Closing The 18 Inch Gap Podcast

What is your soul calling out for? This is something pulling out to you that you cannot string together? Is there something that just keeps asking something of you but doesn't make any sense? I was experiencing just that. It took some time to put together but I finally figured out. This is an enormous resurgence of discovery and rediscovery in my current situation. When these things call out to you, they can become doorways into parts of yourself that have been drowned out by noise, responsibility, expectations, and the relentless pace of modern life. Your soul may not be calling you toward something new. It may be calling you back to something you abandoned, something you buried, or something you never gave yourself permission to become. It certainly has for me and I will be going over these in today's episode. I want to use this as a form way to inspire you to reconnect, to rediscover, to question, to be curious of what lies ahead with the possibilities can be. Not everything that you do is going to make sense in the beginning or connect. But I'm a big believer that everything is connected one way or another. And today I'm going to show you just that. I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals that desire to be speakers, authors and/or coaches uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." So let's get going with today's episode….  What Is Your Soul Calling Out For?   •    Quote of the week: "Revisiting an old hobby is like meeting an old friend who knew you before the world changed you." — Unknown Points covered: Your soul may not be calling you toward something new. It may be calling you back to something you abandoned, something you buried, or something you never gave yourself permission to become.  Today I'm bringing you 15  benefits that will show up when you answer your souls calling and in the end I will tell you what my soul has been calling me out to do and what I did about it so stay tuned to the end: 1. You Rediscover the Person You Were Before the World Told You Who to Be When you answer your soul's calling, you can begin remembering who you were before responsibilities, expectations, careers, relationships, and other people's opinions shaped your identity.  2. Forgotten Dreams Begin Crawling Out of the Shadows Some dreams don't die. They simply become quiet. A soul calling can disturb the dust covering dreams you once convinced yourself were unrealistic, impractical, too expensive, too late, or too inconvenient.  3. Your Creativity Starts Breathing Again Creativity is often one of the first casualties of an overloaded life. When you draw, work with clay, photograph something beautiful, write, build, cook, garden, or create with your hands, something inside you begins moving again.  4. You Discover Talents You Didn't Know Were Still Alive Sometimes the soul doesn't call you toward something because you're already good at it. It calls you toward something because there is something inside you waiting to develop. You may discover an ability that has been dormant for decades.  5. You Finally Hear Yourself Think Solitude creates space between you and the noise. No notifications. No expectations. No constant opinions. No endless stream of information telling you what you should want, buy, accomplish, fear, or become.  6. You Separate Your Soul's Desires From Other People's Expectations One of the hardest questions we can ask ourselves is: "Do I actually want this, or have I simply learned that I'm supposed to want it?" Your soul's calling can expose the difference.  7. You Experience a Different Kind of Rest Sleep isn't the only thing we're missing when we're exhausted. Sometimes we're suffering from a lack of inner rest. Camping, sitting beside a fire, walking through the woods, throwing clay, sketching quietly—these activities can give your mind somewhere else to go.  8. You Reconnect With the Parts of Yourself That Have Been Neglected There can be entire pieces of ourselves sitting in the corner waiting for attention. The adventurer. The artist. The builder. The dreamer. The explorer. The musician. The writer.  9. You Begin Feeling Alive Instead of Merely Functional There is a profound difference between living and functioning. You can pay the bills, meet the deadlines, answer the emails, take care of everyone, and still feel strangely absent from your own life.  10. You Give Yourself Permission to Want Something Again Sometimes disappointment teaches us to stop wanting. We stop dreaming because dreaming creates vulnerability. If we don't want anything, nothing can disappoint us. 11. You Discover That Your Life May Have More Chapters Left One of the most devastating beliefs a person can carry is, "That part of my life is over."  12. You Become Less Dependent on the Noise for Your Sense of Worth When you spend time creating, exploring, or simply being alone, you discover something important: you don't have to be constantly validated to have value. You can make something nobody sees.  13. You Find Clues About What Your Life Is Asking From You Next Your soul's calling doesn't always arrive as a lightning bolt saying, "Here's your purpose." Sometimes it whispers through patterns. Why do I keep wanting to be outside?  14. You Create Distance From a World That Is Constantly Demanding Your Attention Sometimes the answer isn't "do more." Sometimes the answer is "disconnect." Turn off the phone. Leave the notifications behind. Get into the woods. Sit beside the water. Make something with your hands.  15. You Close the Gap Between the Life You're Living and the Life Your Heart Knows Is Possible This may be the deepest one for your message. Your soul's calling is ultimately about alignment. It's about bringing the life you're actually living closer to the life that exists inside you. The things you're discovering—camping, drawing, pottery, solitude—may seem unrelated on the surface. But underneath them may be a common message: "Slow down. Get quiet. Create. Explore. Remember. Listen. Come back to yourself." And that's where your 18-inch gap becomes incredibly powerful for this episode. The gap isn't necessarily about knowing exactly what your dream is. Sometimes the gap is created because your heart has been speaking while your life has been too loud to hear it. Your soul's calling doesn't always sound like a career. It might sound like: "I need to be alone." "I need to make something." "I want to go camping." "I want to draw again." "I want to work with my hands." "I want to write that book." "I want to get outside." "I want to learn something just because I'm fascinated by it." "I want to remember who I was before life became so complicated." And perhaps the most important question isn't "What is your purpose?" That's a huge question, and sometimes it's so intimidating that people don't know where to begin. Instead ask: "What keeps calling you?" What do you keep thinking about? What did you love before you became practical? What did you once dream about? What makes you lose track of time? What makes you feel strangely peaceful? What are you craving that has nothing to do with money or achievement? What part of your life feels starved? What are you suddenly fascinated by? And perhaps the most revealing question: "If nobody were watching, judging, applauding, or paying you for it—what would you want to do?" That may be where the conversation with your soul begins. Your soul's calling is ultimately about alignment. It's about bringing the life you're actually living closer to the life that exists inside you. The things you're discovering may seem unrelated on the surface. But underneath them may be a common message: "Slow down. Get quiet. Create. Explore. Remember. Listen. Come back to yourself." And that's where your 18-inch gap becomes incredibly powerful for this episode. The gap isn't necessarily about knowing exactly what your dream is. Sometimes the gap is created because your heart has been speaking while your life has been too loud to hear it. I promised I was going to share with you what has been calling me. Well they are the  following: Camping Drawing Pottery And there you have it!  What Is Your Soul Calling Out For? The important question is, what are you going to do about it? The easiest thing you can do my friend is just take the first step. Login to Amazon and start adding in your cart things you might,  go to the art supply store and get just one or two things, by some books to expand your understanding. The possibilities are endless. But whatever you do, answer your soul's calling. You'll thank yourself for it later. 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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. You can find it and so much more I offer for your journey to make your dreams come true by going to edwinsoler.com/gift and getting your gift from me to get started. Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!

Last week I started an episode about what happens when things go right. I began exploring the idea of the challenges that come up when things are going well as opposed to when things go wrong. You could almost look at it as a reverse engineering sort of thing. Looking at things from a different angle. That's just how I'm wired. I tend to look for things that are hiding in plain sight. Looking for ideas and illustrations and lessons that I can pull out of experiences and illustrations and so much more. I also mentioned that I read a lot. Just recently I read an entire book in a weekend, of course the subject was fascinating enough to keep my attention. And today I sent an email out to those on my email list about that very thing, reading books. There's a statistic that says that the majority of people they graduate from either high school or college will never read another book for the rest of their life. What a tragedy. There's so much to be learned books. And that's one thing that success can bring, just a thought that you no longer need to keep learning. Don't make that mistake. I also mentioned success can bring its own challenges and ways you see money, opportunities that it can bring, financial freedom is so much more. I spoke about success being a different kind of pressure, when the dream actually comes true, becoming addicted to the next goal, and not necessarily bringing those to helped you get to where you are along with you as you climb higher and become more successful. In today's episode I'm going to bring the remaining list of things that can happen when things go right. I trust that the information I will bring to you today will help you immensely. Because if you keep at it long enough things will start turning around and get better. If you believe in your dream enough you will not give up and you will see a turnaround. My gift for you: 3 Ways to Know You Are Ready To Start Achieving Your Dreams Inside this gift you'll receive an intro guide that will allow you to feel the freedom of finally moving forward as hesitation fades and momentum builds with every step you take toward your dream. It will help you reignite the fire you thought you'd lost by reconnecting with your purpose and finding the courage to rise above fear, doubt, and excuses. Step into the life that's been calling you all along as you realize the version of you who can achieve it has been ready the whole time. And you can get this gift via your email once you sign up. I can't wait to see you over there! Get your gift at: edwinsoler.com/gift Quote of the week: "We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are." - Oprah Winfrey Points covered: 1.    Success Can Expose Your Weaknesses — Failure may hide certain weaknesses because you never get far enough for them to matter.  2.    You Need Systems to Sustain What Motivation Created — Motivation can help you climb the mountain, but systems help you stay there.  3.    You Can Become the Bottleneck — At first, you may have to do everything yourself. But eventually, your inability to delegate, trust others, or release control can become the very thing that prevents your dream from growing.  4.    Everyone Wants a Piece of Your Success — As visibility increases, so can demands on your time, attention, money, energy, and relationships. Learning to distinguish between genuine opportunity and people simply wanting access to what you built becomes essential.  5.    You Can Forget Why You Started — The pursuit of success can slowly replace the purpose behind the dream.  6.    Success Can Make You Stop Listening — One of the most dangerous moments for a dreamer is when success convinces them they no longer need feedback.  7.    You Still Have Problems at the Top — Reaching the top doesn't eliminate problems; it changes them. You don't necessarily have fewer challenges—you often have different, more complicated, and more consequential challenges.  8.    You Have to Protect Your Energy, Not Just Your Success — People talk constantly about protecting businesses, investments, careers, and accomplishments, but rarely about protecting the person who created them. Burnout can destroy a dream just as effectively as failure can.  9.    You Must Learn How to Enjoy the Victory — There is a difference between achieving something and actually experiencing the achievement. If you never stop long enough to celebrate, reflect, breathe, and acknowledge how far you've come, you can spend your entire life chasing a destination you never allow yourself to enjoy.  10.    The Ultimate Challenge Is Staying Ready When Everything Is Going Right — Success should not make you paranoid, but it should make you intentional. The goal isn't to constantly look for something to go wrong; it's to remain humble, adaptable, grateful, disciplined, and awake enough to recognize the new challenges that success brings.  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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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. You can find it and so much more I offer for your journey to make your dreams come true by going to edwinsoler.com/gift and getting your gift from me to get started. Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!

I have read so many things, listened to podcasts, about things going wrong, pitfalls, wrong decisions, and so many other things. This is truly necessary to explore. If it's ignored do it at your own peril. But it occurred to me this week, what about if everything goes right? Rarely, if at all, do you ever hear or read about saying things going right and the challenges that may bring. Success can be just as challenging if not more when you're trying to reach for your dreams. Or better yet when you're there. You will find plenty of material telling you how to get to the top but very little from what I can tell you on how to stay there. What would that look like? What blind spots do we need to see to stay there? What are you not being told? We live in a society where negativity reigns. It's the attention getter. It's what gets the bills paid so to speak. It's working for clicks, comments, forward sharing and so much more. I remember the late great Dan Miller had a section in his podcasts where he would speak about the greatest thing he saw mind or even several things. I currently listen to another podcasts were thers's two hosts and they ask each other was the best thing you are this week. It's about positivity, not negativity. But even positivity can bring some negativity in the form of stress, unexpected challenges and so much more. Success brings its own challenges. It changes the way you can see relationships, the way you see money, opportunities can bring temptations, and so much more. With the sudden inflow of financial freedom your decision-making may get skewed, were completely blown out of proportion. A lot of people say that money changes the way a person is. But that's not true at all. All money does is reveal what was the person's heart hidden all that time. But the better you are prepared for success the better off you will be. So today's episode I'm going to bring just the opposite. The challenges you will face when things start going right. And how to stay ahead of the curve. I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals that desire to be speakers, authors and/or coaches uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." So, let's dive into What Happens When Everything Starts Going Right    Quote of the week: "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." — Confucius Points covered: 1.    When the Dream Actually Happens  2.    Success Can Create a New Kind of Pressure 3.    The Fear of Losing What You Finally Gained  4.    You Can Become Addicted to the Next Goal 5.    Success Changes Your Relationships  6.    The People Who Helped You Get There May Not Belong at the Next Level  7.    Your Old Identity May Not Know How to Handle Your New Reality  8.    More Opportunities Can Become a Bigger Problem Than No Opportunities  9.    Success Can Make You Lose Your Focus  10.    You May Outgrow the Dream That Got You Started And there you have it!  What Happens When Everything Starts Going Right Part 1 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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. You can find it and so much more I offer for your journey to make your dreams come true by going to edwinsoler.com/gift and getting your gift from me to get started. Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!

