Team HopeOver 200 episodes, 100 000 downloads, multiple speaking engagements and my very own personal clients who I help navigate the rocky terrains of daily life, Hope to Recharge began with a simple, yet profound dream to SHARE.
I remember feeling so alive and excited about stepping into this unchartered territory of my life. I survived the long, grueling & painstaking battle against mental illness myself and so I knew FIRST HAND what it meant to struggle, but also more importantly what it meant to SURVIVE. Depression and anxiety ate away at me, trying its utmost best to ravage who the old Matana once was. I needed this, despite being unable to get out of bed, eat and interact with others on most days. It was painful, but I needed my old way of being to slowly disintegrate, so that I could make space for my ‘MORE.’ I needed to personally walk the path myself in order to share the privilege of so many others’ mental health journeys, struggles and recoveries on Hope to Recharge with you all today.
Reflecting back, I still get goosebumps when I remember how it all happened…
At one point, I recall being surrounded by like-minded individuals who I all met through Jesse Itzler’s ‘Build Your Life Resume’ community, being blown away by who they were and what they had already achieved in their lives. Here I was, a mother of 5 beautiful children and surrounded by athletes, multi billionaires and people with visions and dreams so great that it even scared me.. Did I belong here? Did I have what it takes to achieve success?
It all started about 5 years ago. I flew to Florida with Ari for a weekend to attend a Grand Cardone event and there were a few notable speakers I REALLY wanted to see, amongst whom was Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Sarah had been my inspiration for the longest time. I marveled at her mindset, attitude and perseverance to get to where she was today. She was an embodiment of strength, grit and what it meant to have the right mental attitude towards life. About a year or two prior, when I first started reading ‘The Secret,’ I wrote down on a piece of paper that I was going to meet her in an elevator one day. It was a big dream, but one which I had absolute FAITH in and believed was possible for me. I had no idea HOW it was going to happen and why that specific dream had come to me. All I knew was that I was going to make it happen.
Back in Florida, I could only attend the Grand Cardone event on that Friday because it was Shabbat. I had no idea who the speakers were going to be on that day, but took the risk anyway because I knew that the lineup included some amazing people who I wanted to hear anyway. The very first speaker was Sarah Blakely. Following Sarah on Facebook, I would find myself regularly commenting on her posts and constantly engaging with her content over the years. Just before the event, I messaged her husband Jesse and told him about how I would absolutely LOVE to meet his wife, Sarah. He was so pleased to hear from me, acknowledging my presence and input on their content online. He mentioned to me that Sarah had to leave the event early on Friday because she was going camping with their son and that although it would’ve been lovely to meet me, we’d have to hope and pray for another day and time where our paths would align again…
This didn’t stop me and I told Ari that I was STILL going to meet Sarah, no matter what it took. So just after listening to her speak on stage, I stood outside at one of the side entrances, hoping and praying that I’d see her leave the hotel. It was there that I saw her driver pull up in a very fancy black car with her sitting in the backseat…
I knocked on her window and excitedly told her who I was and how I was so looking forward to meeting her! Sarah Blakely got out of the car and told me that she knows exactly who I am and that she would love to take a picture with me! Jesse had told her all about me wanting to meet her and she excitedly told her assistant that I am the woman she was hoping to bump into too! She was absolutely gracious and so lovely. I was in awe. I couldn’t believe that I actually met Sarah – somebody who had inspired me for years and that SHE had wanted to meet me too!
I’ll never forget her simple words which still stick with me till today..
She reminded me to follow my dreams and never ever give up on them.
Still shaking with excitement, I couldn’t believe what had just happened and decided to head back upstairs to go and tell Ari the fantastic news, but in my sheer state of exhilaration, ended up going to the wrong floor. So, I pressed the elevator button to make my way back to our floor and the lift opened.
Standing there was Jesse Itzler..
I couldn’t believe my eyes! I introduced myself and told him that I had just met his wife, Sarah. He was absolutely delighted. I told him that I had decided to attend the event because I was really interested in signing up for his programme. He encouraged me to do it.
