Nathan’s September 2022 Newsletter
"Fortunate are those who take the first steps." Paulo Coelho
Mazel tov! We did it, construction has begun! I have been waiting for this day for a long time. It was very exciting to see construction workers on site and physical changes to the building. We did a little recording and took some pictures but we have reached a major milestone and I couldn’t be happier that we were able to start before the holidays. As I noted last month, the goal is to create a little documentary on the process so stay tuned.
A few GCI updates. We are moving forward with a beautiful and dynamic new website that we are hoping to launch at the end of this year or early 2023. We are working on creating strong relationships with potential partners and putting together the details for our flagship program, including scholarships, excursions, and ways to provide the most value for our students. I’ve caught up with the applicants we have accepted into the program so far and know that once we have a date, the spots will be gone before you know it. I wrote about the types of students we are looking for in my July letter, but if you know someone that would be a good fit for the program, please send an email here. This way our awesome team member and student concierge, Bazy (who happens to be our interview of the month), will be able to walk prospects through the process. The earlier someone gets in, the better chance they will have as, there will be a long waiting list to join our flagship program in the future.
There is a lot going on right now (personally and professionally but I do not like to separate the two because they are both important aspects of life) and we are in the Hebrew month of Elul. This month is where we focus on reviewing our past year, thinking about where we want to go in the future and creating a plan to make our dreams and goals a reality. I love this month because creating a plan and doing the work to make the plan a reality is one of my favorite things to do (I’ve been sharing my program on social media all month).
When I say a lot going on, I mean we just had a baby girl on Friday, are moving by the end of this month (don’t get me started with this story), we have a three year old who just started a Hebrew pre-school for the first time (he only speaks English, a little Hebrew and has never been without his parents), a two-year-old now that had about a week of alone time with Mommy and Daddy and is dealing with not being the baby anymore, and the holidays are coming.
While this might sound overwhelming, one thing I’ve learned is to enjoy and learn from the moments. This is what Elul is all about. In the past, I might have become very flustered or stressed but now with a little age and experience, I know this is all part of the bigger plan. The key is to control what you can and leave the rest up to the big boss 😊 It will take hard work and a lot of effort, but it is all worth it once you go through whatever it is you are going through with the right perspective.
So before this holiday season, if you haven’t reflected on the past year, take some time to think about how the year went. Where you did well and where you feel you could have done a little better. Select at least one thing to work on this year and make a plan to create your reality. All you need to do is take that first step.
I want to bless everyone with an amazing year, Kativa v’chatima Tova Lashana Tova umatuka (you should be signed and sealed for a sweet year), a year of growth, good health, success in all that you do and only revealed good.
L'chaim (To life)
Nathan