I've got the zoomies

Finding perspective

In case you haven’t had the time to keep up with my 2025 re-entry into the writing world, I’ve been writing about my monthly “North Star” words that focus my journaling and my thinking. My yearly word is “-Scopic” because I want to explore different ways of viewing things and -scopic encompassed micro, tele, kaleido, and other viewing tools.

For January my guide was “Beauty Within”. I thought about how the kaleidoscope works, and I realized that the beauty that we see comes from the inside. In February my guide, “Broken Pieces”, was again based on how a kaleidoscope works. I focused on the things that I would normally identify within myself as less desirable and reframed them through a lens of broken things are also beautiful.

Since the first two months were very kaleidoscope centric, I wanted to branch out this month and explore the other possibilities within the “-scopic” theme. Zoom is the word I chose for March. Life can feel overwhelming - both in the minutia and in the global/universal sense. When I’m too caught up in the details of the current situation, I need to zoom out. When I’m too caught up in the news cycles and gloom and doom of our increasingly less abundant-minded, more fear-inducing world, I zoom in.

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When life is wallowing in details: Zoom out!

When life is swallowing you up: Zoom in!

Zoom out - don’t sweat the small stuff

Zoom in - find joy in the noticing

Telescope

Microscope

Keep it all in focus.

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When I am getting bogged down in the enormity of problems I personally can’t solve, like child/family homelessness, attempts to erase trans people’s existence, or climate impact; I zoom in and notice what is real and present. Maybe it’s a bird song in the early morning on the way to my car or the hoot of the owls in my forest at night. Maybe it’s the crocus outside my door or the white, purple, and pink hellebores in bloom under my cherry tree.

When I get bogged down in the innumerable tasks that I need to do, I zoom out and view myself as just one of the 8+ million amazing humans on this little planet in an ever-expanding universe. I might zoom out to what I really value, which is making sure that the people I interact with have a neutral or better day because of our interaction.

Zoom in. Zoom out. Rinse. Repeat.

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I don’t think I shared my song last month, but each month I try to find is a theme song for each of my guide words. I really thought I’d have to be creative this month since my theme was so out-there. Well, Ringo Starr had my back! Who knew? Take a listen:

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Side note in case you’re interested:

I honestly can’t describe an actual step-by-step process in which I come up with these guides. I do give myself time to think about it and bounce ideas around in my mind. I read quotes about or adjacent to my subject - quotes about kaleidoscopes, microscopes, or telescopes for instance. I set an intention for observation of my own thoughts, inputs from books, Instagram, friends, etc. And then, it honestly just comes to me, like magic. It isn’t the only idea that will occur to me, but when “the one” comes, it comes, and I know it with my whole being.