FOMO can be dynamite

FOMO has a bad rap because it's automatically assumed that the fear of missing out is a bad thing. Because it invokes feelings of comparison and that if you don't have certain things that other people have it can encourage reckless spending, partying too hard, jealousy and any number of unhelpful pastimes. However, when you are afraid of doing something then you can use FOMO to your advantage because flipping the fear of missing out on its head can be inspiring. How may you ask? Well, what if you use this fear to focus on all the things you could gain by doing whatever it is you are avoiding? This can be an excellent way of encouraging yourself to take a perceived risk. We so often focus on what we fear and rarely do we list the consequences that the fear of not doing something will bring. This is where FOMO can be a very positive thing. If you are scared of losing out and not giving something your best shot, by thinking about everything you will gain then perhaps your courage will grow. Imagine that you wanted to approach someone that you were highly attracted to but were afraid of being rejected or of making a fool of yourself. If you then thought of perhaps the devastating consequences that could occur if you did not approach this person such as the start of an amazing relationship that took you on a journey that you never ever dreamed of or what if this was the person that you could spend the rest of your life with if either of you just knew each other? How would you feel if you knew for sure that only the fear of introducing yourself, meant missing out on the life that you were destined to have? If you're afraid of asking for a raise, think FOMO on all you'd be missing out on by not getting the raise? That extra holiday that you want to take or the car or laptop you want to buy. I encourage you to turn FOMO on its head and use it as a way of galvanizing yourself to overcome fears that prevent you from doing things. Altering a perception can be very powerful, when you can take something that has a negative connotation and turn it into a real positive.