Being smart or strong or talented, by itself, is not enough to succeed. You may be smart enough to hack a PC, but if you don’t do something useful (and hopefully legal) with your skills, that won’t lead to a bright future. You may be strong enough to easily defeat another man in a fight, but if all you do is go brawling every night, getting arrested multiple times and quite probably sent to prison, that won’t help you earn money or be a stable family man. But giving positive direction and focus to your abilities, through disciplined, consistent effort – now that’s a step towards future success.