On missing out and finally finding peace

For years, I lived with a quiet restlessness. Every notification felt like an invitation I could not afford to ignore. The morning began with the news headlines, followed by LinkedIn updates, then WhatsApp groups, and of course the never-ending emails. By the time I reached the evening, I had read more opinions, updates, and half-baked wisdom than my mind could possibly digest.

And yet, I felt strangely empty. I had “kept up,” but kept up with what? It was like filling a shelf with the newspapers. Piled high, heavy with information, but mostly useless.

This is the trap of FOMO — the Fear of Missing Out. It makes us believe that every piece of news, every opportunity, every social update is essential. That if we step away, we will fall behind. We will loose out on something. The irony is, the very act of trying to keep up keeps us perpetually tired.

Then something shifted. I began practicing small acts of deliberate detachment. Not rushing to check every notification. Not attending every meeting just because I was invited. Not chasing every trend in books, diets, investments, or corporate wisdom. And in that space, I discovered something unexpected: joy.

The Joy of Missing Out.

It was like pulling my car into the service lane of a busy highway. Suddenly the honking, the urgency, the mad race blurred away. I was still on the road, but I had my own rhythm, my own pace. And strangely enough, it didn’t make me “late.” In fact, I found myself often ahead — clearer, calmer, more creative.

Because here is the truth: when we stop filling ourselves with everything, we make room for what truly matters. Peace, imagination, quality conversations, even silence. I began enjoying long walks without music in my ears. I could sit at a café with a book, without worrying what the world was doing online. I found more energy for the things I actually cared about — writing, thinking, meaningful relationships.

We don’t lose out when we miss out. We lose out when we never pause long enough to notice life itself.

So the next time you feel restless about missing the latest update, trend, or conversation, pause and ask: Am I really missing out — or am I actually gaining back my own time, my own mind?

Sometimes, the best upgrade in life is not the fast lane. It’s the quiet joy of the service lane.

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Letters for the Inner Journey by Pushkar

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