There is a cruel irony in ambition—not in the hunger for success itself, but in the absence of a path to reach it. Some stand, sword in hand, ready for battle, yet there is no battlefield. No opponents, no challenges to overcome—just an endless void where others move freely while some remain unseen, unheard, uninvited.
Society glorifies struggle, weaving tales of those who “hustled” their way to the top. But what remains unsaid is that not everyone is even allowed to enter the game. The same advice is repeated: “Network, put yourself out there, make connections,” as if doors to power, opportunity, and influence are open to all. They are not. Some walk through effortlessly, while others stand outside, knocking until their hands bleed.
Every effort is made—presenting oneself well, speaking the right words, entering the right rooms. Yet instead of drawing in the powerful, only irrelevance gathers. Not only is there no movement upward, but even staying at one’s own level becomes a struggle.
And yet, others—who have done far less—are handed access, validation, influence. They are already in the room before they even know they want to be there while others spend years trying to find the damn door. Whispers follow them: “They must have found a shortcut.” Oh but even shortcuts require an invitation. Even to play a game, there must first be an entry point. Where is that entry point for those willing to do whatever it takes but are simply never given the chance?
It is not effort that is lacking. It is not risk. But how does one fight a war they cannot see, in rooms they cannot enter, against enemies they don’t even know exist? How does one claim a throne when the kingdom refuses to acknowledge their very existence?
Destiny might play a role, but it is not the only factor. Access to power, influence, and opportunity is not distributed fairly—and that is not just fate; that is the system at play. Some are born into networks, some manipulate their way in, and some break through sheer force. Others, despite all their efforts, remain on the outside—not because they aren’t good enough, but because the gatekeepers do not want to let them in.
So, no, this is not just about destiny. It is about who controls the doors, who gets the invitations, and who is allowed to play the game. If those doors remain closed, the real question is:
Is there another way in?
Can the system be hacked, bypassed, or outsmarted?
Or is it time to build something so powerful that the doors no longer matter?
If everything were predetermined, there would be no need to fight. But the very fact that questions are being asked, that the search continues, means the story is not set in stone. It is still being written.
Some of the most powerful people didn’t play by the rules. They rewrote them.
So long!