Every where we look around us today there are problems, many of these problems seem very big and grand and without obvious direct solutions. It is my observation that at least some of these problems are framed in a way that increases these feeling of powerlessness.
Global Warming or Global Climate Change,or the so-called 'Climate Catastophy' is one of these faulty framing issues. Everyone knows its hotter in the direct sun than in the shade.
Probably many are also aware of the Urban Heat island Effect, but yet we some how remain convinced of the 'carbon in the air' frame, instead of 'plant more trees and bushes' frame. Planting trees and bushes is something we all can do, while reducing carbon in the air is actually an anti-human proposition.
Human beings are carbon, and we release carbon into the atmosphere. We are 'carbon-based' lifeforms, and as far as we can tell the entire 'creation of life' is based on the magical atom of carbon and its four bonds. If there was ever a problem framed to make us feel helpless, framed in a way to be unsolveable, it would be this carbon dilemma.
You can create your own shade quite easily.
Another recent example of this unhelpful framing is the recent Covidiocy where staying healthy and early treatments were ignored in favor of scary extrapolations and late term intubation. Why has no world leader suggested jumping jacks and vegetables? I suspect the leaders believe in a frame where governments are the heroes, coming to help us save ourselves, from our plebian ways.
But really we each must start thinking within a frame of 'What can I do to improve conditions?'
Each of us can stay healthy, clean our rooms, get our own act together. We can plant a tree or a bush, an herb or a flowering bulb. Strategic Guerrilla Gardening is becoming popular in some parts of the world.
Personally, I think there is great strides to be made in productive systems which are multi species and agroforestal. We may have maxed the upper limit of corn per acre, but I think there are huge improvements possible to be made throughout the many diverse ecosystems of planet earth on calorie per acre and total yield per acre.
Learn to Play the Frame Game
Take the chance to examine the frame in which you view the obstacles and problems in your life. If you view them as opportunities for growth, they will surely yield more fruit when you overcome them.
Examine with extreme scepticism all frames proposed by political leaders, especially those that call for government action in order to solve.