I signed up that day and honestly, looking back can say that I couldn’t have made a better choice.
Jesse Itzler’s group consisted of people who later became my best friends and cheerleaders. We all focused on building our lives and achieving great feats for ourselves. We were held accountable and had the opportunity of reviewing our goals together every quarter. As his group grew, we were joined by thousands and thousands of others who, just like me, needed that extra push to achieve greatness in their own lives too.
Jesse told us all to write something BIG down which we were going to set our minds to and actually achieve. I wrote about my podcast and the steps I was planning to take to start it all. I had to give a small speech to the group to speak my vision out loud and that’s when I actually committed to it.
I committed to starting in May 2018 and the group encouraged and cheered me through it all, but of course change is not always easy and my doubts started speaking, discouraging me from it all. At one point, I even thought of quitting…
Who was I to start a podcast, being surrounded by athletes, billionaires and people with such mighty and grand visions for themselves and their lives?
These very same people never gave up on me and taught me the importance of bringing life to this single, yet mighty dream which I held within. They cheered me on as if I was an athlete and as if I was climbing Mount Everest. If it were not for my commitment throughout this process, as well as their constant encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today and Hope to Recharge would’ve always existed as just a simple dream never realized. We tend to measure how big our life is by its output alone – how much money we’ve made, how many books we’ve sold and how popular we may be. But how exactly do we measure just how many hearts we touch along the way? How dare we compare our dreams to others, knowing very well that each dream contains within it something sacred and deeply, deeply profound? Each dream contains within it a vision which only we have been granted the sight to see and it is up to us to embrace it with an open heart and still mind. I’ve stopped measuring through numbers alone, because I’ve learnt that the seeds planted through Hope to Recharge have planted branches of shade for those to come after me who may sit under this tree of my own dream and hopefully continue dreaming for themselves too… I may never truly understand how realizing my own dream has affected many, many others.
So just 3 years later, I can both proudly say with tears in my eyes and a FULL heart that I’ve worked with so many different sponsors and continuously lend myself to helping others find what works for them, through their very own journeys of recovery and greatness – all through taking the leap and starting Hope to Recharge.
The afraid Matana had a dream which needed an important catalyst of faith, perseverance and encouragement from others. It’s not okay not to try and I’m SO glad I simply took the first step and tried.
This journey has also confirmed for me the importance of having mentors guide you through the doubtful terrains of life. I always make sure that I hire mentors and surround myself with like-minded people who are very careful with their time and energy. Stepping into the unknown is the path to our MORE. Eventually we reach the end of the old road of who we are and are forced to take a leap of faith forward. It can feel scary. You will doubt yourself and wish to go back, but those who eventually succeed are usually the difference between those who persevered onwards into the darkness, versus those who saw the road ahead and decided to stay on their current paths of comfort.
Either way, what I know for sure is that we are ALWAYS called to more.
To Jesse Itzler, you have taught me SO, SO much and I am forever grateful for your wisdom and fullness which has poured into every single thing you’ve shared with us over the years. I am grateful for the necessary push in the right direction which I so badly needed. I am grateful that the vision which I held so dearly to me about starting Hope to Recharge, was born through your help and through the help of your community.
I am so grateful for stepping into the unknown territory of my life and saying YES to myself, especially when my doubts kept screaming NO. I am grateful for paving a way forward and leaning more deeply into faith. I am grateful for my own battles. Without any of these, Hope to Recharge would never be what it is today. Hope to Recharge is a personal embodiment and homage to what it means to open up life’s personal invitation to MORE and agree to walk the path it takes to get there, instead of simply carrying a dream in our hearts which we never have the courage to embrace out of fear and doubt that this dream is much too small…
No dream is too small and Hope to Recharge is proof of just that!
Follow us @hopetorecharge where we share healing tips and tricks as well as upcoming events and retreats to help bring your smile to life again and allow you to live a deeper, richer and more meaningful life, just like you deserve!
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