“The waves of the sea
help me get back to me.” 
Jill Davis

Stuff happens. We all know this. Things we didn’t expect to be dealing with suddenly change the course of our lives, leaving us with no choice but to adjust. And so, we do.

Today, Brendan and I took a drive over the hill to Santa Cruz. It was our first “field trip” — the first of many — since his surgery last Tuesday. He may be required to immobilize his knee for a while, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get out and enjoy California life. Santa Cruz has been one of Brendan’s go-to places for a long time. It’s a destination he has visited on a regular basis to relax, to think, and to nourish his soul. A simple leg injury or, as in this case, a serious surgery, isn’t going to prevent him from getting there.

It’s unfortunate that Brendan sustained this injury just six weeks after launching his new business, True Form Basketball. After devoting several weeks to getting himself back into top physical condition, he was just getting started meeting with clients to help them improve their game. Then… snap! Just like that, the patellar tendon in his right knee ruptured and Brendan found himself in the back of an ambulance en route to Regional Medical Center in San José for surgery. Some might perceive this situation as a brick wall. Brendan sees it in a different way.

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University professor who is well-known for his Last Lecture prior to losing his battle with cancer, was confronted with a serious crisis in his life. He spoke of this situation in his lecture, saying, “The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

Brendan’s situation might also be considered a crisis. For at least the next six months, his ability to provide instruction to basketball players will be severely limited. Player development training is now his business — his livelihood. Fortunately, Brendan knows all too well that the word “crisis” in Chinese requires two symbols: 危机. Together they mean “crisis” as we understand it in English. It’s interesting to note that when separated, these two symbols have their own unique meanings. 危 means “danger,” which shouldn’t surprise anyone. The other symbol, 机, means “opportunity.” This can apply to any crisis situation.

Rather than sitting back and feeling sorry for himself, Brendan has made the decision to maintain a positive attitude, looking forward to the future rather than resenting what happened to him. While the danger of his situation is obvious, he has chosen to focus on the opportunities this state of affairs offers him to actively promote his business, to further develop lesson plans for practice sessions, and to make professional contacts here in the South Bay who might be able to refer potential clients to him in 2026.

Gregory S. Williams, author of the book Petulant Shadows, wrote, “On the other side of the storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.” 

Brendan is on his way!