There are people who say the secret for success is hard work; some say it is smart work rather than hard work. Those who are neither prepared to do hard work nor smart work say you need luck to get success.

One who starts his own venture hoping that luck would bring him success one day could never be called an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is made of a sterner stuff. Entrepreneurship has a lot to do with a dream, a passion; a grand idea that one keeps nurturing inside the heart. The more you think of it, the more you feel "I CAN DO IT".

When an entrepreneur takes the plunge, he knows very well that he is taking a huge risk. He knows he can falter; he may wobble and even fall down. But he has the confidence that he is capable of overcoming the adversities, steady himself to stand up, walk and run eventually.

Luck no where finds a place in his scheme of things. One day when he succeeds, his detractors may say it is due to his luck. But he knows for sure that he is only collecting the fruits of his labor.

Do I mean to say that luck has no place at all in an entrepreneur's life?

From spiritual point of view, I would rename luck as God's will. In every aspect of life, behind every endeavor we make, I believe the existence of the God's will. God's will may interfere in the form of good luck as well as bad luck. When an unexpected and disproportionate windfall of success befalls on you, it could be termed as good luck; likewise, irrespective of your hard work and unceasing efforts, if you keep on facing hurdles over hurdles, you can term it ill-luck.

Where one is sincere in his effort, honest in his approach and steadfast in his hard work, time will prove that God's grace descends on him in rewarding him with the right fruits of his labor.

In "Thirukkural", the 2000-year old ancient book of wisdom of India, a magnum-opus in Tamil literature written by Saint-poet Thiruvalluvar, the relationship between luck (or fate) and hard, sincere efforts has been stated very lucidly in several verses:

"Prosperity will inquire its way to reach one, who works steadfast with undiminished enthusiasm." (60-4)

"It is effort that brings one prosperity; Lack of effort will only bring ruin" (62-6).

"Even if it is a task that God himself can not accomplish, one who puts in his hard effort in the task will definitely get his fee for the endeavor" (62-9).

"Those who work steadfast without losing hope or slackening their effort are capable of defeating even the fate" (62-10)

These are the words of wisdom available from an immortal book of ancient knowledge on the role of luck in the life of an entrepreneur whose very lifeline rests on vision, hard work, enthusiasm and effort.

Learn more about this author, C.V.Rajan.
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