[wamatt]

The author makes a familiar point, though it's worth repeating, if only as a reminder to stay humble.

That said, I can't help but recall a quote from one of the greatest pro golfers:

"The harder I practice, the luckier I get" - Gary Player

Note: the logic only flows one way, in that working hard does not mean one will be successful. Also, there are scant examples of self-made (eg. not inherited) successes without working extremely hard. In other words it's a mostly necessary, but not sufficient condition.