JOMO - The Joy Of Missing Out

JOMO – The Joy of Missing Out

Tonight, I was talking to a friend when we got onto the topic of another friend’s sudden wedding. It felt like one of those plot twists no one saw coming. As we processed the surprise, we joked that it wasn’t even him who felt the FOMO—it was probably his parents. After all, his entire core group had already tied the knot, and they couldn’t be the last ones.

That’s when I said, “When I look at certain people, I don’t feel FOMO. I feel JOMO.”

Joy of Missing Out.
We both cracked up. In that moment, I knew this couldn’t stay a private joke it had to become a blog.

But the more I thought about it, the deeper it felt. We are so constantly consumed by the fear of missing out – missing a trip, a party, a relationship, a career move; that we rarely think about the blessings hidden in the things we did miss.

Burnt Toast & Missed Trains

There’s a popular theory called The Burnt Toast Theory.
It says; sometimes, the toast burns and we get delayed. We miss a bus, a train, a meeting. And we get mad about it. But what if the burnt toast was actually saving our life?
What if missing the bus saved us from being in an accident?

Two weeks ago, I had one of those moments.
I was running to catch a train that arrived three minutes early (which honestly should be illegal). As I was speeding through the bridge, a lady suddenly stepped in front of me. I fell, missed the train, and sprained my leg.

For the next 15 days, I couldn’t walk properly.
It felt like another setback in what was already a shaky walking streak.

But now, thinking about it with the lens of JOMO, I’m genuinely grateful.
What if that woman hadn’t crossed paths with me on the bridge… but instead, at the door of the moving train? What if I had fallen there?
What if, unknowingly, I dodged something far worse?

All I got was a minor sprain.
And a major lesson in perspective.

Rewriting Regret

There are events we regret – decisions we wish we hadn’t made, people we wish we hadn’t met, paths we wish we hadn’t taken.
But what if, instead of carrying them as guilt or grief, we carried them as grace?

What if the things we missed – missed us – for a reason?

We don’t always get closure for the things we lose.
But sometimes, we can give ourselves peace by choosing to believe that what didn’t happen might have protected us more than we’ll ever know.

So Here’s To JOMO

To the relationships that didn’t work out,

the jobs that ghosted you,
the trips you couldn’t take,
and the “what ifs” that never happened.
Perhaps the things that missed you… were making space for something better.

Maybe next time you find yourself in a moment of delay, detour, or disappointment…
Don’t just ask what you lost. Ask what you gained.

The joy of missing out is real.
You just have to be willing to look at it.

Question for You

Can you think of a time when you were genuinely glad about something not happening?
A person you didn’t date, a call you didn’t make, a path you didn’t take?

Share it with someone. It might just shift the story for you, and for them.