So I feel like success is opportunity plus preparation, so work

Hear the wisdom of Anthony Mackie, who declared: “So I feel like success is opportunity plus preparation, so work begets work, and as long as you’re prepared it’s going to continue to come your way.” These words resound like a clarion call, reminding us that success is not born of chance alone, nor is it a gift of fortune freely given. It is the child of two mighty parents: the opening of an opportunity, and the steadfast strength of preparation. Without one, the other falters; but together they forge the path to triumph.

The ancients too spoke of this union. They told of the archer who waits for the deer. If he has not honed his bow nor practiced his aim, the chance will come and pass him by, wasted in folly. Yet if his skill is sharp, if his hands are steady, then when the deer appears, he strikes true. So too in life: the chance alone is not enough, nor the preparation without the chance. When the two converge, destiny itself is written.

Consider the life of Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin. The mold that killed bacteria was an accident, an opportunity that could have been ignored by an untrained eye. But Fleming had prepared through years of study, discipline, and observation. Because he was ready, the accident became a revolution, saving millions of lives. This is the truth Mackie speaks of: when work begets work, and preparation meets chance, miracles are born.

Mackie’s words also speak of perseverance. For work begets work—meaning each act of diligence creates the soil for the next harvest. The man who labors faithfully, even in small tasks, builds a reputation that calls forth more tasks, greater trust, larger opportunities. Like a seed that becomes a tree and gives forth fruit again and again, so does honest labor multiply itself. The one who remains prepared will never run empty, for life continually brings openings, and the prepared spirit continually transforms them into victories.

Yet there is also warning in his wisdom. Many await success as if it were a storm, hoping to be struck by lightning of fortune. But chance alone is fickle; it blesses one today and abandons another tomorrow. Only the prepared can harness it. To be unprepared when the door opens is to watch it close again, perhaps never to return. Thus, those who dream of greatness must not wait idly but sharpen their tools daily, so that when the moment arrives, they may seize it without hesitation.

To you who hear this, take it into your heart: build your life not on dreams alone, but on discipline and readiness. Study, train, practice, create—even when no opportunity is in sight. For preparation is never wasted; it is the foundation upon which chance becomes destiny. And when the door of opportunity opens, you will step through not as a beggar hoping for luck, but as a warrior ready for battle.

Practical wisdom follows: each day, commit to the small labors that strengthen your craft. Do not despise repetition, for it polishes the stone of your skill. Seek out mentors, practice humility, embrace challenges as training for greater tasks. Know that every effort is a seed, and though you may not see the harvest today, in time it will bear fruit. And when life offers you a chance, your preparation will transform it into lasting success.

Thus remember the words of Anthony Mackie: success is opportunity plus preparation. It is not a gift, but a covenant—a meeting of fortune and diligence. Live prepared, work faithfully, and let your readiness call forth the opportunities that await. For as long as you are prepared, the river of success will not cease to flow in your direction.