The Importance of Scope
The world is hurting right now.
What I hear a lot when it comes to addressing these larger catastrophes is, "I am one person and I can't do anything to change it." This often devolves into lots of news scrolling, overwhelm, hopelessness, and rumination. On the other hand, it can lead to willfully ignoring what is happening in the world because it's so painful.
I get it. I have been that woman.
However, today I want to offer a shift in perspective that I hope will lead to not only peace but putting your truth into action.
Are you ready? Here it is.
Know your scope.
Scope is defined as the opportunity or possibility to do or deal with something.
In this instance, scope is knowing your limits, understanding your capabilities, and discerning what is yours to do.
The importance of scope was highlighted for me during the first research design project I undertook in grad school. One of the key principles of good project design is having a clearly defined scope. I was terrified my topic was too small (it was a research project into the phenomenon of coaches identifying clients as 'not ready for coaching'), perhaps not big or lofty enough. However, narrowing the focus of my topic was exactly the right step. To this day, my professor uses my research design as an example for new students because my scope, he said, was perfect - if your focus is too large, it becomes unwieldy and you can't get clear data or results.
The same is true when it comes to the larger challenges we face that we will only be able to tackle together. You must know how to support yourself and how to discern what you, specifically, want to act on.
How to cultivate scope
Maintain appropriate boundaries of media consumption for your body psyche. Knowing your limits is the ultimate personal expression of scope. I do not watch any video of any disaster. Ever. I know that videos in particular activate hopelessness in me. At the same time, I am committed to being informed and so I read the news once, maybe twice per day - especially when there are very challenging things happening in the world. Getting into the scroll cycle with social media or news paralyzes those of us with sensitive nervous systems. Let's be frank: it also does nothing for the people who are suffering to have you or I freeze or become despondent in the face of their tragedy.
Feel it all. You must be willing to give your feelings space and time. Scrolling social media is not feeling your own heart break open - often it just keeps you in a limbo state of overwhelm and anxiety. Avoiding what is happening is also not honoring your tender heart and the vulnerability that the tragedies of the world bring to the surface. When you allow yourself to spend time with the feelings, it illuminates what is most important to you which is vital to know your scope.
Discern your sphere of influence and act. Based on your values and what is most important to you, it's a moment to ask, "What is mine to do?" Sometimes, that might be prayer, or reaching out to someone who is directly affected, or donating money to a relevant organization, or it may be exploring volunteering for a local organization. It's important to remember that taking some action, however small, in the face of tragedy creates a sense of empowerment, minimizes the trauma response in you as a witness, and pours goodness and love into the world even if it doesn't "fix" the problem.
What is yours to do?
Can you imagine if every person who was touched by an event took just one small action that was within their scope? As an individual, it's true that you cannot fix or mend the world's problems alone, however, I don't believe we are meant to - we belong to each other and our collective wellbeing is the responsibility of everyone. By knowing your scope, you can intentionally be a force for good day in and day out.
Let's discuss. Do you struggle with scope in the face of our larger systemic challenges? What is most important to you and how do you apply (or want to apply) your energy and efforts to caring for the world around you?