So… I Got Hit in the Face This Weekend
Yes. Sunday. During a tournament.
A volleyball. Right to the face.
And honestly? It’s such a perfect metaphor for life and work—where things just come flying out of left field and hit you hard when you’re not looking.
But let me back up a little, because this whole thing actually started on Friday night.
I was eating dinner and watching Major League Volleyball on TV.
Now, I’m a beach player. I also play grass. So, watching indoor is always interesting to me because it’s a completely different game.
In indoor volleyball, they do things that would be illegal in beach. The ball moves at this insane rate of speed. Everything is about force. Power. Doing whatever it takes to get the point.
But beach? Beach is different.
It’s about finesse. Care. Placement. Skill.
And as I’m sitting there watching, something clicks in my head:
This is exactly like life. And work.
You’ve got all these different styles. Different personalities. Different ways of approaching the same problem.
And not all of them align well with yours.
Some of them take more energy to deal with if it’s not your natural style.
I filed that thought away and kept watching.
Fast forward to Sunday.
I’m playing in the tournament, and there’s this teenager on the other side of the net. He’s got all the energy in the world. And he thinks the way to win is to hit the ball as hard as humanly possible.
Every. Single. Time.
And then—wham.
Right to the face.
Now… my jaw is still a little sore. But honestly? It clarified something for me when we went on to win the game.
This kid couldn’t see it yet—because he doesn’t have the breadth of experience—but sometimes, finesse and a little extra attention to detail can outlast and outplay brute force.
Placement shots. Reading the court. Knowing when to slow down and be strategic.
That’s the game.
But he’s young. He’ll learn.
“Play Your Game”
So, the next round, I’m watching some of our friends warm up.
And they’re doing the same thing—trying to hit as hard as the young guys. Trying to match their force.
And they keep putting the ball in the net.
I walk over and say, “Hey. Play your game. The solid game that’s gotten you this far. Outmatch them with wit and skill—not force.”
They did.
And guess what? They made playoffs.
Beyond Volleyball
It’s the same thing in work and life.
Sometimes brute force and never giving up is absolutely the way to go.
Other times? You’ve got to navigate with skill and experience.
What I keep coming back to:
Sometimes you just get hit. That’s life.
The question isn’t if it’s going to happen. It’s what are you going to do with it?
Are you going to stay angry and frustrated? Or are you going to take it in, add it to your bucket of experience, and use it to make yourself better in the future?
Oh—and later on, the kid who hit me in the face was tired from a long rally and goes, “I’m so tired…”
I looked at him and said, “Talk to me when you’re 40.”
What does this mean:
For me, I’ll keep playing.
But for RevCo (my mixed doubles team)? It might be time to find a dinosaur league.
But seriously—this whole weekend reminded me of a few truths:
1. There’s more than one way to win.
Brute force works. So does finesse, strategy, and patience.
The key is knowing which game to play—and when.
2. Experience is a different kind of power.
The teenager had force. We had placement, wit, patience, and awareness.
Both have value. Both can win. But they require different approaches.
3. Getting hit is part of the game.
In volleyball, work, and In life.
You can’t avoid it. But you can choose how you respond.
Do you let it take you out? Or do you shake it off, adjust your strategy, and keep playing?
4. Play your game—not theirs.
When my friends tried to match the teenagers’ force, they failed.
When they played their game—the one built on experience, skill, and smart shot selection—they won.
The same is true at work.
Don’t try to out-hustle all the time.
Play your game. Use your experience. Use your awareness. Use your ability to read the room, anticipate, and place your shot where it matters most.
Final Thought
Life is going to hit you in the face sometimes.
A volleyball. A layoff. A curveball you didn’t see coming.
The question isn’t whether it will happen. It’s what you’ll do with it.
Will you get angry? Or will you adjust, learn, and come back with a better strategy?
For me, I’m choosing the latter.
And maybe digging out the hockey mask for the next tournament…
Authentic Evolution Journey 