FOMO

Yesterday I posted a simple tweet saying, "FOMO." You know, fear of missing out. 

It was a gut reaction to what seemed to be happening in everyone else's lives: fun things. Adventures. New opportunities. New kids. It felt a little weird to me, very uncomfortable, and right away a part of me brought up this invisible scorecard I have... and I wasn't "winning" (whatever that  means). Whatever I was doing with my life, in that moment, wasn't "enough".

Here's the thing: it's not true! Not at all. And I bet it isn't true for anyone reading this. Ups and downs happen, and they're as natural as the way water ebbs and flows. But we can strive to be mindful of these down moments, explore them, stand inside of them, and then take action on them.

When I really sat with my FOMO, a new fear spoke up: the fear of missing out on my own life. I was able to meditate on that very briefly and feel it: while present in my mind, it didn't ring true. I'm being myself, and still practicing being myself in each moment. Not fear - presence.

Presence is the opposite of missing out. It's being in