For those of you that don’t know, FOMO means fear of missing out.
In high school, I preferred to stay in my room and watch movies with my dog. I didn’t really like the idea of having to take the time to dress up to go out, nor did I like the idea of having to spend money to go out anywhere. Growing up, I was what my mom referred to as “a bookworm who enjoys most of her time alone.” While this is true, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing part of that one high school experience, with some partying and staying out all night. However, as an eighteen-year-old who is currently in college now, it’s kind of hard to get that experience. Which is why from now on, I will try to avoid FOMO.
It should be noted that it’s completely easy for anyone to avoid going out. All you have to do is turn off your phone and take a nap, ignoring everyone who is trying to invite you somewhere. It’s easier to lie to your friend by telling them you have an important family affair you have to attend to or that your mom said no (I hope this didn’t give any of you an idea). Although all these are much simpler to do, you know you want one night that you’ll be able to share as that one night from now on. Remember, you won’t get it if all you do is lay in bed and watch Netflix. There’s nothing wrong, of course, with doing just that, but there’s also nothing wrong with a little excitement.
These are three reasons why we should all try to avoid FOMO:
1. You will make the best memories, if you just do it.
Whether you actually ended up doing what you originally planned to do or something went wrong along the way, you still did it. You’re bound to have at least one memory that you’ll never forget.
2. You will make the best friends along the way.
You may go out with your now best friend and end up meeting new people that will also become your best friend. Or you and your friend will have a sudden epiphany that you were meant to be best friends. As a freshman college student at the moment, I’m taking any chance I have of making new friends in hopes that I maybe find someone that I will have a friend for life. That’s what college is for anyway, right?
3. You will have a story forever.
It’s hard not to have at least one story in your time of adventure that will be that one story that you share in the future. Imagine your future grand-kids asking you “What did you do as a teenager back in your day?” and telling them about that one night in your life. Or going out with future colleagues and talking about your days as a young adult. You may or may not have the best story.
One of the original problems stemming from FOMO is that we end up worrying about what others are doing, and a lot of it is thanks to social media. I advise you not to do that because there’s no point to it. Don’t worry too much about what others are doing. Don’t go through your snapchat and see that one party that you’ll may or may not regret you didn’t go to. Don’t linger on those pictures your friend posted on Facebook. And don’t go peeping at all those tweets about that one concert you could have gone to. Don’t do any of that. The issue with a lot of us is that we spend a lot of our time focused on what other people are doing, instead of having a great time with our own life. It shouldn’t matter that everyone else is having fun, with or without you. What should matter is what you do with your own life. Are you having a great time doing what you want to do? If not, do what you know will make you happy. (As long as you don’t hurt yourself or anyone).
The only way to actually avoid FOMO is to actually do it, but do it for yourself. Don’t do it because I’m writing this right now telling you why you should avoid it. Don’t do it because your best friend is telling you on why you’ll have a great time. Don’t do it unless you actually want to. If there’s anyone you should listen to, it’s yourself because only you know what you want. You should only do what makes you comfortable. There’s no one else out there that knows you like you do.
Life is beautiful, and there are so many opportunities for a life of happiness. You just have to have even the smallest bit of confidence and take the chance. Just five seconds of confidence is enough to get started. I know life is scary, but we all have to overcome our fears at some point or another. Even if it doesn’t end up right, you’re going to be glad that you took the chance. We all know regret is the worse feeling we can have, so why would we do something that would cause it? It’s a big world out there, and we should all be afraid of never seeing it. #FOMONoMO
