October 2025
Hello Dear Reader// Hoi lieve lezer,
Thanks for subscribing to our Kaapsche Hollandsche Monthly Table Talk.
Last month (click Here) we talked about how to manage expectations.
This October we table talk around how to be resilient?
Resilience is the ability to adapt, cope with, and recover from adversity, stress, and trauma, essentially “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.
Question: Do you have it?
Do I mean difficult experiences? Yes I know you face them. It is part of life’s journey.
But my question is how much resilience do you have?
This largely depends not on any particular psychological test but on the way your life unfolds.
If you are super special to never experience any sort of adversity, you won’t even know how resilient you are.
It’s only when you are faced with obstacles, stress, and other environmental threats that resilience, or the lack of it, emerges:
Do you succumb or do you surmount?
Do you cave in or climb over?
How do you cope?
Self pity?
Moaning and complain?
Anger?
I must admit that my resilience has been tested lately. As I deal with all sort of clients from my new profession as Real Estate Agent I have come across “a few” obstacles.
My work life has swung from utter despair to great joy in one day, and visa versa.
How to keep steady and not be overly emotional? How to be constant and not roller-coaster-ing?
How to be resilient in turmoil and drama?
You tell me? I tell you.
I think it starts in the mind.
Reminding yourself you are blessed.
Counting your blessings.
Being thankful.
Grateful.
Selah- pause and calmly think of it.
Focus on all the things we have been entrusted with instead of looking to what we are lacking.
I make a conscious decision to speak out loud: “I am not going to be “tossed to and fro” by my circumstances.
Hemelhoog juichend en tot de dood toe bedroefd:
“Himmelhoch jauchzend und zu Tode betrübt”
On top of the world down in the dumps.
We need to manage our emotions and reactions.
Trials and tribulations will come. It is a given. Written in the Bible too.
1 Peter 4:12:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
You see, we are going to be tested. To show if we have what it takes. Do we trust God? Do we trust ourselves above all?
How is that working out?
From the Bible in Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.
We are not alone and left to our own devices. We have a Father in Heaven who hears our prayers.
May we take comfort in the fact that we are going through trials and tests in this life. It is a given. It is part of life.
But how we respond to these challenges that is where your resilience lies!
Start making memories around your table, it will
make you truly rich,
Met liefde en groetjes,
Nelleke
