By now, I think we’ve all heard about FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out. Today, I’d like to talk about it’s lesser known relative JOMO.

Joy Of Missing Out

Sounds a little crazy, right? JOMO has been a more recent thing for me. As I have gotten older, I believe I have become more introverted. If you know me at all, you’d probably disagree immediately, but what I’ve discovered is that I need quiet alone time to recharge. That is a newer thing for me. I used to be able to be out and social 7 days a week and it energized me. Now, I need a day or two to recover after busy weekends with friends. I need a book, a candle and a quiet evening at the apartment to reenergize.

This weekend was the perfect example. Holidays in the last two years have been hard being away from Minnesota. You see pictures of your friends and family at your favorite places participating in your old traditions. This 4th of July was the first time I didn’t feel that way.

We had fun days with friends on Friday and Saturday enjoying the outdoors, cold drinks and great food. There were temporary tattoos of all things red, white & blue, fireworks and the greatest american flag sunglasses. It was fantastic.

Then there was Sunday. Even though the weather was perfection, we stayed home with the dogs, ordered in food and relaxed ALL DAY LONG – and there wasn’t even a hangover to blame. We watched a How I Met Your Mother marathon on Netflix and did a few chores. We turned down dinner with our favorite Edgewater residents, because sometimes you need quiet nights to recharge.

Life has been nutso lately and days like this are rare. There was definite joy in being at home instead of out and about. So, what about you? Do you ever embrace JOMO? Turn down an invitation to give yourself a little quiet time? I highly suggest it, at least every once in a while.