Episode 25: "Resilience Is Built, Not Born"

"Hey there, my fur-tastic friends! 🐾 Welcome back to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! I’m Monkey, your favorite talking cat, and today, we’re digging deep into a lesson that’s super important—especially when life gets tricky.

Our lesson today? Resilience is built, not born.

That’s right! No one is just born knowing how to bounce back after a tough moment. Resilience is like a muscle—it grows stronger every time we keep going, even when things don’t go our way.

Let me tell you the story of when I wanted to give up… but discovered how to build resilience instead."

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Transcript

Tyler: 0:12

"Hey there, my fur-tastic friends!🐾Welcome back to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! I’m Monkey, your favorite talking cat, and today, we’re digging deep into a lesson that’s super important: especially when life gets tricky. Our lesson today? Resilience is built, not born. That’s right! No one is just born knowing how to bounce back after a tough moment. Resilience is like a muscle: it grows stronger every time we keep going, even when things don’t go our way. Let me tell you the story of when I wanted to give up… but discovered how to build resilience instead.""It was the first warm day of spring, and Dad: who, as you know, is a teacher: brought home something amazing… a puzzle! But not just any puzzle. It had 1,000 tiny pieces, all in shades of green.‘Monkey,’ he said,‘this will take patience and focus. Want to give it a try?’ I puffed out my chest.‘Of course I do! I’ve got laser-sharp feline focus!’ I started with the edges, thinking it would be easy. But after an hour… then two hours… then three… I had only finished one tiny corner. My fur was frazzled. My tail was twitching.‘I give up!’ I growled.‘This is impossible!’ That’s when Mom—our brilliant accountant who solves tricky problems all day long—walked in with her calm voice and warm smile. She sat beside me and said,‘Monkey, do you know how I handle a problem that feels too big?’ I shook my head. She placed one paw—er, hand—on mine and said,‘One step at a time. You build your strength by not giving up right now. That’s how resilience grows.’""I thought about what she said and decided to try again. Not all at once—but piece by piece. Every day, I worked on a little section. Sometimes I found three pieces. Sometimes ten. And some days? Just one. But I kept at it. Brooklyn cheered me on. Teddy helped sort colors. Even Olivff quietly passed me edge pieces she spotted. And guess what? After one week of steady work, I placed the very last piece of the puzzle. We all stared at it and cheered! I felt something inside me—not just pride, but strength. Not the kind you’re born with… the kind you build when you don’t give up. That, my friends, is resilience." What We Learned Today🔹Resilience means pushing forward, even when something feels hard.🔹You don’t have to be perfect—you just have to keep going.🔹Support from friends and family can make the journey easier—but the effort comes from YOU.🔹Every time you don’t quit, you get stronger inside."So here’s my challenge for YOU today: Stick with something that feels tough.✅Is there a math problem that’s frustrating you?✅A chore that seems boring or too big?✅A goal you’ve wanted to reach but almost gave up on? Try again. Take one small step. That’s how resilience is built—piece by piece, moment by moment. Thanks for tuning in to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and remember—you’re not born strong… you become strong by showing up and trying. Until next time, my pawsome pals—keep building your strength, and never be afraid to start again. Bye for now!"