EP111: Fix the Foundation Then Build the Dream

You may recall in last week's episode as I was speaking with my wife about a pottery class. 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. She has since made a tremendous amount of progress. She found extra time that she can go in on her own and practice. She's getting better and better because she's putting the time in. If you want to get centered and move forward and make those dreams come true, but you also have to put the time in. It's going to take ever. It will not happen magically. And it's going to involve a tremendous amount of emotions. All sorts of emotions and you have to be ready to navigate this as well. It may take time, however long that can be. Sometimes asking yourself how long, is the wrong question to ask because it puts you into a state of mind that it needs to be completed in a predetermined amount of time. That's putting an enormous amount of pressure on yourself. Today I'm going to finish diving 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. This is the way that you can Fix the Foundation Then Build the Dream. • Quote of the week: "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes... including you." — Anne Lamott Here are some the remaining 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. 1. Confusing Movement With Progress: You're doing a lot—but none of it is aligned. 2. Staying in Old Roles That No Longer Fit: You're still playing a part you've outgrown. 3. Fear of Being Seen Because You Were Once Judged: You dim your light to avoid criticism. You hold back your voice, your ideas, your presence. 4. Carrying Guilt From Past Decisions: You punish yourself long after the lesson was learned. You replay the mistake, wishing you could change it. 5. Building a Future Without Releasing the Past: You're stacking new dreams on an unstable foundation. Every step forward feels shaky because something underneath hasn't been resolved. 6. Expecting the Worst Because It Happened Before: You live in defense mode. You brace yourself for disappointment before anything even begins. This mindset keeps you safe—but it also keeps you stuck. 7. Romanticizing the Struggle: You think pain equals progress. You believe it has to be hard to be worth it. So you tolerate unnecessary suffering. 8. Living in Emotional Debt to Your Past: You feel like you owe your past something—like you're not allowed to move forward freely because of what happened. 9. Letting Old Voices Speak Louder Than Your Present Reality: The opinions, criticisms, and doubts of others still echo in your mind. Even when your life has changed, those voices haven't. 10. Confusing Familiar Pain With Comfort: You go back to what hurt you because it feels familiar. It may not be healthy, but at least it's predictable. 11. Shrinking Your Dream to Match Your Past: You limit your vision based on what you've seen or experienced before. 12. Over-Attaching to Outcomes to Avoid Feeling Loss Again: You grip tightly to results because you're afraid of losing again. 13. Letting One Season Define Your Entire Story: A hard chapter convinces you that your whole life will look that way. You forget that seasons change—and so can you. 14. Silencing Your Intuition Because It Was Ignored Before: There was a time you didn't listen to your gut—and it cost you. Now you don't trust it at all. You second-guess your inner voice until it goes quiet. 15. Carrying the Pressure to "Get It Right This Time": Because of past mistakes, you feel like this attempt has to be perfect. That pressure slows you down, makes you hesitant, and drains your confidence. 16. Forgetting Who You Were Before Life Weighed You Down: Before the hurt, before the disappointment, before the setbacks—you had clarity, belief, and vision. But life dimmed that version of you, and now you feel disconnected from it. Listen to this week's full episode for the entire list where I also bring you a re-center point which is the solution to each problem presented here. "Some of you are frustrated because the dream isn't taking shape… but it's not your hands—it's your center. You must first fix the foundation then build the dream. In order to do that, you need to deal with what's been pulling you off balance… otherwise 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!