If You Love It, You Gotta Leave It

Welcome to the community where together, we’ll dive deep and find the strength to never give up because Great Things Take Time.

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• If You Love It, You Gotta Leave It

• Moments with Maurice

• Big Changes Coming From The Beach

• Damn! You Put Your Foot In These NYC Restaurants

If You Love It, You Gotta Leave It

Recently, I realized that I had some deep emotions surrounding how I was living my life. There is more I will be sharing on this, but a part of this came from my environment.

My whole life has been spent in New York City or in close proximity to it, but I’ve begun to realize that I like NYC from afar. Unlike Tokyo, which is clean and not obsessively under construction, sometimes you walk the city streets and start to think maybe New York is just a big prank. Is everyone in on the joke? That has to be why it feels like there is nothing else to do but laugh about the things we put up with as New Yorkers. Despite the jokes, there is always going to be a soft spot in my heart for the Big Apple.

NYC is the greatest city in the world. I can’t possibly leave it…. Or can I? Sometimes, if you love something, you have to let it go.

Is there something in your life that if you changed, you would feel like you were flipped upside down? It could be beneficial for your goals and peace to change, but it also could make you feel muddled, like you don’t know who you really are. We are so engrained in our environment, our habits, and the people we surround ourselves with that it can be so easy to forget that they aren’t part of us. We are not symbiotic. We can cut ourselves off.

So, how do you take that first step towards cutting ties with something that feels as close to you as your arm? For me, it came from writing down when negative or anxiety-ridden feelings appeared so I could track the patterns and figure out exactly what was causing them. It was impossible to avoid when I sat down to recap, I couldn’t look back on the day with rose-colored glasses and write down feelings I thought I should be having.

If you have something missing in your life but you can’t quite pinpoint it, keep yourself honest and journal during the day whenever feelings come up. You’ll be surprised by what you discover.

A Love Letter to NYC

Whether or not NYC will be in my life forever, it has brought me so much to be happy about and appreciate. Instead of complaining about things and finding the negative, I want to share with you how I like to enjoy New York. 

This is my love letter of things that bring me joy in New York City. These places are filled with love from experiences I’ve had or with people I care about. Whether you live here, plan to visit, or will never set foot in the concrete jungle, I hope you learn something new about the City That Never Sleeps and if you can’t partake in any of the below, maybe it will inspire you to do the same for your city. Would love to hear about your tops near you!

The biggest takeaway: get lost, walk around. Be an explorer, and don’t be afraid to try new things. I challenge you to do that in your city this month. Make time for it, you won’t regret it!

The Best Way To Really Experience New York City

• Central Park: Sure, this might be predictable that I’m telling you to find nature (go hug a tree like my grandma would tell me to), but it’s special to be able to step off city streets and into a bit of nature in the heart of NYC (I know, you suburban people are laughing at this). If you go for a bike, walk or run, you’ll be pushed by the energy around you, and the sounds of Empire State of Mind by JAY-Z and Alicia Keys from pedicabs.

  

• West Side Highway: Just like Central Park, you can experience urban “nature” by a walk along the Hudson. The people-watching is a 10/10, but what I enjoy the most is seeing how the neighborhoods change along the water from FiDi to where I grew up.  It’s a great way to see how different the city is.

• Boat Tour: Growing up I could see the Circle Line on its daily cruises from my Grandma’s house, always hoping for a chance to ride. Once I got to experience it on my own, I loved pointing out the places I knew from the water. This is another great way to see the breadth of the city.

• Hidden Gems: If you walk from neighborhood to neighborhood, you are able to appreciate the dichotomy of places that are so close together but can seem worlds apart. Get yourself lost and stumble upon something you might not have otherwise. Hang out in other boroughs, they have more spice than Manhattan. My favorite neighborhoods: 

  • Greenpoint, due to its access to restaurants and that it’s still a bit low-key and chill.

  • West Village, because it reminds me of being in a city like Boston with its well-manicured and picturesque townhouses. You can find good local businesses to shop or eat at and escape busy foot traffic.

• Natural History Museum: An iconic museum people of all ages can enjoy and where you can have a similar experience no matter when in your life you visit: the smell hasn’t changed in years.

• Car Clubs: The Classic Car Club Manhattan is a great way to meet up with people in the City who share the same passion as you.

• One World Trade: The best view in the city that can make you feel so small and insignificant when you look out at the New York /Jersey area. It’s also an emotional feeling to be in close proximity to a place that experienced such tragedy and a reminder of how we can come together as a society to support each other.

Moments with Maurice

Each week, my Wednesday content will leave you with a reflection and prompt to share your reactions and thoughts, and the following Monday I’ll highlight some of the responses. Taking things inward is powerful, but sharing them reminds us we aren’t alone in our thinking and that we aren’t all that much different.

Last week, I shared the story how my father had to make difficult choices that went against what my family wanted. It broke our hearts to watch him end the treatments keeping him alive, but it was what HE needed to do. It was no doubt a lonely road, but it was what he wanted. He was protecting his energy. He was staying true to what he needed to do.

My father’s experiences also taught me about how to be selfless in the worst situations, to not make something that's happening to someone else be about yourself.

Yes, I love New York, but I’m starting to think that maybe I’m just in love with the idea. This week, I’m sharing some tough (or not-so-tough) realizations that I had when I got honest with myself about what I was missing. When things don’t feel right, it’s important to take a bird’s eye approach and catalog what is giving you a pit in your stomach.

…is what I say when I visit these restaurants I consider some of the top in New York City.

Typically, this is the section where I share recipes from the community that are infused with love. Food is a universal way of sharing and experiencing each other, so today, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite places in the city that have filled me with love. If you try one out, tell them Adrian Williams sent ya and let me know what you think! 😉 

Submit your recipes and story here

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Thanks for being with me on this journey. I’m excited to see where this takes us, and what we’re going to achieve together. I know this is far from perfect, but together I hope we can grow it into exactly what it’s meant to be.

Remember:

-Adrian