Fear: Not Always a Bad Thing

#Blogtober Post 2: 

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Ever heard of #fomo? Seen the hashtag on Twitter or Instagram or wherever? If you already know, good for you. If you haven’t heard or don’t already know, well, hop on! Welcome aboard! Marketers use this strategy to influence potential clients during promos and the like but that is not the focus of this article.

Fomo is the ‘fear of missing out’. Well, by the name, I guess you already understand what it means. Now let me try and explain. We always talk and hear about how we need to overcome our fears and turn them into strengths, which is a very good thing.  Fomo is a great example of that. It teaches us that fear is not always a bad thing. The idea behind it, as you may have perceived, is that the fear we have of missing out on something demands that we act in order not to miss out. Social media today plays huge role concerning how we feel in reaction to what we see on there.

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Of course, we could have fears of missing out on stuff like the hottest party in town or a movie premiere (individual priorities). It could be with regards to the need to fit in among your peers so you have fomo on the approval of your friends, which may not necessarily be positive because some friends can lead you into a whole lot of trouble. I prefer to look at fomo from the angle that it pushes us to do better and become better versions of ourselves.

So you have a fear of missing out on heaven. This healthy fear is what keeps you straight and in check so that you don’t go astray and eventually miss heaven. You are terrified about finishing school and the grades that you’re going to come out with. If that terror drives you to learn harder so can do better, that is good thing, isn’t it? You have a job interview coming up and you’re so anxious about it. Let that anxiety result in you getting yourself more prepared, dressing well and even being early for the interview. Tell me all those wouldn’t get you closer to getting the job.

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Now, it could go the other way. Extreme anxiety or frustration could paralyse you (your mind) such that you end up not doing anything about what it is you may be dreading. Or, one could end up feeling hopeless about the situation, and that also elicits a destructive response towards whatever it is you’re concerned about. So, for instance, if you think that you’re such a sinner that you are way beyond redemption, what would be your most likely reaction? You are probably going to keep doing whatever it is that you did/are doing that makes you think of yourself that way. You may probably take it a step further and do your absolute worst.

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Personally, when I try studying something and I’m not getting it, I just close the book or shut down the laptop and either sleep or go on social media. And there’s usually no desire to get back to it. Now, sometimes, this might be a good break so I could return ‘refreshed’ and ready to tackle. But the it's the shut-down mode that becomes a problem;just because we chose to ignore a situation doesn’t mean that it’s going to disappear; we still have to deal with it and the consequences that come with it anyway.

I’m not saying that I know for sure how we may react to our fears, I’m just saying that if the things we fret about provoked positive antiphon, we just might realise that fear,  #fomo isn’t always a bad thing. Apart from the fact that missing out on some things is actually a blessing in disguise, you could also end up advancing yourself in the process.

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So now what? If you have a fear of missing out on something, act. Don’t just sit by and watch it pass you by or you would lose out. That is if only taking action would result in positivity. Otherwise, for some things, you need the antidote to #fomo. It’s called #jomo and I will talk about that soon.

Later, loves!