The Missing Link

People seem to complicate the concept of success. I think that success is arbitrary with luck and at times, hard work thrown in. There is no reason for the likes of Jessica Simpson to think that her success has anything to do with talent or a blessing shining down on her. The same is true for thousands of "success stories". There is no reason for most success beyond the place and time that happen to coincide. Yes, I know that hard work plays a part, but how do we then account for the people who work hard toward something and are not successful in their endeavor? Countless bands and singers, writers, actors any profession really, include people who all bring the same level of competence, genius or universality yet somehow someone rises above, even though there really was nothing to separate what they had to offer beyond yes, here it comes, "being in the right place at the right time". Though that may seem to simplify a complicated rational, is there a valid argument against the randomness of artists finding a venue?
I sat through a presentation from Nancy Pearl yesterday. Her insights were helpful and her motivation obvious. But how did she become the spokesmodel for Librarians?
She was at a dinner with the company president and the rest is history. Now, I'm not negating her place in all of this experience, she was a great speaker and had some pertinent insights. But is it more than luck that say, makes a blog really popular and read by thousands....