Opportunity vs. effort

Some people propose that opportunity is prerequisite to be successful while some people claim that it should be effort. If we review the history and quote the incident where Isaac Newton had discovered the presence of gravity soon after getting inspired by an apple which was accidentally fallen on his head, we could notice that it is the opportunity leading Newton to excel in researching his laws of Physics, yet at the same time we may also conclude that without his effort made to be proficient in his profession as a Mathematician as well as Physician, he couldn't have revealed the hidden natural laws.

Let's take another example, an unknown singer had her talent buried although she had the potential to be as popular as the singing stars at that particular decade, just because there was no music company willing to cultivate her. She was dedicated, however there were just lack of opportunities.

So, prerequisite belongs to? Okay it depends on how we define the word success. Success means different things to different people. Some people would like to explain success in term of prosperity or fame. There is a saying such that even if you cannot achieve something planned, desired or attempted in certain aspects such as scoring a string of A1s in SPM, passing the highest grade for piano examination, earning money to own a house and cars, it doesn't matter as long as you have put in your efforts to maximum and strive for your best. The setbacks play a more important role in your life just because they can be crucial to your success than "smooth sailing" because you might know yourself, your target and the relationship better.

For me, I put more weight on efforts.