Last week I ended with the following quote by Jim Elliot: “Wherever you are, be all there.”
I would like to continue with the concept of “being present” with a term that was coined in the last few years: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
Here is what Wikipedia says on FOMO.
FOMO is not only about social anxiety, but can be applied in many of life’s actions. Multitasking (last week’s FFfT) is one example. If you analyze FOMO, you will realize that it is also about wanting to pursue the “other thing” in case you miss out on something (social, personal, or professional). If you are doing that, you get stuck in the proverbial hamster wheel going nowhere. You are always running and not enjoying anything or going anywhere. Stop, slow down, and look around—It’s amazing what you will find.
As I type this, I find myself distracted… emails coming in, phone ringing, people coming into my office. As I said last week, I find it hard for me in the moment, but I am working on it. 2016 goal.
This article explains FOMO beautifully.
“Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.” —Thich Nhat Hanh
Have a great weekend. Be present.
—Vijay
About Friday Food for Thought (FFfT)
I frequently attend conferences and retreats on entrepreneurship and leadership and while I am away, the J2 team picks up the slack, allowing me to learn to be better at what I do. I wanted to share what I was learning with my team, so I created the weekly FFfT emails in November of 2015 and have been writing them ever since.
Before long, the J2 staff began sharing the FFfT emails with their friends and family and now other leaders have asked to be included, which led to the creation of this newsletter. I hope you enjoy!