The duck on water

A couple of days back I had to take my son for boating.

As me, my wife and my son, sat in the boat, we saw a duck swimming effortlessly on water. It was so stable and serene, we couldn't but notice its serenity. I pointed to the duck and asked my son to look at the duck. He asked me how the duck was able to stay afloat. I explained to him how the duck paddles below the water, etc., As I was explaining I realised how much of effort is going on under the water to make the duck look so serene on top of the water.

Isn't it the case with almost all the successful people - the success that we so easily see, that gets portrayed in the media has come after a lot of paddling?