He kicked at me

and said, "You need to be kicked at!"

"Yes, I am being kicked at all the time." I responded.

In life, we are all kicked at occasionally.

Sometimes, we are kicked at by choice.

We stepped into a new elevated role.

There are people we won't know in the room, and it seems daunting to understand the power dynamic.

There are strategies we are not familiar with, and contributing seems nerve-racking.

Other times, we are kicked at by external forces.

The company is not doing well; the entire department has been dismantled.

You and your manager don't get along, and day-to-day interactions are draining.

You thought you would be the next VP, but someone else got it.

We don't know when we will be kicked at.

However, if we are prepared mentally, knowing that we are not that special in life, we would be far more accepting and ready when life kicks at us.

Be ready to be kicked at sometimes.

He was joking, of course.

He didn't really kick at me, but his message did.