Are you blaming your tools?

I met cartoonist Mick Stevens way back in 1997 in Philadelphia at a book signing. The book was "e-mail.this.book!" - wherein "Today's most talented cartoonists celebrate the fun and foibles, the delights and dangers, the quirks and quarks, of life in Computerland," complied by The Cartoon Bank and published by Alfred A. Knopf,  Inc.

In the almost 12 years that have past, computers, software and the Internet have changed dramatically to help make it easier for us to enjoy a somewhat hassle-free experience as we create documents, e-mail away, blog and generally twitter about our daily business and personal life.

But I love this signed cartoon by Mick Stevens, which depicts a writer who is seated at a desk, presenting his work to his editor or publisher and attempting to blame the glitches in the manuscript on his computer software. 

A good craftsman never blames his tools.

And funnily, there is a tie in this to Lincoln's Birthday. And I quote: "The most inspiring characters in history have been those who met their destinies without complaint, whose moral polarity enabled them to see opportunity where others saw only obstruction. The life of Abraham Lincoln is an example of the higher attitude toward events. Lincoln never quarrelled with conditions, though by all worldly standards there was ample occasion for it. He did not complain that good books were difficult to obtain, nor that light from oil lamps made reading impossible. If necessary, Lincoln read by light from the fireplace, whenever he had a book to read, and valued his schooling the more for its hardships. The Light that shone from his own illumined soul more than compensated for the darkness arising from events." This from Kernels of Wisdom, THEOSOPHY, Vol. 38, No. 11, September, 1950, which I just stumbled upon in a quick little Google search.

Isn't the Internet wonderful? How it can not only help tie people together but also ideas. Instead of blaming your tools, use them to the max. Find new ways they can help you achieve your goals. Explore their capabilities and learn about the tools in YOUR toolbox. There may be a few you haven't even touched.