The South African Council of Business Women (SACBW) Nelspruit kicked off the year with an informative event. It was held at Southern Sun Mbombela on Thursday, January 22. Sonja Stadler, a positive psychology practitioner and international management consultant, was the guest speaker of the day and the first for 2026.

It was an inspiring time of connection, encouragement and growth as the new year kicks in. At these breakfast networking sessions, which are hosted once a month, the members and guests learn new business concepts, give each other guidance and support one another’s businesses. The speaker focused on various topics.

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Stadler shared tips on positive psychology, resilience, bouncing back in life, and what leaders can do to prepare for what the year will have in store.
She said positive psychology is not about being happy all the time, as this is impossible.

“Nobody can be happy all the time. As human beings we are exposed to suffering and this is part of life. There is a 40% influence that we have over our personal happiness and satisfaction levels. This is because when we are not reaching our set level, we tend to get depressed.”

People should focus on controlling only what they can. According to her there is a general thought that money makes people happy.

“We don’t want to be poor and stay under a bridge, as this can also affect our satisfaction. In South Africa there are a lot of people who are in financial dire straits.” She said it is also important to develop healthy eating habits and to have a spiritual connection as ways to be balanced.

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The SACBW Nelspruit will host the next event in February. If you would like to join, email: nelspruit@sacbw.org.