This one will be a beat longer, so get comfortable and grab a cup of tea.
I bet you already have a crystal-clear idea of what you want to do with your life. Or, you know, maybe it’s more like a blurry sketch on a soggy napkin. Either way, you’ve got something in mind. But the second that dream tiptoes into your brain, here comes its obnoxious sidekick, Fear, barging in like it owns the place. Suddenly, your mind’s hosting a full-blown interrogation: “Is this really what I want? Can I actually pull this off? Can I, like, survive on this? Pay rent? Eat something other than instant noodles?” That uninvited party crasher with plus one. Ah yes, fear and doubt, the clingy besties of any dream worth dreaming. Like a hangover and regret, they just come bundled together.
Here’s the wild part: fear isn’t just there to ruin your vibe. It’s actually trying to protect you, like an overbearing parent that triple-checks if you packed a sweater. Annoying? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. A total paradox? Absolutely. And the older you get, the louder that protective nagging becomes. When you’re a kid, fear is more like, “What if there’s a monster under my bed?” As an adult, it’s evolved into, “What if I………….(fill by choice- can’t pay my bills?, end up living in a cardboard box?, have to befriend raccoons just to survive?, disappoint everyone?, et cetera)” Ah, growth.
Now, let’s talk adulting. As a kid responsibility is just a seven syllable word you can barely spell. You’re out here eating Play-Doh, finger painting your future and declaring you’re going to be a dinosaur. If you’re a grown-up…..well, “grown-up” is a stretch, but you know what I mean—you’re expected to do all these responsible things like hold down a job, pay taxes, and not eat cereal for dinner every night. Pressure’s on. Maybe you’ve got a family to support, but you’re stuck in a job that’s draining your soul faster than your phone battery at 2%. And because you’re miserable, everyone around you catches that vibe. Misery is basically airborne. I’ve seen it happen. Heck, I’ve lived it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally fine to slog through a crappy job that makes you scream into a pillow every Monday morning for a year or two if it’s a stepping stone to something better. Consider it character development, like the montage scene in a movie where the hero scrubs toilets before discovering the true calling. The real nightmare is when it’s not a stepping stone, but a cement block tied to your ankles. There is no scene where someone hands you a wand and say “You’re a wizard now” Or worse, you get stuck in the Goldilocks Zone of Suck. You know, smart enough to recognize the problem, but just clueless enough to have no idea how to fix it. Story of my life. I feel like most people are right there too, not necessarily in my smart-dumb paradox, but you get it.
And look, I wish I had the secret formula to make it all better. Like some sort of life hack that doesn’t involve kale smoothies or waking up at 5 AM. But I don’t. So I just stumble forward, hoping to trip over some wisdom or accidentally fall face-first into success. It hasn’t happened yet. I’ve only tripped over my one feet but hey, stranger things have. Until then, I keep marching forward, clumsy and clueless, but marching nonetheless.
If life decides to smack you right across the face like a drama queen, I hope you don’t drop your dreams or your determination. Dust off, adjust your crown, and keep going. The bigger the dream, the bigger the trolls guarding the bridge to get there. But if you ever feel like you’re stuck, I hope that this gives you a jolt of motivation. Don’t get discouraged; we’ve all been there. Or still are. Misery loves company, but Dreams do too.
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