What Happens When You Are In The Wrong Room  I have been part of many marketing groups and have had very little success to show for it.  I'm about to wrap up the latest one as my schedule is shifting and will certainly consider joining any in the future. The wrong room doesn't always mean bad people. Sometimes the people in the room aren't malicious. They may simply have a different vision, different values, different expectations, or a different definition of success. And sometimes you have outgrown the room. The message isn't, "Everyone who doesn't support your dream is toxic. Leave them." It's this: The room isn't necessarily wrong. It may simply be wrong for where you're going. And that connects directly to your 18-inch gap: the distance between what your heart knows it wants and what your mind has been convinced is possible. Sometimes closing that gap requires more than changing your thinking. It requires changing the environment in which that thinking is constantly being reinforced. Don't spend your entire life trying to convince the wrong room that you belong there. There are rooms where you will have to prove yourself. That's part of growth. But there are also rooms where you don't have to spend every ounce of your energy proving that your dream deserves to exist. You walk in. You speak. You contribute. You are challenged. You are heard. You are valued. And most importantly— you are allowed to become. Maybe your dream isn't dying. Maybe it's suffocating because you're trying to grow it in the wrong room. The question isn't always:  "What's wrong with me?" Sometimes the better question is:  "Is this still the room where I am supposed to become who I'm capable of becoming?"   I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals that desire to be speakers, authors and/or coaches uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing."   Quote of the week: "It's better to admit you walked through the wrong door than to spend your life in the wrong room." — Colby Kultgen Points covered: When You're in the Wrong Room: 20 Ways It Can Affect a Dreamer 1. You begin questioning your own worth. When you're constantly overlooked or undervalued, you can eventually mistake someone else's inability to recognize your value for evidence that you don't have any. Counter-action: Separate your worth from their recognition. Your value doesn't increase when someone applauds you or decrease when someone ignores you. Stop using the room's opinion as the measuring stick for your worth. ________________________________________ 2. You shrink your dreams to fit the room. Instead of asking, "What is possible for me?" you start asking, "What will these people allow me to want?" Counter-action: Give your dream permission to become bigger again. Find environments where ambition isn't treated like arrogance and possibility isn't treated like foolishness. Your dream needs room to breathe. ________________________________________ 3. Your confidence slowly erodes. Being repeatedly dismissed can make even a capable person hesitate before speaking, acting, or taking a risk. Counter-action: Rebuild confidence through evidence. Start keeping track of the things you have accomplished, survived, learned, and overcome. Let your history remind you that you are more capable than the current room suggests. ________________________________________ 4. You stop using your voice. When nobody listens, eventually you may decide there is no point in speaking. Counter-action: Use your voice somewhere it can be heard. Your voice doesn't become less valuable because the wrong people refused to listen. Find people who are willing to engage with what you have to say. ________________________________________ 5. You become afraid of being misunderstood. You may start editing yourself before anyone else gets the opportunity to misunderstand you. Counter-action: Stop making yourself smaller to prevent misunderstanding. Not everyone will understand your vision—and they don't have to. Clarity about who you are matters more than universal approval. ________________________________________ 6. You start seeking permission instead of pursuing possibility. The wrong room can condition you to wait for someone else to validate your next move. Counter-action: Give yourself permission to move. You don't need everyone to agree with your dream before you take the next responsible step toward it. ________________________________________ 7. You confuse familiarity with belonging. You may stay simply because you've been there a long time, even though the environment no longer fits who you're becoming. Counter-action: Ask whether the room fits your future, not just your history. Something can be familiar without being healthy for your growth. Sometimes leaving isn't rejection; it's recognition. ________________________________________ 8. You begin believing your dream is unrealistic. When everyone around you thinks small, your dream can begin to feel unreasonable simply because it is different. Counter-action: Expose yourself to people who think possibility. Spend time with people who have pursued difficult things and understand that meaningful dreams often look unreasonable before they become real. ________________________________________ 9. You become emotionally exhausted. Constantly defending your ideas, explaining yourself, or trying to prove your value consumes energy that should be going toward your dream. Counter-action: Stop spending dream energy on unnecessary validation. Not every critic deserves a response. Protect your emotional bandwidth and redirect it toward building. ________________________________________ 10. You become overly dependent on external validation. You may need someone else to say "good job" before you believe you actually did one. Counter-action: Develop internal validation. Learn to recognize progress even when nobody is clapping. Sometimes the most important person who needs to believe in your progress is you. ________________________________________ 11. You begin playing a role instead of living authentically. You become whoever the room rewards rather than who you genuinely are. Counter-action: Return to authenticity. Ask yourself, "Who am I when I don't have to perform for acceptance?" Your dream should be connected to your identity—not a character you created to survive someone else's expectations. ________________________________________ 12. You lose momentum. Constant discouragement creates hesitation, and hesitation eventually becomes inactivity. Counter-action: Create movement before motivation returns. Take one small action that reconnects you with your dream. Momentum often returns after movement—not before it. ________________________________________ 13. You become afraid to fail publicly. If the room already doubts you, failure can feel like proof that they were right. Counter-action: Redefine failure as information. A setback doesn't validate the room's opinion. It gives you information about what needs to change, improve, or be attempted differently. ________________________________________ 14. You start comparing yourself to the wrong people. You measure your progress against people whose values, circumstances, goals, or definitions of success are completely different from yours. Counter-action: Choose a better scoreboard. Measure yourself against the person you were yesterday and the person your dream requires you to become tomorrow. ________________________________________ 15. You become resentful. Being repeatedly ignored or undervalued can create anger toward the people who seem to hold you back. Counter-action: Turn resentment into redirection. Instead of spending your energy proving them wrong, use that energy to build something that proves yourself right. ________________________________________ 16. You begin abandoning parts of yourself. You may stop talking about your interests, ideas, ambitions, or dreams because you've learned they aren't welcomed. Counter-action: Recover what you silenced. Revisit the ideas, passions, and dreams you buried to fit into the room. Some of your greatest potential may be hiding underneath everything you stopped allowing yourself to express. ________________________________________ 17. You mistake rejection for a verdict. Someone saying "no" can begin to feel like the world saying "no." Counter-action: Treat rejection as redirection, not definition. One room's rejection doesn't determine your destiny. Sometimes the closed door is simply evidence that you are knocking on the wrong door. ________________________________________ 18. You become afraid of outgrowing people. You may intentionally hold yourself back because you're afraid success will change relationships or make others uncomfortable. Counter-action: Allow growth without apology. You can love people without remaining the same size for their comfort. Growth may change relationships, but refusing to grow changes you. ________________________________________ 19. You forget what you originally wanted. The longer you live according to someone else's expectations, the harder it can become to distinguish your dream from the life you've been conditioned to accept. Counter-action: Return to the original question: "What do I want?" Strip away expectations, obligations, comparisons, and other people's definitions of success. Reconnect with the dream underneath the noise. ________________________________________ 20. You conclude that something is wrong with you. This is perhaps the most dangerous consequence. Eventually, the dreamer may believe, "Maybe I'm the problem." Counter-action: Consider that you may simply be in the wrong room. The right environment won't make every problem disappear, but it can create space for your strengths, voice, ideas, and potential to be recognized and challenged appropriately. Sometimes you don't need to become a different person—you need to stop trying to bloom where everything around you keeps telling you not to grow. Have you ever been to a pet store and not been able to buy fish because they are sick?  I have.  How is this fixed? They don't treat the fish they treat the water. Stop trying to change yourself and instead change your environment. You will see such a huge improvement! Call to Action: 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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. You can find it and so much more I offer for your journey to make your dreams come true by going to edwinsoler.com/gift and getting your gift from me to get started. Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!

EP 130: Why Dreams Are Never a Destination—They're a Journey, Part 2 Last week I spoke about how before you ever arrive somewhere meaningful, you spend hours making decisions, adjusting, overcoming obstacles, and continuing forward. That's exactly how dreams work. They are rarely accomplished in one giant leap. They're achieved one mile, one decision, one obstacle, and one lesson at a time. In this episode, I will be taking you on a journey of making your dreams come true.  I use this framework of taking a trip in the car as a way to illustrate what that would look like as a way to remember this easier. It was so much information that I split this episode in two. Are you someone that may be stuck in a job or a situation where you know there is so much more but have no idea how to get there?  Do you dream of something bigger but don't know what or where to start? Well I want to tell you how I can help you with that.  My role isn't to provide answers—it's to help people like you step through that fear, replacing uncertainty with clarity, isolation with partnership, and hesitation with purposeful action. And if you don't have any of these and are ready to start your journey, I 'm here for you too! I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals that desire to be speakers, authors and/or coaches uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." A gift for you:  3 Ways to Know You Are Ready To Start Achieving Your Dreams Get your gift at edwinsoler.com/gift Quote of the week:  Quote of the week: "Dreams don't work unless you do." — John C. Maxwell Points covered  in this episode: The journey continues: More challenges lie ahead but you are prepared for them. •    Flat Tires- A flat tire interrupts the journey, but it doesn't cancel it. Problems demand attention, not surrender. Life's disappointments are often temporary repairs, not permanent endings. Learning to fix what breaks is part of becoming the person capable of reaching the destination. •    Engine Trouble- Occasionally the issue isn't external—it's under the hood. Something inside the vehicle requires repair before continuing. Sometimes our beliefs, attitudes, habits, or emotional wounds become the real obstacles. Until those internal issues are addressed, external progress remains limited. •    Getting Lost- Missing an exit doesn't make the destination disappear. It simply requires humility to admit you're off course and the willingness to make corrections. Many people spend years pretending they're headed in the right direction because they're too proud to turn around. Growth often begins with admitting you've been driving the wrong road. •    Using GPS- GPS constantly gives guidance, even after mistakes are made. It doesn't shame you for taking a wrong turn—it simply recalculates. Mentors, coaches, faith, wisdom, and trusted counsel serve the same purpose. The best guidance doesn't condemn your mistakes; it redirects your future. •    Ignoring the GPS- We've all done it—thinking we know a better shortcut. Sometimes that shortcut adds an hour to the trip. Pride has a way of convincing us that advice is optional. Dreams are often delayed because we insist on learning every lesson the hard way. •    Carpooling- Long journeys become lighter when shared with the right people. Great companions encourage you, help navigate, share expenses, and make difficult miles enjoyable. The wrong passengers, however, complain constantly, distract you, criticize your direction, and drain your energy. Choosing who rides with you is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. •    Passengers Who Want a Different Destination- Not everyone sitting beside you shares your vision. Some will continually suggest turning around or heading somewhere safer. If you constantly surrender your destination to satisfy everyone else, you'll never arrive where you were meant to go. Protecting your dream sometimes means disappointing people who never intended to travel your road. •    Changing Drivers- During long trips, drivers switch because fatigue affects judgment. In life, trusted mentors, accountability partners, and wise counselors can temporarily help you regain perspective when you're emotionally exhausted. Asking for help doesn't mean giving up control; it means protecting the journey. •    Roadside Attractions- Interesting attractions can provide refreshing moments along the drive. Celebrating milestones, victories, and moments of joy keeps motivation alive. Just don't confuse the attraction with the destination. Enjoy the stops, but don't unpack your life there. •    Driving at Night- At night you can only see a short distance ahead, yet that's enough to keep moving. Dreams often unfold this way. You don't need to see the entire future—you only need enough light for the next faithful step. •    Sunrise After a Long Night- Every overnight drive eventually welcomes the morning. What once felt uncertain suddenly becomes clearer. Seasons of struggle don't last forever. If you keep driving, clarity eventually catches up with your courage. •    Helping Another Stranded Driver- Sometimes you pull over to help someone whose car has broken down. It delays your arrival slightly, but it reminds you that the journey isn't just about you. Often the people you help today become part of the encouragement you need tomorrow. Dreams become more meaningful when they lift others along the way. •    Watching the Miles Add Up- Most trips don't feel dramatic mile by mile. Yet every mile matters, even the ordinary ones. Dreams are rarely built in moments of excitement—they're built in thousands of faithful, unnoticed steps. Consistency often accomplishes what intensity never can. •    Crossing the State Line- There comes a moment when you realize you've entered new territory. Nothing magical happened at the border; you simply kept driving until the scenery changed. Personal transformation happens the same way. One day you look back and realize you're no longer the person who first started the journey. •    Finally Arriving- Reaching the destination feels incredible, but something surprising happens almost immediately—you begin imagining the next adventure. The destination provides satisfaction, but the journey is what transformed you into someone capable of getting there. Your greatest reward isn't the place you arrived; it's the person you became along the way. •    Planning the Next Journey- Every meaningful destination eventually becomes another starting point. The confidence, wisdom, resilience, and experience gained from one dream prepare you for an even greater one. Life isn't about reaching one final destination and stopping. It's about becoming the kind of person who continually answers the call to grow, explore, and pursue the next dream with even greater faith and purpose. Closing Thoughts: Don't forget to celebrate!  But if you only celebrate arriving, you'll miss the thousands of moments where your character was built. Dreams are never simply about getting somewhere—they're about becoming someone. Every toll paid, every detour endured, every storm survived, every mile traveled, and every lesson learned is shaping you into the person your dream has been waiting for all along. The destination may inspire you to start the journey, but it's the journey that transforms you into someone capable of living the dream. And there you have it!  The Road Trip of a Lifetime: Why Dreams Are Never a Destination—They're a Journey!  Part 2 If this resonated with you then feel free to reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat (click on the link).  It's only about 30 minutes to get started  and get momentum working in your favor to get your breakthrough.  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. You can find it and so much more I offer for your journey to make your dreams come true by going to edwinsoler.com/gift and getting your gift to get started. Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!

The Road Trip of a Lifetime: Why Dreams Are Never a Destination—They're a Journey  Part 1 Before you ever arrive somewhere meaningful, you spend hours making decisions, adjusting, overcoming obstacles, and continuing forward. That's exactly how dreams work. They are rarely accomplished in one giant leap. They're achieved one mile, one decision, one obstacle, and one lesson at a time. In this episode, I will be taking you on a journey of making your dreams come true.  I use this framework of taking a trip in the car as a way to illustrate what that would look like as a way to remember this easier. Are you stuck in a job or a situation where you know there is so much more for you?  Do you dream of something bigger but don't know what or where to start? Well I want to tell you how I can help you with that.  My role isn't to provide answers—it's to help people like you step through that fear, replacing uncertainty with clarity, isolation with partnership, and hesitation with purposeful action.  I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals that desire to be speakers, authors and/or coaches uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." A gift for you:  3 Ways to Know You Are Ready To Start Achieving Your Dreams Get your gift at edwinsoler.com/gift Quote of the week:  "Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground." — Theodore Roosevelt •    Eyes on the Stars: Represents your dreams, vision, and long-term goals. It is the ambition that drives you to reach higher and think outside the box.  •    Feet on the Ground: Represents your values, practical steps, and current reality. It ensures you maintain a solid grasp of your daily responsibilities and foundational principles.  Points covered: How it all starts: If you don't know where you are going, you will not get there to begin with. •    Choosing the Destination Every road trip begins with answering one simple question: "Where do I want to go?" Before you ever turn the key, your destination already exists in your imagination.  •    Deciding the Trip is Worth Taking Plenty of people dream about visiting amazing places but never actually leave their driveway. The decision separates dreamers from travelers.  •    Mapping the Route Nobody simply starts driving hundreds of miles hoping they'll accidentally arrive. You consult a map, GPS, or itinerary because direction matters more than speed.  •    Preparing the Vehicle Before leaving on a long journey, wise travelers inspect the tires, brakes, fluids, battery, and engine. They know a neglected vehicle is far more likely to break down.  •    Packing the Essentials Nobody packs everything they own for a road trip. They intentionally choose what will help and leave behind what will only weigh them down. Pursuing a dream requires doing the same with your life.  •    Fueling Up Before Leaving Starting with an empty gas tank would be foolish. You begin full because you know there may be long stretches without another station. Spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, you also need to start full.  •    Checking the Weather Experienced drivers know the weather influences the journey, but it doesn't determine the destination. Rain may slow you down, snow may require caution, and storms may force temporary adjustments.  •    Leaving the Comfort of the Driveway Nothing happens until the car actually begins moving. The driveway feels safe because it's familiar, but nothing new is discovered there. Every meaningful dream begins with uncomfortable action.  •    Following the Speed Limit Driving too slowly keeps you from reaching your destination, but driving recklessly can destroy the journey altogether. Growth has a pace. Many people delay their dreams through procrastination, while others sabotage them by rushing success before they're prepared.  •    Watching the Fuel Gauge Throughout the drive, you constantly monitor how much fuel remains. Ignoring the gauge eventually leaves you stranded. The same is true emotionally.  •    Stopping for Fuel Refueling may seem like it delays the journey, but it's actually what makes the journey possible. Breaks aren't signs of weakness; they're investments in longevity. Rest is often the difference between finishing your dream and abandoning it halfway there. •    Paying the Tolls Some roads require a toll if you want access to faster or better routes. Success also demands payment—not always financially, but through discipline, sacrifice, consistency, learning, and perseverance. Every worthwhile dream has a price tag attached to it.  •    Driving Through Construction Zones Construction slows traffic because improvements are taking place. While frustrating in the moment, those delays create safer and stronger roads for future travelers. Personal growth often feels like construction.  •    Unexpected Detours GPS suddenly announces, "Recalculating route." The original road is closed, but the destination hasn't changed. Dreams often unfold exactly this way. What feels like a setback is sometimes the only road leading you toward an even better outcome than the one you originally imagined. •    Traffic Jams Sometimes you do everything right and still sit completely still. Progress appears invisible even though you're still on the correct road. Seasons like these teach patience, endurance, and trust.  Closing Thoughts: If you only celebrate arriving, you'll miss the thousands of moments where your character was built. Dreams are never simply about getting somewhere—they're about becoming someone. Every toll paid, every detour endured, every storm survived, every mile traveled, and every lesson learned is shaping you into the person your dream has been waiting for all along. The destination may inspire you to start the journey, but it's the journey that transforms you into someone capable of living the dream. And there you have it!  The Road Trip of a Lifetime: Why Dreams Are Never a Destination—They're a Journey!  Part 1 If this resonated with you then feel free to reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat (click on the link).  It's only about 30 minutes to get started  and get momentum working in your favor to get your breakthrough.  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. You can find it and so much more I offer for your journey to make your dreams come true by going to edwinsoler.com/gift and getting your gift to get started. Thank you for listening, in the meantime, keep closing that 18- inch gap!  

