Instrumental Directives

Bob Fiske

Instrumental Directives

Here is a little background, just to let you know how I arrived at this.  I was reading Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now for the second time.  I got up to the same chapter where I had stopped the first time—and I quit again.  It was driving me crazy!

Several days later, while visiting my parents, I went for a morning walk.  I needed to settle my brain, which was whirling around and around.  The brain, the intellect, does not submit easily to spiritual awakenings.  I walked, I grumbled, I asked, I moaned.  Why?  Why?  How does Tolle’s spiritual awakening help the world?  Why does this matter so much to me?  Why do I feel so alone?

Finally, a thought came that lent me some stability: What do you know?  I started to think about my writing and my journaling.  A picture was forming.  The picture was formed of words.  Not just any words, though.  Verbs!  Verbs flooded into my consciousness.

Verbs are important.  They represent action.  Moreover, a verb can stand for an entire sentence.  The shortest sentence is the imperative, the directive.  Run!  Jump!  Buy, buy, buy!

In fact, a well-chosen verb can stand for more than a sentence; it can stand for an idea.  Plant it, water it, explain it, and it starts to grow.  Yes, a verb can become an entire treatise, telling others why you chose it and what it means to you.

So, yes, these verbs began to paint a picture in my head.  It started with my deepest yearnings for humanity.  As I thought about it, I realized that my yearnings for humanity were not shared by most people.  At different stages of our adult lives, we choose where to focus our energies, what to call important.  So, I began to put myself into other people’s shoes.  The verbs began to arrange themselves into three “islands”.

The last island popped into my head, literally, as I stepped up to my parent’s front door.  No kidding!  I’m reaching into my pocket for the house key, and Bam!  The picture felt complete.  In the kitchen, I immediately grabbed some paper and sketched my work as a diagram.

Between then and now, I have thought about it and have “refined” it.  The three islands now have names and represent three levels of awareness and action.  Also, I polished some of the words.  The urge to look clean, I suppose.  For instance, the verb “conserve” was originally “use less”.  And, “replenish” was “give back”.  Maybe I should have left them alone, should not have tinkered with perfection.  Hah!

So here it is.  First the overview:

And now, the verb-y version:

Possibly, I am the only one to whom this is meaningful.  I guarantee you, that would not be the first time.  However, if you grasp this immediately—especially the earth directives—I would very much like to make your acquaintance.

With love,

Bob

Wealth

In average fashion, I’m trying to find the meaning in my life.  Can a mind actually know this?  In my case, I believe the answer is No.  There is no one meaning when you have a mind where everything shifts, where the mind is fluid and can ever contemplate new possibilities.

Lord knows, I tried to seek out the meaning.  My life is a chain of consuming ideas—I consumed them, and they consumed me.

I decided to dash off a quick list, which you’ll see below.  I was startled to see myself do it.  After more than half a century of being here I find that these ideas are all present within me.  Nothing has been lost.  These are the markers of my life.  In fact, I find that I clearly remember where I was or what was happening in my life when each of these ideas and I had our first encounters.

I have my cherished collection, much like a rich person might collect pieces of art.  Perhaps you go through your life, and, towards the end of it, you survey your cherished collection of objects.  You take joy from them and feel as though you have accomplished something.  These markers have lasting value, and this reassures you.

There are those who keep their collections private.  Others see that the value they have amassed can be enriching to more than just themselves.  They become patrons who put their wealth into museums and galleries for public enjoyment.  I know of my wealth, I just don’t know what kind of collector I am…

And here is the list.  The ideas comprising my wealth are in no particular order except that in which they bubbled up from memory as I made my list.  I have added emphasis to show ideas that came from outside sources.  The others are either my own creation or those for which I am not aware of an external influence.  And two of them are very special to me.