IT IS YOUR CONDITIONS, NOT YOUR ABILITY, THAT DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS
Master Jun Hong Lu: Remember: It is your conditions, not your ability, that determine whether you can succeed perfectly in your endeavours. No matter how much effort you put in, or how capable you are, you may still fail. This is because blessings in the human realm are formed through a combination of causes and conditions. You must have a certain cause to foster a particular condition. Only in the presence of a combination of proper causes and conditions can you succeed. Take note that if you want to succeed perfectly, you must carefully consider whether the causes and conditions for the task at hand have ripened, and not whether you have the energy or ability to accomplish or solve the task.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 1 Chapter 13