You can Be A Master If You Want It Bad Enough

Perhaps I was a bit harsh and I have offended many not only on this site but in person, too. My desire is not to make enemies but I want people to realize that the philosophy that "you can be anything you want to be" is simply not true. Yes, do strive to be all that you can be but also recognize that hard work and desire cannot replace a moderately high IQ and having a certain "knack" or aptitude to achieve a goal in whatever endeavour you desire to be the best at. Getting back to the specifics of Chess, hard study will improve your game but it may not be enough to bring you up to master level. I see that you are rather low rated yet if you are just learning and that you are relatively young, there is hope you can prove me wrong (and I hope you do, actually!). Do you play in USCF tournaments? If not, you should; it would be your introduction to the world of "real" Chess. A final note on the results of those who work their asses of to get better: The really good players don`t work nearly as much as you think and I know rated USCF Experts who have never even read a book on Chess let alone even own one except for the monthly magazine.