In 1989, on a flight from Denver to Chicago, the rear engine exploded minutes after takeoff and the pilots made a mercy landing in Sioux City, Iowa. Jerry Schemmel was aboard that flight and miraculously survived. He was surprised to see his story was made into a movie, but chose not to sue.

Psychologists have lots of research evidence showing that problem-focused coping increases resiliency while emotion-focused coping impairs resiliency. This means that when faced with a setback, unexpected difficulty, or challenge, it is smart to focus outward on the challenges that must be handled. A real-life example of creative problem solving.

On May 14-15, 2001, I was part of an intimate group of 4300 at the University of Portland for two mornings, to hear Buddhist teachings by the Dalai Lama. I came away impressed with him as a teacher and as a living example of what he believes. Although I have had some familiarity with Buddhism for many years, for the first time I experienced profound wisdom in Buddhism. I can understand why the name "Dalai Lama" means "Ocean of Wisdom."

In 1982, at age 30, Marion Luna Brem was a very busy woman. Married, with two sons, she was a full-time mother and homemaker, worked part-time as a switch-board operator for an auto dealership, and was taking college classes in Dallas, Texas. When Marion discovered a lump in her left breast, she went for a medical examination. She was told it was benign, but in the months that followed the lump kept getting larger. This story of resiliency has two messages. One is to show what a determined woman can do when she chooses to overcome life's adversities. The other is to emphasize how many times people who develop cancer have worked at an exhausting pace without let up.

In 1970, Gert Boyle, the president of world famous Columbia Sportswear, was literally thrown into her role running the company her parents and husband had created. She had little knowledge of business, enlisted her son Tim, and today, together, have created one of the largest sportswear companies in the world.

Controversial figure Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor and the (disqualified, yet) unprecedented winner of seven consecutive Tour de France bicycle races. Looking beyond the doping episode, Lance's recovery story is a remarkable one showing courage, determination, and resiliency.

Al met Jesse Reeder at a writer's conference in the mid 90s. She told him she was beginning to write a self-help book based on what she had learned from some powerfully transforming life experiences. She had been the CEO of a mid-sized utility company and abruptly fired. Read how she handled this upheaval.

August, 1975, will always be a month that Suzy Kellett remembers in vivid detail. It was the month she gave birth to quadruplets and her husband walked out. He left her in their Idaho home to cope with four infants by herself with no help and no income to pay the rent and other bills. Find out how Suzy used her resilient nature to survive these circumstances.

Paul Wieand is a man who truly "reinvented" himself. After losing his job as a bank president, Paul had an identity crisis that threw him into a deep depression. His transformative journey included going to graduate school in psychology and discovering the power of authenticity while conducting group therapy with high-IQ people diagnosed as schizophrenic. Paul founded the Center for Advanced Emotional Intelligence in 1995 and is highly effective at showing executives how to break out of their isolating roles.

When it comes to the effects of downsizing, resiliency takes different forms. It may be to adapt quickly and find a new career direction or it may be to bounce back in a way that leads to a surprising outcome.