The Joy of Missing Out(JOMO)

We have been taught to fear missing out.

There is always somewhere to go, something to experience, another event to attend, another goal to achieve, another post to read, another thing demanding our attention.

We call it FOMO—the fear of missing out.

But what if there is another way?

JOMO—the Joy of Missing Out.

JOMO is the realization that we do not have to participate in everything simply because we can.

There is freedom in saying, not today.

There is peace in staying home.

There is wisdom in leaving some invitations unanswered, some conversations unattended, and some experiences unexplored.

Because every yes is also a no to something else.

When I say yes to another obligation, I may be saying no to rest.

When I say yes to constantly being available to others, I may be saying no to being present with myself.

When I say yes to endless productivity, I may be saying no to simply experiencing my life.

The Practice of Enough

JOMO asks us to become comfortable with enough.

Enough accomplishments.

Enough possessions.

Enough recognition.

Enough activity.

Enough trying to prove that our lives are meaningful.

This resonates deeply with the Tao. We do not have to constantly push the river forward. Life is already moving.

Zen practice similarly invites us to sit down, become still, and discover that nothing needs to be added to this moment for it to be complete.

Sometimes the practice is simply allowing ourselves to be where we are.

Choosing What We Miss

The Joy of Missing Out does not mean withdrawing from life.

It means becoming more intentional about which life we are choosing to live.

I can miss an event and spend the evening with my wife.

I can miss another meeting and walk outside beneath the trees.

I can miss the latest trend and read something that nourishes me.

I can miss another opportunity to be productive and simply sit quietly.

I can allow the world to continue without my constant participation.

And perhaps one of the most liberating realizations is this:

The world will continue without us.

We do not have to hold everything together.

We do not have to respond to everything.

We do not have to attend everything.

We do not have to know everything.

Making Space for What Matters

As I grow older, I find myself becoming less interested in filling every available space.

I am becoming more interested in protecting some of it.

Space for silence.

Space for relationships.

Space for nature.

Space for movement.

Space for creativity.

Space for doing absolutely nothing.

Not because these spaces make me more productive later, but because being alive is enough reason to experience them.

Perhaps JOMO is ultimately a practice of trust.

Trust that we can miss something and still have a full life.

Trust that we can say no without explaining ourselves.

Trust that our worth is not measured by how busy, visible, needed, or productive we are.

And trust that sometimes the life we are afraid of missing is already happening quietly in front of us.

So occasionally, turn off the phone.

Decline the invitation.

Leave the calendar open.

Sit on the porch.

Walk the dog.

Watch the sunset.

Listen to the silence.

Let something happen without you.

And discover the quiet joy of realizing:

You didn't miss your life at all.

Fusatsu, Apriel JessupSearcy
Three Mountains Way