F*CK IT, WE’LL ALL BE DEAD SOON
Aye, if the title of this week’s TearDrop got you questioning the vibes (good, shoutout non-existent marketing department), lemme reassure you; this’ll be 1,000 words of pure hypewoman energy from yours truly. This TearDrop’s for all you beautiful souls holding a dream/vision/passion project in your head. You can see everything you want; you just don’t know how the f*ck to get there.
Pursuing anything new is terrifying. But following a dream is something different; it almost feels like you’re jumping off a cliff blindly. I’m here to shed a little light on why you HAVE to chase that calling you can’t get out of your head. And to do so, I reconnected with an old basketball teammate turned van life badass, Linnea Schmelzer.
Let’s Get Into It !
About 3 years ago, Linnea took an honest look at what she wanted from life, hit the books, set up a kickass YouTube channel (featuring her heart-achingly cute doggo), and transitioned into van life living.
Yep. My homie’s living entirely out of her (self-built) van, traveling to and appreciating some of the most alluring places Mother Earth offers.
Also, let me add that when she decided to pursue the van life, Linnea had no idea how to build a van, do electrical work, how many things would go wrong throughout the process…you get it. All she could see was the end goal, the finished project, the benefit of accomplishing it.
This alone makes her more than qualified to speak on dream-chasing.
When you first meet Linnea, one of the initial things you notice is how stoic and genuine she is in the way she presents herself. So when we spoke, I was taken aback when she revealed fear, doubt, and anxiety were prominent during her transition to the van life.
And that’s the first lil “life lesson” I wanna address; EV-ERY-ONE is dealing with their own shit (read that again). Social media can be motivating, exhilarating, and an effortless tool to connect with human beings, but it’s just a fraction of someone’s soul.
We get the pleasure of seeing some of the best parts of a person’s life. But there are billions of things going on behind the scenes, no matter how calm/wealthy/stunning a person appears on the privacy-invading platforms you utilize.
Taking The Motherf*cking Leap
So how do we overcome the all too often crippling fears that anxiety and negative thoughts weave into our minds?
I said it before, but it’s worth bringing up again because I don’t wanna overshadow how extraordinary this is: Linnea renovated her ENTIRE VAN BY HERSELF. At the start of many necessary projects, she didn’t know what she was doing.
On top of that, Linnea didn’t have a safety net, backup plan, or reassurance that her dream would 100% work out. So naturally, doubts and fears crept their way into Linnea’s thoughts.
Aight, with all that ~dramatic build-up~/character origin story, here are a few pieces of advice from Linnea that I just had to share with y’all. Initially, I was only gonna focus on one of these elements. However, I believe it’s important to highlight that while you’re dream-chasing, there’s more than one mental shift you need to make to succeed.
1 Get rid of all the unsupportive souls in your life
This is harder than it looks on paper. Still, as difficult as it may be, you gotta say “peace out” to anyone straight up hating on or not taking your dream as seriously as you are. Other people's opinions and voices (especially those close to you) most certainly play a role in what you’re thinking.
So if you’re already battling your own negative voice in your mind, why let an outsider add to that? It’s straight up discourteous.
2 Find a singular, unbreakable motivating factor
Doubts and the potentially paralyzing thought, “...wait, what happens if this doesn’t work out??” are bound to cross your mind as you’re working towards a goal (and if not, plz teach me your ways). To put those thoughts to rest, you gotta have something, ANYTHING, to reignite your soul and remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing.
For Linnea, the motivating factor was the experiences that would come with the van life. But this is different for everyone. Either way, when the fear comes, you have to have something helping you envision the end and why you NEED to get there.
3 Face the b*tch known as anxiety head-on
Again, this one looks easier on paper. But, fun fact, anxiety is more bark than bite. Also, negative thoughts aren’t a sign you’re moving in the wrong direction but a signal you’re stepping outside your comfort zone (and growing!).
As you start facing your fears head-on, you’ll quickly notice, one, how phony and irrational they are, and two, how POWERFUL you are as a person. If you struggle heavyyy with anxiety (been there), start with a baby fear and gradually build up to preponderant ones.
One Last Thing & I STG I’ll Shut Up
Okay, one last thing because it’s just too sweet to leave out. If you’re going back and forth about pursuing something new, Linnea recommends you “just do it because nothing f*cking matters anyways. You may as well live a life that’s authentic to you.”
Short. Sweet. To the point. You’re only given one life (until my theory about parallel timelines proves true), so it only makes sense to live one that’s genuine to you.
Linnea, I owe you a huge thank you for giving me a glimpse into the not-so-pretty parts of the growth process, for staying genuine with me, and for your gentle vibe. The way you effortlessly inspire me to stay true to myself is something I can’t replace. I’m forever grateful our paths crossed years ago and that it all led to this; life’s pretty dope that way.
By reading and sharing this article, you're actively supporting the DPRSD brand, and I can't thank you enough for that. If you feel called to do so, spread some DPRSD vibes by hitting the share button. And if you're holding a life experience in your head you believe can positively influence others, please reach out to me. I'm always searching for more people to expand and solidify the DPRSD community.
xo,
Jerksy
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The TearDrop is an integral part of the DPRSD brand; these individuals help create our genuine community of love and empathy. For each story, Jerksy has an open conversation with the featured guest, elects a creative direction, then writes and edits everything before your beautiful eyes see it. The process is fueled by an indescribable passion to construct something powerful enough to accurately describe the complexity of our mental health. So if you want to support DPRSD and ensure there are plenty of TearDrops to come, we graciously accept monetary contributions (and yes, $1 is donated).
