I’ve had several opportunities to be brave in my life. We all have, haven’t we? Speaking your mind, taking chances, and even talking to a stranger can be exercises in bravery. Recently, my biggest opportunity to be brave involved my post-graduation plans. After studying abroad and interning in New York within a year, all I wanted to be was home. New York was stressful and scary and hectic—and it terrified me. I wanted to spend time with friends and family, and be in a cozy little apartment where I had full control of my life and my environment.
After a summer off, my priority was finding a job. Unfortunately, opportunities seemed plentiful in the place from which I had come RUNNING back to Texas at the end of my internship—New York City. I decided to do one of the things that scared me most and move back. I had some contacts and went in hopes of getting a job within a month or so. The interviews were intimidating. Walking into the corporate offices of companies like Ralph Lauren and Estee Lauder was unnerving to me, but I went anyway. Believe it or not, I was even making my peace with the city. Six weeks and a dozen interviews later, nothing was working out.
Frustrated with the NYC job market, I began to toy with searching in Dallas. Going home might seem like a no-brainer, but I worried what people would think. I didn’t want to be that girl who went to New York with a big dream only to give up. I was embarrassed. I was also afraid of missing an opportunity. In millennial terms, the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) was real.
The flaw in my thought process? FOMO is irrational. No matter where we are, we’re always “missing out” on something else. We can’t be everywhere at once, and that’s okay. It was time to let it go and be honest with myself about my real goal: to find a job. As soon as I deemed FOMO for what it is—(silly)—God opened a door. Within a week of applying for jobs in Texas, I got something.
Stop being crippled by the fear of missing out. Fear-based mentalities won’t help you achieve your goals. (Tweet it!) Instead, channel bravery in your everyday life. You will find the possibilities are endless!”
You can follow Rachel’s adventures
October 24, 2015 at 10:46 AM
This is excellent! I love that it’s not about giving up but about zeroing in on achieving what you are really after. Not worrying about what others think is so freeing. Allows God to do His best work.
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October 26, 2015 at 12:17 PM
Your adventure is wherever you decide to plant your feet and walk headfirst into new opportunities. You can only “control” so much of your life and it sounds to me like you’ve taken some big steps outside of your comfort zone in order to really know where your heart and sole want to be. Good luck!
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October 26, 2015 at 1:51 PM
What a great read, as a recent transplant to Omaha, NE I suffer from this thinking about what I’m missing at “home.” Thanks for the insight!
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December 7, 2015 at 10:51 AM
Glad I stumbled onto your blog. I’ve been in the same boat. We moved from MN to TX and are thinking about transplanting again to Omaha actually, and I think some of my fears of moving have honestly been a fear of missing out. In Austin, where I live, it’s considered a hip city, the place everyone wants to move to (and it feels like they are). I feel like after living here for four years, if I move again, I didn’t make it, or I’ll miss out. But none of that is true and it really doesn’t matter what others think. We have good jobs and a very nice house (after all the work we did), but sometimes the crowds get overwhelming and I long for a simpler life without all the craziness and competition. Thanks for the blog post!
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December 7, 2015 at 11:54 AM
So glad you found us as well! Let us know if you end up coming to Omaha!
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December 7, 2015 at 12:44 PM
Will do. Thanks!
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