I think I have had a Fear Of Missing Out for about as long as I can remember, starting from when I was a little girl following my older sister and her friends around. They used to try to get away from me but I was so concerned about missing out on something big that I would stalk them – seriously, stalk them.  That hated it but I couldn’t shake the sense that if I didn’t go, I would miss something fantastic. Like literally, the time of my life would be happening without me. And for some odd reason, as I got older it’s a feeling that I haven’t been entirely able to shake. I know I’m not alone in this. You get an invite to a party or some cute event and wonder “if I don’t go, will it really be the bomb.com?” And when you don’t go, you see pictures of your friends having a great time all over social media and you wonder why you didn’t just get up and go. But let’s be honest, if you’re talking about a party, or a club or some other soiree, is it really any different from any other one you’ve been to before? I mean, by the time you’re my age you’ll be suffering from a serious case of “been there done that”!

Case in point,  I was recently invited to a party and decided not to go. When I saw the pictures of the party online, it looked like it was such a great time. Come to find out, the party ultimately ended in an altercation and people were in fact injured. In this case, I’m glad I missed out on that. As I mature, I’m also becoming more appreciative of the money I have saved by ‘missing out’. No need for a new ‘do, new purse, new dress, new pair of shoes, etc. and don’t even get me started on the cost of drinks in the city nowadays.

I do sometimes get confronted with a fear of missing out that doesn’t apply to an individual event. As I get older, I am increasingly aware of a strong desire to make sure I am living my life to the fullest. Now I have more fear of missing my calling or missing a profound experience in my life. There will be times when it’s extremely important to just get up and go when it doesn’t serve us to listen to the little voice it says “stay, remain where you are”. I’m sure there were times when you didn’t go to the party and it was awesome. No biggie. We won’t always be able to make it to the party of the year, and that’s fine. Sometimes you just have to give in to the fear of missing out. Sometimes. Other times, we have to be our own motivators. We can’t just sit out on life, watching the party people from the sidelines. When I was younger, following my sister around, the FOMO was silly. What was I really missing – some teenage gossip, a couple of hours of good music and dancing? Now, the stakes are higher. The decisions I’m making as an adult are about fulfilling dreams and leading a purpose driven life – and I definitely don’t want to miss out on that!

Do you suffer from a constant fear of FOMO? How can you turn that fear into motivation?

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