Leonard was not born into a high station. His parents had no money to give him and he had to start from nothing. He was young, strong, and driven, though. So that was just fine with him.
He started as a woodcutter. Every day, he brought back more wood from the forest than he needed and he sold the surplus to old farmers who didn't have the time or strength to collect firewood.
Eventually, he had enough money to invest in better tools and a cart. This allowed him to collect more wood per trip and turn a greater daily profit.
It didn't take long before he had enough demand to hire a second woodcutter. That same demand also ensured he had the capital to invest in tools and a cart for his employee.
After several years, he was supplying firewood and construction lumber to most of his city, which was one of the largest in his country. For his service to industry, the king granted him a barony, which allowed him the privileges of a minor royal.
Then his people were plunged into a long, bitter war with a rival neighbor nation.
Leonard ran toward trouble, rather than away from it. He had trained several lieutenants in his thriving timber business, so he knew the company would be in good hands while he was away.
His minor title permitted him a leadership role but he didn't let that keep him from the front lines. He was true to his name on the battlefield, tearing through the enemy with apparent ease. His men followed suit and his unit gained a reputation among the enemy.
Leonard ascended the ranks with blinding speed. By the end of the war, he was a general, regularly visiting the king's court.
After the war, he was made the king's top military advisor. His business interests had grown in his absence, so he diversified into other endeavors, most of which were successful.
When he ran out of challenges in finance and industry, he turned to the sciences and arts. His contributions to mathematics and physics were minor but still worthy of note. His paintings and carvings were simple but liked by many.
The people rallied on his every word. The king depended on him so heavily, he made him a count.
In their nation, being granted the title of count, rather than born to it, was unheard of but it was technically legal. Because the people so loved Leonard, they cheered at the announcement.
At a private dinner, king Frank confided in Leonard something he'd never told anyone.
"You're a man of honor," said the king, "so I know I can trust you with this. I envy you."
Leonard's eyes "You envy me, your majesty? Surely, you jest."
"No. It's true. You came from nothing, yet here you are. A count, a general, beloved by the people, and one of the wealthiest men in the land." Leonard sighed, then added "You were given a chance to rise and you took it. I may not have done, but we'll never know. I inherited everything I have."
King Frank took a sip of his wine, then added "I'm a man of high birth but you are self-made."
Leonard pursed his lips and thought for a while. "I'm not so sure, your highness."
"Oh?" prodded the king from behind a raised eyebrow. "Will you now reveal your secret royal descent?"
"No," chuckled Leonard. "No, but I do think I've inherited what I have."
"Go on."
"I started as a woodcutter but I was naturally strong. Cutting more than I needed was effortless, so I did it. Selling the surplus and saving the proceeds seemed like common-sense, so I did that, too. I now realize that not everyone could so easily have turned a profit and managing excess income does not come easily to everyone. Those are gifts from somewhere...my parents, God, I won't debate where...but I did not make myself able to do those things.
"Growing a company came easily to me as well. Each thing I did seemed obvious to me but why does everyone not do this? It must be because it isn't obvious to them. More gifts from before I was born.
"War came naturally to me. I was stronger, faster, and more cunning than my enemies. People followed me into battle and, as I rose, tactics and strategy were simple matters for me to assume. Still more things I could do but not for my own effort.
The king shifted in his seat. He seemed to be considering Leonard's words very carefully.
"Business, science, art, mathematics, diplomacy, and matters of state. My proficiency in these things, too, took me almost no time or effort."
"Hmm," said the king. "I'm not convinced. You were strong but you could have spent less time working in the forest and more time reveling in your youth. You were a capable warrior but you could have just kept yourself safe and gone home to your thriving business. You could have been my advisor and put no effort into that business, but you grew it into one of the largest enterprises in our country. You didn't have to contribute to the arts or sciences either, but you did so nonetheless."
"Of course my choices mattered, your majesty, but so did yours. You could have capitulated when we were attacked, but you retaliated. You could have chosen to ignore or not hear bad news, but you wanted honesty from your cabinet. You could have pursued the war all the way to their throne and been saddled with the occupation of a vast and spiteful nation but you graciously accepted their surrender. Now their king swears fealty to you and we receive a yearly tithe of riches and crops.
"...and that's my very point, your highness. What we have - what we all have - is in some regard a function of the circumstances of our birth. We cannot control that but we can control the choices we make after we are born.
"Life isn't fair," added Leonard. "The lives we are given are out of our control. We all have to live with that. What we do with our lives, on the other hand, is entirely up to us...and it's what really matters."
