I was having a conversation with my wife this week. I gave her a pottery class this past Christmas and she finally started three weeks ago. I asked her how it was going and she said something that really got my attention.

She said she's really enjoying it, but she is working really hard on learning how to center the clay so she can work better with it.

Being centered is a way of being balanced. And when I thought of the clay being centered, it made me think of the potter's wheel as it spins and spins. So imagine life being the same way. A clump of clay being beautifully formed but not coming to its full potential because off-center, it's off balance while life, the potter's wheel, keeps spinning and spinning nonstop. Do you feel that way?

Well today I'm going to dive into a list of different ways that you become off-balance, off-center while life spins away. I will also show you how you can get back into the center so that you can take control and be able to keep creating and forming your dreams no matter how much your life is spinning.

• Quote of the week: "Balance is not something you find, it's something you create." — Jana Kingsford

Here is a list of pitfalls that will certainly throw you off your balance, keep your off-center while life is spinning faster and faster. I'll also show you how you can get out of these pitfalls that are holding you back and get recentered again:

1. Carrying Old Pain Into New Purpose: You're trying to build something new with hands still shaking from what broke you.

2. Letting Past Rejection Rewrite Your Identity: One "no" becomes your internal voice forever. That rejection didn't just close a door—it moved into your mind and started narrating your life.

3. Building From Proving, Not Purpose: You're chasing success just to show someone they were wrong. And even if you win, it feels empty—because it was never rooted in who you truly are.

4. Unhealed Betrayal Turning Into Distrust of Everyone: Someone broke your trust—and now everyone pays for it. You keep people at a distance, not because they've earned it, but because someone else did.

5. Dragging Old Baggage Into New Conversations: "You're not enough," "You always mess things up"—those voices followed you into a new chapter.

6. Overworking to Outrun Your Past: You stay busy so you don't have to feel. Every quiet moment threatens to bring back something you've been avoiding.

7. Fear of Repeating the Past: You hesitate because "what if it happens again?"

8. Letting One Failure Define Your Capacity: One loss becomes your ceiling. You replay it so often that it feels permanent.

9. Seeking Validation From People Who Hurt You: You still want approval from the same place that wounded you. You think if they finally see you, it will heal something inside. But all it does is keep you tied to the past.

10. Emotional Baggage Disguised as "Wisdom": You say, "I've learned," but what you really mean is "I'm afraid."

And a few more. Listen to this week's full episode for the entire list. And tune in next week when I will cover even more about this subject.

"Some of you are frustrated because the dream isn't taking shape… but it's not your hands—it's your center. And until you deal with what's been pulling you off balance… you'll keep trying harder when what you really need is to get centered again." If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.

It's only about 30 minutes to get started and get momentum working in your favor to get your breakthrough. If you want to take me up on this special offer then simply go to edwinsoler.com and go to the right side of my site and click on the tab that says contact Edwin and fill that form out. It's that easy. I'll be in touch with you shortly afterwards. I can't wait to hear from you!

This episode was sponsored by my book Closing the 18-inch Gap and is available on Amazon. To find it faster, simply go to edwinsoler.com/book. That will take you to the book page where you can click on the Amazon logo and order your copy right away. It's available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible.

Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!