Why do so many people say no to their dreams?  I'm someone that is very curious about these things and when you strip away the surface objections many people have, almost every hesitation falls into one of these Deeper Emotional Drivers:   • Fear of failure – "What if this doesn't work?"  • Fear of success – "What if my life actually changes?"  • Fear of vulnerability – "Someone will see the real me."  • Fear of wasting money – "I've been disappointed before."  • Fear of being judged – "People will think I can't handle my own life."  • Fear of commitment – "What if I can't finish?"  • Fear of change – "My current life is miserable...but it's familiar."  • Fear of trusting again – "I've been let down too many times."  • Fear of hope – "It's easier not to dream than to be disappointed again."   The Biggest Hidden Objection The strongest resistance often isn't about coaching at all. It's this: "What if I discover I'm capable of more than I've been living...and then I have no excuse not to pursue it?"   Do any of these resonate with you?   That's the tension many people carry. They don't fear the coach as much as they fear confronting the gap between the life they're living and the life they believe they're meant to live.   My  role isn't simply to provide answers—it's to help people like you step through that fear, replacing uncertainty with clarity, isolation with partnership, and hesitation with purposeful action. That shift in identity and possibility is often more compelling than coaching itself.     I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals that desire to be speakers, authors or coaches uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing."     Quote of the week: "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'" — Muhammad Ali   Points covered:   In this episode, I cover three points for each question:  What's being asked, the real pain behind the question and my Dream Realization Counterpoint.   1. Do I really need a life coach? They don't believe they're "broken enough" to deserve help. They think they should figure everything out alone. You don't hire someone because you're broken—you partner with someone because your dream is too important to leave to chance.   2. Is life coaching worth the money? Fear of wasting money. They've invested in things before that didn't work. The greatest expense isn't coaching—it's spending another five years living beneath your potential.   3. Can a coach really help me? They doubt anyone can understand their unique situation. A Dream Realization Partner doesn't have to live your life—they help you see what you can't see from inside it.   4. What if coaching doesn't work? Fear of disappointment and another failed attempt. Coaching isn't magic. Transformation happens when commitment meets the right guidance.   5. Can't I just read books or watch YouTube? They believe information equals transformation. Information gives knowledge. Partnership creates accountability, clarity, and momentum. Those are completely different.   6. Why can't I motivate myself? They're ashamed they've lost confidence. Motivation fades. Vision, purpose, and accountability create sustainable action.   7. Am I a failure if I need help? Pride mixed with insecurity. The strongest leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs all have coaches because growth is intentional—not accidental.   8. How do I know if a coach is legitimate? Fear of scams and fake experts. The right partner doesn't promise perfection—they provide clarity, challenge, honesty, and measurable progress.   9. What if I'm not ready? Fear disguised as preparation. You'll never feel completely ready. Readiness is created by taking the first courageous step.   10. What if I don't follow through? They've broken promises to themselves before. A Dream Realization Partner helps rebuild trust with yourself one commitment at a time.   11. What if I have too many problems to fix? They feel overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. You don't solve your entire life in one day. You create one breakthrough that changes everything else.   12. Is coaching just someone giving advice? They don't want to be lectured or controlled. Great coaching doesn't tell you what to do—it helps you discover the best version of yourself and equips you to become it.   13. Why do I keep starting and stopping? They've lost confidence in themselves. Consistency isn't about willpower—it's about removing what's keeping you stuck.   14. Will coaching force me to change who I am? Fear of losing their identity or comfort. True transformation doesn't change who you are—it uncovers who you were created to become.   15. What if people judge me for getting a coach? Fear of looking weak. People may judge your investment today, but they'll admire your transformation tomorrow   You do not have to have every single one of these. In fact, it only takes one to hold you back.  I don't want to see you stuck or making excuses. I want to see you make those dreams come true.  There is no better time than now to get started.    Stop comparing yourself to others that may seem like they have it all together and have no problems or challenges. The truth is that we all do.  It's how you face and overcome the challenges that makes a difference. And having me on your side will certainly make your journey a lot easier.  Because the fastest path from point A to point B is having someone like me with you.   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 send me an email to [email protected] It's that easy. I'll be in touch with you shortly afterwards. I can't wait to hear from you!   This podcast is based on my book Closing The 18-Inch Gap and can be found by simply going here: edwinsoler.com/book

If there is something that will stop a dream before it ever gets started is the lack of clarity. But once you have it, you become unstoppable. In this episode I will be covering for you what having this clarity will do for you: eliminate frustration, push discouragement aside, rediscover the courage to dream again, and much, much more. But the key is that this takes time. It's important to let time work in your favor. You cannot rush clarity, you must be patient and allow to it reveal itself. This is not a journey for the weary, it's for those that are willing to go the long haul and see their desires come to life over time.  When I was an athlete, I had a coach that always told me: "If it were easy, everyone would do it". That was over 35 years ago and those words still hold truth in them to this day.  Clarity will help you stay committed long after many others have quit and settled for a life NOT OF THEIR CHOOSING! You have to be committed to preparing for what is to come. I can tell you for sure that if your dream has not come to fruition, what ever that may be, it's because you are not prepared for it yet.  I have seen and read more times than I can count of people that had such huge success in their lives only to see if disappear practically overnight.  They simply were not prepared for the success they experienced, and it escaped them. They lacked clarity on what it would take to keep moving forward. If you are determined to stay in the game for the long haul, clarity will start revealing just what to do next. This is not a journey where you will see every single step the entire path. Not at all, instead it will reveal itself as you take each step trusting that you are on the right path. Clarity will show you where you will need to make changes, pivot when needed, even pause. It's not about constant aimless movement forward but instead, intentional steps to reach your goals and desires.   Clarity has its instant benefits that few have the patience to wait for, see and understand. Today I will bring all of them to you and discover with you the instant success this will unlock for you to see. It will not jump you to the very front of where your dream will be but it will certainly make the journey there a much more enjoyable one.  A journey that few have the determination to walk through. But not you. You are listening to this just in time to get more clarity and keep moving forward with more enthusiasm than you perhaps have had in a long time.  Why? Because this is what clarity does. •    Quote of the week:  "Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not." — Cal Newport Points covered: 1. Crystal-Clear Life Direction: stop wandering through life reacting to circumstances and begin living with unmistakable clarity about where they're going and why it matters. •    Wake up every morning with certainty instead of confusion. No longer questioning what you should be doing, you'll move through each day with confidence because your path is finally clear. •    Make decisions with peace instead of fear. You'll stop overthinking every opportunity and start making choices that align with the future you truly want to create. 2. Renewed Hope for your Future: replace discouragement and uncertainty with genuine excitement, believing your best chapters are still ahead of you. •    Replace discouragement with genuine anticipation. Instead of expecting more disappointment, you'll begin looking ahead with excitement for what's still possible. •    Believe your greatest victories are still in front of you. You'll stop allowing your past to define your future and start embracing the possibilities that still await you. 3. A Vision Worth Fighting For: develop a compelling future that pulls you forward every single day. •    Develop an unshakable reason to keep going. Your dream becomes bigger than your excuses, giving you the strength to persevere through every obstacle. •    Stay committed when motivation disappears. A compelling vision keeps pulling you forward even when the excitement wears off.   4. Freedom From Other People's Expectations: stop chasing someone else's definition of success and begin building a life that reflects who you were truly created to become. •    Stop seeking approval and start living authentically. You'll experience the freedom that comes from knowing your worth isn't determined by someone else's opinion. •    Build a life that genuinely fulfills you. Instead of chasing someone else's version of success, you'll pursue what truly brings purpose and joy. 5. Alignment Between Your Values and Your Life: priorities become clear, eliminating the internal conflict of pursuing things that don't actually fulfill them. •    Experience inner peace through congruence. Your actions will finally reflect your deepest beliefs, eliminating the tension of living divided. •    Feel fulfilled instead of merely accomplished. Success will become meaningful because it aligns with what truly matters most to you. 6. Confidence Through Purpose: when purpose becomes clear, confidence naturally follows and you stop second-guessing yourself because you finally know what you're pursuing. •    Trust yourself with greater certainty. When you know why you're pursuing something, self-doubt loses its power over your decisions. •    Speak and act with authentic confidence. You'll stop shrinking back and begin showing up boldly because your purpose gives you solid ground to stand on.   7. A Future That Creates Daily Motivation: instead of relying on temporary inspiration, your vision becomes the fuel that keeps you moving when emotions fade. •    Stay driven long after inspiration fades. Your vision becomes a constant source of energy that keeps you moving forward on difficult days. •    Build unstoppable momentum toward your dreams. Small daily actions begin creating life-changing results because your future continually pulls you forward. And much, much more shared with each point above. And there you have it!  Seven instant benefits that clarity will bring. Don't forget that you do not have to try to memorize everything I shared today. Just focus on the three most impacting things that I mentioned today. Write them down. Explore them more.  But please, more than anything else, I ask of you to take it one day at a time.  I wrote in my book, Closing the 18-Inch Gap, that Rome was not built in a day but that it was burned down in just a few. This is true in History. It was during the reign of the  Roman Emperor Nero in the great fire of 64 AD in Rome. The same happens with instant success, it may take some time to build but without clarity on how to sustain it and grow from it, it will burn down faster than it was ever built. And I don't want to see that happen to you!  And the best way to avoid that is to always have clarity! 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 send me an email to  [email protected] It's that easy. I'll be in touch with you shortly afterwards. I can't wait to hear from you!

Every journey has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning is exciting. It's where dreams are born. Energy is high. Hope is overflowing. You can't stop talking about where you're going because you can already see it in your mind. The end is exciting too. It's where victories are celebrated, sacrifices finally make sense, and people suddenly notice all the work they never saw. But almost no one talks about the place in between. The messy middle. The place where the excitement fades, the finish line is nowhere in sight, and every step feels heavier than the last. It's the place where motivation goes silent. Where doubt gets loud. Where progress feels invisible. Where quitting starts sounding reasonable. It's the halfway point. Too far to go back... but not close enough to see the finish. This is where most dreams are abandoned—not because people weren't talented enough, smart enough, or capable enough. They simply got stuck in the middle. Every dreamer will arrive here. Every entrepreneur. Every student. Every parent. Every creator. Every person chasing something bigger than themselves. The question isn't whether you'll face the messy middle. The question is... Who will you become when you get there? Today, I want to be your dream realization partner. Not someone who simply cheers from the sidelines, but someone who reminds you why you started, helps you keep your perspective, and walks beside you through the hardest part of the journey. Because your dream deserves more than a passionate beginning. It deserves a powerful ending. Today I'm going to share fifteen ways to push through the messy middle so your dream has every opportunity to cross the finish line. After all... You've already come this far. Why would you stop now? •    Quote of the week:  "The middle is messy, but it's also where the magic happens. If we believe in ourselves, if we reach out together, and if we lean into a little bit of that grace... we can get through this." — Brené Brown Fifteen ways to push through the messy middle: 1. Remember Your "Why" More Than Your "How":   When the road gets difficult, people obsess over how they're going to make it instead of remembering why they started.  2. Stop Measuring Distance and Start Measuring Progress: The messy middle feels exhausting because you're focused on how much is left instead of how far you've already come.  3. Fall in Love With Consistency Instead of Motivation: Motivation is emotional. Discipline is dependable. Don't wait until you feel inspired—show up because that's who you've decided to become.  4. Break the Mountain Into Pebbles: Looking at the whole journey can feel overwhelming. Instead of climbing the entire mountain today, simply take the next step.  5. Stop Comparing Your Chapter Five to Someone Else's Chapter Twenty: Comparison steals energy you'll never get back. You don't know what battles others fought to get where they are.  6. Let Failure Become Your Teacher: Every setback contains information. Instead of asking, "Why did this happen to me?" ask, "What is this trying to teach me?"  7. Protect Your Mind: Not every opinion deserves access to your dream. Guard what you watch, what you listen to, and who speaks into your life.  8. Borrow Belief Until Yours Returns: There will be days when your confidence disappears. That's why mentors, friends, books, podcasts, and faith matter.  9. Give Yourself Permission to Rest Without Quitting: Rest is not surrender. Recovery prepares you to continue the race. Don't confuse slowing down with giving up—they are completely different decisions. 10. Visualize the Finish Line: Spend a few minutes every day imagining what life will feel like when your dream becomes reality.  11. Become the Person Your Dream Requires: Sometimes the dream isn't waiting on better circumstances. It's waiting on a better version of you.  12. Expect Resistance: Every meaningful dream attracts obstacles. Resistance isn't evidence you're on the wrong path; it's often confirmation you're pursuing something worthwhile.  13. Keep Showing Up When Nobody Is Watching: The middle is lonely because applause usually comes at the end. Learn to work without recognition.  14. Remember That Feelings Are Temporary: Some mornings you'll feel unstoppable. Other mornings you'll question everything. Don't let temporary emotions make permanent decisions.  15. Refuse to Leave Your Dream Half Built: Imagine reaching the end of your life wondering, "What if I had just kept going?" That question is far heavier than today's struggle.  The messy middle isn't your punishment. It's your proving ground. It's where dreams stop being exciting ideas and become lifelong realities. It's where passion matures into perseverance. Where wishing becomes working. Where potential becomes purpose. Most people will never experience the life they imagined because they stopped in the middle. Don't let that be your story. Your future is waiting on the other side of the season you're tempted to quit. Keep taking the next step. Keep believing when the evidence is small. Keep moving when the progress feels invisible. And if no one has told you lately... I'm proud of you. Not because you've finished. But because you're still fighting. Your dream is worth it. You are worth it. Now get back up. The finish line isn't coming to find you. It's waiting for you to come claim it. 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 send me an email to [email protected] 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!

