THRIVEnet: Survivor Story Archives

THRIVEnet Survivor Story Archives

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2002-07

"Single and Surviving" by Rhona Johnson
Ms. Johnson shows directly how some of the principles in The Survivor Personality relate to everyday life and hopes her story will help others in their own journey to find contentment and peace of mind.

"Here's the Story Behind the Movie FEARLESS"
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.

"Growing Better and Better" by Gloria Nash
In July of 2002 you published my story on your website. I continue to receive positive feedback from individuals all over the country with regard to understanding resilience. So much has happend to me in the past couple of years. I can't really say that I have achieved all of my dreams yet, but I have made enormous leaps of growth in healing my mental and emotional attitudes. Read her updated story.

"Overcoming 'Victimitis'" by David Pendlum
"It is actually quite difficult to lay out any given step-by-step process of how I overcame what I like to call 'victimitis.' The nearest I can come to a 'step-by-step' process is by analogy, the grieving/recovery process one goes through in losing a loved one. The process actually began at a very early age, and it took a few decades of life to truly make headway in moving from 'victim' to 'survivor.' So, if I ramble in what follows, please forgive me...."

"Butterflies Are Free" by Meredith Murray
Meredith Murray experienced near-fatal car accident in 1995 and her life was changed forever. She thinks of her experience as a metamorphosis, like that of a caterpillar into a butterfly with her transformation taking five stages: the Egg, the Caterpillar, the Cocoon, Emerging From the Chrysalis, and the Butterfly.

"Problem-Focused Coping: How to Bounce Back with Strength You Didn't Know You Had" Synopsis of Women's Day Magazine article, October 2002.
Elizabeth Story-Maley's New York City apartment, where she lived with her husband and young twin sons, was six blocks from the World Trade Center Towers destroyed by terrorists on September 11, 2001. In the days and weeks after the towers collapsed, the air was so thick with dust and smoke that she and one of her sons were constantly gasping for air. When they developed asthma and severe breathing problems, she spent most of her time seeking medical help and treatments.

"The Journey of a Late Bloomer" by Gloria R. Nash
A strong sense of self-determination allowed Gloria Nash to move beyond childhood polio, being abandoned by her parents, eating disorders, drug use and isolation. Her story shows that inside each of us we truly have the ability to heal and grow, if we are willing to face our own pain.

"How I Survived the Deaths of Twelve Family Members" by Joanne K. Hill
Within a four-year period, twelve of Joanne Hill's family members died, beginning with her husband and ending with her son. During that time, she was frequently asked, "How do you get through it?" As she pondered the question, she discovered that the rough times she'd been through in the past had given her seven remedies for surviving the stormy times and finding the rainbows.

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2001

October 2001: "A Poet's Story" by Robert Hansel
Robert M. Hansel was born in Rota, Spain in 1969. Currently a resident of Oswego, NY, he is an international poet-writer. On October 1st of 2000, Robert was honored when the mayor of his home town declared a week for the disabled, "Beyond Limitations Week," in his name. Here is his story, followed by two of his poems.

August 2001: "Good Things Are Easy to Get" by Heiko Lampert
Heiko's story shows how he overcame widespread social feelings of helplessness that years of communist oppression had created in people living in communist controlled East Germany. His simple, positive act to improve his life freed him from the emotional restraints of helplessness and hopelessness that handicapped so many others.

July 2001: "Solo Survivors"
Adapted from a chapter of Lionel Fisher's Celebrating Time Alone: Stories of Splendid Solitude, this story recounts the journies of several solo survivors in situations such as solo ocean voyages, Antarctic missions, desert treks and personal journeys. Includes a listing of valuable traits and behaviors to help the solo survivor succeed.

May 2001: "What Works When Diets Don't?" by Shane Idleman
Active and athletic in high school, Shane Idleman weight had skyrocketed to 270 pounds by the time he had reached his twenty-second birthday. He was diagnosed with borderline hypoglycemia, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, and rapidly deteriorating health. As a result, at 22, he was declined life insurance. Facing a life of medication and strict dieting. He was shocked. He knew that if he didn't change his life, his life would change him. The typical diet books didn't help. Read what Shane did to change his life.

