About Adam
Life has never been a straight path for me. Growing up on a farm in Northern NSW, Australia, I felt a deep connection to the land, yet I often felt lost and unsure of myself. I left school early, struggling with mental health challenges that came from my learning difficulties and low self-confidence. It was not until university in London in my twenties that I discovered I was dyslexic. Suddenly, it all made sense. Words and learning had always felt like a mountain I could not climb. For so long, dyslexia had been an unspoken excuse, reinforced by others telling me what I was not good at rather than what I could do.
In my teenage years, I lost my father to suicide. That loss left a profound mark and shaped much of who I am today. It is something I still carry and spend a lot of time reflecting on. In my twenties, I came out to myself and slowly to my family, learning courage and self-acceptance along the way.
Throughout my journey, I have struggled with my identity. I have experienced extreme highs and lows. Sometimes I ran away from challenges when they felt too overwhelming. Other times I stayed too long and let them erode my confidence.
Recently, I returned to my hometown. I have crashed and fallen, definitely not gracefully, but now I am focused on healing myself physically, mentally and emotionally. I am prioritising my health and wellbeing, exploring my writing and giving myself the space to rebuild. I have taken a break from social media to dedicate time to understanding my mind and investing in my future self.
Writing has always been a way for me to process life, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. I have journaled through ups and downs, written by hand, typed in blogs and used my phone’s notes app. Dyslexia makes this challenging. Even the simplest words can be impossible to spell, no matter how many times I have checked them. Self-doubt about communicating through writing has been a constant companion. Tools like Grammarly help, and I also use ChatGPT to improve the structure of my thoughts, but the struggle still persists
I am writing here to reflect on my journey, both my struggles and my victories. It is a reminder that growth and healing are possible even in the hardest times.
I hope my story shows that being honest with yourself, embracing who you are and facing life’s challenges with courage can lead to resilience, understanding and happiness.