There is something fascinating about a chessboard.  Sixty-four squares. Thirty-two pieces. Endless possibilities. Most people only notice the king when the game is over. They celebrate the queen because she's powerful. They admire the knights because they make impossible moves. But very few people stop to appreciate the pawn. That's exactly how people treat themselves. They compare their journey to someone else's highlight reel. They believe they don't matter because they don't feel important yet. They underestimate what they bring to the board simply because they haven't reached the other side of it. As your Dream Realization Partner, I've discovered something that changes everything. Dreams don't collapse because people lack talent. Dreams collapse because people underestimate their value. Every piece on the board has a purpose. Every move matters. Every sacrifice has meaning. Every position contributes to victory. And maybe... Just maybe... You've been trying to become someone else when all along your greatest strength has been becoming exactly who you were designed to be. Let's play. •    Quote of the week:  "Life is like a game of chess, in which there are an infinite number of complex moves possible. The choice is open, but the move made contains within it all future moves." — Shelley Smith The pieces on the chess board and how they can speak to your journey to your dream path: The Pawn – The Power of Small Beginnings The pawn is considered the weakest piece on the board, and because of that, it is often overlooked. People see its limitations before they recognize its possibilities. Isn't that exactly what happens to so many dreamers? We convince ourselves that because our first step is small, it must not matter. Yet nearly every meaningful journey begins with one humble move. The Knight – The Courage to Think Differently The knight is fascinating because it refuses to move like everyone else. While every other piece follows predictable paths, the knight surprises everyone by moving in an entirely different pattern. It teaches us that breakthroughs often come from unconventional thinking instead of conventional behavior. Sometimes your greatest advantage is that you don't fit the mold. The Bishop – The Power of Vision The bishop travels diagonally, seeing opportunities others often miss. It reminds us that vision isn't just about seeing what's directly ahead; it's about recognizing possibilities hidden beneath the surface. Vision allows us to connect today's decisions with tomorrow's destination. The Rook – The Strength of Stability The rook is powerful because it is dependable. It doesn't rely on flashy movements or emotional decisions. It moves with confidence, direction, and purpose. It reminds us that sustainable success is built on consistency rather than excitement. The Queen – Maximizing Your Gifts The queen is the most powerful piece because she has incredible freedom. She can move in multiple directions and influence nearly every area of the board. But her power isn't random—it is purposeful. She represents fully developed potential operating with confidence. The King – Protect What Matters Most Ironically, the king is not the strongest piece on the board. He moves slowly. He possesses limited mobility. Yet the entire game revolves around protecting him because without the king, everything else becomes meaningless. Life works the same way. Maybe today you feel like a pawn. Maybe you're learning to think like a knight. Maybe you're rediscovering your vision like a bishop. Maybe you're becoming dependable like a rook. Maybe you're finally stepping into your queen-level potential. Or maybe life is reminding you to protect your king. Whatever piece best describes you today, remember this... You are not on the board by accident. Every season has purpose. Every move carries meaning. Every setback teaches strategy. Every sacrifice prepares victory. And every dream worth pursuing requires every piece working together. I'm not here to play your game for you. I'm here to walk beside you as your Dream Realization Partner, helping you close the eighteen-inch gap between your head and your heart so you can stop admiring the life you were meant to live and finally start living it. Your next move is waiting. The only question is... Will you make it? 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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!

Last week I sent an email out about a memory that resurfaced after many years.  After I sent the email, the message still stuck with me and will not leave me so I decided to expand on this in this podcast episode and dive deeper into this message.  A memory I have carried a long time resurfaced again this week. I thought about this man many times before but this time it was different. When I met my wife, and before we became engaged, I was invited to go with her and her family to her birthplace in Ciudad Juárez in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It was a beautiful place at that time. This was long before the notorious cartel wars broke out. This place is literally just a stone's throw away from El Paso, Texas in the US.  There are parts of a highway that you drive down where the country of Mexico is separated by simply a very tall fence. You're so close you could have a conversation with someone on their side if you wanted to, or at least if you were allowed.  Back then the city was very vibrant, beautiful and active. There were many restaurants because what better thing to bring people together than food. One night we had dinner at a very famous restaurant not knowing that three years later we would be at the same restaurant where we would celebrate our rehearsal dinner, the day before our wedding. What struck me on this particular night as I was having dinner with my future wife and all of her family was a man on a stage. There were a few musicians and him singing his heart out. What struck me was what he would say at the end of every single song: "thank you, thank you everyone for all your applauses".  But here's the thing, absolutely no one was applauding! Not. One. Single. Person. The only reason I even paid attention to him was because of what he kept saying about people applauding. I thought he was crazy. But what he was doing was teaching me a lesson that would take a long time to understand.   That was over 25 years ago! Yet that memory stayed with me and then it clicked this weekend. Let me explain, because there's a lesson in this. That man kept singing and singing no matter whether anyone was applauding or not. He still showed up even if no one listened, he didn't care that he was rejected, or anything else. He still took the stage and sang. What about you? What stage are you avoiding? What is keeping you from making your dreams come true? Are you waiting for applause, approval, permission? Will you be willing to sing on stage even when no one applauds you? The truth of the matter is that:   •    No one will applaud you •    No one will notice you •    No one will listen to you •    No one will care   I know that sounds harsh but it's the truth. It's the reality. But here's the one thing you have to remember. If you stay on the stage long enough and keep singing or doing what it is that you dream so much about and push through, then  it's just a matter of time before:   •    People will start applauding you •    They will start noticing you •    They will listen to you, and they will care   But you have to be willing to get on stage and do it first!    You have to be willing to pay the price of persistence, isolation, frustration, and much more. That's all part of the growth process. Too often people seek stages for approval and give up way, way too early. I'm talking about months or something just even weeks of trying. But let me tell you today that anyone you see succeed has been at it for years, perhaps even decades. There is no such thing as an overnight success.    Any overnight success you're seeing is the fruit of someone working hard for years and years suddenly reached the top and became notice. But behind that success is tremendous amount of work, paying, overcoming many beliefs and so much more.   What's your stage? Who are you trying to reach? What are your dreams, where are they? While I cannot answer this question for you, the stage is waiting for you. What stage is that? Whatever you decide that to be!   It could be speaking, podcasting, writing a book, creating music, standing up for a worthy cause you believe in and so many more things. But the stage is yours. Jump on it and sing your heart out! It doesn't matter that no one notices, cares, or even applauds you. Because at the end of the day, no one ever will if you don't get on the stage to begin with.   I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." So, let's dive into The Man That Sang To No One- A True Story   More on the other side. •    Quote of the week:  "A person of vision sees 'something' in the nothing that everyone else ignored because they were convinced of its nothingness." ― Craig D. Lounsbrough Points covered: Here are some valuable lessons I don't want you to miss: 1. Detach Your Worth from Applause A lack of recognition does not mean a lack of value. People often confuse visibility with significance. Focus on becoming excellent rather than becoming noticed. Recognition usually follows consistent excellence. 2. Remember Why You Started When you feel ignored, reconnect with the original reason you began. Your purpose existed before the audience arrived. Write down your "why" and revisit it regularly. Purpose can sustain you when encouragement is absent. 3. Measure Progress, Not Attention Attention can fluctuate, but progress is measurable. Track the actions you control instead of the responses you receive. Small wins build confidence and momentum. Progress is often happening long before recognition appears. 4. Focus on the Next Step Overwhelm often comes from looking too far ahead. Instead of worrying about the entire journey, focus on the next action. One step completed is better than a thousand steps imagined. Momentum is created through movement. 5. Become Your Own Encourager There will be seasons when nobody is cheering for you. Learn to speak life into yourself during those moments. Replace negative self-talk with truth and possibility. Self-encouragement is a critical skill for every dreamer. 6. Understand That Growth Is Often Invisible Seeds grow underground before anyone sees evidence of life. Your growth may be happening in ways others cannot yet recognize. Trust the process even when results are hidden. Hidden growth often creates visible breakthroughs later. 7. Build Discipline Instead of Motivation Motivation comes and goes, but discipline remains. Create habits that move you forward regardless of how you feel. Show up consistently even when excitement fades. Discipline carries you through the days motivation cannot. 8. Learn from Rejection Rejection is painful, but it often contains valuable lessons. Instead of seeing rejection as a verdict, view it as feedback. Ask yourself what can be improved. Growth often hides inside disappointment. 9. Develop Emotional Resilience Your emotions are real, but they should not control your decisions. Learn to feel disappointment without surrendering to it. Resilience grows every time you keep going despite setbacks. Emotional strength is built through practice. 10. Stop Looking for Instant Results We live in a culture that celebrates overnight success stories. Most breakthroughs are actually years in the making. Commit to the long game. Patience allows your efforts enough time to bear fruit. 11. Stay Consistent When Nobody Is Watching Character is revealed by what you do in private. Continue working on your dream even when no one notices. Consistency creates trust in yourself. The habits built in obscurity often support future success. 12. Improve One Percent Every Day Massive change rarely happens overnight. Small improvements compounded over time create remarkable results. Focus on becoming slightly better each day. Consistency in improvement eventually becomes transformation. 13. Separate Feelings from Facts Feeling ignored does not necessarily mean you are being ignored. Emotions can distort reality during difficult seasons. Examine the facts objectively. Clarity often reduces discouragement. 14. Keep Showing Up Persistence is one of the greatest competitive advantages available. Many people quit right before momentum begins. Continue showing up day after day. Consistency often outlasts talent. 15. Focus on Service When attention becomes your primary goal, discouragement grows quickly. Shift your focus toward helping others. Ask how you can add value. Service creates purpose beyond personal recognition. 16. Reframe Silence Silence is not always rejection. Sometimes people are watching, learning, and processing. Not every impact is immediately visible. Continue planting seeds even when feedback is absent. 17. Remember That Most Success Is Delayed The world often sees the breakthrough but misses the preparation. What appears sudden is usually the result of years of unseen effort. Trust that your work matters. Delayed results are still results. 18. Trust the Compounding Effect Many efforts seem insignificant in isolation. However, consistent actions accumulate over time. The results you desire may be forming beneath the surface. Trust that today's effort contributes to tomorrow's breakthrough. 19. Become Comfortable with Obscurity Every dreamer spends time in seasons where few people notice their work. Obscurity is often preparation, not punishment. Use this season to refine your skills and strengthen your character. Preparation creates readiness for future opportunities. 20. Keep Taking the Stage Whether your stage is a podcast, a business, a ministry, a dream, or a personal goal, keep showing up. Do not let silence convince you to stop speaking, serving, or creating. Some of the people who need your message have not found you yet. Your responsibility is not to control the audience—it is to faithfully take the stage and give your best every single time. "The world may not notice your effort today. They may not applaud your growth tomorrow. But if you continue to show up, continue to improve, and continue to believe in the value of what you've been called to do, eventually your consistency will become impossible to ignore. The dream belongs to those who keep taking the stage long after everyone else has left it." Let me ask you again:  What's your stage? Who are you trying to reach? What are your dreams, where are they? While I cannot answer this question for you, the stage is waiting for you. What stage is that? Whatever you decide that to be! It could be speaking, podcasting, writing a book, creating music, standing up for a worthy cause you believe in and so many more things. But the stage is yours. Jump on it and sing your heart out! It doesn't matter that no one notices, cares, or even applauds you. Because at the end of the day, no one ever will if you don't get on the stage to begin with. 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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!

Last week I released an episode with my amazing guests and Donna Ricardo were we spoke about….   well about speaking.  This week I decided to continue the topic. Today's topic is dos and don'ts about communicating with confidence. It's important to be able to communicate confidently what you want. If you want to go from dreaming to doing, you need to be very clear about what it is that you want for yourself. Now this conversation can be developed with others around you as you express your desires to make your amazing dreams come true. I am a true believer that what you communicate comes from deep within. And the more you practice on communicating effectively not just to others but also to yourself as you hear yourself communicating these thoughts you have, it will also make your dream realization path much easier, at least not harder. Not been able to communicate effectively will certainly also hinder your progress moving forward. So today I want to bring you 15 dos and don'ts of communication skills that will help you not only communicate better with others, but also in the process help you shape and communicate what exactly do you want to do so that your dreams can come true. This communication is crucial to closing your 18-inch Gap. Those crucial 18 inches between your heart and your mind text so often can be in conflict with the communication they are telling each other.  I'm Edwin Soler, your dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch gap podcast.  "I help professionals uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." •    Quote of the week: "Your success or failure... will depend on your programming—what you accept from others, and what you say when you talk to yourself." — Shad Helmstetter Points covered in this episode: Listen first- Do: hear others fully before you respond Don't: interrupt or assume you know the point Be clear and concise- Do: use simple words to share your message Don't: overcomplicate or ramble unnecessarily Ask clarifying questions- Do: confirm understanding with thoughtful open questions Don't: assume you've understood without checking Focus on tone- Do: speak calmly and respectfully in every situation Don't: use aggressive or dismissive tone Maintain eye contact- Do: show engagement with appropriate eye contact Don't: stare or avoid looking at people altogether Adapt to your audience- Do: tailor your style to suit the listener Don't: use the same approach for every person Stay open-minded- Do: be receptive to ideas, even if unexpected Don't: shut down perspectives different from yours Being active listener- Do: show interest with nods and verbal cues Don't: zone out or look distracted when listening Watch body language- Do: use open gestures to build trust Don't: cross arms or look unapproachable Choose your words wisely- Do: be mindful of how words may impact others Don't: use harsh or careless language Be respectful in disagreements- Do: share your opinion calmly and professionally Don't: raise your voice or become dismissive Focus on nonverbal cues- Do: notice posture, gestures, and facial expressions Don't: ignore signs of discomfort or misunderstanding Avoid jargon- Do: use language that everyone can understand Don't: overuse technical terms without explanation Respond thoughtfully- Do: take time to think before you reply Don't: react emotionally or without consideration Follow-up on conversations- Do: summarize points and agree on next steps Don't: leave discussions without clear conclusions Do you want to explore what may be keeping you from speaking more confidently to make your dreams come true? I invite you to 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 send me an email to [email protected] 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!

Today is a special episode titled Speaking with Confidence- An Interview with Donna Riccardo. She is an expert speaker and speaking coach that helps others break into speaking the right way. She has a vast resource of knowledge and today she shares some of this with you.  In this episode Donna shares: How she started as a hairstylist which led her to speaking- a story you do not want to miss Expert tips on the speaking industry She also shares how she did not getting distracted during a practice speech she once gave Also why you do not have to fear being judged when speaking and so much more! Make sure you get her gift just for you titled: Top 10 Speaking Tips to Keep Your Audience Hanging onto Every Word! Simply click here: https://showupspeakup.com You can also find Donna at the following sites: https://www.facebook.com/donna.riccardo.96/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnariccardo/ https://www.donnariccardo.com/    Here you will find so much more information as well like the S.P.E.A.K. your way to the bank as well as Five Public Speaking Tips to Empower You.  Get her book on Amazon: Public Speaking for Entrepreneurs: How to show up, speak up and get what you want for your business and your life:   https://tinyurl.com/4wsyax82 Listen to this powerful episode and discover how Donna can help you close your 18-inch gap and Speak with Confidence!

In today's episode I go into nine things that have been bothering me for some time. I share these as a way to not only be vulnerable but to also bring points I want to share because you  can also relate to them. It's certainly not a place where I complain and carry on. Far from it, instead it's a way of expressing what has been running in the background of my mind as I invite you to also join me and let me know what you think. I'm Edwin Soler, the dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch podcast.  "I help  professionals uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." •    Quote of the week:  "You are precisely as big as what you love and precisely as small as what you allow to annoy you."  Robert Anton Wilson Points covered: 1)    AI and how it's being used 2)    Leadership that is afraid to take action 3)    A hard sales pitch 4)    Those that ask but do not reciprocate 5)    Not taking the time to establish a connecting first  6)    Those that say they are coaches when they are not 7)    False promises 8)     Gossip 9)    My oral surgery for my wisdom teeth Each point has an explanation.  What's bothering you? I want to know, feel free to reach out to me at my email: [email protected] If this resonated with after listening to this entire episode, 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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!

