What if the distance between the life you’re living and the life you truly want is closer than you think—maybe only 18 inches away? ❤️🧠 In this powerful episode of Blissful Connections, I sat down with Edwin Soler, Dream Realization Partner, author of Closing the 18-Inch Gap, and host of the Closing the 18-Inch Gap Podcast. And wow—this conversation went places! Edwin shared the deeply personal story of unexpectedly leaving his 27-year career as a probation officer. What initially left him blindsided and devastated eventually opened the door to healing, freedom, faith, and an entirely new mission. We explored Edwin’s concept of the “18-inch gap”—the space between the dreams and desires in our hearts and the fears, limiting beliefs, doubts, and expectations that can take over our minds. Edwin explained how the concept originated from a pastor’s teaching about the approximate distance between the heart and mind. Sometimes what we truly desire is much closer than it feels—but closing that gap requires emotional, mental, and spiritual growth. We talked about what happens when life forces us into a transition we never planned for, why losing something can sometimes redirect us toward something greater, and why pursuing a dream doesn’t require knowing every step before beginning. Edwin and I explored: Recognizing when your heart and mind aren’t aligned Where limiting beliefs come from and why we hold onto them Why a persistent dream or passion may be trying to tell us something Expanding our comfort zones gradually rather than expecting ourselves to make enormous leaps Avoiding perfectionism and the comparison trap Discovering your “why” before becoming consumed with the “how” Moving from dreaming to doing Writing down goals and taking small, courageous first steps Career transitions and unexpected new beginnings Releasing the need for everyone else’s approval Faith, trusting God’s timing, and moving forward when we can only see the next few steps Why healing and personal growth are ongoing journeys Why meaningful success requires patience, persistence, community, and genuine human connection Using AI as a tool rather than a crutch , while remembering that technology can’t replace authentic human relationships We also talked candidly about the myth of instant success. Dreams take work. Building a podcast, coaching practice, speaking career, book, business—or almost anything meaningful—doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes progress means taking one small action today and allowing the next step to reveal itself tomorrow. And this episode wasn’t just Edwin and me talking! Our live audience became part of the experience. Sylvia shared her own story of moving forward after the ending of a long-term relationship and creating a new chapter in her life. My mom, Doy, also joined the conversation and shared her dream of developing a ministry program for vacationers in Mexico, creating opportunities for English-speaking visitors to experience faith and community while traveling. I shared parts of my own journey as well, including career transitions, accessibility barriers, advocating for myself, and learning that sometimes an opportunity ending doesn’t mean our story is ending. That made this episode feel like exactly what Blissful Connections is supposed to be—a conversation where different lives and experiences can come together, learn from one another, and remind us that none of us has to navigate change completely alone. One message kept coming through: It’s never too late. You don’t have to build the entire dream tomorrow. Maybe your first step is writing down the goal. Maybe it’s buying the domain name. Maybe it’s making the phone call. Maybe it’s joining a supportive community. Maybe it’s asking for help. Or maybe it’s finally giving yourself permission to say: “This is something I really want.” As Edwin reminded us, closing the gap isn’t necessarily something we accomplish once and never think about again. Growth continues. New fears appear. New dreams emerge. Our comfort zones expand. Sometimes success begins with simply taking the next step. Connect with Edwin Soler Learn more about Edwin’s work as a Dream Realization Partner, his coaching, speaking, writing, podcast, resources, and ways to connect: Visit EdwinSoler.com 📖 Get Closing the 18-Inch Gap 🎙️ Listen to the Closing the 18-Inch Gap Podcast 💼 Connect with Edwin on LinkedIn 💙 Connect with Edwin on Facebook Continue Your Blissful Connections Journey If something in this episode resonated with you and you’d like some individual time with me, you can begin with a one-time Blissful Connections Intro Session for $50. We can spend up to an hour together on Zoom exploring what’s happening in your relationships, communication, career journey, confidence, personal growth, neurodivergence, or wherever you may currently feel stuck. Book Your Blissful Connections Intro Session If you’d like to explore whether longer-term Blissful Connections Premium support might be right for you, let's start with a conversation: Schedule a Discovery Call For the podcast, live-show information, ways to participate, coaching resources, and everything else in one place: 💙 Everything Blissful Connections And if you enjoy the podcast and would like to help support what I’m building, tips are always completely optional and greatly appreciated: 💙 Support Blissful Connections through the Tip Jar A huge thank-you to Edwin Soler for sharing his story so openly, and to Sylvia, my mom Doy, and everyone who joined us live and helped turn this episode into a real conversation. Your dream may feel miles away. But maybe you’re much closer than you think. Maybe it’s time to start closing those 18 inches. ❤️🧠 — Saylor CooperHost, Blissful Connections Support Blissful Connections by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blissful-connections Find out more at https://blissful-connections.pinecast.co Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/blissful-connections/c6c078e8-b72e-49ae-95c0-a4bc2d0d180b
