“Your background and circumstances may have influenced who you are, but you are responsible for who you become”. Darren Hardy
Let me tell you about a common scenario. It might make you feel that you are actually not that bad.
Globally, in 2024, a significant portion of the population – roughly 44%, or 3.5 billion people – subsisted on less than USD 6.85 daily, translating to around USD 205 monthly. This stark reality might offer a comparative perspective on individual financial situations.
From birth, the unevenness of life’s opportunities is apparent. By global standards, nearly half of the world’s population is born into poverty, immediately facing inherent disadvantages.
This inherent inequality means the starting line is far from equal for a significant portion of humanity. Even individuals who have achieved extraordinary success recognize the role of chance in their journey.
Ovary Lottery
Warren Buffett, openly admits his good fortune in being born a white male in the United States, possessing an aptitude for numbers during an era that valued such skills within a capitalist system. He eloquently describes this as winning the “ovary lottery,” emphasizing the confluence of favorable circumstances – birth in the right country, at the right time, with the right talents – that contributed to his success.
It is tempting to feel a sense of triumph if one happens to be born into affluence. However, the statistical reality suggests that nearly half of the world’s population shares the experience of coming from a less privileged background. While acknowledging the disparities in starting points, it is crucial to remember that one’s origins do not predetermine one’s destiny.
The circumstances of birth, whether advantageous or challenging, should not be viewed as an immutable barrier or a guarantee of future outcomes. Personal agency, resilience, and the pursuit of opportunities, regardless of initial disadvantages, play a vital role in shaping individual trajectories.
A Real Story
To illustrate this point, let me tell you a real story…….
Patrick and John Collison grew up in rural Ireland, in a tiny village ,Dromineer in County Tipperary ,Ireland with more cows than people. No Silicon Valley, no startup incubators. But they were curious, self-taught, and obsessed with building things online. Their parents weren’t tech moguls.
At 16, Patrick won a national science fair. At 17, John scored the highest SAT score in the U.S. that year — as an international student. But here’s the thing: they never flaunted their intelligence. They didn’t chase flashy ideas or go around calling themselves “visionaries.”
In 2010, they launched Stripe, a payment platform designed to make it insanely easy for businesses to accept payments online. But at the time, integrating payment systems into a website was a nightmare- complicated APIs,weird banking regulations, and massive red tape. Stripe made it a few lines of code.
Here’s what they did differently. They focused on developers, not banks and they scaled with zero ego- constantly asking,” How can we make this better?”
They never claimed to be the smartest in the room, even though they came from a humble background, they believed in themselves and were obsessively practical, customer-focused and willing to do the boring stuff that others ignored.
Today, Stripe is worth USD 50+ billion. It powers payments for companies like Amazon, Shopify and Google. And the Collison brothers? They are still low key and humble.
Yes, if you indeed have won a ‘ ovary lottery’, you should acknowledge your advantages, be more empathetic and make an effort to use your privilege to help others. But don’t feel discouraged if you are born to a humble family because 50% of the other world population share with you the same problem.
Even with past setbacks, substantial success in future endeavors remains achievable. This hinges on a crucial combination of factors: a strong willingness to exert considerable effort and a pragmatic approach that prioritizes diligence over reliance solely on destiny or luck.
The path to accomplishment often demands dedication, perseverance, and a proactive mindset. Simply wishing for a favorable outcome is insufficient; actively working towards clearly defined goals, adapting to challenges, and continuously learning are essential components of any successful undertaking.
Embracing hard work as a fundamental principle, coupled with a realistic assessment of one’s capabilities and the obstacles that may arise, provides a solid foundation for realizing aspirations and achieving meaningful results.
Conclusion
Your background does not define your future. This is a crucial initial understanding. While a significant portion of the global population faces poverty, and being born into advantageous circumstances is fortunate, it is not a prerequisite for success. Numerous individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds have achieved remarkable accomplishments.
