# December 2025 newsletter Canonical URL: https://gabrieldalton.com/writing/newsletter/december-2025 Date sent: 2026-01-05T01:34:39.798Z Author: Gabriel Dalton Original Substack URL: https://gabrieldalton.substack.com/p/gabriel-daltons-december-newsletter-b94 [All newsletter issues](https://gabrieldalton.com/writing/newsletter) 05 Jan 2026 3-Min Read Joined the Youth Advisory Group at the Vancouver Public Library, explored a Maya community in México, met up with a fellow award-winning youth CEO, and continued building my photography portfolio ## **Happy Holidays, Everyone!** It’s Gabriel back here with my last newsletter of 2025. I truly hope that you had an amazing December and some fun with the various holidays celebrated throughout this final month of the year. ## What I’ve Been Up To 📈 - Flew solo to México and went travelling. A standout moment was exploring a Maya community, learning about the culture and the Yucatec Maya language (with some sunburns too). - Joined the [Vancouver Public Library](https://vpl.ca)’s Teen Advisory Group. I’m excited to help shape their services and collections starting in 2026. - Had a CEO to CEO coffee chat with [Christopher Lee](https://www.instagram.com/christopherkplee), a very inspiring youth leader who, alongside me, won an award at the City of Vancouver 2025 Awards Ceremony. ![Gabriel and Christopher Lee sit together at a table during their coffee chat.](https://gabrieldalton.com/img/newsletter/december-2025/8ea2a7e253ac9938.webp) - I’m currently in talks with a famous basketball celebrity about joining their tech team. It’s confidential for now, but I’ll share more soon. - Also speaking with a large healthcare organization to help make their digital presence more sustainable. I’ve been chatting with the executives and will share more once it’s official. ## Achievements & Highlights 🚀 - Took 1,300+ pictures with my Canon camera during my México trip. It really boosted my interest in photography and videography! I might have to go pro soon. ![Collage from Gabriel’s México trip shows palm trees, a leafy road and Mexican flags.](https://gabrieldalton.com/img/newsletter/december-2025/410a7b4eb7b016c8.webp) - Accepted into [Lovable.dev](http://Lovable.dev)’s Campus Leader Program, which includes a complimentary Pro Plan. Although I’m currently under the official age requirement, they’ve generously extended all the perks to me in advance. - Connected with the Co-founder and President of Cloudflare on LinkedIn. ![LinkedIn profile identifies Michelle Zatlyn as Cloudflare’s co-founder and president and shows a first-degree connection.](https://gabrieldalton.com/img/newsletter/december-2025/12214a423531afba.webp) - My Google Maps contributions have now surpassed 3.6 million views. ![Google Maps contribution summary reports “3.6M views” for Gabriel’s contributions.](https://gabrieldalton.com/img/newsletter/december-2025/d733f63b82b745c7.webp) - My visit to the Irish Consulate in Vancouver was featured in their official year-end newsletter. ![Irish Consulate newsletter features Gabriel’s visit and his City of Vancouver Youth Impact in Innovation Award.](https://gabrieldalton.com/img/newsletter/december-2025/1d37d04fe589b652.webp) ### **Top Lessons From This Month 💡** 1. Being consistent isn’t about being *great* every day. It’s about *showing up* every day. (credit to [Shaan Puri](https://www.shaanpuri.com/)**)** 2. If you think you're not eligible for an opportunity, apply anyway. I was recently accepted into [Lovable.dev](https://lovable.dev)’s Campus Leader Program even though I’m technically too young to join. They still gave me full access. You never know unless you try — and rules sometimes bend when people believe in your potential. 3. If you want something, just go do it. Regret is real, but solvable. Go into boss mode. Ask for that picture. Ask someone’s name. Speak up if your name or order is wrong. One of my favourite moments this month came while travelling in Eastern México. I wanted to stay in touch with my tour guide, so I asked for a picture and his number. Now I’ve got a great memory and a future connection. 4. Build connections around the world. Distance is relative. Travel when you can. If you make friends in different countries, you can stay with them, and return the favour when they visit you. 5. Travel often. Use the money you worked hard for to gain experiences. You die with memories, not money or possessions. ## Quotes 💬 > “Your reputation isn’t what you shout, it’s what people whisper.” > > — **Shane Parrish** > “Love isn’t saying, I love you, but calling to say, did you eat?” > > — **Marlon James** > “Many situations in life are similar to going on a hike: the view changes once you start walking. You don’t need all the answers right now. New paths will reveal themselves if you have the courage to get started.” > > — **James Clear** > “Someone always has an advantage. If you don’t know who, it isn’t you.” > > — **James Clear** > “The amateur does not know what to do. The master knows what not to do.” > > — **James Clear** **Curious about my past adventures?** Catch up on all my previous updates in the **[newsletter archive](https://gabrieldalton.substack.com/t/monthly-updates)**. You never know what gem you might find! ## **Shoutouts 👏** - **Christopher Lee** for meeting up and sharing such a thoughtful and inspiring conversation. - **Francisco** from the Maya community, for showing me around Tankah Pueblo and generously sharing his time and knowledge. ## **What’s Next? 🚀** - Heading into the new year with some ambitious goals. I’m taking time to think deeply about them and will be breaking each one down into manageable steps to approach them thoughtfully and effectively. I’ll share more in the early months of 2026. Know someone who’d enjoy following a young entrepreneur’s journey? Please forward this email and invite them to subscribe. Every new reader helps. Onwards and upwards, **Gabriel Dalton** P.S. Want more behind-the-scenes? For more in-depth discussions, check out my **[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieldalton/)**or **[Medium](https://gabrieldalton.medium.com/)**profiles. [Read this issue on Substack](https://gabrieldalton.substack.com/p/gabriel-daltons-december-newsletter-b94) [Subscribe on Substack](https://gabrieldalton.substack.com/subscribe)