Misunderstood Journey

A few days ago, I stumbled upon a striking visual.
It showed one man standing apart, facing a crowd. The caption read:

“If you win, they think you got lucky.”

It hit me hard.

Because isn’t that the truth?

Every win, every small achievement, every milestone you cross — there will always be a crowd whispering: “He / just got lucky.” Rarely does anyone pause to ask about the years of sweat, solitude, and struggle that led to that so-called “lucky” moment.

The Invisible Backstory

When I was younger, I had a friend who cleared one of the toughest competitive exams in India. Overnight, he was the star of our circle. People congratulated him, but more than that, I remember a constant refrain:

“Must’ve been luck. Maybe the paper was easy this year.”

What no one saw was the stack of worn-out books in his room, the endless nights fueled by tea and determination, the sacrifices skipping weddings, movies, even festivals to keep at it.

The world rarely rewards effort. It only celebrates outcomes.

And when you finally win, they attach an easy label to it: luck.

Why Do People Say “Lucky”?

It’s not always malice. Sometimes it’s denial.

Because if they admit your success is the result of relentless effort, they’ll also have to confront their own choices. It’s easier to call your win a fluke than to acknowledge your discipline.

Lucky

It’s easier to dismiss your climb than to start their own.

My Own Lesson

When I published my first book, I heard this too:
“Wow, you’re lucky to get published.”

Lucky?

Was it luck when I sat for hours, cutting out entire chapters that didn’t work? Was it luck when I faced rejection emails, one after another? Or was it luck when I rewrote the same story five different times until it felt right?

If anything, luck showed up late, after the effort had already built the door.

Don’t get me wrong. Luck exists.But it favours motion. It favours those who are already walking.

The people who get “lucky” are often the ones who’ve been preparing in silence long before the opportunity knocks.

The truth is, luck is rarely a starting point. It’s often the final multiplier of effort.

So the next time you hear “you got lucky,” smile. Because it means you’ve crossed over to a space most only dream of.

Behind every so-called “lucky” win lies a thousand unseen hours of effort, sacrifice, and persistence.

And maybe that’s the irony of success:
The harder you work, the luckier you appear.

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