Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in

The words of Denis Waitley — “Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well.” — carry the force of eternal wisdom, spoken as though from the lips of an elder around the fires of the ancients. He reminds us that life is not dealt equally. Some are born into abundance, others into scarcity; some receive strength of body, others the gift of mind; some inherit fortune, others hardship. But the true measure of success lies not in what fate gives, but in how the soul responds. For even the poorest hand, when played with courage, wisdom, and persistence, may yield victory.

The ancients themselves bore witness to this truth. Consider the tale of Odysseus, who, though stripped of fleet and men, faced the long road home from Troy. His hand was poor: storms, shipwrecks, monsters, and betrayal. Yet he played it with cunning, resilience, and unyielding will, until at last he returned to Ithaca and reclaimed his throne. Had he lamented his fate and surrendered, his name would have perished in silence. But by playing the poor hand well, his story endures as legend.

History, too, offers its testimony in the life of Abraham Lincoln. Born in poverty, self-taught in law, burdened with repeated failures, his hand seemed poor indeed. Yet through perseverance and integrity, he rose to become president of a divided nation, guiding it through its darkest hour. Lincoln did not wait for fortune to deal him strength; he carved greatness from hardship. His life is proof that the worth of a man lies not in the cards he holds, but in the way he plays them.

So too can we recall Helen Keller, who was struck blind and deaf at the age of two. To most, such a hand would have meant silence, despair, and obscurity. But with patience, courage, and the guidance of her teacher Anne Sullivan, she turned her trials into triumph, becoming a voice for millions, an author, an activist, a symbol of the human spirit. In her story shines the essence of Waitley’s words: success is not given by fortune, but forged by will.

The danger of life is to envy those who hold a good hand — the wealthy, the powerful, the fortunate — and to despair of our own. But fortune is fickle, and many who begin with abundance squander it in folly, while those who begin with little may, through endurance, rise higher than all. The true hero is not he who is given much, but he who does much with little. For this is the law of life: the poor hand, when played with mastery, reveals greatness of soul.

The lesson, therefore, is clear. Do not curse the cards that fate has dealt you. Instead, learn the art of playing them well. Cultivate patience in hardship, creativity in limitation, courage in adversity. See every obstacle not as a wall, but as a teacher. For the one who learns to play a poor hand well will triumph not once, but many times, while the one who relies only on fortune may find himself defeated when the cards change.

Practical action lies before you: when faced with disadvantage, do not despair, but ask — how can I turn this into strength? When others mock your lack, let your persistence shame their abundance. Work with what you have, no matter how small, and let every hardship forge you into something greater. In time, your story will shine brighter than those who had everything given but nothing earned.

Thus, O listener, remember Waitley’s wisdom: success in life is not in the hand you hold, but in the heart with which you play it. Play your hand with courage, patience, and wisdom, and though it be poor in the eyes of men, it may become the winning hand in the eyes of eternity.