Most of us have great dreams, and we do not know how to make them come true.

Sometimes all we need is an inspiration that will motivate us to make the first step.

We collected the stories of four brave girls who decided to share their journeys.

I am ready to open my own personal training studio

by

Mor Shachar

I am a personal fitness trainer, and my goal is to open my own personal training studio. As long as I can remember myself, I was a hyperactive child, and sport was always the best solution for my abundant energy. Unlike typical little girls, I used to play soccer, ride with my bicycle through the mountains, skate with skateboard and do all kinds of “boyish” activities. As a high school student, I was sent by the school’s sport department as a representative in different sport competitions, and I enjoyed it very much. I couldn’t relate to other students that didn’t like sport.

In the following years, unfortunately, I neglected any kind of sport activity. Especially when I served in the army, as I didn’t have any time option for a personal fitness routine. I felt like something was missing, and during that time I realized what an influence physical activity had on my life. Since then, I have formed a lifestyle that is based on daily physical exercise and healthy diet. Furthermore; I decided to influence those who surround me, and make a practical difference in their lives.

The moment I choose to transform this interest from a hobby to a profession, was when I worked in a summer camp, in 2014 in the USA. I was the head of the Israeli delegation. My Israeli staff members knew about my healthy lifestyle. They asked me questions about what they could do in order to be healthier and prevent gaining weight. This was a big challenge for us, since we were in a foreign country that has the reputation of the unhealthiest country in the entire world.

Although it was difficult, I turned it into my personal challenge. I decided to help them keep a healthy lifestyle; every two nights, we had a designated time in the schedule for workouts in the camp’s gym. This experience of guiding them during the exercises made me feel responsible and obligated towards their success and in return, I noticed an increase in their motivation and confidence.

When I came back to Israel, I immediately started studying in Wingate College, in order to receive my fitness trainer license. After I graduated, I started to establish my reputation and occupation as a personal fitness trainer. During the following year I accomplished my goals and helped several people make a significant change in their lives. I became independent and purchased a variety of sports equipment, established my own group of permanent clients. I developed personal workout programs for each individual, making sure to be aware of their needs and personal goals.

I consider the success of my clients as my own. When they transform from dependent to independent for example, by choosing to stop smoking permanently and not only before practices, I am proud of them and feel satisfied with the successful process

I know I have the ability to influence people’s life. I can assist them with being healthier, and raise their awareness of their physical state. As I always tell my trainers: “never say I can’t, start with ‘I can’, and right after that, everything is possible”. I believe in what I do passionately and it is turn to say: I can do it! I can open my own studio, which will change people’s life.

A Story about responsibility 

by

Lior Anitz

Since I was a child, I felt that my mother was kind of a super hero. She kept a full time job, yet she always managed to do all of the house chores, including the ones that were under my father’s responsibility, because he always promised to do his chores “tomorrow” – but said it every day.

I was always impressed by my mother’s skills, but I have to admit that she made the combination of household tasks and full time job seem easy. Therefore, I was always under the impression that leaving the house would not be difficult, and that I will manage to keep a simple routine. My mother always tried to convince me that it will require a lot of responsibility to leave alone, but I thought that it could not be that hard.

After I got released from the army, I moved to Texas for 6 months, in order to become a salesperson. Only when I got there, I realized what my mother tried to tell me the entire time. I found out the hard way that I have to buy some food on time, otherwise I will have to spend money on takeaway, that I have to pay my bills on time if I don’t want to get into debts, and that I have to clean the house much more frequently than what I am used to.

Only after I lived abroad, I realized that managing a household requires responsibility, creativity, ability to manage time, and a mature attitude.

Now I appreciate my mother’s effort through all those years even more. Also, after I learned what are the consequences of living alone and how to deal with them, I felt ready to leave the house again, and moved to Ramat-Gan.

Teaching English 

by

Nurit Ashkenazi

Learning languages is not an easy task. Many people struggle with it and choose to learn up to one or two languages at the most. Usually, people start learning languages as young children, which according to many researches, was found as the most effective way to do so.

From a very young age, I listened to American or British music and watched movies and television shows that were in English. The movies and shows included Hebrew subtitles, which helped me to understand all that was said. As I grew up, I learned that I didn’t need the subtitles anymore, but I still read them. So I started to tape pieces of paper to hide them so I could work on just listening and following the plot. Later, I found foreign TV channels that broadcasted American shows without subtitles or with ones that I could not read.

When I was 6 years old, I became more confident about my English and started speaking. My most vivid memory of this is speaking with my cousin. He was born in Los Angeles and was more comfortable to speak in English. Therefore, we only spoke in English. This experience developed my speech abilities and I became more fluent in the language.

I started learning English in school when I was in 3^rd grade and realized that from previously acquiring the language, I understood things more easily and managed to get good grades without actually studying. I mostly worked with my logical understanding of what things sounded like to me and if they seemed correct. After seeing that I was very successful, my friends asked for my assistance. I felt very proud when I saw their progress after I taught them. I discovered that I was able to help people understand the language that I loved so much, the language that makes it easier for me to express myself and just makes a lot of sense.

Last year I decided to go back to the academy, after I had spent one semester at the Hebrew University, studying linguistics. This time, I chose to focus on the one language that I feel most comfortable with- English. A friend from work told me about the English teaching studies at Seminar Hakibbutzim College and I knew that this was exactly what I was looking for. So today, I am a first year student at the college and currently working on my BEd in English and a teaching certification.

I Just Can’t Wait to Be a Vet 

by

Renee Brandwein

My goal is to be a successful veterinarian. It all started when I was younger and volunteered with my friends, and learned a lot about animals during those years. After a long school year, during the summer vacation me and my best friend Maya volunteered helping animals. Every summer we volunteered at a different place and one summer we helped at the zoo. I was responsible for feeding the animals, every day arriving early, cleaning the animals and teaching the youth that came to the zoo. The next summer we helped at a dog shelter. In addition people paid us for walking their dogs, and on summers when families went on vacations they left their pets at my house or I would have the keys to the families house and check up on the pets once a week.

As I grew up and graduated high school, I started thinking about the future, what profession I am interested in that I would want to make a career out of. I thought about what I love, what I am good at. I shared my thoughts with my family, and my mother came up with an idea that since I love animals and have been working with animals my whole life and have been good at these jobs, I can work for her friend who is a vet. I was thrilled about this idea and set up an interview the next day with the vet. At the interview the vet was pleased with me. I showed that I have both knowledge and experience and he took me for the job. I was excited about getting accepted to the job and started the next day. I worked as the vet’s helper for a few years. During these years I gained a lot of experience with animals. I learned about most of the treatments for animals. In addition I learned what to do in difficult cases and was very grateful for the opportunity to work at something I love.

After five years at my job I felt like it was time to move on. I felt like I have the ability to start studying and become a vet. My family supported my decision and helped me in finding a good college. I was a bit scared telling my boss I will soon be quitting my job once I start college, but was surprised when the vet was happy for me and praised me for my choice. Because of my love of animals, I am now a college student on my way to becoming a veterinarian.