JOMO, the Joy of Missing out

Last two weeks I’ve been flying a bit below the radar due to some personal stuff I had to take care of, sickness, and because I intentionally chose the joy of missing out. Being connected continuously is all fun and dandy, and a necessity for a blogger, but there is also a flipside to the coin. Being hyper-connected also distracts from what is really important in life: connecting with people, real presentness, and experiences without technology involved.

In the news you see burnt-out bloggers and instagrammers crying about their fake online lives to get more likes. Offline I meet a lot of genuine bloggers and instagrammers, but also a few that are totally consumed by their sponsored blog posts, and obsessed with their, and other’s instagram feed. Once being authentic and blogging to share tips to inspire others, they are now like marketing robots addicted to the instant gratification and reaffirmation of other people’s likes and their amount of followers. No thank you!

I don’t want to capture everything I do and see, nor do I like to share everything beautiful online. I would like to keep certain things private or share them just with my close friends and family.  Moreover, I often leave the house without my iPhone so I can capture things with my senses (eyes and ears) instead of with technology.

The joy of missing out is a freeing feeling for me and takes me back to the best time of my life: my college years. Back then we had no smart phones, no social media, and no wifi. We had the joy of being present and focused. And when you’re focused and present, you really don’t miss anything. You start to see the details and enjoy the small and simple things in life. Life’s little luxuries!

How do you feel about this subject? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Have a nice weekend!

 

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