“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
~The Gambler
Quite possibly the best life lesson on how to succeed in this game of life comes from the song, “The Gambler,” sung by Kenny Rogers.
Often times in readings and ceremonies, this song is referenced, because it is a song many are familiar with, and no matter the situation you can find wisdom in these simple, but profound lyrics.
In this time and age, it’s hard to know when to push and when to pull. In fact, in many ancient cultures and traditions there were teachings around knowing when to “do,” and “when to be patient, and wait.” There is a wisdom that we can cultivate through experience by reflecting on those times when we acted too quickly and it costs us, or when we wait to act and miss opportunities.
When we don’t know when to “hold ’em,” we lose money and time.
In life when we know what to “keep,” and “hold,” we can become wealthy in all areas. When we know which friends and relationships to keep and which ones to “fold,” we end up with supportive, loving friends and partners that enrich our lives. When we “hold” onto the wrong friends and partners, we end up losing time and resources investing into the wrong people.
This can also happen when we sell something before it peaks, give up on a relationship because of small challenge, move to a new city or job without proper research. Letting go of a good occupation because of anger. There are so many ways that we can misjudge “holding” and “folding.”
Knowing when to walk away
When we know when to walk away, we stand in value to ourselves and freedom of choice can enter. When we walk away from toxic people, emotions, situations, jobs, family, and/or situations where we have tried everything possibly to find harmounious resolution, sometimes there is no choice but to walk away. This can be divorce, a job, a friendship, or location. It may come after much contemplation and soul searching, or it can come like a thunderbolt of knowing. When we know when to “walk away,” we release a burden and free space for new opportunities to come in.
Knowing when to run
There are some situations and/or people where we should not walk, but we need to run. This would be obvious in the case of someone chasing you down an alley, or threatening you. But, there are also times when our intuition and instincts kick in, and we receive insights about people’s real intentions. When we are in obvious harm or danger we know to run, but in other situations the cues might be subtle, but the instincts never lie. When your internal system says, “run,” RUN!
This song holds timeless advice for all ages and situations. When we can trust who we are, what we are made of, and time our lives with precision, so many blessings pour forth. In this time and age of deception and trickster spirits, it is more important than ever for people to follow their intuition and internal guidance. Thankfully there are gems like this song to help remind us of how to gamble in this game called life.