There's so much that can be said about habits. There's a book called, Atomic Habits.  It's written by James clear that  has sold millions upon millions of copies. Habits are constantly being studied. It's habits that make or break you. Good ones are hard to establish but have greater rewards. As the bad ones that are not so good for you but the reward is its instant gratification but not necessarily the best thing for you. I myself am currently working on breaking all kinds habits. Specifically for my health. Habits determine how far you can go, or how not to go anywhere at all. It's these small daily decisions that compound over time and create a bigger results. They will not be seen immediately, it may take days, weeks, months, years, perhaps even decades. But the compounding effect cannot be denied. Just as it is said that bad habits are hard to break I also believe that a good habit is easily as hard to break as well. Once it's established and becomes part of you it is hard to get out of it.  These habits all become automatic over time because they bypass the conscious thought. It is said that our habits dictate about 40% of our daily behaviors meaning that our lives are pretty much a byproduct of our habits. 40%, that's almost half of our daily routine. Habits played incredible role in those that  succeed. So today I will bring you 15 habits that will change everything. 15 habits that every dreamer should have. I'm Edwin Soler, the dream realization partner and this is the closing the 18-inch podcast.  "I help  professionals uncover the beliefs keeping them trapped in unfulfilling lives, so they can finally take courageous action toward the dreams they've put on hold and finally live a life of their choosing." •    Quote of the week: "Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations." — James Clear Some of the points covered: 1)    Drink water before coffee-resets hydration energy 2)    Make your bed in the morning-signals discipline and a fresh start 3)    Walk 10 minutes daily-improves mood, digestion, and clarity 4)    Read five pages a day-compounds into massive knowledge 5)    Pausing before reacting-saves relationships and mental energy 6)    Planning tomorrow tonight-removes morning stress 7)    Eat slowly-supports good health and prevents overeating 8)    Put your phone away all your eating-improves digestion and presence 9)    Keep promises to yourself- builds real confidence and 6 more with the last one being the most important! If this resonated with after listening to this entire episode, 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 send me an email to  [email protected] 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!

This is being recorded on Memorial Day. It's a day to remember those that have fallen in all the wars that have been fought on behalf of our country, on behalf of you and me. An ultimate sacrifice, lives given for the cause of freedom. I have never served in the military but have the most respect for those that have. In this sacred moment, ask you to take a moment with me as I pause for a moment of silence out of respect and honor for those who have fallen. Because of their sacrifice I'm able to record this, and you're able to hear. It's freedoms like this that we have been given at a high price. Let us not take this for granted. Today's title as fitting as it is actually came from a therapy session I was at with my son.  It has deepened my relationship with him and helped it tremendously. Although I still acknowledge that we have so much more growth to go. And it was during a session a few weeks ago that we were talking about growth with a therapist that exactly this: "it's times of peace where you prepare for war".  So today I want to go into a series of things where you too can prepare for war in a time of peace. What kind of war you may ask? There are many wars going on right now besides the ones you may think of.  There is always a war for: •    your peace •    your mind •    your family •    your sanity •    your dreams But it's interesting when you think about it, that the military does not prepare for war during a time of war. A military prepares for war in time of peace. And even during times of peace these preparations can cause other countries to want to go to war. So I want to explore what this looks like and daily life. Ways I can bring to you a way of looking at things differently as you prepare to prepare for war during the time of peace. •    Quote of the week: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.": George Washington Here are just a few of the points covered in this episode: 1.    Train Before the Crisis Arrives Most people wait until life falls apart before they start building strength. But strength built during peace becomes stability during chaos. The strongest people are not always the most talented; they are often the most prepared. Preparation turns panic into precision when hard times come.  2.    Guard Your Mind Daily Your mind is a battlefield whether you realize it or not. Negative thoughts, fear, comparison, and doubt constantly compete for control. If you do not train your thoughts during peaceful seasons, destructive thinking can overtake you during difficult ones. Mental discipline is one of the greatest forms of preparation.  3.    Build Emotional Endurance Emotional endurance is developed through reflection, patience, and self-awareness. A peaceful season is the perfect time to learn how to regulate your emotions before pressure intensifies. People who collapse emotionally during hardship often ignored emotional maintenance during calm seasons. Inner strength is built quietly long before it is tested publicly.  4.    Strengthen Family Relationships Now Families should not only come together during emergencies. Peaceful seasons are opportunities to repair communication, deepen trust, and create memories. Strong relationships become shelters during emotional storms. The bonds you strengthen today may carry you through tomorrow's battles.  5.    Prepare Financially Before the Storm Financial pressure can destroy peace quickly. During stable seasons, wise preparation creates breathing room for difficult times. Saving money, reducing debt, and learning discipline protects your future self. Peace is often preserved by preparation no one else sees.  6.    Protect Your Physical Health Your body is the vehicle carrying your purpose through life. Waiting until sickness arrives before valuing health is a costly mistake. Exercise, rest, nutrition, and stress management are forms of preparation for future battles. A healthy body helps support a resilient mind.  7.    Develop Spiritual Strength Spiritual preparation anchors people when life becomes uncertain. Prayer, faith, reflection, and gratitude build an internal foundation that external pressure cannot easily shake. Peaceful seasons allow you to deepen your connection with God and your sense of purpose. When war comes emotionally or spiritually, your roots determine your stability.  8.    Learn Discipline in Small Things Big victories are usually built through small repeated disciplines. Waking up on time, honoring commitments, and finishing tasks trains the mind for greater responsibility. Peaceful seasons expose whether someone is serious about growth or merely interested in comfort. Discipline prepares you for opportunities you cannot yet see.  9.    Train Yourself to Handle Discomfort Comfort can quietly weaken ambition and resilience. Learning to endure inconvenience, rejection, and temporary hardship prepares you for larger challenges later. Growth rarely happens inside complete comfort. Sometimes peace exists to train your tolerance for future pressure.  10.    Strengthen Your Identity People who do not know who they are easily shaken by criticism or hardship. Peaceful seasons are times to discover your values, purpose, and convictions. A strong identity helps you remain grounded during conflict. When you know who you are, confusion loses power over you.  11.    Prepare Your Dreams for Resistance Every meaningful dream eventually encounters opposition. There will always be critics, delays, failures, and unexpected obstacles. Preparing mentally for resistance keeps you from quitting too early. Dreams survive when people understand that struggle is part of the journey.  12.    Study Wisdom Before You Need It Many people search for wisdom only after disaster strikes. Peaceful seasons are opportunities to read, learn, grow, and seek understanding. The knowledge you gain today may save you tomorrow. Preparation often looks like quiet learning no one applauds.  And many, many more.  Jump in and listen to the full episode so you can learn how you too can prepare for war during a time of peace.   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! "Every point we covered today will shape part of your story. Some will challenge you. Others will champion you. But all of them—when understood—can and will shape you. Your dream isn't just possible. It's waiting on the version of you who's ready. Until next time—keep daring, keep developing, and most of all, keep dreaming." 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!

In 1952, Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the twenty-six miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline. As she began, she was flanked by small boats that watched for sharks and were prepared to help her if she got hurt or grew tired. After about fifteen hours a thick fog set in.  Florence began to doubt her ability. She told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she did not think she could make it. She swam for another hour before asking to be pulled out, unable to see the coastline due to the fog. As she sat in the boat, she found out she had stopped swimming just one mile away from her destination.  What she didn't have there with her was a Life Coach. I am one hundred percent sure that if she had one, she would have made it.  Do you feel the same way? Are you like Florence, swimming toward your dreams and desires, stuck in a thick fog, aching all over, feeling like you're at the brink of drowning, ready to give up after weeks, months, years or decades of trying due to pain or exhaustion—only to realize that success was so close? Do you feel the same?   So close yet so far? Let's dive into You are Closer than You Realize! Quote of the week: "You will never find time for anything. You must make it." — Charles Buxton. This is a partial list of how to know that you are in fact closer than you think to realizing your dreams:  Is your frustration with your current situation is proof that you were made for more? Do you refuse to give up no matter what you have been through, and realize that persistence is one of the rarest traits successful dreamers possess?  Are you are still searching for answers? Because if you are this means the fire inside you is still alive.   Are you are more experienced now than when the dream first began?  Did you know that you already know people who can help you, even if you have not yet realized their value or influence?    Do you realize that you have already learned lessons that many people do not discover until much later in life?  Are you beginning to recognize what no longer fulfills you, which creates clarity about what does?  Is your current dissatisfaction is pushing you toward transformation instead of comfort?  And so many more covered in this entire episode. 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!

In all of us we all have one mind however every mind you take one of two paths. Each path goes a completely different direction. It is something that everyone deals with. Which path you take? That will determine where you will go. These two mindsets are constantly battling each other. It's not a matter of completely dominating one over the other. They are both present at all times. Some days one has the upper hand and other days the other one. Two mindsets residing in one body. A body that has a soul longing to make its dreams come true. Either one can be heavily influenced. And both of them are in fact. At the end of the day what matters is which one gets more attention given to it over a period of time.  To completely ignore one and give the other one undivided attention would lead to absolute burnout. Even too much of a good thing is not good at all. Life is about balance, and in today's podcast episode I want to bring some balance to these two mindsets. They are very easily described as: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. I will describe what each one is point by point. How one side compares the other. The idea is to get into the right side of thinking without neglecting the other side. It may seem contradictory but I will explain in more detail how these two mindsets work in your mind. So, let's dive into The Battle of Two Mindsets work and how to use the right one to your advantage starting today. •    Quote of the week: "Many growth-minded people didn't even plan to go to the top. They got there as a result of doing what they love. It's ironic: The top is where the fixed-mindset people hunger to be, but it's where many growth-minded people arrive as a by-product of their enthusiasm for what they do." ― Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success 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!

Are your dreams being drained and you don't even realize it?  Your time and energy is similar to your paycheck. You work for a week or two, perhaps you have some over time, but you never exactly know how much tax is going to come out.  Even if you are a salaried employee and have a steady predictable income, you're still paying taxes in different ways that you may not realize. The same goes for your time and your energy. There's a tax being taken from you every single day…  Did  you didn't vote for it? Did you didn't agree to it? And most dangerously—you don't even realize you're paying it. This isn't a financial tax.  This is a life tax.  A dream tax. It shows up in moments that seem harmless… scrolling a little longer, hesitating a little more, waiting for the "right time" that never arrives. And the cost? Your future is at risk.  Your potential delayed and the life you keep telling yourself you'll get to "one day." Today, we're exposing the silent tax draining your dreams—because once you see it, you can't unsee it… and more importantly, you can finally stop paying it. So let's dive into th firt 10 taxes that are draining your dreams.    •    Quote of the week: "It's been said that there are only two pains in life, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret, and that discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons." – Anthony Robbins   Here are the first 10 signs that you are paying The Silent Tax Draining Your Dreams: 1. Procrastination Tax-  You delay one task… then another. 2. Comfort Zone Tax- You choose what's easy over what's necessary. 3. Fear Tax-Fear convinces you to wait. 4. Distraction Tax- Your attention gets pulled in every direction. 5. Doubt Tax-You question your worth and your ability. 6. Excuse Tax- You justify why now isn't the time. 7. Busyness Tax-You're always occupied, but not aligned.   8. Waiting-for-the-Right-Time Tax- You wait for perfect conditions. 9. Energy Drain Tax- You invest energy in things that don't matter. 10. Lack-of-Clarity Tax- You don't define what you want. All these plus another ten additional taxes your paying that interfere with your dreams! Listen to the full episode as I dive into each one of these points and more. 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!

In today's episode I want to ask you something. Are your dreams drifting away from you? In today's episode I'm going to go into 15 signs your dream could be drifting away from you and what you can do about it. Let me show you a real-life example. In 3 hours, a plane traveling at 500 mph covers 1,500 miles.  If the plane is off course by 3° the plane would be approximately 78.5 miles away from its intended destination/path. The reason it does not drift is because of it's auto-pilot. That's just three short hours. Now you may not be moving at 500 miles an hour but you still are moving quite fast. Not only that, I'm not talking about three hours either. I'm talking about days that turn into weeks, weeks that turn into months, months the turn into years, and years of turning to decades.  But the drift doesn't happen overnight. It starts very slow, very subtle, and creeps up on you. Before you know it, so much time has gone by that you've drifted so far from you intended destination of dreams and now you don't even know where to start to get back.  Why did that happen? Do you feel this way? Do you realize that you are drifting away? How can you get back if you are? Let me tell you that it's not too late. Especially if you listen to this episode today. Whether you're listening to it just as it's released or sometime in the future trust that the perfect timing for this message to reach you is now.  No matter where you are in your journey whether you're just getting started or you just realize you have to come back it's never too late. No matter how frustrated you may feel know that you will always be able to find someone to help you find your way back. And in this moment in time that someone is me. So let's dive into 15 signs that indicate that your drifting away from dreams. •    Quote of the week: "Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground." — Ralph Marston  Here are 15  signs that you are drifting away from your dream: 1.    You forgot what most resonated with you and what little fire in you 2.    You let too many people's opinions dictate your path 3.    You let your emotions get in the way 4.    You got too comfortable where you are 5.    You didn't count the cost before you started 6.    You stopped asking questions 7.    You stopped listening to those that counseled you 8.    You stopped taking care of yourself 9.    You stopped reading or read purely for entertainment and escape 10.    You never followed up on what you started 11.    You allowed less important things to take up more time 12.    You stopped believing in yourself over a period of time 13.    You started becoming more and more critical of others 14.    You started dismissing other people's dreams or desires 15.    You stopped helping others Listen to the full episode as I dive into each one of these points in great depth. 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!

In today's episode I want to continue my conversation on mental and emotional health.  I was interviewed on someone else's platform for the second time in less than a week.  It was a very special time as the interviewer is someone I have known for a long time. We spoke more than anything about the inner being and some of my story. So, this inspired me to go deeper this week on the journey of emotions many of you, my listeners, may be going through.  It's about being stuck in your minds and hearts which creates what I call the 18-inch gap that can be so challenging to close.  I want to share with you one of the things that really freed me to start my journey to where I am at today.  How I went From Stuck to Unstoppable.  And the final release started at my mother's death bed.  Quote of the week: "So many people will tell you 'no', and you need to find something you believe in so hard that you just smile and tell them 'watch me'." — Michael Bassey Johnson   Here is a small sample of what I share in this episode:   Some of the deepest pain came from trusting people I would have defended without hesitation. Betrayal forced me to see the difference between attachment and genuine connection.  I learned that boundaries are not walls—they are protection.  Some endings felt like destruction, but they were really redirection. I learned that forgiveness does not always require reconciliation.  Some chapters ended without closure, and I had to create my own peace. I learned to stop taking another person's liking me as a measure of my worth. I realized closure sometimes comes from understanding, not explanation.  After everything I lost, I finally found the person I was meant to become: myself And much more.    These are lessons that when  learned and applied will make such a huge difference in moving forward. Too often our judgment gets clouded by our emotions and life has a way of bringing about ways of showing us how much greatnes we have inside that can not be drowned out no matter what has happenned. Key characteristics of unstoppable people: Resilience: Rejection is simply motivation to prove people wrong. Action: Keep moving forward regardless of speed. Mindset: Deciding that you will never give up. Purpose: Finding a fire in your heart and keeping it lit. If any of this is resonating 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!

