multiple times. Yet I've always been the same person. Always smart, motivated, and hard-working. Sometimes the right series of gatekeepers says "Yes, welcome aboard," in series, and it rains. Other times, they say no. If you've experienced a lot of 'yes' lately, it always seems like it was due to all that perseverance. And if you've had a run of 'no thanks,' it'll seem like your luck has turned.