The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity

When the statesman Benjamin Disraeli declared, “The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes,” he revealed a truth as sharp as a sword and as enduring as stone. For chance visits every soul, but it does not linger. Opportunity knocks, yet it will not wait for the unprepared. Only those who have armed themselves with discipline, sharpened their skills, and steeled their spirit can seize it when it arrives. This is not a law of chance, but a law of destiny: fortune favors the one who is ready.

The ancients told of this truth in their tales. Recall the story of Alexander the Great, who, though young, was trained from boyhood in the arts of war, philosophy, and leadership. When his father, King Philip, was struck down, opportunity came suddenly upon him. Many a youth would have faltered under the weight of empire, yet Alexander, already prepared in mind and body, seized the moment and carved his name upon the world. His victories were not only born of boldness, but of years of readiness. Without such preparation, his opportunity would have slipped like sand through his hands.

So too does history remember the patience of Abraham Lincoln. He faced years of failure, loss, and rejection, yet he never ceased to learn, to refine his voice, and to strengthen his character. Then, when the United States stood on the brink of destruction, the opportunity for leadership came. Because he was ready—seasoned by hardship, disciplined by persistence—he rose to guide a fractured nation through its darkest hour. His story is a living echo of Disraeli’s wisdom: success is not luck, but readiness meeting opportunity.

Even in the arts, this lesson shines. Consider the tale of J.K. Rowling, who, long before the world knew her name, wrote in cafés with little money and many burdens. Rejection struck her time and again, yet she continued her craft. When at last her manuscript was accepted, she was ready—not only with one book, but with a whole world already alive within her. Opportunity came, and because she had prepared through years of unseen toil, she seized it, and her story inspired millions.

Disraeli’s words are a warning as much as a promise. For opportunity often arrives disguised—in hardship, in sudden change, in the smallest chance meeting. The unready see nothing but difficulty, while the prepared recognize the open door. Thus it is not enough to wait for fortune; one must labor daily, as though the call might come at any hour. To neglect this is to watch opportunity pass by, leaving regret in its place.

The lesson is clear: be ready. Prepare your craft, your mind, your character, not only for today’s tasks but for tomorrow’s possibilities. Do not despise small labors, for they are the training ground of greatness. Do not sleep while others toil, for in the moment of testing, your strength will be revealed. And above all, do not abandon hope in seasons of waiting, for opportunity comes most often when it is least expected.

Practical wisdom follows. Cultivate discipline in your work, so that when fortune visits, you are strong. Seek knowledge, so that when questions are asked, your answer is ready. Build courage, so that when the door opens, you step forward without fear. Live as though each day is preparation for the day of destiny. For as Disraeli teaches, the true secret of success is not merely the arrival of opportunity, but the readiness of the soul to grasp it.

Therefore, children of the future, do not pray only for opportunity—pray also for readiness. For opportunity without readiness is wasted, but readiness without opportunity is never in vain. And when at last the two meet, the world will call it greatness, though you will know it was forged through long labor in the silence of unseen days.