The Sharpest Tool in My Life
I love a great kitchen knife.
On Sundays in Montclair, Oakland, there’s a local farmers market. Sometimes, a woman sets up a small table just outside it. On that table are handmade knives from Japan.
One Sunday, I picked one up — and instantly fell in love.
The balance. The weight. The beauty of it as a tool. I had to buy it.
That knife has become a reminder of my consciousness.
It cuts cleanly, effortlessly, with precision.
But when I’m struggling — when life feels hard, and I’m beating my head against the wall — it’s like I’ve gone back to the dull old knife in the back of the drawer.
You know the one. You try to slice a tomato, and the blade slides sideways instead of cutting through.
That’s what it’s like when I forget the intelligence of presence.
Most of us have been taught to rely on the mind — the analyzer — to fix our problems. It judges, measures, labels: Am I doing it right? Did I mess up? What’s the solution?
But there’s another tool.
A deeper intelligence that doesn’t need to grip, struggle, or figure things out. It’s consciousness — the awareness that sees without judgment.
When I return to that place, actions arise naturally. The struggle disappears.
It’s like a clean slice through the tomato.
This is what I offer in my work:
A way back to the sharpest tool you already have — your consciousness.