In today's episode I want to bring something that's coming from many conversations I've had this past week.  It started with a conversation with the photographer friend of mine. He lost a major job at Microsoft and started taking his photography from a hobby to something serious. He wanted to build upon it. He  had an old camera and decided that he being a tech guy that he is it needed to be upgraded to a much better one. But a friend, also a photographer, told him: "you don't need to change the camera, you just need to change lens". He convinced them to upgrade the lens attached to the camera and not get rid of the camera itself.  This made me think deeply about how we view ourselves. What role mental health can play in that. It's not about changing the camera, which is you per se. It's about change the lens, how you see things. Since then, some other conversations have come up that really made me think about what I want to bring to you today. Mental health has caused many people to try to discard the camera, if you will, instead of changing the lens. The change of lenses changes perspective, a way of looking at things. I want to tie this into not just mental health, but as a way of what lens you are looking through while still keeping the camera, which symbolizes you as a person. I want to look at some key specific roles where a change of lenses is far more effective than changing the camera itself. How you see yourself and what you're going through plays a huge role into the outcomes you can achieve. With that I want to have a raw conversation about mental health.  •    Quote of the week: "talk to yourself like you would to someone you love"- Brené Brown Points covered:   When it comes to looking at a different perspective, in other words changing lenses to the camera, I want to be able to dive into specific topics if you will that deal with this very thing. I want to be able to bring to you today ways that these pictures you may be seeing of yourself are actually distorted. Distorted pictures through various circumstances that I myself am very familiar with. And because of the familiarity I have with them is why I want to bring them to you today. In these different scenarios that I will be going to greatly affect mental health at a deep level. It's a matter of seeing a different perspective. The first scenario that I am very familiar with is how mental health affect you at your job. Last week's episode I spoke about how the comeback continued and it spoke a lot about my loss of a job of almost 27 years. I spoke about this and last week's episode but I'm going to go deeper and in a different angle for the sake of what I want to bring today: •    Your job is a job not your identity •    How you are treated will affect you deeply both mentally and emotionally •    You may feel trapped but you have to realize that there's always a way out •    Do not let anyone make you feel any less of a human that you are already •    Learn the lessons that you can why were there because it will help you down the road our existing The second scenario I will speak of his family related. I come from an extremely abusive background from the earliest memories that I had as a child well into my adulthood. It's something that I have realized that I am still learning and recovering from. My relationship with my mother was anything but normal.  Disclaimer: none of this is meant to diagnose or give advice, I strongly recommend should you need a professional opinion to not hesitate in seeking it: •    The abuse went through as a child •    The limiting beliefs it instilled in me •    How I'm learning not to hide even in a room where I belong •    The story of my mother-the final year and what happened •    Breaking family ties even when it's difficult because it feels like a betrayal but it's not •    Family upbringing greatly influences how we think and even creates certain conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD etc. The third and final scenario I want to talk about is being in a faith community. This gets very difficult to navigate for so many reasons.  Faith is something that can be deeply rooted in you but if engrained  in the wrong way, it will do significant damage. I'm not here to tell you what to believe and what not to believe in. That's a journey that you must explore on your own. But I am of the thought of mind that no faith journey should strip you of your identity as a person or override your dignity as a human being: •    There's many ways of looking at is what two extremes are to either be deeply involved or deeply despised in anything to do with faith •    Of all the abuses I went through fortunately the worst abuse I felt in some of my faith communities was more emotional than anything else •    They can be deeply tied into how we think and even how we feel that we need to follow it and deviating it just brings another sense of betrayal •    My number one rule for faith is that it needs to build you up not tear you down •    Mental health is not fully understood in many of these communities Listen to this week's full episode for my raw conversation about mental health and how you can overcome what you may also be going through. If any of this is resonating 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!

I will be doing what is called a freestyle recording with no specific outline or steps to follow per se. I want to take a pause from the what to do, how to do, etc. I want to go into a personal deep dive of what life looks like when you put the things I'm saying into action. If you have been following for some time you know I have shared my devastating job loss three years ago. I will be sharing what I've learned, what is happening, the waiting period, how things look different from others and much more. It's a personal story that I hope will inspire you to overcome whatever you may be looking at as well. A story that will help you also create your own comeback if you ever need one. My hope is that you succeed and do well in everything you put your mind and dream to do. But know that not all paths are straight and easy but you too can overcome whatever life throws at you. • Quote of the week: "...never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense". Winston Churchill Here is what has helped me continue this comeback going on for three years: 1. Community- it has grown tremendously since I left my job, but I didn't wait to leave my job for that to start. 2. Patience- you will need a tremendous amount of patience especially with yourself. 3. It's your journey-you need to know that your journey will look very different from anyone else's. That's okay. 4. The answers will come- how I found so many answers afterwards and they still keep coming. 5. Sometimes you have to go against what is common-to succeed in your journey or situation the fact is that it will look very different; it's a big advantage. 6. Never stay somewhere too long where you're not wanted- when you leave a situation, don't keep looking back or find those are hurt. Learn the lessons from it. Move on. 7. The people you need to help you get where you need to go may not be in orbit yet but they will come. 8. Have an insatiable desire to learn. Read, explore, experiment because this is what will help you move forward. 9. Accept that at one point or another your journey will be different than anyone else's and they simply won't understand. Stop explaining yourself. 10. Have the confidence to know that you're in the right place and the right time. Don't ignore whatever signs are being given to you to let you know you are on the right path. 11. Don't put ideas off too long. These are clues that lead to your success on your path. You cannot always make your success come faster but you can surely slow it down. 12. Find balance and a pace that is right for you. Listen to this week's full episode for my raw conversation with you and how I have been able to comeback from one of the most devastating times in my life. And no, this is not the only comeback story I have. I will be sharing many more as time goes on. Frustrated because the dream isn't taking shape? It's not as much as in your heart as it is in your mind. You must first fix the foundation then build the dream. In order to do that, you need to deal with what's in front of you, not what's now behind you… otherwise you'll keep trying harder when what you really need is to get aligned 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!

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!

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!

Last week I talked  about pivots and having a pivotal moment.  Simply put, pivotal means extremely important or crucial, like a key turning point or the central part on which everything else depends, similar to a door's hinge that makes it work. It describes something vital that influences the success or direction of a situation, event, or person. Today I want to go even further and bring 6 stages Every Dreamer Goes Through Before a Breakthrough.  Each stage has its own key aspect and challenges. I want to look at each one as a step and not a setback. I want to help you navigate each one so that you can get to your breakthrough as well.  This will not happen overnight and more likely than not will take a lot longer than you planned. I just spoke with another coach today that took her a total of six years just to get where she is currently at. She described it as a long slow marathon.  If you want to make those dreams, come true, you will certainly also have to go thought these six stages. Knowing what they are and how to navigate them ahead of time will put you at an advantage to get thought them. Perhaps not faster but certainly better prepared.  You can rarely ever speed up your success, but you can certainly delay it. I want to help you minimize those delays as you go through each stage. •    Quote of the week:    "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." — Earl Nightingale 6 Stages Every Dreamer Goes Through Before a Breakthrough 1. The Vision Stage:  The Dream Awakens.  Every dream begins with a spark — a moment where you begin to see a possibility for your life that excites you. This vision may come through an idea, a calling, an inspiration, or a deep internal desire. 2. The Friction Stage: Reality Pushes Back.  After the initial excitement fades, dreamers begin encountering resistance. 3. The Frustration Stage:  The Emotional Battle. When friction continues long enough, frustration often follows. 4. The Reflection Stage: The Moment of Honest Evaluation. Eventually the dreamer begins stepping back and reflecting on what is really happening. 5. The Pivot Stage: Strategic Change. Once clarity arrives, the dreamer begins making adjustments. 6. The Breakthrough Stage: Momentum Returns. After the pivot is implemented, momentum begins to build again. The Hidden Truth About Breakthroughs. Most people only see Stage 6. They see the success, the accomplishment, or the recognition. But dreamers know something deeper: Every breakthrough is built on a cycle of pivots, persistence, and personal growth. 10 Famous Moments in History Where One Pivot Changed Everything 1. Steve Jobs – Returning to Apple 2. Walt Disney – Disney faced bankruptcy and lost control of his first studio. Rather than quitting animation, he pivoted creatively, developing Mickey Mouse.  3. Oprah Winfrey – Oprah was fired from a local news anchor job for being "unsuitable for television." Instead of quitting media, she pivoted to daytime talk shows, embracing her authentic, empathetic style.  4. Abraham Lincoln – Lincoln lost multiple elections before the presidency. After each loss, he pivoted — refining his leadership and political strategy.  5. J.K. Rowling – Rowling's Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by dozens of publishers. Instead of quitting writing, she pivoted by continuing to submit and refining her approach. One small publisher accepted it, launching a literary and cultural phenomenon. 6. Colonel Harland Sanders –After his roadside restaurant failed due to highway changes, Sanders pivoted by traveling the country selling his fried chicken recipe. Rejected hundreds of times, he finally found success. This pivot created the global KFC franchise. 7. Elon Musk – In 2008, Musk's companies faced near bankruptcy. Instead of quitting, he pivoted — reallocating funds, focusing on key launches, and prioritizing projects that would prove viability. This pivot allowed both companies to survive and eventually dominate their industries. 8 Michael Jordan –Jordan was cut from his high school varsity team. Instead of quitting basketball, he pivoted by training harder, improving his skills, and approaching the game differently. That single pivot fueled a career that made him one of the greatest athletes of all time. 9. Sara Blakely – Blakely was selling fax machines when she invented Spanx. Pivoting from her sales career to entrepreneurship, she refined her product and approach. Her pivot turned a simple idea into a billion-dollar brand. 10. Nelson Mandela – Mandela spent 27 years in prison. He could have left resentful or defeated. Instead, he pivoted toward reconciliation, compromise, and nation-building. That single pivot changed the trajectory of South Africa and inspired the world. "If you are in the friction stage, don't panic. If you are in the frustration stage, don't quit. If you are in the reflection stage, pay attention. Because the pivot may be closer than you think. And when the pivot happens, the breakthrough is often not far behind."

Today I want to talk about pivots and having a pivotal moment.  Simply put, pivotal means extremely important or crucial, like a key turning point or the central part on which everything else depends, similar to a door's hinge that makes it work. It describes something vital that influences the success or direction of a situation, event, or person. A pivot is not surrender. A pivot is wisdom in motion. When a basketball player pivots, they do not stop playing. They simply adjust their position to create a better opportunity. The goal remains the same — score the basket.   Dreamers must learn the same principle. Quitting ends the dream. Pivoting protects the dream while changing the strategy. And pivotal moments are where dreamers are made or lost. Points covered: 7 Major Life Areas Where Dreamers Must Learn to Pivot 1. Pivot Your Strategy: Sometimes the dream is right, but the strategy is wrong. 2. Pivot Your Timeline: Dreamers often quit because things take longer than expected. 3. Pivot Your Mindset: Many dreams die in the mind before they ever die in reality. 4. Pivot Your Environment: Sometimes the problem is not the dream. 5. Pivot Your Skillset: Sometimes people quit because they haven't developed the skills the dream requires. 6. Pivot Your Identity: This is one of the deepest pivots of all. 7. Pivot Your Perspective: Many pivotal moments look like failure at first.   But that is the what.  What about the when? Well, we cover this as well in this episode. The 7 Signs You Are Standing in a Pivotal Moment in Your Life 1. The Old Way Stops Working: One of the first signs of a pivotal moment is when the methods that once worked suddenly stop producing results. 2. You Feel Deep Internal Restlessness: A powerful inner tension can begin to develop. 3. You Encounter Unexpected Obstacles: Pivotal moments frequently come wrapped in unexpected challenges. 4. Your Thinking Begins to Change: During pivotal seasons, your perspective on life begins to shift. 5. Opportunities Appear That Challenge Your Comfort Zone: Pivotal moments often present opportunities that feel slightly intimidating. 6. Your Circle Begins to Shift: As people grow, their environment often changes. 7. You Feel a Strong Sense of Decision Approaching: The final sign of a pivotal moment is the growing awareness that a decision must be made. PLUS in the end of the episode I include A Dreamers Declaration you recite every day. Do you need to pivot today?  Did something really land and get your attention?  It's a sign that something is trying to get your attention.  But you need more than just a sign, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through  and  start diving into what may be holding you back. 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!

Today I want to challenge you, I want to challenge you about how you see time. We all say we don't have enough time. But do we? I want to get into today about how to see this differently, get into the mental blocks that get in the way of us saying we don't have enough time. I have heard a lot about time management and that it's a myth. That there's no such thing. That school of thought says that you manage tasks not time. But this got me thinking, what keeps us from managing our tasks. For that matter what keeps us in this loop of not having enough time. I'm faced with time every single day. Between working, family, self-care, and building a business among many other things this will require a tremendous amount of time. Time has been something that humans have been dealing with for thousands of years. It's nothing new. Our ancients had the same challenges we do today. Well to be fair, I would say they were just slightly less distracted. Nonetheless still the same amount of time. So today I'm going to dive into the myths you may be telling yourself about why do not have enough time and by the end of this episode my goal is for you to have much better clarity and understanding that you do in fact have enough time. Quote of the week:  "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days." — Zig Ziglar Here are some of the time-wasting myths that sabotage dreamers just like you: 1. "I don't have enough time." 2. "I'll start when life slows down." 3. "I need big blocks of time." 4. "I'm too tired after work." 5. "My family needs me too much." 6. "I'm too old." 7. "I'm too young." 8. "I need more money first." 9. "I need more training." And many more- all included in this episode.     Bonus: in the end of the episode I include 25 Daily Declarations for Relentless Dreamers like you that you can use to keep you on track. How can I serve you? I want to help you make your dreams come true. You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and  start diving into what may be holding you back.   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!

The Olympics just wrapped up a few days ago. For those of us in the US it ended on a very high note with the men's hockey team winning gold for the first time since the famous miracle on ice back in the 1980 Olympics. I can guarantee you that everyone there  had an unshakeable belief that they could win! In your journey to keep your dreams going, you need A LOT of belief to keep going. When I was younger, I dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal I just did not have anyone that believed in me enough, let alone myself to get it done.  I graduated from college and then the reality of getting a job settled in. But that never stopped me from dreaming of other accomplishments.  And today I want to bring you a blueprint, if you will, of what you will need to make those dreams come true. Quote of the week:  "Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it." — David Schwartz Here's a deep, momentum-building list you can build an entire dream around. Each one is designed to give you forward momentum — especially in the quiet seasons I love talking about. 1. Define the Dream Clearly:  Belief weakens when the dream is vague.  2. Anchor Your Dream to Identity, Not Emotion:  Emotions fluctuate daily. Identity remains steady.  3. Borrow Belief Before You Fully Have It: Every dreamer goes through a season where belief feels thin.  4. Keep Promises to Yourself: Unshakeable belief grows from integrity with yourself.  5. Collect Evidence of Progress: Your brain believes what it sees repeatedly. Track wins, no matter how small.  6. Rehearse Victory in Your Mind: Visualization isn't fantasy — it's rehearsal.  7. Normalize the Quiet Season: Silence does not mean failure. Growth underground is still growth.  8. Separate Outcome from Commitment: Outcomes take time. Commitment happens daily.  9. Upgrade Your Inner Dialogue: Your internal voice determines your ceiling.  10. Expect Resistance: Resistance is not a stop sign; it's confirmation you're moving forward.  Listen to the full episode to listen to get the full blueprint.   I want to help you make your dreams come true. You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and start diving into what may be holding you back.   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!

