Dash of Courage: Joker

“You can’t control the cards you’re dealt, just how you play the hand.” - Randy Pausch

A New Year is here.

After all the miles, failures, and moments that didn’t go as planned, I’ve learned this:

Life isn’t changed by perfect hands.
It’s changed by unexpected cards.

Every once in a while, something shows up that doesn’t fit the plan.
A chance meeting.
A wild idea.
An invitation that makes no sense.
A door you didn’t knock on.

A Joker

The Joker isn’t predictable.
It doesn’t follow the rules of the game.
But when you play it, everything changes.

I’ve seen it again and again. The moments that reshape a life rarely announce themselves. They don’t arrive neatly wrapped or perfectly timed.

They show up quietly. Randomly. Often inconveniently. And they ask a simple question:

Will you play the card…or stick with the hand you already know?

That’s where serendipity lives.
Not in comfort. Not in certainty.
But in the courage to say yes when logic says wait.

Some of the best things in my life came from moments I couldn’t explain, justify, or plan. Only accept.

A trip that wasn’t practical
A conversation I almost skipped
I risk that looked foolish on paper

The Joker doesn’t guarantee an outcome
It just gives you a chance to reset the deck
And sometimes, that’s everything!

Dash of Courage
As we enter a new year, watch for the card you didn’t expect. The invitation, the idea, the moment that feels a little reckless…and a lot alive!

When serendipity shows up, play the Joker.

Because life doesn’t become extra extraordinary by playing it safe.
It does when you dare to play the card that changes the game.

Courage over Comfort,
Garrett