Making Something of the Misses

Rebounding is important, but perhaps that has been lost among the highlight reels of recent years.

Out of the NBA’s Top 25 All-Time Rebound leaders, not one is still playing. I’m not a basketball fan, but on that list, nearly every name was familiar to me. They would likely almost all appear on a list of the best players (in general) of all time.

Few other lists of GOATs (in specific categories) are entirely absent current players.

This post isn’t about ballers by trade, it is about rebounding in a broader sense..

Rebounding is resilience by another name. It’s taking something that didn’t go well and emerging from it with hope.

2025 has begun with a tragedy free-for-all, but among the horror stories, there is also resilience.

To be clear, I am not suggesting all tragedies are equal, only that they share the potential for people to rebound and be resilient.

To be human is to forfeit control over many things. Weather will happen. Bad people will sometimes win. Fortunes may reverse. But what we do control is how we react to tragedy, or injustice, or loss.

Oddly, in my observations, the worse a situation is, the more outwardly resilient people can be. I know there are tears from loss in the LA fires, so many that if we could tap them, LA would never be short of water again. But the refrain I have heard from many is resilient, “we will rebuild.” Emerging from the ashes is hope. This is what we control, how we choose to view our situation, no matter how dire.

If you spend any time on LinkedIn, you know the job market is tough. Being resilient with so much disappointment as job seekers is challenging. There is fear. There is doubt. There is sacrifice. Among all of that though, is resilience. I see people posting new skills they’ve learned in their “involuntary downtime.” Many are aggressively making new contacts that can pay future dividends. Some are reevaluating and pursuing dreams that had faded over time.

Rebounding is not easy. But what is? It all takes effort, and many people are facing larger hills to climb than others. Your hill may come. My hope for you is that you’ll have a net below to secure your climb, safety ropes to keep you in place, and friendly hands to boost or pull you up.

When you sit atop the hill reach back and offer a hand, throw someone a rope. We need our networks and communities when things are at their worst. Donations. Aid. Time. While I still seek my next position, my network has provided incredible support. Unfamiliar hands have supported me simply because they could.

Out of all the emotional traits I hope I possess; resilience may be the one I rely on most. My aim is to help others be resilient too. If I can help you, let me know.

Rebounding may be a skill that has recently been overlooked, in the NBA and in life, but of those who did it best, most are still some of the biggest names of all time. Few current names are anywhere close.

When you have misses in your life, you can really make a name for yourself as a rebounder.