The Reality of FOMO

I saw a discussion between two older celebrities that I thought was interesting. THey were reviewing text abbreviations (e.g. LOL) and explaining them. They landed on FOMO- Fear of Missing Out and someone commented that she had no fear of missing out because she wanted to be “in.” I thought it was funny because she was speaking as if a lot of people were inviting and pulling from her so she wanted her space. I also thought it was funny because I didn’t think anyone says FOMO anymore. A little later I realized that FOMO is actually still relevant.

I used to hear older people say comments like “Look at him- scared he’s going to miss something!” It was usually in the context of someone being nosey. I believe it’s normal to be afraid. I also believe it’s normal to want inclusion but I didn’t want to acknowledge FOMO to myself because I’m not nosey. I’ve been afraid to miss life events, like milestones or accomplishments that are important to me, more than local ones. Fear of missing those things has caused me to sometimes respond impulsively. Sadly, fear has sometimes caused me to settle in some ways. Missing some things isn’t necessarily bad. There are some things I’ve felt that I was missing out on that I’m glad that I did. It’s fear that makes missing out problematic.

Fear has so many tentacles. Fear can make you irrational, anxious, desperate, avoidant, angry, hostile, selfish, greedy, you fill in the blank. Consider how people acted when there was a toilet paper shortage, or when people feared for their lives on the Titanic. Look at how people respond in fear to what they don’t understand. 

Unpacking fear in my life has been a journey. It’s not completely left but I see why it has to. I hope and pray that this read inspires you to see the ways that fear may be impacting your life and decide that it shouldn’t have a place in your life either. If you decide that fear has to go, watch how peace takes its place. 

Last thing, I was afraid to publish this piece because I hadn’t written publicly in so long. I’m glad that I pushed past fear…. I still got it. Thanks for reading!