Author Archives: John Swinburn

Now is the best time to start something new.  Now is the best time to recapture a dream gone awry. Now is the time to correct past mistakes.  Now is that “one day” you’ve always talked about.

I do not understand people who believe empathy and sympathy are signs of weakness.  I do not understand people for whom dominion over others is the only sign of strength. If I were a better man, I would try to understand … Continue reading →

We measure ourselves against clocks we had no part in creating. Age is a construct we use as a metric of achievement or, conversely, as a measure of what we have not achieved. Until there is no more to measure, … Continue reading →

For me, early morning, before daybreak, is the best time to be alone with my thoughts, to look inward and express to myself my own appreciation for my place in the world.   That time is mine, alone; I have … Continue reading →

Ask yourself who is the better chef: 1) the one who, using limitless resources and relying on extensive training, can create a masterpiece of exceptional culinary genius; or 2) the one who, improvising with scarce resources and relying on memory … Continue reading →

We have to strive to be gentle and understanding.  It takes effort and courage and patience.  Gentleness and compassion require nerves of steel and a heart of stone. That hard, heart-breaking, rugged effort, that monstrously difficult endeavor, is the only truly … Continue reading →

At some point, and it is different for each person, one comes to the understanding that material wealth, conspicuous consumption, and fame do not lead to happiness. It is at that same moment that one becomes most generous, not just with … Continue reading →

Allow yourself to be timid, to be unobtrusive.  Allow the spotlight to bypass you. Then, be thankful for your solitude, your peace, and the wisdom you have gained by staying away from the frenzy.

Spend some time, just a few minutes, every morning observing beauty.  Focus on it.  Take it in.  Revel in it. Consider why this thing is beautiful to you; consider how it makes you feel.  Doing this one simple thing every … Continue reading →

Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening. ~Traditional Zen adage~

This is the first Saturday of the year.  There’s never before been a Saturday in the year 2014.  If that’s not a reason to celebrate, I don’t know what is! So, today I celebrate First Saturday.  It’s one of my … Continue reading →

Any recipe that calls for a single clove of garlic must be considered suspect; that recipe was very probably produced by someone who does not like you.  Always use a minimum of three cloves of garlic, regardless of the recipe’s … Continue reading →

The second day of a new year means the year is no longer new.  It is fresh, but not new. But the day is new.  I have an opportunity to experience another day, one that’s never been experienced before.  Today, I … Continue reading →

Today is the beginning of a new year.  This day is no more magical than any other day, but it is a day, our traditions tell us, that begins a new chapter. January 1 is a day in which I … Continue reading →

Tomorrow, I will begin a new tradition.  Every day, I will post here my “thoughts for the day” in addition to my regular, or irregular, stream-of-consciousness posts. These “thoughts for the day” won’t necessarily be motivational pep talks to myself, … Continue reading →