No offence, but I'm assuming OP is Gen Y or younger. Despite how people have been brought up, the real world is that things are not handed on a plate and instead have to be worked at. It may take a while but persistence is key.
The solace is that we are all in the same boat. The game isn't picking on you, it treats us all the same. Good drop rates or bad drop rates we are all the same. Unless you drop serious amounts of cash on the game you will be gaining shards and gear at an equivalent rate to your peer group. So the real differentiator is which shards and which gear are you going for versus your peers? And can you second guess what the devs will buff / nerf next to be ahead of the game?