FOMO

Recently I realized that I have a real fear of missing out.  ;)  We probably all have something we don't want to miss.  For me, I have a crazy addiction with the beautiful fall leaves!!!!  Have you seen them?????!!!!!  If not, YOU'VE MISSED OUT!!  :)

I love this time of year, but I don't want to miss one leaf!  ;)  Nights that I'm tied up doing something else and I don't get home before dark I wonder if I'll ever have a chance to see them before they're gone.  This is very real and makes me anxious.  (If you can't tell, the mountains and fall leaves are my happy place, but I know they are temporary.)

The beauty begins in the mountains and then comes to the city.  There are many great places to see them, but so little time.  They disappear at some point and winter comes.  I've found myself very intentionally trying to plan my weeks to maximize my time in the mountains recently....and then wandering home from work the long way to catch all the trees.

Thinking about the leaves and identifying my anxiety with missing them has helped me realize that there are other things that I worry about missing:

• Missing an opportunity....for work, service, relationships....
• Not accomplishing my life's mission, what I was sent here to do (have I already missed it?)
• Eternal life, being with God again....I want to and will do anything I can to get there, but have I missed something?  Will I miss being there?  This is one I really don't want to miss, but how can I be sure that I'll be there?

I realize that many of these "fears" exist because I either get impatient, overwhelmed, or lose faith and focus on the Lord.  I think that FOMO can distract and paralyze us, if we're not careful (regardless of what it is that we're afraid of missing).

I try to squeeze a lot into my days and life.  I think we need to be proactive, use our time well, fill it would good things, but I'm realizing more and more the importance of.... Don't compare.  Don't worry.  Be you.  "Be still and know that [He is] God" (see Psalms 46 and D&C 101).  Be content.  Be happy.  Be patient.  Do good.   Be present.  Choose.  Let go.  Go forward.  Live each day with the Spirit to guide.  Seek to do His will and you'll find happiness and contentment each time!

All of these things I've learned and thought about have made me even more grateful for the leaves :) and the seasons in life, and the beauty our Father has created for us!