Nisargdatta said that the most critical requirement to liberation is earnest desire. Buddha talked about noble suffering and Jesus said the rich has more difficulty than a camel to pass through a needle. And of course the dictum that when a student is ready the teacher shows up.
Look in your own life. You are where you are because in all honesty that is what you wanted and needed. I am not talking of what nature has provided you as a body and other resources. I am talking of what you wanted to do with what you have. You are rich if that's what you needed to be, you are poor because you didn't want to do what was needed to be wealthy. You are loved because you wanted love and you are alone because you need to be alone.
Not much different in spirituality. You must need to be enlightened before you can be liberated.
