Falling Forward: The New Science of Resilience and Personal Transformation

by Keith Bellizzi

What if resilience isn’t about bouncing back—but about breaking open?

In Falling Forward, Dr. Keith Bellizzi dismantles the popular myth that resilience means toughness, grit, or a return to “normal.” Instead, he argues something far more unsettling, and far more true resilience is forged in vulnerability, in the very experiences we work hardest to avoid.

Drawing on his personal journey and more than two decades of groundbreaking research, Bellizzi reframes resilience as learning to live meaningfully with what cannot be fixed, reversed, or undone. Illness. Loss. Disruption. The moments that change everything.

Written for both general readers and professionals, Falling Forward blends intimate storytelling with evidence-based insight to challenge cultural assumptions about strength. The book offers practical, actionable strategies for cultivating resilience through adaptability, meaning-making, and courageous vulnerability—revealing that vulnerability is not the opposite of strength, but where it begins.

Blending science with storytelling, Bellizzi offers a bold, transformative guide filled with inspiration and actionable strategies


In this book, you’ll Why resilience isn’t about returning to who you wereHow to adapt to hardship without denying pain or uncertaintyWhat science reveals about how resilience is builtWhy progress—not perfection—is what sustains us Part The Making of Resilience charts the evolution of resilience, from its historical roots to modern-day examples, including Bellizzi’s own journey to becoming a cancer scientist and author.

Part Building the Core introduces the elements that shape resilience, and offers a realistic, inspiring, research-backed approach to cultivating it.

Part The Hidden Architecture challenges conventional wisdom by addressing three often overlooked but crucial the protective walls we build, the myth of positive thinking, and the importance of progress over perfection.

Rather than offering slogans or shortcuts, Falling Forward invites readers to rethink what it truly means to endure and adapt. It shows how resilience is not found in denying pain or chasing a return to “normal,” but in learning how to live fully, honestly, and with purpose after life has been irrevocably altered.

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2025

About the author

A cancer survivor and resilience researcher exploring how we move forward when life refuses to return to normal.

Keith Bellizzi is a professor, researcher, and cancer survivor whose work focuses on resilience, uncertainty, and how people adapt to life-altering challenges.

Diagnosed with cancer in his early twenties, Keith’s personal experience with serious illness profoundly shaped both his life and his career. For more than two decades, his research has examined how individuals and families adjust to a cancer diagnosis, live with long-term uncertainty, and find meaning in the aftermath of adversity.

Keith is the author of Falling Forward: The New Science of Resilience and Personal Transformation, a nonfiction work that blends personal narrative, psychological science, and practical strategies to redefine resilience not as toughness, but as growth, flexibility, and forward motion. The book challenges the myth of certainty and offers readers tools for navigating disruption with honesty and hope.

You can learn more about his work, writing, and speaking at https://www.keithbellizzi.com.

Falling Forward is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G88KL7PW.

Resilience is not about bouncing back. It is about learning how to move forward, even when life does not return to what it once was.

In addition to his writing, Keith regularly speaks with clinicians, researchers, and community audiences about cancer survivorship, mental health, and the human capacity to adapt. His work bridges the worlds of science and storytelling, grounded in the belief that our hardest experiences can become sources of clarity, connection, and strength.

Keith lives in the Northeast, where he continues to teach, write, and explore what it truly means to live well in an uncertain world.