“an Ounce of Luck Is Worth More Than a Pound of Effort”

“An ounce of luck is worth more than a pound of effort”



The two most important factors in the life of any man are the mysterious element call “luck” or “fate” and the urge to succeed which is called effort. The life of a man can be compared to a fast moving chariot whose two wheels are “luck” and “effort”. The Hindu Shastras say that the life of a person depends both on “purashkar”- that is the reward of your efforts and daivya- that is the favours granted by the divine powers.

The pages of history, the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata, Iliad and the Odyssey, the Shakespearean tragedies are replete with stories of people who in spite of all their efforts and their heroic character and deeds have failed or lost the battle of life for want of that ounce of luck that is all so essential for success. All the glories these heroic men earned were razed to the ground and these men were left bruised and battered to sink in the quagmire of darkness and doom.

Recent sporting history also abounds in the tales of such unsung heroes. In the world of cricket it is common to see very talented players vouching for the role of luck or fate in winning or losing individual games as well as in the larger context of their success.

Many religions view life as a journey that is chartered before our birth. Hence the role of destiny cannot be but acknowledged in determining the path of one’s life. Even if the serious load of philosophy is kept aside, we see that a little luck and fortune can make a great difference even in the daily course of life.

However these thoughts should not be a demotivating factor and disillusion us in putting in the best of efforts. While the lucky few are blessed by the divine grace, the effort and the attempt of the not so lucky, far from being less graceful, is actually much more glorious and heroic. It has to be remembered that the glory lies in the sincerity of the effort and not just in the achievement. While it is true that nothing succeed...