Zoom in and Out on Your Life
Are the details in focus for a better perspective?
Do you often find yourself only zooming in close on your life and others? Are you focusing on the correct details or choosing one frame that supports a distorted comparison on your part?
The Purpose of Zoom
A camera has a zoom lens to change the angle view, cover a small portion of a shot or scene, switch between various focal lengths, and save time while avoiding missing vital moments. For our untrained eye, though, we often only zoom in and use it to our unfair advantage plus the detriment of the subject in view.
We can make assumptions and judgments based on one shot and one moment in time without the context of their story. What comes before, during, and after in all likelihood is none of our business. Whether the particular scene we observe is live or in the streaming digital neighborhood, we must not miss the basis in truth for our reality that everyone in our lens has imperfections and insecurities just as the camera or lens itself.
How wide is your lens?
When you zoom back out, specific details and objects come back into view and show a wider angle with a fuller scene to tell a bigger story. Taking the time to zoom out on someone else’s life grows your compassion and empathy in understanding you never need to see the details to decide to show your support or zoom out farther. Choose to honor their privacy and space for their story to flourish.
What does your life look like when you zoom out? Can you appreciate what came before and after a snapshot of a mistake or a triumph? Is it time to change the internal lens and fix our mind’s eye so we see the blessings in detail without scrutiny? We can’t delete our mistakes or trial and error shots like our enabled cameras, but we can redo what’s in the image and life lessons over and over till we learn.
Consider this in closing.
The good news is we can retrain our brain and its looming lens. When we catch ourselves zooming in on others’ lives, remember you aren’t qualified and not hired to create a caption to the action or snippet. Respond with putting your camera or phone down, step back, and walk away. Know there is more to the scene that may need the courage to expand.
When you zoom in on your life, regard the timestamps and still shots as highlights for a higher purpose. Duplicate your memory of the event and what emotions it stirred in you. Can you change the focus on that shot now? What did you miss before? Was it someone else in the picture or the reason for the shot?
Now, use the widest lens you have always had inside you. Open your eyes. You offer a unique and wonderful panorama of your world. This unbroken view represents a complete timeline of your life events seamlessly pieced together for a healing benefit to your story. Your obstacles and struggles no longer obstruct your ever-changing picture. They were there to stitch those events together while creating a spiritual sphere to wrap its protection around you.
Sometimes we need to pick up an old-fashioned camera instead. Take a picture of the beauty in your life. Send it off to be developed if you can find a place to do that still. Live your life with patience, not determined by an instant picture but a cherished memory.
Look around, and lastly, look up, then close your eyes and be thankful.
Thank you for reading. Check out one of my other articles.
If you would like to support me in contributing to this wonderful writing community and other passion projects, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/NSponsel, so I have more stamina to fuel my better writing ahead.
