When Life Gets Blurry, Adjust the Focus
Disclaimer: This piece shamelessly uses photography as a metaphor for life. Adjust your lens accordingly.
When the Camera’s Missing, So Is the Joy
I saw a bird outside my breakfast room window that I’d never seen before. I reached for my camera, but it wasn’t there. I’d put it away weeks ago when I was hosting guests and never brought it back out. That same moment, I realized the bird feeders were still missing. I’d taken them down to clean and never got around to rehanging them. That hit me hard.
The Birds That Brought Me Back
Birdwatching and photography had been a quiet ritual that kept me grounded. Without even realizing it, I’d let it slip. The absence of the birds matched something I hadn’t wanted to admit: my joy had faded out of frame, and in its place was a creeping sense of anxiety and depression.
God Sent Me Birds
New Year’s Day, during the height of COVID, I placed my camera by the breakfast room window and made a quiet promise to myself: photograph whatever showed up. A winter storm was coming, so I filled the feeders, hoping for a few birds. Over the next few weeks, I documented 35 species. Back then, I knew almost nothing about birds—just the basics: cardinal, robin, bluebird. But I realized as the days passed that the birds kept coming. God sent them to help me heal. The world was unraveling, and I was too, but those birds and that quiet ritual stitched something back together in me. That’s when bird photography became more than a hobby; it became my joy, peace, and art form.
When You Realize You’ve Drifted
When I returned the camera to its rightful place and took a few photos, the images were blurry. I was out of practice with the skill that brings me the most joy. Bird photography isn’t something you can do well with an iPhone—it takes a good lens, a good camera, and steady hands.
Why Your Peace Deserves a Second Look
When our lives become blurry, it’s often because we’ve shifted our focus to only what demands our attention. We adjust to survive, but in the process, we lose sight of what brings us peace. The result isn’t just missed photos—it’s missed moments that give our lives meaning.
Notice What’s Gone Missing
Refocusing doesn’t mean pretending. It means stepping out of reaction mode and seeing things more clearly. This skill gets sharper—and more necessary—as we age. Sometimes it’s not a crisis—it’s a slow drift. You stop doing your favorite thing. You miss your morning walk three weeks in a row. You put off calling a friend, and the silence stretches too long. We don’t always notice what’s fallen out of the picture until we reach for it—and realize it’s gone.
Bring Your Joy Back into the Picture
Refocusing doesn’t mean sugarcoating anything. It means stepping back, recognizing when you’ve lost sight of what brings you joy, and deciding what to bring back into view. It means restoring your bird feeders, picking up your camera again, and strengthening the muscles that help me hold steady when life moves fast. Maybe for you it’s the garden that’s gone wild, the book you meant to write, or the prayer practice that once brought peace. Whatever steadied you before, consider pulling it back into your daily routine. When life gets blurry—and it will—don’t freeze. Adjust the focus and try again.
Let’s Refocus—Together
What parts of your life feel out of focus right now? What brings you joy that has quietly slipped out of your life? What would it take to get it back into focus? I’d love to hear what you’re refocusing on. Please drop a comment, send me a message, or share this with someone who needs a gentle reminder to pause and readjust the view.
