And When I Missed out on Being Myself, It Was FOMO
When I lost touch with my true self
How often do we let the cacophony of others' expectations drown out the gentle murmur of our own yearnings? How often do we go with the flow instead of charting our own course?
There was a time when I would rather ignore the way I feel and go out with friends than stay home, which was the option I preferred. The fear of missing out was so intense with me that I would ignore whatever plans I had previously made and do things I'd rather avoid.
Did I enjoy it? Sometimes, yes. Did I do it again? Definitely. Did it gain me anything? Nope.
With social media amplifying the visibility of others' activities, it has only made us all the more susceptible to the feelings of FOMO. We feel pressured to conform to popular trends or engage in hobbies or even behaviors that we don’t particularly like. And this just costs us our authenticity, compelling us to forsake the delicate song of our soul to appease the clamour of external needs.
And why is that? Because no one would like us if we didn't fit in with their expectations. So we pretend to agree to things we don't get. But just because it's accepted by a majority doesn't mean it's right.
It took time, but I stopped the feelings of FOMO from meddling in my life. What is FOMO anyway? Feelings of apprehension that you will regret something if you don't engage in it? But aren't regrets just ghosts we can't catch? Silent spectators that drift through the corridors of our minds, whispering echoes of choices unmade and paths never taken? So why regret when it is just an illusion—a mere reflection of a past that cannot be lived again?
It is almost inevitable that sometimes you will feel FOMO, even when you learn not to regret it later. But at such times, you have to decide between two choices. You can choose to either feel left out or feel like you’re losing yourself—FOMO for not being there for yourself.
