Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with inexorable exactitudes. Luck is the residue of design.
Interpretation
Success is achieved through deliberate effort and intelligence, rather than relying purely on luck.
This quote by Branch Rickey emphasizes that while luck can play a role in life, true success is a result of intelligence and hard work. It suggests that individuals should focus on their efforts and the strategies they employ, as negligence or apathy can lead to negative outcomes. Ultimately, the quote asserts that luck is merely a byproduct of careful planning and execution rather than a random occurrence.
In practice
In a speech about achieving goals, one might say, 'As Branch Rickey puts it, things worthwhile generally don’t just happen.'
I don't like the subtle infiltration of 'something for nothing' philosophies into the very hearthstone of the American family. I believe that 'Thou shalt earn the bread by the sweat of thy face' was a benediction and not a penalty. Work is the zest of life; there is joy in its pursuit.
There never has been a man in the game who could put mind and muscle together quicker and with better judgment than Robinson.
Cobb lived off the field as though he wished to live forever. He lived on the field as though it was his last day.
Luck is the residue of opportunity and design.
It (a baseball box score) doesn't tell how big you are, what church you attend, what color you are, or how your father voted in the last election. It just tells what kind of baseball player you were on that particular day.
Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't think saying 'because of the color of his skin' would be a good enough answer.
Build and they will come’ is not a strategy, it’s a prayer.
It's not how many hours you put in with a client or on a project. It's the quantity and quality of your energy - your focus and force - that determine whether that time is valuable.
The best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.
If you have the money and you find the one player who can make you win and make the difference, no matter how expensive he is, you should do it. But there are not many players in the world who will make a real difference.
A good reputation for yourself and your company is an invaluable asset not reflected in the balance sheets.
Without the element of uncertainty, the bringing off of even, the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine, and eminently unsatisfying.
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