The other day, I got the finished book in the mail. It wasn’t exactly how I wanted it to be, for my expectations were through the roof and it would have been impossible for even the greatest publishers on the planet to create that. '

It was a very good learning experience and a constant reminder that expectation is the root of all suffering.

I felt the entire gamut of emotion that day… After having spent the last 6 months riding a rollercoaster of anticipation, self-doubt, imposter-syndrome, confidence, humility, joy and everything else in between.

But I couldn’t shake the fact that I just felt so at peace.

My emotions were all equalized (more than they had in the last 6 months) the moment I just held the book in my hands. There was nothing more to do. No more details to fret over. No more emails to go back and forth over. No more calls from the printers, the publishers, managers… Nothing.

It was just me, in my home, holding my own book. My own book. Those words alone are enough to give me complete peace and presence in that one moment right there.

What’s done was done. And now it was time to allow myself peace and to remember all the lessons I had learned in life along the way. It’s so easy to place all of the significance of this project on the final book, since that was a synopsis of the entire project.

But, when I took a step back, I instantly remembered the big picture - and why I was so at peace:

This project taught me everything I needed to learn in life. It taught me independence. It taught me how to interact with people.

IT TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE MYSELF. 100% of the time.

It taught me how to be vulnerable. How to be authentic. It introduced me to friends I would have never met. It allowed me to be close enough to them that they will likely be friends for life.

It helped me understand how to approach almost anyone, and stay true to myself while doing so. That allowed me to meet relationships I never would have. And even more, to be close to them and allow them to be close to me. To restore faith in the goodness of people, regardless of race and gender, and remind girls that there are guys out there that just want to talk to them, and don’t expect anything in return.

This project has made a difference in peoples lives. It made thousands and thousands of people smile. It has given me countless moments to give an ear to people that need it so bad, and help them find some clarity in the problems they’re going through. It reminded many, many people that there is goodness in humanity. That they can open up to someone they just met. That they can trust a stranger to tell something private, and that it will never be used against them.

This project taught me how to talk. How to communicate. How to be. Nothing more, nothing less. This project opened up literally the entire world to me. And through all these lessons, this project brought more people into my life (and continues to do so) that I don’t even know what to do with it.

This project has taught me how to combine art with business. How to convey passion to businessmen. How to help other artists chase their dreams, and give them a little oomf to do so with.

This project taught me that life is for the asking. That I can have almost anything I want, if I ask for it, and search everywhere for the answers on how to find it.

This project reminded me that people are really people. Transformative moments like the one with Man-Lai, in the NYC projects, with old/young… It showed me that everyone is relatively the same, and looking for relatively the same things.

Needing relatively the same things.

This project changed me in 100 ways that I never expected when I first started. And taught me lessons that will forever make my life easier, better, more genuine, more impactful, more immersive than I could have ever expected. More than I could have found in 1,000 books.

Everything I learned on this project can never be taken away from me. And it will forever make my life easier, closer, more fulfilling and make me feel more alive than ever.

This project brought you into my life - and reading my writing. And in that alone, I feel grateful. So thank you truly for just being here.

Love,

Adam