I feel like the only big break I’ve had is being born in The USA with a set of useful attributes, like patience (stubbornness), curiosity, and intellect. Everything since then has felt like a slog or the result of careful or hesitant decision making.
I have been fortunate in that I haven’t suffered from any serious bad luck: no terrible ailments, never the victim of a heinous crime, etc.
I daresay DM feels quite a bit of responsibility and pride for my professional-class successes and that’s fair. But I wouldn’t call a puritanical upbringing a big break, it certainly didn’t feel like it at the time.