I've always been intrigued by the art of pottery. This year was the year I finally made the time to dive into it, and a single trial class quickly turned into a weekly practice. I realized that I loved working with my hands and channeling my creativity in such a different way than I was used to. The positive energy from, and camaraderie with, my fellow students was also infectious: Many new friendships were forged.

But beyond the fun of learning a new skill and making new friends, pottery imparted valuable life lessons that I hadn’t anticipated. Here are five that I’ve taken from the wheel into everyday life.

1. Balance is everything.

When you're throwing or turning on the wheel, balance is everything. If you apply too little pressure with your hands, nothing happens. If you apply too much pressure, the whole form can collapse. If the clay is too wet, it's hard to shape. If it's too dry, it can crack. If you fire it too hot in the kiln, it can melt. Too cold and it won't dry enough. Glaze it too much and the glaze won't stick evenly. Glaze it too little and you've got a piece that's rough in some parts. In every stage of the pottery journey, I realized that balance was key. This reminded........

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