Overland travel: Follow your dream, don’t let fear control you

Want to make a change in your life? Want to explore a little more of this world? But it just doesn’t seem to happen for you or maybe you’re looking for some extra encouragement. Then this new article series is for you! BUT even for those who are happy with how things are going right now, don’t stop reading quite yet. You never know how these articles might help you later down the road or can be applied to some other aspect of your life.

We don’t believe that you HAVE to travel the world. Some of our readers and friends enjoy reading about it but don’t feel the urge to do so themselves. And that is more than okay. We are absolutely honored that these people show interest in our lives. Do you know that one of our most active followers, Dorothy, is more than 90 years young and lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? It makes us truly happy that through our stories we can take her with us on our adventures.

That said, we also talk to people (both in our professional as private life) who desire to travel more but struggle to make it happen. Does that sound familiar?

The world is what your brain makes of it.

Our goal with this new article series is to help you follow your dreams. On our website you can already find information about how to build your own overland camper. In our travel stories you can find inspiration and motivation to do so. So what is still holding many people back from actually creating their dreams: their own thoughts and decisions. Therefore, we will address the hurdles that keep you at status quo. And remember: The world is what your brain makes of it.

 

 

In this first article, we will kick-off with “Fear”.

(Special note for the skeptics [and I’m totally one of you]: The advice we give here is not simply our opinion, but is based upon my -Nicole- professional expertise, the scientific research I’ve done on these topics and all the conversations we’ve had with people over the past years.)

1. Fear

Many people don’t travel more because they are afraid of something. What is your fear?

  • Running out of money
  • Getting sick
  • Being robbed, kidnapped or killed
  • Lack of hygiene
  • Missing important family events
  • Losing friends
  • Criticism, judgment from family/friends/colleagues
  • Losing your job
  • Losing your home

Everyone has something that they are worried about. We too!

I can still vividly remember the first x* nights in the rooftop tent (* to keep my dignity I will keep the number a secret 🙂 ). I heard every twig breaking, every stone rolling on its side. Of course in my mind, those sounds were not caused by the wind or a tiny animal. No, I was ready for some serious Kong-Fu if needed. If only I knew then how to keep fear from messing with my head.

Survival strategy

Fear is an old survival strategy. It’s your brain trying to protect you, trying to keep you alive. When you are fearful your brain will zoom in on the “danger out there”. Its goal is to give you the mental and physical power to react quicker and thus increasing your chance to stay alive. Yes even being fearful about judgment is an instinctual reaction. Our survival has been and still is dependent on others. So don’t judge yourself to hard when you are afraid of something.

The more you belief there is danger, the more danger there will be.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

However, the more you’re consumed by your fears, the more your brain will focus on them. You start to pay less attention to all the rest that is happening around you. As a result, your judgment becomes cloudy. The more you believe there is a danger, the more danger there will be. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Constructive techniques

Instead of giving your fears more power by fighting them or trying to run away from them, you can let them be.   Recognize them and then go a step further by accepting them. “Accept my fears? Are you serious?” Accepting doesn’t mean that you have to like them, but it stops you from letting them take over your rational thinking and behavior.

Did you ever follow a Skid Pan driving course? What did they tell you NOT to do: Look at the obstacle you want to avoid. Instead, you look where you want to go. Your hands will follow automatically.  This is a nice example of what you should focus on: your goals, your dreams, your aspirations, … (see next article of this series).

“But what if I can’t stop thinking of my fears?” Well, there are many techniques to regain control. One of them is challenging them: Is what I’m thinking helpful for how I want to feel or with reaching my goals? Can I find prove that my thoughts are wrong? On a scale of 0 to 100, what is the worst thing that can happen? Is it truly a disaster or are there worse things? How likely is that this will happen? And is there another possible explanation for what I hear/see/think?

You might have to try a few different techniques until you find the one(s) that work best for you. And the more you practice them the better you will become at it.

 

Do you want to know more about this topic or techniques? Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly: nicole [at] terratrotter [dot]eu , or through our contact form.

 

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”

 Jack Canfield


We love to hear what you think about this article! Thank you.

Be the first one to discover what we are up to by joining our community (free Monthly Newsletter).

5 thoughts on “Overland travel: Follow your dream, don’t let fear control you
  1. Schrik heb ik vroeger nooit gehad en als ik er dieper op in ga nu nog niet.Wel voorzichtiger geworden door al de verhalen die ik lees over opengebroken caravans en campers.Wat ik altijd wel voelde was”verwachtingen”,wat ligt er achter de volgende heuvel of bocht,hoe zit de wereld eruit vanaf die bergtop?Mijn eerste reis was gewoon met de auto,geen tent of caravan.Gans de omtrek van Frankrijk,s’avonds ergens een plaatsje zoeken om in de auto te slapen en s’morgens ergens een kop koffie drinken met een broodje.Dit jaar gaan we Spanje en Portugal verkennen,we weten nog niet waar te beginnen,noord of zuid,oost of west,het zal afhangen van de weersomstandigheden.

    1. Een gezonde dosis voorzichtigheid is nooit slecht. En ja ik hoor in je verhaal toch ook wel de nieuwsgierigheid die ons ook drijft. Als de planning niet veranderd zullen wij ook Spanje en Portugal verkennen dit jaar. Eerst gewoon een weekje begin April zonder truck, maar dan in de herfst met de truck – Als de reisplannen niet veranderen, want dat doen ze nogal gemakkelijk 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *