Oprah Winfrey is quoted as saying, "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity". This statement reflects the notion that without preparation, many cherished opportunities would be lost. As an inspiration to many people, Oprah is trying to convey the thought that you are unable to be success without doing the heavy lifting required.
The concept of heavy lifting can be interpreted in many ways. Hours spent studying, days spent pounding the pavement, weeks spent researching an idea, or years spent honing a craft. All of these tasks are an attempt to prepare for something. That something could be called opportunity.
Many in society today look upon the successful as lucky. There is a feeling that opportunity comes to those who know someone. If you speak with successful people, there are the fortunately ones who achieve due to family influences or just the notion of being at the right place at the right time. However, most people spent years preparing for the moment of opportunity. When the moment hit, it is seized upon, and that is sometimes considered luck by other.
In reviewing the notion of this question, one must ask if you want to take the literal meaning, or figurative meaning of the statement. If taken literally, one must think that luck is needed for opportunity. Figuratively, the statement reflects that anyone can make their own luck. Being prepared, doing the work that others are unwilling or unable to do, will be the reward itself. Opportunity comes to those who prepare for it. One may wish to call this luck. However, the truly lucky often find themselves in unexpected situations, often with dire consequences.
Take winners of the lottery. Picking the correct 6 numbers is pure luck. To my knowledge, no one has successfully formulated a way to consistently pick winners. If you look at the research, 90 percent of lottery winners go through their winnings within five years. (Source: NYTimes http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/a-financial-plan-for-misbehaving-lottery-winners/?_r=0) Can you ever prepare for this windfall? The opportunity here is pure luck, no preparation needed.
If one takes the situation of becoming a successful athlete, preparation is everything. Competing against top athletic talent is a stressful and difficult task. It takes more than just pure preparation. The opportunity to win in this arena requires a little bit of luck. Have a sneaker that fits just slightly better than your opponent, can be the difference between winning and losing. The athletes at this level have the best trainers, technology, and equipment in the world, yet something that simple makes the difference. This is the luck that I think the quote is expressing. It is a small part of the entire picture. The opportunity is just getting to the race. All the luck in the world isn’t going to get an athlete there, preparation will.
In my own world, the best example of luck I can give is something I often tell my surgical patients. I tell them that in elective surgery, the sum of the success of a procedure is broken down into 3 components. 45% is the surgeon, 45% the procedure and 10% is the magic. I think the magic is luck. Why to do patients with the same circumstances, undergo the same procedure by the same surgeon, and have different outcomes?
Having the opportunity to follow ones dreams is something I wish for everyone. I think one can be considered lucky if a dream is achieved. If it is achieved, there is a good chance that there has been preparation, and with this work comes the luck people often see in others. In reality, this is just making your own luck. When opportunity comes, if prepared, it can be achieved.