April 2001: "The Story of a Stroke Survivor" by Rhonda Petersen
In this month's story, read how Rhonda Petersen used humor to keep her spirit alive after two crippling strokes almost killed her. Rhonda's story is highly informative about the many challenges faced by someone who looks normal but has many neurological handicaps.

March 2001: "To Be Resilient, Resist the Hype About Stress"
I feel distressed about all the articles being published about "workplace stress." Listed are some that I've seen in the last several months. These articles are well crafted, but conceptually flawed. If the purpose of the writers and the editors is to help people cope better, their efforts are counter-productive. How so? Research shows that the least resilient workers are those who experience their jobs as full of stress. This means that people who read the articles become less resilient if they allow themselves to become convinced that their jobs have high levels of stress.

February 2001: "From Impoverished Distress to Cancer to Multi-Millionaire - Marion Brem's story"
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.

January 2001: "The Beneficial Fire - Larry Newman's story"
When people are hit with an extreme, life-disrupting loss they will never be the same again. They will feel either wounded and bitter, or strengthened and better. Larry Newman's way of appreciating the benefits he gained from losing everything he owned in a fire shows how a resilient person can convert misfortune into good fortune. Here is how Larry describes a good/bad event in his life...

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2000

December 2000: "Necessity, the 'Mother Boyle' of Invention -- Gert Boyle's Story "
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.

November 2000: "The Resilience of Oklahoma City Bomb Survivors - Richard Williams' story"
Richard Williams is a survivor of the Oklahoma City bombing. When I met him in August, 2000, on the Debra Duncan television show, I was impressed with his humor and happy spirit. His story shows how people can respond with strength after a horrendous tragedy.

October 2000: "Cliff Meidl - An Olympic Competitor's Shocking Story"
Most stories about the Olympic games in Sydney, Australia, were about the medal winners. The THRIVEnet story for October is about a competitor, Cliff Meidl, who didn't win a medal, but who accomplished something much more. As part of his rehabilitation after feeling the effects of 30,000 volts of electricity , Cliff began to canoe and kayak. Because of his hard work and determination, he became one of the best kayakers in the world and qualified to represent the United States at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

September 2000: "Caught in a Layoff? Help Others! " --Cynthia Dailey-Hewkin's story
A few days ago, over seven years since first leading a session on surviving during disruptive change (layoffs) at the Trojan Nuclear Plant, in Ranier, Oregon, I received the following e-mail from Cynthia Dailey-Hewkin, a woman who was in one of my sessions. Her story validates what can happen when a person does not react like a victim during a major corporate layoff and chooses, instead, to find ways to be helpful to others. She gives practical advice to anyone facing a layoff.

August 2000: "Testicular cancer was the best thing that could have happened." --Lance Armstrong's story
Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor and winner of both the 1999 and 2000 Tour de France bicycle races. Lance was on his way to becoming the top bicycle racer in the world in 1996 when he was diagnosed with an advanced form of testicular cancer that had spread to his abdomen, lungs, and brain. Chances for his recovery were 50/50, at best.

July 2000: "Reclaiming and Celebrating Life: A Tribute to My Heroes"
by Theresa E. Scott
Read Theresa's engaging personal story of how she experienced, came through and survived a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. She credits the "heroes"of her life for her survival.

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June 2000: "From Homeless to Harvard - Liz Murray's story"
A few people are born resilient. Elizabeth Murray is one of them. Her parents were cocaine addicts who spent most of the family's money on feeding their habits. Liz explains that as a result, she and her sister were neglected. Her mother had died of AIDS, and her father was on the streets....

May 2000: "I Wouldn't Trade How I Am Now For How I Used To Be" - by Barbara Spear
It took an almost fatal, crippling accident to make Barbara Spear realize that she had an important purpose in life. Here, in her own words, is how she was transformed by a life experience that devastates many others. Read her story.

