Gaining perspective
December 14, 2025
Hi, I’m Mapu, the writer behind the Substack publication Instead of Doomscrolling—a corner of the internet where you can join me on my journey of mindful media consumption. Over there, I share media roundups and curated media guides, but over here I’ll be sharing the little things that bring comfort, purpose, and whimsy back into my life every single week. I hope you find some inspiration that sparks the curiosity to experience life beyond the algorithmic ways of the internet :)
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been a window-seat kind of person when I’m traveling. There’s something so sublime about looking out the window while you’re flying and seeing how tiny everything looks—a feeling of smallness within the vastness of the world. I love how, by zooming out, we can gain perspective and get a glimpse of how we fit into the larger picture, away from our individualistic tendencies and the tunnel vision we collectively fall into. I’m finally back home for the holidays and couldn’t sleep a wink during my entire ten-hour flight, so much of that time was spent not only looking out the window but also doing a few things that I’ll share with you here.
Sign up for free to unlock this article
(and hundreds more!)
✨
As I was looking out the window on my flight back home, it was the middle of the night, all the lights were off, and most people were asleep. We were flying high above the clouds, so I had the rare opportunity to really see the stars—far away from the ever-present light pollution on the ground. The longer I looked, the more stars appeared; I even saw a few shooting stars, and it felt like pure magic. I think I saw more stars than I have in a long time, not because they weren’t there, but because I hadn’t taken the time to look for them. It was a reminder to go stargazing, even when I’m not up in the sky.