Life & Wisdom Quote by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Luck” is the polite word we use when we don’t want to argue about power, privilege, or randomness. H. Jackson Brown, Jr. takes that slippery concept and tries to domesticate it: luck doesn’t float down like confetti; it “marches” alongside effort, as if it’s a disciplined ally you can recruit by showing up and giving “your very best.”

That verb choice matters. Marching suggests rhythm, repetition, and endurance, not a one-off burst of hustle. Brown’s intent is motivational, but not in the manic, grindset way. “Give their very best” isn’t “win,” “dominate,” or “outcompete.” It’s inward-facing, almost moral: you can’t control outcomes, but you can control the quality of your attempt. The quote sells a psychological bargain: trade anxiety about chance for a standard of personal conduct.

The subtext is both comforting and quietly strategic. Comforting, because it frames misfortune as less personal if you’ve met your own bar. Strategic, because it nudges you toward behaviors that genuinely increase probabilities: preparation, persistence, professionalism. People who work hard do tend to look “lucky” from the outside, because they generate more attempts, more connections, more exposure to opportunity.

The risk, culturally, is that it can slide into a meritocratic fairy tale. Sometimes luck doesn’t march with anyone; it hits like weather. Still, Brown’s phrasing is clever because it doesn’t deny chance outright. It reframes luck as something you’re more likely to encounter when you’re already in motion.