“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ― Seneca

I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have. -Coleman Cox

“If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

Hard work lets you capitalize on small opportunities. Without it you'd need a 3-sigma occurrence to benefit. Of course, those are the types you hear about, because they make great stories.