A Whole of the Whole

by Steve Patrick

Have you ever considered what a word actually is? What would happen if you didn't take words as seriously? What if you realized they aren't suitable for the heaviness they so often convey? What if you began to view words as mere tools, highly limited, highly misunderstood, and frequently misused? I was lost in words until I discovered they are not the truth tellers I took them to be. The stream of words passing through my mind caused stress and constriction that almost constantly lurked beneath my "happy self." Though I was hardly aware of it, this underground torment generated negativity for me and those around me through judgment, criticism, and all kinds of comparison. I'm less lost, and less tense, now that I see words as only shorthand tags. In the process of forming any single word, most of reality is left out. Words exclude in order to become shortcuts for naming. They are only arrows that point toward reality but don't represent it. Once I realized this, I began to more naturally experience life directly rather than through the filtering of word-tools. Experiencing reality firsthand, and directly, brings a joy of living and gratitude for life that I never imagined before I opened up to it. I wish the same for you as you step toward uncovering the wholeness of reality that lies beneath and beyond our words.

480 pages, Paperback

Published August 14, 2018

Reviews

[Nathan Nish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my "pandemic book", colloquially referred to as such for being my main read during the pandemic. Steve Patrick is on to something in A Whole of the Whole. Searching "A Whole of the Whole" without the author's name brings up an array of unrelated titles, which I find problematic for reasons beyond the scope of what is described in this review but seems worth mentioning here in passing for any uncertain fellow readers.

Steve has compiled his insights on words and distilled them into a single volume of invaluable life advice. The reader will find included a helpful guide to aid "jumping to a topic you might enjoy today," ultimately subverting a critique in my notes as "not exactly a page turner." [If I'm not reading something I enjoy with such a guide included, then that's not exactly the writer's fault.] This aside, my intent to finish the book from start to finish in order remained... more than a year later. Again, this comes back to me as a reader: Each time I found something better addressed now than later, I would stop for the day for a few days (or weeks or even a few months in the case of a section titled, "My Body "Talks" - Can I Receive Without Words?") I'd resume again after taking the time to learn new ways to listen to my body. I feel this added to my enjoyment of the book. While such information should never be required reading, it is highly recommended.

[Aaron Samudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book models how we can full deep and lasting lessons from everyday moments in our lives.