--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes it didn't matter how much…" description: "\"“Sometimes it didn't matter how much gumption you had. What mattered were the cards you'd been dealt.”\" — Jeannette Walls" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/jeannette-walls-1378_football_sometimes-it-didn-t-matter-how-much-gump_982921.png" --- # Sometimes it didn't matter how much gumption you had. What… ![“Sometimes it didn't matter how much gumption you had. What mattered were the cards you'd been dealt.” quote by Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/jeannette-walls-1378_football_sometimes-it-didn-t-matter-how-much-gump_982921.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/jeannette-walls-1378_football_sometimes-it-didn-t-matter-how-much-gump_982921.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/jeannette-walls-1378_football_sometimes-it-didn-t-matter-how-much-gump_982921.png) > ““Sometimes it didn't matter how much gumption you had. What mattered were the cards you'd been dealt.”” [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success depends less on personal drive and more on the circumstances one is given; luck and external factors matter. **In simple terms:** Luck and circumstances matter more than effort. Key Takeaway Recognize and navigate external factors. Themes luck circumstances effort Mood pragmatic realistic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career planning - financial decisions - health outcomes Key Concepts sociology psychology fortune Questions to Reflect On - How can you mitigate unfavorable circumstances? - When should you focus on effort versus external factors? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on luck can diminish personal agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cards Dealt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cards-dealt/) [Didn Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-matter/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Gumption Mattered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gumption-mattered-1963903/) [Mattered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattered/) [Mattered Cards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattered-cards-1963904/) [Slice of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slice-of-life/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [If it only mattered to 'me'... then it obviously didn't matter at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-stoynoff/if-it-only-mattered-to-me-then-it-obviously-didn-t-matter-at-all/) [Carl Stoynoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-stoynoff/) > [“didn’t matter if she had eight toes or ten, amber eyes or blue. What mattered was what she set out to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-beatty/didn-t-matter-if-she-had-eight-toes-or-ten-amber-eyes-or-blue-what/) [Robert Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-beatty/) > [It didn't matter how big our house was; it mattered that there was love in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-buffett/it-didn-t-matter-how-big-our-house-was-it-mattered-that-there-was/) [Peter Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-buffett/) > [It didn’t matter who was more right. What mattered is that we listened to each other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-craig-zwick/it-didn-t-matter-who-was-more-right-what-mattered-is-that-we-listened/) [W. Craig Zwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-craig-zwick/) > [“But the cause didn't matter. All that mattered was the effect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/but-the-cause-didn-t-matter-all-that-mattered-was-the-effect/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Her letter proved it didn’t matter how much time we had; it mattered what we did with it. Love was one thing time could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-nuss/her-letter-proved-it-didn-t-matter-how-much-time-we-had-it-mattered/) [Steph Nuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-nuss/) > [Lying on the front passenger seat, as if it didn't matter, was Rose's Diary. It Mattered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-b-cooney/lying-on-the-front-passenger-seat-as-if-it-didn-t-matter-was-rose-s/) [Caroline B. Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/) > [“Father always said that it didn't matter what you looked like or what you wear. It was who you were that mattered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dalton/father-always-said-that-it-didn-t-matter-what-you-looked-like-or-what/) [Sarah Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dalton/) > [“I learned long ago that home is a word that applies to people, not places... Didn't matter to me where I was - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-revis/i-learned-long-ago-that-home-is-a-word-that-applies-to-people-not/) [beth revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-revis/) > [“Looking back now, how fucking stupid was I not to see what was going on? But when you were in it, you didn’t know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-clayton/looking-back-now-how-fucking-stupid-was-i-not-to-see-what-was-going/) [Alice Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-clayton/) > [“Remember how we forgot? Once upon a time, we were young Our dreams hung like apples Waiting to be picked and peeled And hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-l-koyczan/remember-how-we-forgot-once-upon-a-time-we-were-young-our-dreams-hung/) [Shane L. Koyczan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-l-koyczan/) > [I paint a slice of life, whatever it is that day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-holder/i-paint-a-slice-of-life-whatever-it-is-that-day/) [Geoffrey Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-holder/) > [“Lardo was getting on in years, and his big belly tended to slow him down a bit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weeks/lardo-was-getting-on-in-years-and-his-big-belly-tended-to-slow-him/) [Sarah Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weeks/) > [I can simply say that I feel spontaneously attracted by everything that is beautiful... It comes from the unconscious and not from my knowledge...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leni-riefenstahl/i-can-simply-say-that-i-feel-spontaneously-attracted-by-everything/) [Leni Riefenstahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leni-riefenstahl/) > [Slice of life and dramedies are the pieces that I most gravitate toward, because I think that's life - life is not all drama,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ego-nwodim/slice-of-life-and-dramedies-are-the-pieces-that-i-most-gravitate/) [Ego Nwodim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ego-nwodim/) ## More by Jeannette Walls > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“You should never hate anyone, not even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You had to find the redeeming quality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-not-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [With a complicated childhood, you can either focus on the positive or the negative, and I chose to focus on the positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/with-a-complicated-childhood-you-can-either-focus-on-the-positive-or/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [She never felt sorry for herself, and that was something I decided I admired most in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/she-never-felt-sorry-for-herself-and-that-was-something-i-decided-i/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“If you want to live in the farmland, haul your sorry hide off to Pennsylvania.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/if-you-want-to-live-in-the-farmland-haul-your-sorry-hide-off-to/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“I WAS SITTING IN a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-sitting-in-a-taxi-wondering-if-i-had-overdressed-for-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I had the big shoulders; I had the big hair. I loved the '80s. It was all about power women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-had-the-big-shoulders-i-had-the-big-hair-i-loved-the-80s-it-was-all/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Things usually work out in the end." "What if they don't?" "That just means you haven't come to the end yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/things-usually-work-out-in-the-end-what-if-they-don-t-that-just-means/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“That was the way man was meant to live, he’d say, in harmony with the wild, like the Indians, not this lords-of-the-earth crap, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/that-was-the-way-man-was-meant-to-live-he-d-say-in-harmony-with-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Sometimes you need a little crisis to get your adrenaline flowing and help you realize your potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sometimes-you-need-a-little-crisis-to-get-your-adrenaline-flowing-and/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Don’t be afraid of your dark places,” Mom told her. “If you can shine a light on them, you’ll find treasure there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/don-t-be-afraid-of-your-dark-places-mom-told-her-if-you-can-shine-a/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I hate Erma," I told Mom... "You have to show compassion for her..." She added that you should never hate anyone, even your worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-hate-erma-i-told-mom-you-have-to-show-compassion-for-her-she-added/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Sad state to spend your life in. Being afraid of your own self." Rex Walls”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sad-state-to-spend-your-life-in-being-afraid-of-your-own-self-rex/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I was so worried that people wouldn't like me or my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-so-worried-that-people-wouldn-t-like-me-or-my-story/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“the surest way to feel rich was to invest in quality nonessentials.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/the-surest-way-to-feel-rich-was-to-invest-in-quality-nonessentials/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) [Explore all 247 Jeannette Walls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) [Brendan Mundorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-mundorf/) > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes it didn't matter how much gumption you had. 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