Introducing the Personal Growth Cycle.  It's only 5 points and a step away from my usual long list of points I bring.  It's not something I created by rather something I found and want to share with you today. They are, "Define → Align → Flow → Grow → Evolve" isn't just a cycle — it's a living framework for dreamers. It's how transformation actually happens. Not in one leap, but in layers.   This is not linear. Every new level requires redefining, realigning, reflowing, regrowing, and re-evolving. Most dreamers get stuck because they try to skip stages, or they start in the middle, feel alone and do not have any support, or many other reasons.  But today I am here not only to share these points but to also offer my help in any way I can along your journey. Stay tuned to the end of this episode on more information on how you can contact me. Before we go any further I want to let you know that I have something special for you:  A downloadable gift titled-  3 Ways to Know You Are Ready To Start Achieving Your Dreams Get your gift at: edwinsoler.com/gift Quote of the week:  "Be prepared to ride the cycles and trends of life; success is never permanent, and failure is never final." — Brian Tracy. Points covered:  1.  DEFINE — Clarity Before Movement Definition: Define is the conscious decision to clarify who you are, what you want, and what matters. Most people live in reaction mode. Define is intentional mode. 2.  ALIGN — Integrity Between Vision and Action Definition: Alignment is when your daily actions match your defined identity and vision.   3.  FLOW — Momentum Without Friction Definition: Flow happens when definition and alignment create internal harmony.   4.  GROW — Expansion Through Pressure Growth is uncomfortable. This is where: •    New opportunities stretch you. •    Old insecurities resurface. •    Your capacity is tested. 5.  EVOLVE — Identity Upgrade Evolve is the integration stage. You are no longer who you were when you defined the dream. I want to help you make your dreams come true. You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing.  If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through where we start diving into what may be holding you back. There is no financial commitment required for the call.

I have been captivated all week regarding a FB message I saw. It was a post that talked about what people do when it's quiet and get inpatient or desperate. It made me think a lot, so much that I had to make an episode about this. What I'm referring to is the time between the preparation and the success.  The quiet time is the preparation time, the ground work, the laying down the foundation in the dark where you are barely noticed if at all, and the noisy time is when success finally arrives.  Too often people waste away in the quiet time because they crave the noise which translates to attention, getting noticed, but they are not ready.  The quiet season messes with you because it doesn't reward you emotionally the way noise does. Yet it's the most honest season of all. Quiet, uninterrupted time is essential for preparation, building inner strength, and fostering creativity before action. Embracing this period allows for deeper, focused, and purposeful growth. How you prepare when it's quiet will greatly determine how you react when the noise starts, when you start getting noticed, when the challenges of growth arrive, when your team starts quitting on you and so much more.  In today's episode I want to explore a list of ways that you can effectively prepare during the quiet time to make sure that when your launch time arrives, you will be ready.  Before we go any further I want to let you know that I have something special for you:  A downloadable gift titled-  3 Ways to Know You Are Ready To Start Achieving Your Dreams Get your gift at: edwinsoler.com/gift Quote of the week:  "The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital." Joe Paterno Some of the points covered today that  will prepare you for the success of tomorrow: 1.  Quiet is not punishment—it's protection 2.  Your value cannot depend on visibility 3.  Desperation makes people rush the process 4. Boredom is often disguised resistance 5.  The quiet exposes your real motives 6. Consistency matters more when no one notices 7.  Comparison gets louder when life gets quieter 8.  Preparation often feels unproductive—but isn't 9.  You will be tempted to chase shortcuts 10. Loneliness sharpens discernment 11. Your discipline is forged when motivation fades Listen to the full episode for all of the 25 points I bring to help you discover how to prepare for your success tomorrow and help you close your own 18-Inch Gap. Are you ready to start preparing for what is in store for you this year, in fact starting today?  You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through where we start diving into what may be holding you back. No financial commitment required for the call. One last word before I go, 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!

If there is a question that is impossible to answer. A question that many ask but no one ever answers.  The question?  How long? How long until: My dream comes true How long until: I can get out of this job How long until: I'll see my breakthrough How long until   fill in the blank. Time is something we treat as something negative as an enemy. We live in a culture where a lot of pressure is put on fast results. A culture where timing is everything. A time where everything is based on being at your best, your prime, fastest, youngest etc. But in today's episode I want to show you how time can actually work in your favor. The advantages of letting time, well … take its time. Time, when looked at correctly can actually work in your favor.  Of course, this is all a matter of also having it in context.  Are you willing to let time work in your favor as well? Let's find out in today's episode.   •    Quote of the week:  "Time is the wisest counselor of all." — Pericles 25 Ways Dreamers Can Allow Time to Work in Their Favor 1. Time exposes whether a dream is real or borrowed 2. Urgency often comes from fear, not purpose 3. Growth happens underground before it shows up on the surface 4. Time matures your thinking 5. Delays often protect you from premature success 6. Time reveals what needs healing before elevation 7. Rushing steals joy from the journey 8. Time teaches patience without killing passion 9. Consistency beats intensity when time is honored 10. Time helps you separate preparation from procrastination These are just the first ten points. Listen to the full episode to listen to all of them.   Listen to the full episode for all of the 25 points I bring to help you discover how time can and will work in your favor and help you  Close your own 18-Inch Gap. Are you ready to make time work in your favor this year, in fact starting today?  You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through where we start diving into what may be holding you back. No financial commitment required for the call or afterwards. One last word before I go, 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!

What is a crucible?  It's a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. But for purposes of this episode it's a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. Let me start with a truth most people never hear: Just because no one sees your potential… does not mean it's not inside you. Some of the most dangerous potential in the world is the kind that's still the kind that is tending sheep—shepherds that are quiet, faithful, unseen. Today, we're talking about untapped potential, and there may be no clearer blueprint than a boy who faced challenges of many kinds before he ever became king.  That would be David, the shepherd boy that faced Goliath. We will be modeling today's episode after him using his story as a background.  Not after the palace. Not after the crown. But in the process—long before, when no one was clapping. Today we bust the myth of overnight success. Yes, overnight success does exist but the timing is measured in years not hours. You are  not overlooked— you are in preparation. Your obscurity is developing strength you will need later. You don't need recognition to remain faithful. Your private victories are preparing you for public responsibility. You will not measure Your calling by Your current position. What frustrates You is pointing You toward Your purpose. Refuse to wear armor that was not designed for You. Trust the process even when You don't understand the timing. Your past struggles were rehearsals, not setbacks. When Your moment comes, You will be ready—not lucky. If you've ever felt overlooked… If you've ever felt like you're capable of more but stuck where you are… If you've ever wondered, "Is this really preparing me for anything?" This episode is for you. I want to help you make your dreams come true. Are you ready to truly leave 2025 behind and just take the lessons learned from it and step into this new year?  You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through  and  start diving into what may be holding you back. !  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!

Three weeks into the new year already. Does it feel heavy already? Are you like many others already losing steam and momentum? Is this year starting to already feel like the last one? Are you seeing a pattern develop? I can assure you that you are not alone. Many, many people feel this way. The difference between you and them is that you are listening to a podcast that will help you navigate out of this problem.  They try to fit themselves in a mold outside of their own, the patterns that this develops is something that makes it hard to break out of.   If you want to close your 18-inch gap and start making those long locked up dreams come true, you will need to change the way you have been approaching your way of thinking. Your thinking patters determine your movements in life, how you approach and more important how you react to what is going on around you and more important within you. Get your gift at edwinsoler.com/gift You will get to download: 3 Ways to Know You Are Ready To Start Achieving Your Dreams Points covered: 20 Time-Tested Ways to Break Old Thinking Patterns  and Close the 18-Inch Gap 1. Stop asking "What's wrong with me?" and start asking "What is this training me for?" 2. Build identity before building habits. 3. Replace motivation with structure. 4. Tell the truth—without softening it. 5. Stop collecting information and start applying one principle at a time. 6. Detach your worth from your current results. 7. Practice finishing—especially when it's imperfect. 8. Interrupt negative self-talk immediately—do not negotiate with it. 9. Design your environment to support your future self. 10. Schedule courage like an appointment. Listen to the full episode for all of the points I bring to help you discover 20 Time-Tested Ways to Break Old Thinking Patterns  and Close the 18-Inch Gap Are you ready to truly leave 2025 behind and just take the lessons learned from it and step into this new year?  You need more than just a plan, you need a partner that can walk along side of you and make this happen. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to get through  and  start diving into what may be holding you back.  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

Today's episode is a long-awaited episode that I have been dreaming about since the first time I started podcast. For every podcaster the 100th episode is a really big deal. Statistically speaking, the majority of podcast stop being produced when they hit only seven episodes. When I first started I wanted to have at least eight to be able to overcome that statistic right out of the gate. But I only had five started and I launch those five. I was able to continue past the dreaded seventh episode in number eight was a big deal at the time. My biggest fear was being able to be consistent. So the hundredth episode is being published with just one month away from this podcast being two years in production.   That's right, it's already been two years since I started this journey. It's a huge accomplishment. But don't worry I'm not going to go down the list of 100 things I've learned from podcasting, not even close. But I will be sharing what I've learned in this journey and more importantly you'll be hearing from for other people that have been with me during this journey as well. Once you hear from them, I'll be telling you more about them, how they fit my community, and how you can reach them if you're interested for more information.   Quote of the week: "inch by inch makes it a cinch, yard by yard is just too hard!" James Malinchak- The Secret Millionaire/Big Money Speaker.com   People celebrating with me on this 100th episode: Linda Gullo: https://lindagullo.com/   Erik K Johnson: https://podcasttalentcoach.com   Jennifer Dawn: https://jenniferdawncoaching.com/ https://bestplannerever.com/   Mike Michalowicz: https://mikemichalowicz.com https://mikemotorbike.com/   I invite you to reach out to the people that I've mentioned here in the many more that I will be bringing on board either as a shout out or even doing interviews with them. So stay tuned for that. 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!  

First and foremost I want to wish you a happy new year and hope that this year is by far your best year ever yet. I'm looking forward to continuing to walk alongside his journey to encourage you, speak to you everywhere I can, speak into your life, revive those dreams, and anything else I can help you with. Don't let this should be like last. Make it even better one. I am so excited with the new year, I'll have my first coaching meeting with my coach tomorrow. Will be able to start hashing out what we were tying up from last year and focus on growing and going deeper than ever and this year and beyond.   Today's episode is titled do this in 2026 and this is a bit unusual of me but it's something I want to be very bold in expressing to you starting right out of the gate. It's very simple but yet profound, at least it is to me. This is the very first thing I want you to do after you listen to this podcast episode … it's to punch fear right in the face! That's right, just square up to it just punch it.   Often people think that not having any fear is the first step to being able to succeed and feel confident. But let me tell you that that's just not possible. The most successful people in the world, no matter who they are, carry a measure of fear in them. Fear is not something that will just disappear but will certainly hear you when you give it too much attention.   • Quote of the week: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear" Mark Twain Points covered: 1. The Lie That You're "Not Ready Yet" 2. Playing Small to Make Others Comfortable 3. Seeking Permission to Be Who You Already Are 4. The Fear of Being Seen 5. Waiting for the "Perfect" Moment 6. Carrying Old Failures Like Life Sentences 7. Overthinking Every Move 8. The Need to Be Liked by Everyone 9. Saying "I'll Start When Life Slows Down" 10. Carrying Other People's Doubts 11. Confusing Comfort with Safety 12. Talking Yourself Out of Bold Moves 13. Waiting to Feel Brave 14. Comparing Your Beginning to Someone Else's journey that is further down the road 15. Ignoring the Quiet Voice That Won't Let Go 16. Overvaluing Security Over Fulfillment 17. Letting Setbacks Define Your Identity 18. Waiting for Confidence to Show Up First 19. Self-Sabotaging When Things Get Real 20. Living According to Outdated Versions of Yourself 21. Believing You Have "Too Much to Lose" 22. Delaying the Work You Know You Must Do 23. Letting Fear Speak Louder Than Faith 24. Waiting for External Validation 25. Carrying 2025's Hesitation Into 2026 I want to help you make your dreams come true. Are you ready to leave 2025 behind and just take the lessons learned form it and step into a new year? Are you ready to take bold action steps? I want to come alongside you and partner with you. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat. It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and start diving into what may be holding you back.  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!  

Today I continue with a review funny story about how I answered a belief in Santa from a bully from a neighborhood I was in while in one of my many foster homes. It ties into todays topic about what we still believe and the consequences that follow. But I want to speak to you today about a belief you also need to outgrow and no longer give it anymore attention. It's the belief that you "should be further along" often has nothing to do with reality and everything to do with comparison. When you release the pressure to prove yourself, clarity returns. Progress built from self-trust is always more sustainable than progress driven by self-judgment. What beliefs are you carrying with you that no longer help you? What are you willing to let go of for the following year to be a better one? What does that look like? How will you measure this? Will you carry these into 2026?   Points covered:   1. Your fear of failure has cost you more than failure ever could. 2. You are not responsible for staying the same so others feel secure. 3. Being busy has helped you avoid being bold. 4. Discipline without direction is just exhaustion with good intentions. 5. You don't need to fix yourself before you move forward. 6. What didn't work before doesn't get to vote on what's possible now. 7. Your past mistakes are lessons, not life sentences. 8. You are allowed to release goals that no longer reflect who you've become. 9. Patience is powerful—but when it becomes delay, it steals momentum. 10. You can't step into a new future while defending an old self-image. 11. Humility doesn't require you to shrink. 12. Your comfort zone has stopped being comfortable—it's just familiar. 13. You don't have to suffer longer to earn what you desire. 14. Clarity doesn't come from overthinking—it comes from movement. 15. 2026 doesn't require a better version of you—just a braver commitment to the truth of who you already are. Next steps: I want to help you make your dreams come true. I want to come alongside you and partner with you. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat. It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and start diving into what may be holding you back. 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.  

Wishing all a Merry Christmas.! I will pick up the podcast next week where I will continue part two of All Beleifs Have Consequences.

Today I start with a funny story about how I answered a belief in Santa from a bully from a neighborhood I was in while in one of my many foster homes. It ties into todays topic about what we still believe and the consequences that follow.   But I want to speak to you today about a belief you also need to outgrow and no longer give it anymore attention. It's the belief that you "should be further along" often has nothing to do with reality and everything to do with comparison. When you release the pressure to prove yourself, clarity returns. Progress built from self-trust is always more sustainable than progress driven by self-judgment.   What beliefs are you carrying with you that no longer help you? What are you willing to let go of for the following year to be a better one? What does that look like? How will you measure this?   Points covered:   1. You don't need to become someone new in 2026 2. Just because a dream took longer than expected doesn't mean it's expired. 3. The version of you that survived hard seasons doesn't get to decide the limits of your future. 4. You've confused being cautious with being prepared. 5. Your past outcomes are not predictions. 6. You don't need more motivation—you need to stop negotiating with fear. 7. What once kept you safe is now keeping you small. 8. Staying where you are because it's familiar is not loyalty—it's avoidance. 9. You are not behind; you are just being called forward. 10. You've mistaken endurance for progress. 11. The story you keep telling about "how things usually go" is a script—not the truth. 12. You are allowed to outgrow the identity that helped you get through your last chapter. 13. Comfort is not the same thing as peace. 14. Waiting until you feel ready has quietly delayed your becoming. 15. You don't need certainty to begin—you need courage to take the next honest step. Next step:  I want to help you make your dreams come true. I want to come alongside you and partner with you. I don't want to see you stuck. I want to see you go from thinking to doing. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat. It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and start diving into what may be holding you back.   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.    

