The fear of missing out is real. Particularly when these days there are so many messages blasting at us from all directions about what we missed out on or are missing out on. It's likely these messages are fake... trying to create an illusion of a fabulous life everyone else is missing out on. Social media has made us into creatures who, instead of enjoying a thing in itself, are more concerned about telling others all about it. You see it everywhere. I remember watching the fireworks at the Burj Khalifa on New Year's eve and everyone around me was busy recording that moment. No one was interested in watching the fireworks as such. It seems to me this craze to show off or show others what we are in on or ahead of has taken some deeper joy out of our lives.

I want to consciously cultivate a sort of detached attitude to things that I am seemingly 'missing out on'. Not because there will be many other chances to do that thing or that thing wasn't so great anyway or anything like that but because... in a very essential sense, you can't miss out on anything that's meant for you. This I want to do along with being more present to the things that I do participate in. The fewer things I participate in the more fully I can be present as well. By being more present, I mean being present for itself, present for the direct meaning or joy I derive from it, and not for the sake of something else. Not because I don't want to 'miss out', not because I want to tell others about what fantastic thing I was a part of, not because I want to put pics on social media and garner likes. That has its place unfortunately in this world where making is not enough, you have to market as well. But as a rule I want to cultivate this attitude.