I lay awake at night. Particularly on a weekend night that I am not shooting a wedding. My right foot starts to shake. Hands twitch, I flip back and forth as if the bed was a moon bounce. I have Fomo; the fear of missing out.

FOMO, I am sure sounds like a totally made up thing, but it is 100% real. It usually strikes those whom are mid aged and are feeling trapped, or as if their ticking clock of life is speeding up more and more each day.

This fear often leaves one feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and conflicted. They struggle with feeling as though there are too many options, too much to do, not enough time. When we put it that way….it seems as though the majority of the world suffers from FOMO these days. Right?!

We all are realizing more and more each day how short our lives are. How much we want to accomplish. We never want to miss out on fun, the chance to learn, the chance to make money, make a name for ourselves, and leave behind a legacy for our generations to come.

As we grow up, FOMO seems to go from fear of the unknown…not knowing which path to take. But as we get even older, FOMO takes on an additional level: Fear of the unknown in addition to fear from the regrets we have…feeling as though we have made too many mistakes, forgot to take enough chances.

I called my mother this morning and begged for a cure. I begged her to tell me how to avoid a life of regret….how to know if I am making the right path choices now that will better my future. She said something pretty profound that I am sure I will pass onto my one children.

“Kaitlin….there is beauty in the unknown. You cant plan and prepare for everything. Fear is what will make or break you. Its the fears you push through that are the most rewarding of experiences. And the more you allow yourself to live, push through the fear, and let some paths form on their own, the less regret you will have later in life. Daughter, having you was the scariest thing in my life at my age, but I pushed through that fear and now, next to your sister, you are the best “thing” I have ever done. Fear is what makes us human sweetie, but courage is what makes us have a life with zero regrets. You are exactly where you are supposed to be, God s plan for you is bigger than your wildest dreams Kait, you are not missing out on anything, your resting up for all the greatness than is headed your way!”- Mom

If you are not at a point in your business yet where you are fully happy, successful based on your definition of the word, DON’T let the fear of never getting there stop you. DO NOT LET FOMO WIN. You are exactly where you should be for a reason. I think FOMO can totally burn you out…all that time spent worrying that you are missing out and not either going out and making it happen ORRRR embracing the downtime to prepare yourself for the epicness in store. Have faith, push through fear, and never let FOMO stunt your growth, dreams and life.

xoxo, Kaitlin Noel