April 2000: "A Window on Recovery or Computer Becomes Family Friend*" - by Peter Marsh
"He's never going to leave, he's going to need institutional care for the rest of his life." Jayne Quigley remembers exactly what the doctor told her after her husband's second stroke--and her reaction. "That made me so mad. I told him that's not what I need to hear: that my husband is going to live out his life in an institution." Norm had made an amazing recovery from his first stroke in 1988, and along the way Jayne had learned her most important lesson--to never give up hope.

March 2000: "My Personal Resilience Story" -- By Marshall L. Lightner
Marshall L. Lightner writes: Each of us has a story where resilience plays an important role. Some people have life experiences that require more resilience than others. My life, like most others, has required the development of some resilience. I will give you the essential details.

February 2000: "Angry Mothers on Welfare Must Fight For Education Funding" -- Diana Spatz's story
Diana Spatz was a single mother on welfare. She encountered many barriers when she tried to get an education to become self-sufficient, but she found ways to overcome them. She now works to help other parents on welfare gain access to funding that is available from for their education. Read about her pathway to success.

January 2000: "Getting fired was the best thing that could have happened to me." -- Interview with Jesse Reeder
I met Jesse Reeder at a writer's conference about four years ago. She told me 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.

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1999

December 1999: "I'd Do It Again -- Suzy Kellett's Story"
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.

November 1999: " One Survivor's Story " -- by Sandy Goldstein, a Polio Survivor
Like many others, Sandy Goldstein survived the debillitating effects of polio, only to find her life filled with challenges she never imgined. Read her first person account of the struggles and triumphs she's faced.

October 1999: " From Loss of Identity to Leader -- Paul Wieand's Story "
Paul Wieand is a 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.

September 1999: " Reacting to Non-Visible Multiple Sclerosis: A Journey of Acceptance in 5 Short Chapters " -- by Carolyn Magura
About 35 years ago, a high school student kept having her fingers go numb. A decade later, after becoming a mother, she started to have visual "black-outs" and holes in her vision. An optometrist told her "You are having migraines, just be happy you don't have the headache also." A decade later, when her feet and left side went numb, a Doctor said, "You may have multiple sclerosis (MS). Read this story about one woman's successful dealings with the MonSter....

August 1999: " My Seizure Disorder Has Made Me Stronger " -- by Camille Pierce
Camille Pierce is an impressively resilient survivor/thriver. Epileptic seizures starting in infancy eventually became so severe that at age 50 she had to have brain surgery to save her life. Read about the many ways this amazing woman has learned to take care of herself, do volunteer work, and educate people about epilepsy.

July 1999: " After Facing Death, John Negroni Reinvented Himself "
Losing his job as a corporate executive plunged John Negroni into an abyss of fruitless job searching. His experience as a vice-president for a Fortune 500 company qualified him for a number of executive positions, but during his job search he knew that deep down he really didn't want to work for anyone else again. "Finally the answer came," he says, "it came in the form of a heart attack...."

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June 1999: "The Benefits of Breast Cancer" written by Marcia Keith
Marcia Keith is a college administrator and president of her professional association. She writes this autobiographical account of what she found good in something perceived as bad.

May 1999: "He Surprised Them All - Allen Sawyers Story" written by Cynthia C. Dailey-Hewkin
An auto accident, a coma, a head injury...Allen Sawyers lived through them all. Read this inspriational story about changed attitudes, family support, new challenges and unlimited possibilities.

April 1999: "A Resilient Spirit Saves a Job - Susan's story "
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.

March 1999: "Strengthened by Schizophrenia -Michael Allen's Story"
The tragedy of schizophrenia is not in the experience itself, but that psychiatry misrepresents what is known about schizophrenia. Contrary to assertions by psychiatrists, "schizophrenia" is not a brain disease that leads to slow, progressive deterioration. A small percentage of people not only fully recover, but go on to become even better than before the episode. Read about Michael Allen's experience.

February 1999: "'Live with it' - Gretchen Remington's Story"
When Gretchen Remington got in her car to drive to town one day in 1992, she had no anticipation that her life would soon be changed forever. Gretchen, aged 29, was a single mother raising a young daughter. A few miles down the road her car was hit head on by an intocixated man driving a pick-up truck. Gretchen lived through the crash, but a severe head injury paralyzed the left side of her body. Now 32, she told me about her experience as a survivor.

