Chance

Some are born with a silver spoon, blessed with perfection in body and intelligence, fortunate in every chance they ever take. Others are delivered into hopeless poverty, crippled in body, dumber than a post, and everything always goes wrong. An unfortunate few of the former are tragically cut down in youth or in their prime. A tiny group of the latter somehow rise in the maelstrom of life. 

All of us recognize the extreme poles of luck in our own lives. We hope that hard work will make the most of whatever comes our way. Unfortunately, hard work is often overcome by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just as being in the right place at the right time can be the real difference between success and failure. Those who claim to know how to recognize the right place and time are liars. 

Hard work matters. But the real control we have is adjusting our attitude – “making a heaven of hell.” That is truly available to all of us. And, of course, continuing to hope as we cope. Real stability is only available within social groups. 

The worst people today are “winning” loners. They think there is no chance in their lives. They know they alone are responsible for all they have, anyone else could have done the same with a little hard work. They are wrong, dangerous, and corrosive to civilization. 

The world has always had heroes. Today’s financial giants are no different. And, like those heroes, many have feet of clay.