Zooming In

In last week’s post, I described the benefits I found from taking time now and then to “zoom out,” that is, to visualize how small and insignificant we are in relation to the vast measures of space and time. It is a humbling practice, to say the least, but one that can help place our cares and worries in a more helpful, less anxiety-producing perspective and remind us of the value of appreciating the little loves, hopes, and joys of our daily lives. I didn’t think of it at the time, but now as I write this I am remembering the title of the little book by Richard Carlson from 1997: “Don’t sweat the small stuff . . . and it’s all small stuff.” That pretty much sums up my “zoom out” theme.

I also said I would write about another technique that I’ve been employing to help get me through these gloomy days of pestilence. It involves a turn in the opposite direction from last week’s theme, this time, zooming in. It’s pretty simple and not particularly original, but I have found it helpful nonetheless.

“Zooming in” is my way of describing the practice of attentiveness to our interior lives. It involves a reflection on our own thoughts, moods, motivations, and behaviors. It’s taking the time to withdraw from the daily activities of the world and explore our inner selves. It is the cessation of activity and the quest for brief periods of stillness in which we can see our lives in a clearer light, untainted by the constant barrage of unhelpful distractions. It can come in a variety of forms, described variously as contemplation, meditation, prayer, and examination of conscience. Its goal is to arrive at a closer understanding of who we are and how we relate to the world and people around us, and of what we can do to find inner peace and bring that peace to our neighbors (remembering that everyone is our neighbor). Those brief periods of stillness, when we zoom in on our spiritual well being, can support the foundation for everything we think and do.

Zooming in also can relieve us of unwanted baggage we carry with us and that weighs us down. My unwanted baggage in recent times has included resentment of people who refuse to properly mask or vaccinate, when I feel they should know that masking and vaccinating protects not only them but others with whom they come in contact and could contribute to an earlier end to the current contagion. After more than a year of fuming over what I consider to be others’ selfish behavior, I am finally trying to let it go. I do so with the recognition that I have no power over what I can’t control, and that I should instead focus on what I can, namely, my reactions to conduct that I don’t like. Accepting that there are wide disparities in responses to a common enemy (the virus), and that others’ responses are beyond my control, allows me to focus on my own response and to move on, content in the knowledge that I am doing my part to comply with public health guidance even if I can’t persuade others to do likewise.

It also allows me the freedom to think and act more charitably towards those who choose to behave in ways I don’t approve of. My faith tradition teaches that we should focus on taking the logs out of our own eyes before we try to take the specks from the eyes of others. By zooming in, I can be reminded of my own faults and shortcomings, which helps free me from self-righteous resentments. It also helps me focus on how I can do a better job of living up to the high standards towards which I feel called to aspire.

I’ll close with these three points.

First, as may be clear, zooming out and zooming in are not completely separate and distinct practices. They actually complement each other well. Applying one practice helps us to apply the other. When we recognize our smallness, we are better equipped to turn inward. When we turn inward, we are better able to comprehend our smallness. Both practices work together to put us in a better frame of mind and to improve the way we respond to events and relate to our fellow travelers.

Second, I do not offer these mindfulness practices as a cop out from our moral obligations to affect needed change in the world. They are not designed as escape mechanisms. Rather, if practiced regularly, they can better enable us to work for higher causes, like justice, peace, and mercy.

Third, I am not an expert in these areas, nor am I a model of faithful observance. I am just someone who, like everyone else, has been struggling to make it through these challenging times, and wanted to share these two techniques that I have found helpful. I’m sure that my thoughts on these matters are not original, but stem from what I have learned over the years from writers, speakers, and many wise and caring people whom I have been blessed to observe or know. And, although I have been on this planet for a good while, I still feel like I am at the beginning of this journey, with much more to learn and much more growing to do as I continue on my way.