January 1999: "Survivors of the United Flight 173 Crash."
On December 28, 1998, survivors of a plane crash that occured in Portland, Oregon, in 1978 gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the occasion. Read about some of the experience gained by the survivors.

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1998

December 1998: "Victor Frankl -- An Inspirational Survivor."
Victor Frankl, a survivor of World War II concentration camps, gave the world his knowledge with the book Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning. Here is a brief synopsis of his life.

October/November 1998: "From Poverty to Prosperity -- Ben Carson, M.D."
As a fifth grader in Detroit, Benjamin Carson was considered the dumbest kid in the class. Read how his mother and a plan of action turned Ben into a world famous surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

September 1998: "Forgiving the Rapists? -- Debbie Morris Tells Her Story"
Debbie Morris is famous for being the sixteen year-old girl from Madisonville, Louisiana, who was kidnapped and repeatedly raped by the killer featured in the book and movie Dead Man Walking. Debbie contacted me last summer to let me know that after watching the Oprah show about survivors, she decided to write her own book. Forgiving the Dead Man Walking is just now arriving at bookstores. It is a fascinating account of how Debbie coped with being raped and kidnapped by two men, how she survived her ordeal, and about her path to forgiveness. Her description of her silent self-talk is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a survivor.

July 1998: "Dying With Spirit--Learning how to Live"
While in college,Mitch Albom had a found a mentor in his sociology professor. Morrie Schwartz met privately with Mitch every week to ask questions, challenge, encourage, and advise him. At graduation Morrie asked Mitch to stay in touch. Mitch said he would, but he didn't. Several years later, Mitch learned that Morrie was dying. Read how Mitch reconnected with Morrie and learned some of the greatest lessons of his life.

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June 1998: " 'Still Me' -- How Christopher Reeve has coped with his survival challenges"
On Memorial Day, May 27, 1995, actor Christopher Reeve was thrown headfirst from his horse during a jumping competition. His 215 pound body rammed his head straight down onto a jumping rail, and in a instant, he was a quadrapeligic. Several important benefits may emerge from his accident. His leadership has led to a big push in spinal cord injury research and is challenging the long-held belief that spinal cord injury is irreversible. Read about some of the challenges Christopher has faced.

May 1998: "What Do You Do After You Fall? -- Suzanne Somers' Story"
Actress Suzanne Somers' early life was very difficult. Her father was a drunken, violent man, at age 18 she became pregnant, she married her boyfriend, divorced him soon after and spent several years as a single mother. She took any modeling job she could find and finally got a break with the TV show Three's Company. However, she found out, stardom can be fleeting. Read her story.

April 1998: "How High Can You Bounce? - Roger Crawford's Message"
Roger Crawford was born with all four limbs deformed. He never thought of himself as handicapped, however. "My preferred term," he says "is inconvenienced."

March 1998: "Facing Racism Made Me Better, Not Bitter - Jackie Leno Grant"
Jackie Leno Grant spent her early years in a comfortable world, surrounded by family and friends. Moving to another town changed all that. As a Native American in a nearly all-white school in rural western Oregon, Jackie felt out of place. Her unfair treatment at school could have made her bitter and rebellious, but Jackie refused to let bitterness rule her life.

February 1998: "From Shock to Excitement: How a Job Mismatch Led to My Ideal Position -- Tom Kelley's story"
Do you have an ideal job? Believe it is possible to find it? Read how Tom Kelley went from being laid off to finding his ideal position.

January 1998: "Dare Take Risks to Find Your Purpose!"
Stephen J. Hopson tells his story of career and financial success--obtained despite a major 'handicap.' Read how he turned his 'handicap' into an asset.

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1997

December 1997: "Still Water Skiing -- An Amputated Leg Hasn't Slowed Holley Howard Down"
Holley Howard is a water skiier. Always has been, always will be. Even after a terrible boating accident caused her to have her leg amputated, Holley got back up on skis and hasn't looked back. Read her inspirational story.

