Our Viewpoint

I read a book recently called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. He proposes that success is due to the opportunities we are given. Yes, hard work and diligence have something to do with it as well. But he provides examples of how people who are given chances and opportunities have a jump start against those who don't.

The book got me thinking about how our lives can change based on what opportunities we are given.

Sometimes opportunity is a parent putting their child at a piano when they are young, providing lessons throughout childhood and then the child pursuing music in college and becoming a genius at their instrument. Sometimes it's a love of reading and parents who read to their kids every night and take them to the library every week that inspires an adult to write their own great American novel. Not having those opportunities means that children will have to work harder and practice more to be at the same level as their peers who had the opportunity to practice throughout their childhood.

This is not to say that hard work will get you nowhere. The point is that taking advantage of opportunities, and giving our kids opportunities, helps us and them succeed. Everyone can be successful if you are given the right tools and take the right opportunities. — Annie Wooden