Failure, FOMO and Coming Away Empty-Handed

February 2021

Failure, FOMO and Coming Away Empty-Handed

Have you ever wanted something so bad but come away empty-handed? I’m sure I’m not the only one. But what is it about FOMO that heightens our fear of failure when we do walk away empty-handed?

It doesn’t matter what you want or collect or hunt; it’s the desire and hope that drives you and the expectation that you may find even a single thing that keeps you going. Then when you walk away empty-handed and you sink into even more despair when others rub it in your face (over social media, of course) that they have found (in abundance, quite annoyingly) the very thing you’ve been looking for. 

Who, or shall I say, what is to blame for this vicious cycle? Is it social media? I can tell you that if it weren’t for Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, I wouldn’t even know what I was missing out on! Take the Johanna Parker mummy bowl for instance.  How is it that one display can drive you insane with desire – Insane enough that you could drive miles and miles and spend endless hours hunting down the one thing in the display that you don’t have?  

So what is FOMO anyway? The definition, according to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition is “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media.” Anxiety? Really? Can FOMO actually affect your mental or physical state? YES!!! While younger adults are understandably the most affected, it’s definitely something we can all experience when our desire for something is so strong that our thoughts are consumed with getting or doing this “thing.”

Collectors find themselves here a lot – coin collectors, vintage collectors, art collectors, heck, and even Johanna Parker and Rae Dunn collectors like us. It doesn’t matter what “it” is; what matters is that the desire is real, the hope is real, and the ups and downs of either getting or failing to get can do a number on our psyche. Often, more than a single factor is at play here. Supply and demand, social media, and your finances can affect your anxiety and inability to add to your collection. 

The good news is, there are plenty of tips out on the internet to help overcome your FOMO. Essentially, it comes down to sifting through your inner thoughts, especially those that make you anxious, and determining if the things involved are that important. Collecting should be nothing short of pure fun. We all have enough on our plates that tugs at our sanity every single day. Your hobby shouldn’t become another one of those things that wind up consuming your thoughts and frustrating you.

So, find items that make you happy, even if they’re a little different than that “thing” you had to have. Reach out to friends and share in the joy of what you love. You’ll soon find that your collection, no matter its size, can be something just as great as those you see on social media. Even more importantly, it can and should be something that makes you happy and proud. You just have to give it your twist and define your own perfect!

Holiday Pizzazz will try and help you find what makes you happy.  If we don't have what you are looking for, reach out to us.  We'll do everything we can to help you!