November 1997: "Grateful Journey -- The Story of Jackie Pflug"
Jackie Pflug survived being shot in the back of the head in 1985 by hijackers on EgyptAir flight 648. Jackie made herself lay without moving for five hours to avoid being shot again. Everyone thought she was dead, even the ambulance crew that came to remove the bodies. Read how this experience changed her life.

October 1997: "Anyone Could Have Done What I Did -- Jean Pennington's Story"
In her own words, Jean describes how she overcame a brain tumor and an overbearing mother.

August / September, 1997: " Gaining Direction from a Loved One's Illness -- Nancy Linday's Story"
When someone in your life is stricken with a debilitating illness, you can either passively accept it, or actively do something about it. Nancy Linday, former champion road runner, chose to make the most of her mother Sarah's suffering from Alzheimer's disease by engaging her mother's mind and motivation.

July, 1997: " 'I Will Not Live In Fear'-- A story of cancer survivorship and hope by Dan Easterling"
A story of one man's fight with cancer, how he survived and turned adversity into an opportunity for personal growth.

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June, 1997: "The Stroke Has Really Been Good For Me - Margie Mee Pate"
Margie Pate remembers loving her life in the summer of 1991. Then she had a stroke. Read about her experience

May, 1997: "'What Does Not Kill Me Makes Me Stronger, But I Reserve the Right to Resent It!' -- Cindy Wells Tells Her Story"
Cindy tells us of her experience with Systemic Lupus. "The fatigue and exhaustion I deal with everyday disables me to a large extent, yet my triumph has been to develop a rich, full and rewarding life from within those confines."

April, 1997: "The Worst Experiences Create Some of the Best People -- Oprah Winfrey's Story"
Especially amazing are stories of exceptionally capable, resilient, successful people who survived childhood experiences that no child should have to go through. Oprah Winfrey, for example, was an unwanted, illegitimate baby. Her mother left her with a grandmother who had a pig farm in rural Mississippi and moved away.

March, 1997: "When How You React Makes a Difference -- Paul Barney's Story "
The evening before we taped the Oprah Winfrey show about survivors, I had dinner with Paul Barney. He is a survivor of the ferry that sank in the Baltic Sea in September, 1994. Only 137 people survived out of the 989 on board the Estonia, making it the worst European Maritime disaster since WWII.

February, 1997: "Disaster Work: Getting Stronger and Better "
Cam Pierce is an American Red Cross Mass Care Specialist. During a recent exchange of e-mail letters I asked her how she handles the pressures of disaster relief work. Her comments are reproduced here with her permission.

January, 1997: "Learn A Lesson, Find a Gift -- Tom Peterson's Story"
Tom Peterson worked for many years to build a solid business selling television sets, stereo systems, and home appliances. When a bad business decision forced Tom out of business, he had a choice....Read how he coped.

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1996

December, 1996: "Giving Thanks for Multiple Sclerosis"
Maryam Rahbar wrote me from Iran several years back. This fall, as I was planning a vacation trek to Nepal, I coincidentally received word from her that she was in Kathmandu. I made arrangements to meet with her. Maryam is a radiantly happy woman who describes her MS as "a gift."

November, 1996: "Dances With Death"
Life changing events can happen to anyone, at any time. At age 43, Michael Blake, author of the acclaimed book Dances With Wolves, was on the brink of success. In (1989 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin1s Disease. Read his survival story!

October, 1996: "Bloom Where You Land"
Skip Wilkins a lean, tan, physically fit, self-confident athlete sitting in a wheel chair tells his story of how, at age 17, he broke his neck in a water skiing accident.

September, 1996: "A Cure for the'Blahs': Curiosity"
After several weeks of late night work, long airplane rides, and dealing with school-age children at the end of summer, Hal Lancaster felt very tired. His energy was depleted. He was unable to do even simple tasks. When he tried to write his weekly column for the Wall Street Journal his mind wandered. Hal had to write his column. He asked himself "What should I write about this week?" and "How the heck do I get myself out of this funk?"

August, 1996: "The Gift of Blindness"
Michael Tapia, discovered he had CMV in 1993 when he temporarily lost his sight because of medications he was prescribed for AIDS. Being blind, Tapia says, "is not the end of the world. It's the end of one world. My blindness has been a life-enhancing experience," a statement he never thought he would hear himself say.

