I clicked this picture at a potter’s workshop. The wheel was still coated with wet clay. On the ledge sat freshly crafted diyas, bowls and vases. Their curves looked smooth, the edges sharp and well defined. They seemed finished.

But they weren’t.

They hadn’t gone through the fire yet. They were still soft. Lift them carelessly and they’d bend. Press too hard and they’d lose their shape.

It made me think about how often we do that with people. We see someone composed, confident, clear in their thinking, and assume it was always that way. We don’t see the early versions. The awkward attempts. The wrong calls. The hard lessons.

Nothing worthwhile is shaped in one smooth spin of the wheel.

And even after the shape begins to look right, there’s still another step. The kiln. The heat that hardens what has been formed. If the shaping wasn’t done well, the fire will crack it.

That’s how growth works too. First the messy shaping. Then the tests that make the form permanent.

When progress feels slow, or when things still feel a little fragile, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It just means you’re still on the wheel. Or waiting for the kiln.

Either way, it’s part of the making.

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📌 If this post resonates, you may find value in my book, The Inner Game of Leadership. Here are the links to get a copy:

India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0GJ6W91GM/
Overseas: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJ6W91GM