Sharp Knives & Sharp Minds

Sharp Knives & Sharp Minds

Cooking is my therapy. My wife settles into a novel. My son laces up for soccer. I walk into the kitchen. After a few minutes of chopping and stirring, the noise in my head gets quieter and my hands take over. That reset is why I cook, and it starts before the first pan hits the burner.

I begin by checking my knives. A quick hone brings the edge back to life. Regular sessions on a stone keep it honest. When the calendar wins and I cannot give them the time they deserve, I call in help. Austin and the Sharp Brothers Sharpening Co. have taken care of my blades for years. For client jobs they come to the home for a modest minimum. If I only have a couple of knives, I meet them at the San Mateo College farmers market on Saturdays. The result is always the same. The tools feel right in my hand again, and the work becomes possible.

That ritual taught me something about my own head. A mind, like a knife, drifts out of tune. You can keep it serviceable with small daily habits. Sometimes you need a deeper session. And sometimes you need a professional.

Mental health runs close in my family. I have lost people to depression and anxiety. Others I love still live with it. I carry my own anxiety too. So I check in with myself often, and I see a licensed therapist when I need it. Those appointments do not erase the hard parts of life. They make me ready to meet them.

One of my chefs, Bill Huebel, told me something that never left me: “Sharp knives don’t make your job easy, they make your job possible.” He was talking about steel, but it applies to the person holding it. Care is not a luxury. It is the baseline that lets you show up for the work, the people, and the goals that matter.

If any of this sounds familiar, try treating your tools and your mind the same way.

  • Do small maintenance often. Hone the blade. Take five quiet minutes.
  • Schedule deeper work on a rhythm. Stone sessions for knives. Therapy or a full reset for yourself.
  • Ask for help before things get dangerous. Call a sharpener. Call a professional.

A sharp knife is safer and faster. A sharp mind is steadier and stronger. Both require attention. Both deserve respect. Keep them cared for, and the rest of the work becomes possible.

 

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