You may not have heard of FOMO prior to this blog, but once I describe it, you will realize that you have experiential knowledge of it.
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
... ABC company is going public. You did not participate in the initial public offering, but on the day the stock went public, because you saw the massive appreciation in the stock price, at midday you decided to hop on the train, only to learn that the stock plummeted at the close of the market.
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
... ABC company is going public. You did not participate in the initial public offering, but on the day the stock went public, because you saw the massive appreciation in the stock price, at midday you decided to hop on the train, only to learn that the stock plummeted at the close of the market.
Which felt worse?
The fear of missing out (FOMO) or the massive unrealized loss?
The answer is almost ALWAYS FOMO. Why? Because you can justify that it's just an unrealized loss. It's not real until you sell the stock."
The irony of this is that neither is FOMO real. But it is the feeling of you missing out that makes it appear to be real.
Now here is the thing: FOMO is a double-edged sword. It has the same negative psychological impact from action (looking ahead) or inaction (looking through the rear view mirror).
I recently missed my goal by a very thin margin at the close of one week, convincing myself ...
At the opening of the new week, I expected my numbers to carry over, only to discover that there was a precipitous fall in my numbers at the beginning of the new week. FOMO convinced me to keep looking backward. To focus on the fact that I may never get that close to my goal again (at least not in the near future).
The answer is almost ALWAYS FOMO. Why? Because you can justify that it's just an unrealized loss. It's not real until you sell the stock."
The irony of this is that neither is FOMO real. But it is the feeling of you missing out that makes it appear to be real.
Now here is the thing: FOMO is a double-edged sword. It has the same negative psychological impact from action (looking ahead) or inaction (looking through the rear view mirror).
I recently missed my goal by a very thin margin at the close of one week, convincing myself ...
At the opening of the new week, I expected my numbers to carry over, only to discover that there was a precipitous fall in my numbers at the beginning of the new week. FOMO convinced me to keep looking backward. To focus on the fact that I may never get that close to my goal again (at least not in the near future).
So what got me out of this valley?
Glad you asked! It was the word of God that pulled me out of this funk. Specifically, it was Matthew 28:`18 .....
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
When I realized that this authority was delegated to me and that I was not acting in God's authority and that I was opening myself up to condemnation, my strength came back, my joy came back, and my faith came back.
Friends, it's ok to be shaken from time to time. It just tells us, "We're still a work in progress."
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
When I realized that this authority was delegated to me and that I was not acting in God's authority and that I was opening myself up to condemnation, my strength came back, my joy came back, and my faith came back.
Friends, it's ok to be shaken from time to time. It just tells us, "We're still a work in progress."
1 Comment
Really enjoyed the actual stock market illustrations that made the impact of the story even more real for me