Hmm, this part of your post is so powerful
I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.” ― Jessie B. Rittenhouse
This is one of the most powerful and motivational sentences I ever heard.
It's true life gives you what you demand and not what you deserve, which is why we should strive to overcome those obstacles.