The pervasive narrative is that even if your lot in life is subpar, with perseverance and hard work and the virtues of the free market, you can turn your proverbial rags into riches.
La narrativa generalizada es que, aunque nuestra suerte en la vida sea mediocre, con perseverancia, esfuerzo y  las virtudes del mercado libre podemos cambiar de  la pobreza a la riqueza.