I can read the 1st sentence 2 ways.
Some things can be achieved through hard work, but not everything.
Everything is relative.
I am clearly in the lowest 1 % of income in my country and in the top couple of % worldwide.
Many of the poorest people in the world are happier than some of the wealthiest.
So, should people aim to be wealthy or happy?

Whatever will be will be. Case sera sera

I don't think it's very realistic for most people, unfortunately. It would be nice, in an ideal world, if we all had the luxury of following our passion, but for many its not possible simply due to their responsibilities.

Now, if one has the opportunity to follow their passion, then yes, I believe anything can be accomplished if you want it bad enough.

That is the key tho. You have to want it. If we want something bad enough we will move mountains.

Here’s my theory. Most people work hard. It's a prerequisite for success but the successful like to think it's the differentiator between them and the less successful. It makes them think they deserve all the rewards they’re getting and they can feel less guilty about having more than the less successful. They can rationalise that if those people had worked just as hard, then they'd be just as successful. It's a daft idea but with success come a voice. We listen to their delusional nonsense and place value in it and hope that doing so will help us to become successful. And in doing so we somehow manage to ignore how hard nurses, teachers, police and shopkeepers work.

A small amount.
The system has been rigged against hard work really achieving anything for the worker.
This is literally true. Our economic system is based on the ideas of Hayek and von Mises. One of their principles was the creation of a permanent underclass. To do this class stratification has to be economicly imposed and maintained.
A very few will break through the barriers and that will be because they have a new idea or a better understanding of how the system works (Musk and Buffet are examples) not because they simply worked hard.
Hard work is needed, but is not enough.
As to passion, I found mine and am still at it after 35 years. It's kept me in the bottom 20% of earnings in my country and cost me two marriages, and I love it.

I think traditionally hardwork places us ahead of the game. When I say hardwork, I'm referring to efforts in acheiving both short and long term goals for life. Surviving on ramen noodles for four years to afford a college degree. Working a full time position of low pay while being a full time student 16+ hours per semester. Nights with very few hours of sleep. These examples are related to the hard work I think you are referring to.
I was exhilarated by the knowledge I was taking in at that time. I attended a small university not far from my tiny hometown. However, I felt as though I had traveled to a foreign country in a way. The social diversity fed a need to learn who I was in the grand scheme of things. These things gave me passion during that period of hard work.
My father could not read or write and my mother stopped at 10th. Our income at poverty level. One could say I was disadvantaged but I didn't think I was necessarily. I believe it is true, the farther one is down the income bracket, goals are mainly directed at survival.
I guess one must have some passion for their career or it is reduced to a means of survival to pursue other passions. I have never been a "workaholic" but I did have passion for my field of work.

The harder you work and the better you are at your job most likely your employer will keep you there. The lazy, mouthy, grumpy, suck-ups will get the promotions, good way to make room for maybe a better employee to fill the job.

Define anything.

To me this is a matter of perspective, of how your looking at the reality we all share.

If I think that simple hard work would allow me to make all my dreams come true, then I am decieving myself. They also require skills, knowledge, money or funding and on and on, each quite specific to each dream one holds.

They call it the American Dream because for the vast majority that is all it ever will be, and for many more who achieve it, they will find it a hollow victory.

If, on the other hand, my passion is my backyard garden, then a shitty job at Wal mart can make it grow and me me happy and content for life.

So, define anything. What you mean by success seems to be upward social mobility, but for others?

That has always been a stupid statement. The ruthless probably get what they want more than the person who works hard. Follow your passion. That is what l did. I would have probably made more money in advertising, but l don't believe that l would have enjoyed my life nearly as much as l have.

I agree, 'passion,' is wonderful if you can get it! And, why have the people who work their self in-to-ground, not make it to upper-middle-class? In fact they end up with more physical problems and a shorter life-span! It is great to know what work that you enjoy and to train for it, early on, but the majority of people work for food, shelter and expenses that are required to live in our society. They work for the money, and not what they would love to work at, to make that money, on the whole!

Refering to the very first sentence..... A very solid and sound YES

People need an end goal. Then they will get passionate about it and work hard.

There wouldn't be cheaters if that was true