Rush the net!

Growing up, I learned there’s more than one way to win a tennis match. I envied my teammates who stayed in baseline rallies, taking their time and hitting shots more likely to land in the court, for as long as it took to break their opponents. I just wasn’t that player. I craved quick and decisive points. As a lefty, I styled myself after Martina Navratilova, often rushing the net to set up for a dramatic volley. I would soon find out that I was no Navratilova. Did I change my strategy? Not really and I ended most seasons with a mixed record. But, I was much happier losing a match knowing that I’d really gone for it than winning with a more advisable set of groundstrokes. I’ve realized that my career journey has been a lot like my tennis game. Early on, I left the relative safety of practicing law to pursue a much less certain opportunity because I realized that just because I could do it, it wasn’t the thing I wanted to do. There was very little joy. For a long time, I wished I could have found it in that more predictable path. But, not anymore. If we’re lucky, life is much longer than a tennis match or even a tennis season. There will be lots of chances to decide how you want to play. Me, I’m going to keep rushing the net.