26 Tools Mon, Mar 13, 2017

Writing has always been my safe haven. When I would get in trouble with my parents as a child, I'd always write them a note to apologize and I've carried that form of self-reflection into adulthood. Yes, spoken words generally mean more, but there's something incredible about the ways that you can carefully craft a song, a poem or a heartfelt letter from just a pen and a blank piece of paper.

Here, you can choose your words carefully - you can edit, erase and begin again if it doesn't come out right the first time. The 26 letters of the alphabet are the only tools you need to craft something that could win a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, express your deepest love to someone who might not know it, or apologize to your parents for not cleaning your room. 

Alone, those 26 letters aren't much more than a catchy jingle you learn in Kindergarten. But together, the opportunities are truly endless. When it comes down to it, words are really the only thing that can change the world - for better or for worse. With letters as your tools, the pen and pencil are your sword - representative of human progression and the evolution of one of the oldest writing instruments known to humanity. Each has a history of inspiring the greatest minds the world has ever known, creating something extraordinary from nothing.

In a time where iPhones, iPads and computers are the preeminent forms of communication, don't forget the oldest and greatest form of written communication we have. There's no email or text message that can ever take the place of handwritten prose.