July, 1996: "Angel From Agony"
Edith Eva Eger is widely known for being an excellent psychologist. Executives, movie stars, politicians, and military commanders seek her help when they need emotional help. Edie Eger is also an Auschwitz survivor. She was sent to the death camp at age 16. All of her family members were killed, but the Nazi officers decided to keep her alive because she was a ballerina--they had her dance for them.

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June, 1996: "It's OK to Be Ugly"
Oftentimes thriving involves changing yourself and your world view, but Lynn Romer, a Utah woman with a long nose and a plain face, decided to do something about the views of others in her world.

May, 1996: " 'Life is What You Make It' -- Donna Zeoli's Story"
Donna Zeoli has survived losing both her parents when she was young, her husband leaving her with three children and little money, and an auto accident that mangled her body. She is an amputee with a strong survivor spirit who would like to make contact with other survivors. Here is her story in her own words.

April, 1996: "Siegel Survivors On-Line"
Bernie Siegel used to have a forum on America On-Line. He posted a survivor story of the week. Here is the one for March 17th, 1996....

March, 1996: "Tourette's Syndrome: A Gift From God"
Chris Jackson was an outstanding Mississippi high school athlete when he developed studying problems and began to have some strange behaviors. School administrators concluded that he was a slow learner and placed him in a special class for the mentally disabled. The teacher, however, said he was basically bright so the administrators decided he must have developed socially undesirable habits. They had him put on medications, but that didn't help much. More medical tests eventually led to the discovery that he was developing Tourette's Syndrome.

February, 1996: "Survival: A Spiritual Renewal for Scott O'Grady"
Captain Scott O'Grady, the fighter pilot shot down over Bosnia in June, 1995, evaded capture and survived for six very cold days and nights with little water and no food. Read how his experience changed him.

January, 1996: "Will Power + Training + Creative Problem Solving"
On Friday, September 10th, 1976, John Vihtelic finished his first week of training with a company in Portland, Oregon, that had hired him to be their mid-west field representative. The company had no weekend plans for John, so he borrowed a company car, a 1975 Mercury station wagon, and drove to Mt. Rainier in Washington on Saturday morning. On his way back, he lost control of his car and plunged and rolled 175 feet to the bottom of a mountain ravine. Read his incredible story.

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1995

December, 1995: "Benefiting From Prejudice"
A person walking in off the street would probably not guess from looking at their store that Norman Locke is one of the most respected coin dealers in the world....Read how he overcame strong prejudice and gained an inner strength.

November, 1995: "Overcoming 'Not Invented Here'"
Marty Dvorin and his wife Harriette, a retired couple, came to Portland to see me in June, 1988. Marty and Harriette had fascinating stories to tell. Both of them had come close to death several times because of life threatening illnesses. I asked them many questions about how they had managed survive and now be so happy and healthy.

October, 1995: "Gifts from a U-Turn"
Survivors often react to life-threatening situations with playful humor and a strong belief that everything will turn out all right. Later, after they have recovered, they feel thankful for the gifts the experience brought to them. Here is a story from a woman, Susanne, that I just interviewed.

September, 1995: "Thriving During a Major, Long-Lasting Challenge"
To thrive means to find value and opportunity in events outside one's control. Jim Dyer had worked as a state employee for over 20 years when a new director was appointed to run his agency. At a meeting with agency managers, the director announced a reorganization plan. Read how Jim survived this challenge.

August, 1995: "Ben Franklin's Plan for Self-Improvement"
Read about Ben Franklin's plan for increasing his self-virtue. Valuable lessons can be learned from his process.

July, 1995: "Have a Positive Plan for Dealing with Negative Developments"
How well or how poorly a person reacts to disruptive change boils down to an important difference in people. That difference is one's answer to the question "Who is basically responsible for the way my life goes?"

June, 1995: "Trusting Your Intuition"
Survivor interviews reveal that some people have a such a strong trust in their intuitive nature they will take actions they do not understand. Television star Carol Burnett escaped injury during the big earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 because she trusted her intuition.
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