Playing the Cards You're Dealt

"I was working with a client who was in a tough situation. They had made a big move for a new job and now were starting to feel like maybe it was a mistake. Things weren't going as well as they had hoped, possible red flags were starting to pop up, and the client had an unpleasant feeling in their gut when they thought about continuing down this path. I went over the pros and cons"

"This got me thinking, both as a therapist and a poker player. There's a sense that, in life, the idea of "playing the cards you're dealt" is positive, even heroic. The point of this saying seems to be that life can be hard, and when things get hard, you just have to deal with it - the whole "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" approach."

A client relocated for a job and began to doubt the decision after encountering red flags and persistent gut discomfort. The clinician reviewed pros and cons and past feelings, finding the decision was thoughtful but the outcomes disappointing. The client accepted the situation with the phrase 'play the cards I'm dealt.' The poker metaphor reframes that saying: unlike life’s implied inevitability, poker allows folding. Skilled players fold poor hands and even strong hands if the situation suggests being beaten. Recognizing when to fold can be a deliberate, adaptive alternative to persisting with an unwanted course.

Read at Psychology Today