Most people don't know this, but a story is told that once at a greyhound race, the whole pack once took off sprinting… and the mechanical rabbit exploded. Gone. Vanished.   The dogs froze. One sat down. One crashed through the fence, hurting itself. Some barked at the crowd. BUT Not a single one finished the race.   They had speed. They had strength. They had stamina. They had training. They just didn't have anything left to chase. That feels like real life for a lot of people. When you lose sight of purpose, you stall.   You chase distractions, numb yourself with noise, or run in circles until you burn out. You end up exhausted, not fulfilled. A significant life comes from chasing something bigger than the next paycheck, the next promotion, the next compliment, the next relationship, or the next opportunity.   If your purpose is only what's right in front of you, you'll eventually be disappointed. If your purpose is anchored in what God placed inside you, you'll run with clarity and strength. Your life wasn't designed to be random. God wired you for a calling. There is something He has already deposited in you that unlocks your direction, your confidence, your joy.   You already have what you need to run well. You have all you need to do what God has called you to do. You just have to unlock it. Stop chasing dead rabbits. Run after the calling God put in you.   Points covered:   Points covered:   1. Losing your target will always lead to losing your momentum.   2. Speed, talent, and training mean nothing if you're chasing the wrong thing.   3. A life without purpose will eventually stall, no matter how strong or motivated you are.   4. When your "rabbit" disappears, your direction disappears with it.   5. Chasing distractions leads to exhaustion, not fulfillment.   6. Numbing yourself with noise or busyness is a sign your purpose has gone missing.   7. Running in circles is the natural outcome of living without deeper meaning.   8. A significant life requires a purpose bigger than temporary achievements.   9. The next paycheck, promotion, or compliment cannot carry the weight of your calling.   10. Short-term pursuits will always leave you disappointed in the long run.     Plus 10 more points. Listen to the full episode for all of them!   If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat. It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and start diving into what may be holding you back.   Click here to schedule a call with me:  https://next-level-dream-chat.youcanbook.me/   My Book Closing The 18-Inch Gap- https://edwinsoler.com/book    

This started with the three planners I have this year plus the two print outs as well as a wheel of life   This is what I'm striving for as well and today, a better year in 2026.   I will be covering three main points that you will need as we approach the new year in less than 30 days: Traits, strengths and habits.   Here is a short list, much more covered in this episode-   Traits   Traits are enduring qualities that shape an individual's patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior. They are relatively stable over time and across different situations, though they can evolve through experience. Traits are a combination of inherited predispositions and socialization.   • Examples: Open-mindedness, introversion, creativity, honesty, anxiety, or agreeableness. • Openness shapes how you imagine possibilities, innovate, and think beyond the obvious. • Conscientiousness determines how you plan, stay disciplined, and follow through.     For dreamers, understanding your traits isn't an academic exercise — it's a mirror. The better you understand how you're wired, the better you can navigate your dreams. A dream isn't just achieved through action — it's achieved through self-awareness. Traits tell you what comes naturally, where you might struggle, and where you'll need strategies, support, or structure to keep moving forward.   Strengths   Character strengths are positive traits, rooted in morals and ethics, that empower individuals to overcome challenges, build relationships, and find fulfillment. Unlike skills (which are learned abilities), strengths are inherent qualities that reflect who a person is at their core. • Examples: Bravery, integrity, kindness, perseverance, social intelligence, and gratitude. • Significance: Utilizing personal strengths is associated with greater happiness, resilience, and overall well-being. • Balance: Strengths used without balance can become weaknesses (e.g., too much honesty can become bluntness; too much courage can become recklessness).   But strengths also require balance. Too much of a good thing can turn into a challenge. Honesty becomes bluntness when it lacks empathy. Courage becomes recklessness when it lacks wisdom. Kindness becomes people-pleasing when it lacks boundaries. Perseverance becomes burnout when it lacks rest. Strengths need direction — they need to be used at the right time, in the right amount, and for the right purpose.   For dreamers, strengths are the compass. When you know what your inner gifts are, you stop trying to become someone else and start building a life that aligns with who you truly are.     Habits   Habits are routine behaviors that are performed regularly and often unconsciously. They are the consistent and daily expressions of a person's character and values in action. Habits are learned and can be changed, providing a direct way to influence and develop character traits and strengths. • Examples: Waking up early, exercising daily, active listening, biting nails, or expressing gratitude. • Significance: Habits are a major factor in personal development; changing a habit can gradually reshape one's character and lifestyle over time.   They are the visible proof of the traits you want to develop. If openness is a trait, curiosity practices become the habit. If courage is a strength, speaking up becomes the habit. If discipline is a trait, consistency becomes the habit. Habits are how you take the invisible work of becoming and make it visible, measurable, and real.   For dreamers, habits are the quiet teammates helping you build momentum — even on the days when you don't feel like showing up. They're the small decisions that collectively build a life aligned with your deepest dreams.   You will need all three for your best year yet coming up and I provide this for you in this episode! My Book Closing The 18-Inch Gap Book a call with me 

Today is a simple message of thanks to you for being part of this amazing journey. My biggest gratitude is for you!  But there are others that are less fortunate and may need  check in or a pick me up. Some words of encouragement that will brighten their day or help them get through a difficult situation. Be a help to tem as well. And again, thanks for your amazing support. See you next week!

My birthday just passed last week. It has become a more special day than in years past because of the late Dan Miller. He was the author of 48 Days to the Work and Life you Love. He based everything around the number 48. It was his signature in all he did. I was a member of his 48 Days Eagles group until his passing. One of the things he was big on was the last 48 days of the year. And it so happens that the day of my birthday is when the year also has the last 48 days left before the year ends. And as we are coming up on the holidays and the year closing on us, I want to ask you how you plan on ending the last part of this year.     How would you judge your year so far? Are you happy with what you have accomplished? How have you changed? What has changed?     In this episode, I will go over 10 more ways to look forward by reflecting back on this year so far knowing it's not over yet. You still have time to make 2025 your best year yet as you prepare for the next one. With the holidays around the corner it's too easy to forget about your dreams and goals. Don't let that happen. You can have both a great holiday season while still working on moving forward with what is in your heart and mind.   Some of the points covered:   1. The Story You're Still Telling Every dreamer narrates their own journey — consciously or unconsciously.   2. The Importance of Emotional Housekeeping Before entering a new year, clean up emotional clutter — resentments, comparisons, self-doubt.   3. Vision Requires Revision Sometimes your original dream isn't wrong, it's just outdated.   4. The Power of Recommitment There's a sacred strength in saying, "I'm not done yet." Recommit to your why.   5. Accountability Over Excuses Who have you allowed to hold you accountable this year — or who did you avoid because they would?   6. The Battle Between Fear and Faith Every dream lives between what scares you and what calls you.   7. The Art of Forgiveness Forgive yourself for not knowing what you know now.   8. Presence Over Pressure You don't need to finish the year "proving" you're doing enough.   9. Remembering Your Why Amid the noise of deadlines and disappointments, have you stayed connected to your purpose?   10. Preparing the Soil for Next Season Before planting new dreams, till the soil of your mindset. Reflect, release, and reset.     And much, much more!     Make sure you listen to the full episode for all of the points brought in this episode, your future self will thank you when you realize those dreams.   My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

My birthday is coming up. It has become a more special day than in years past because of the late Dan Miller. He was the author of 48 Days to the Work and Life you Love. He based everything around the number 48. It was his signature in all he did.   I was a member of his 48 Days Eagles group until his passing. One of the things he was big on was the last 48 days of the year. And it so happens that the day of my birthday is when the year also has the last 48 days left before the year ends. And as we are coming up on the holidays and the year closing on us, I want to ask you how you plan on ending the last part of this year.   How would you judge your year so far? Are you happy with what you have accomplished? How have you changed? What has changed? In this episode, I will go over 10 ways to look forward by reflecting back on this year so far knowing it's not over yet.  You still have time to make 2025 your best year yet as you prepare for the next one. With the holidays around the corner it's too easy to forget about your dreams and goals.  Don't let that happen. You can have both a great holiday season while still working on moving forward with what is in your heart and mind.    Some of the points covered: 1. The Mirror Moment 2. The Weight of Unfinished Dreams 3. The Quiet Between Victories 4. The Courage to Let Go 5. The Gift of Honest Reflection 6. Momentum Over Perfection 7. The Trap of Comparison 8. The Shadow of "Should Have" 9. The Balance Between Hustle and Healing 10. The Lessons Hidden in Loss   And much, much more! Make sure you listen to the full episode for all of the points brought in this episode, your future self will thank you when you realize those dreams. My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

It takes the right mindset to deal with both. Yes, even when everything is going right, you need the mindset to stay focused and avoid getting distracted. The good news is that mindset is something that can be worked on and improved over time. There's a moment in every dreamer's journey where every step forward sounds like an echo in an empty hallway. You've done the work. You've waited. You've believed — and yet, here you stand… stuck. Perhaps you need someone to help you, and they are not moving as fast as your vision is.But what if this isn't a stop sign? You see, stuck isn't the opposite of progress — it's the cocoon before wings. You can hear more about this in episode #87 The Butterfly Effect of a Dream Coming True It's the universe whispering, "Pause. You're becoming." You're not behind; you're being built.You're not losing time; time is preparing you for alignment. Some of the points covered: Progress Isn't Always Movement — It's Alignment You're Not Broken, You're Becoming Clarity Comes Through Action, Not Thought Doubt Is the Doorway to Discover Perfection Is a Prison — Progress Is Freedom Fear Is a Compass, Not a Cage Stuck Energy Means It's Time to Let Go And much, much more! Every seed had to break before it grew.  Every dawn had to battle the night before light could spill over the horizon.  And you, my friend — you are that horizon.  Your dream is not lost; it's waiting for your permission to breathe again.  So, while you give your dream that permission, give it to yourself as well and breathe. Relax, let time work in your favor.  So walk forward — even if your steps are shaky.Speak forward — even if your voice trembles.Dream forward — even when doubt sits beside you.Because you were never meant to stay where you are.You were meant to rise from it. Even if it takes some time. You have already come a long way and you will get there! Make sure you listen to the full episode for all of the points brought in this episode, your future self will thank you when you realize those dreams. My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

Today I continue the topic of exploring the mind. Last week I recorded an episode of Midnight of the mind where I spoke about the darkest moments before you experience a breakthrough. I step further into the masquerade of the mind. The place where dreamers hide behind carefully crafted masks — and call it safety. You see, we've all worn them — masks made of memories, stitched with stories we tell ourselves just to make it through the day, the week, the next month or even years. We wear them to survive the judgment we face, to silence the doubts, to hold together the pieces of ourselves we're afraid to show. But what if I told you… the mask doesn't protect you — it imprisons you? What if behind every disguise, there's a dream gasping for air? Some of the points covered: 1. The Mask of Perfection 2. The Mask of Strength 3. The Mask of Humility 4. The Mask of Busyness 5. The Mask of Humor 6. The Mask of the Victim 7. The Mask of the Healer 8. The Mask of Success 9. The Mask of Independence And many, many more! Make sure you listen to the full episode for all of the points brought in this episode, your future self will thank you when you realize those dreams. My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

When you're overwhelmed by darkness, it's not just around you — it's inside you. That's when mental warfare feels strongest. But remember, dawn doesn't ask permission from darkness — it simply shows up. The moment you choose hope again, even quietly, you invite light back in. If you feel like you're going through a darkness in this moment that this podcast episode is for you. It's to give you hope to be able to overcome your darkest moment because brightness is coming next. Your breakthrough is right around the corner. It may take a bit longer than you planned or thought but it is coming.   Some of the points covered:     1. The Breaking Point Is the Starting Point 2. The Weight of Waiting 3. The Doubt That Demands Decision 4. The Isolation That Feels Like Abandonment 5. The Moment You Want to Quit 6. The Disappointment That Redefines You 7. The Collapse That Creates Clarity 8. The Fire of Refinement 9. The Loneliness of Leadership   And much more!   Listen to the full episode for all of the points brought in this episode, your future self will thank you when you realize those dreams.   My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

Today I want to take you on a journey of how a butterfly resembles a dream coming true. Starting with an idea, a vision, a burning desire you have discovered in you that will not go away. It then develops and grows until the dream is realized. We will dive into the 4 stages you must go through in order for that dream in you to find its way to full realization. These stages are: 1. The Egg-The Blueprint of Potential 2. The Caterpillar – The Stage of Growth and Consumption 3. The Cocoon – The Stage of Transformation 4. The Adult Butterfly – Emergence and Expansion   Are you ready to be inspired to make your dreams come true? I'm here to guide you through the ups and downs as you navigate your way through the long journey that lies ahead. You are not alone, I'm here to walk alongside you and be your trusted guide through this process. Are you ready? Let's find out!    Quote of the week: "You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process" by Rupi Kaur   Stage 1: The Egg – The Blueprint of Potential: The Journey of Becoming • Birth of vision or idea. The dream or purpose begins invisibly — something inside whispers, "I'm meant for more."   Stage 2: The Caterpillar – The Stage of Growth and Consumption • Consume: It can eat several times its body weight in leaves each day.   Stage 3: The Cocoon – The Stage of Transformation • The caterpillar's body literally dissolves — enzymes break down most tissues into a nutrient-rich mix.   Stage 4: The Adult Butterfly – Emergence and Expansion • Butterfly: You emerge lighter, transformed, and ready to serve with purpose and beauty. You no longer crawl; you fly. — not to escape, but to express And much more!   Listen to the full episode for all of the points brought in this episode along with three powerful questions I ask after each point. Your future self will thank you when you realize those dreams. My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

There comes a moment in every dreamer's journey when the noise fades and something inside whispers, "Now." Not tomorrow. Not when life gets easier. Not when confidence finally catches up. Just—now. Because readiness isn't about timing — it's about pacing the truth. It's when your spirit grows tired of settling for potential and starts demanding purpose. It's when comfort turns into confinement. When you've read all the books you can, said the affirmations, and still feel the ache of "something more." You know it's time to go even deeper. It's time to take action. When the student is ready, the teacher arrives. Because the moment you decide you're ready… Everything will shift and start showing up for you. Are you ready? That's find out!   Quote of the week: "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." – Plutarch   Some of the many points covered in this episode:   • Readiness isn't about time — it's about surrender. • Pain becomes the classroom. • Your teacher doesn't always look like one. • Readiness demands honesty. • The teacher shows up when you stop chasing validation. • Your readiness is revealed through your willingness.   And much more!   Listen to the full episode for the entire list.   My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap  

Have you ever heard the saying, I'm in a Funk! Well, today we're going to talk about how to get out of one! Being in a funk brings you down, keeps you from moving forwards, drowns your dreams and creativity and will push you into corner if you let it. It can come from stress, fatigue, disappointment, or even nothing obvious at all. People in a funk often describe it as a "cloud hanging over them" or being "stuck in a fog." In short: • A funk is like your internal rhythm being out of tune. • It feels heavier than a bad mood but lighter than depression. • It's temporary, but if left unaddressed, it can linger longer than you'd like.   If you have ever been in one today's episode is a way to help you during one of these episodes. Quote of the week: If you cannot do great things, do small things is a great way- Napoleon Hill Some of the points covered that can cause a funk: Putting off your dreams for too long. Seasonal shifts Burying your emotions Isolation Too much change at once And much more. I want to help you make your dreams come true. I don't want to see you get stuck in a funk. I want to see you get out of them. If this resonated with you then please reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat. It only takes about 30 minutes to get through and start diving into what may be holding you back. If you want to take me up on this special offer then simply go to edwinsoler.com and go to the tab that says contact Edwin and fill that form out. I'll be in touch with you shortly on how we can work together. I can't wait to hear from you. My Book: Closing The 18-Inch Gap