As you said, the moral of the story still resonates today.

Best to you,
David

Your Dad didn’t invent that story but was simply repeating the standard joke that Danny Thomas used to tell in his act. It was a classic and he could build it and build it, till you were laughing before the punch line.
I was actually looking to find a recording or printed copy of Thomas’ original story, but so far with no success.
As for the value behind the story, it is so true of many of us. I wanted to get the original to show my wife, who I now accuse of occasionally….building that mountain out of a molehill (ie: a jack story).
If you ever come across the original (Danny Thomas), you’ll enjoy what your father was trying to convey.

A card player should learn that once the money is in the pot, it isn’t his any longer….

Life is like a game of poker: If you don’t put any in the pot, there won’t be any to take out….

Luck’s not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men…

Omaha is a game that was invented by a Sadist and is played by Masochists….

The two things you need to be successful in poker are, first, find the muck, and second, don’t play your own money….

Thanks for your support and post. It’s so easy to dwell only on the negative; it’s liberating to know that there is always another way to look at a situation. Thanks again for writing!

Best to you,
David

I’m glad to hear this approach to working through catastrophic thinking works for you. And thanks for spreading the word. And I love your “note to self!”

Best to you,
David

Thanks for the post Chris. Dad is not a scientist, but his advice sure lines up with the work of Reivich and Shatte (and also Seligman). It’s a wonderful thing to be able to tell your mother and father, “your advice all those years was not only good, it’s now scientifically grounded!”

Best to you,
David