I recently discovered something about myself, I have JOMO. Do not worry, this is a good thing. It is actually very common for people reaching a certain stage in life.
If you know FOMO, the fear of missing out, then JOMO is its opposite, the joy of missing out. I first heard the term in a video where the creator talked about genuinely loving it when he could decline an invitation and just stay home, guilt free.
That idea hit home for me because, honestly, it has described my approach for a long time. If I do not want to attend your party, I simply say no thank you. Nothing personal about it, I just say no to a lot of things, and as I get older, I have found real peace in doing that more often.
There is a genuine joy in missing out, skipping parties, passing on events, not keeping up with the news, letting a big game go unwatched. I am completely at peace not knowing about any of it. Fear of missing out has a way of pulling us into things we never really wanted to do in the first place, and I have lived that plenty of times myself.
This struggle is not new either. You can trace it back to the story of the prodigal son in the Bible, whose whole conflict was rooted in a fear of missing out on life in the city.
So here is my encouragement, find a little JOMO for yourself. It does not need to be as complete as mine, but give yourself permission to skip things sometimes. These days, I am genuinely content hanging out in the park or in my studio, with no need for the crowd or the noise. And if I ever turn down your invitation, please do not take it personally, I simply enjoy missing out on quite a bit.
Take Care and God Bless,
MJ