Making oneself eligible to seize the breaks if and when they come is the only sensible strategy I know

Today is (perhaps) the birthday of James Michener, the author who wrote

The only generalisation I can offer is that in an irrational world if a prudent course has been followed, you make yourself eligible to capitalize on luck if it happens to strike. If you have not made yourself eligible, you may never be aware that luck is at hand. By all this I mean: Learn typing, master maths, learn to draft a convincing letter, and do not evade challenges. Making oneself eligible to seize the breaks if and when they come is the only sensible strategy I know. Be prepared to make full use of any stroke of luck, and even if it never comes, the preparation in itself will be a worthy effort.