Hmm...that sounds somewhat similar to a phrase that George Washington wrote. In a letter to Benedict Arnold (this was before his betrayal, when he was a talented and heroic American general) Washington wrote, "It is not in the power of any man to command success; but you have done more--you have deserved it."

What is interesting about this line is that George Washington is making a reference to a play called "Cato, a Tragedy" by Joseph Addison, an English playwright. This play is about the Roman statesman Cato and his resistance at the end of his life to the tyranny of Julius Caesar, and stresses the importance of republicanism, liberty, and virtuous living. In Act I, Scene 2, Cato says, "Tis not in mortals to command success; but we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it."

This play was popular during the 1700s (although it is mostly unknown today) and Washington was a huge fan of it.

Source: "Cato, A Tragedy, and Selected Essays", by Joseph Addison.