When our time is spent living out our passion, it shapes our daily lives. Taking a break from or phones, computers, and binge-watching TV allows us to really grasp what moves us by cutting through the noise of distraction. When we shift our focus from the filters and projections of life to living it, we clean the slate of busyness, making us more receptive to living fully in the moments that construct our lives.
Saying No
Saying “no” is one of my favorite things to do lately. This is partially because I used to be so bad at it and partially because of FOMO. Sometimes, I take a full day away from my phone and computer—literally turning them off—to break from my norm. Turning away from social media updates, news feeds, and emails has become a large part of my energetic survival. Saying “no” is really saying “yes” to myself. During this unplugged time, I move based on how I feel, and act based on what is needed in the moment. I eat, sleep, play, tend my garden, and clean my house based on what I am inspired by: feeling adventurous, sitting still to watch the clouds move, taking a hike.
Saying “no” is really saying “yes” to myself.
Remember when playing outside was only interrupted due to the weather, or your friend leaving, or getting in trouble? Rather than interrupting the moment to shout it out on social media and pinning in to cyber-reality, I am present for what is happening instantaneously. It also makes me more aware of how addicting technology has become—when I’m unplugged at least part of the time, I’m aware of the moments that I reach for my phone unnecessarily, or when I’m getting antsy amid the quiet. Unplugging also gives my eyes a break from the LED shimmer of social persuasion; it releases my wrists and spine from the an unnatural posture that nearly all of us spend too much time in.
Fear of Missing Out
Old-school FOMO was about direct experience—it wasn’t about missing a party, or a special event, a date, a class. These days, it seems like FOMO extends to indirectly experiencing other people’s lives—even when it is pure fiction. When we cave to this type of FOMO, caused by not unplugging, we miss the chance to sit still with ourselves. This causes distance between our experience and emotions. What if the fear isn’t about missing out, but rather about missing what lays within?
Shifting focus from watching what other people are doing in life—to fully experiencing what is happening in mine—is like medicine. Living a passionate life is an intense place to exist. It is insecure, not guaranteed, and exciting (read: sometimes scary). The landscape is constantly changing and tests adaptability. It demands focus, and it requires creativity.
When you change your focus to cultivating a strong life within, you are able to be fully focused on that which drives your passion and makes you happy. It is the adventure of fully participating in my own life’s story. That’s the FOMO we should all be afraid of.
So put down your phone, dial into yourself, and watch the magic happen. You’ll be surprised at what you find.
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Niki Saccareccia (E-500) is an author and Clinical Behavior Therapist. Niki’s insight into personal transformation is a unique and rare blend of methods from Western Psychology and Eastern Wisdom Traditions. Her approach is practical and concise, blending the best elements of alignment and mindfulness teachings into her classes. For more about Niki, visit www.lightinsideyoga.com.