I now can be sure that, once I start writing a book, I'll be able to finish it. I've also become more assured about my 'voice' as a writer and being able to keep the characters true to themselves.
The best advice that was given to me was that I had to be 10 times smarter, braver and more polite to be equal. So I did.
To be compared to Will Smith is probably one of the coolest things because that's who I came up admiring.