The other morning, I wore shoes that weren’t my usual walking shoes — and I suffered! From the very start of the walk, I was in discomfort. With every step, the unease grew, and soon enough, I wasn’t enjoying my walk at all. I thought about going back home and changing into my regular pair, but that felt like a task in itself, so I decided to carry on.

It was during this rather painful walk that I found myself thinking about my usual shoes — the ones I had clearly taken for granted. Shoes that gave me comfort, support, and ease, silently helping me enjoy my morning walks every single day. I missed them dearly.

And that’s when it struck me — those shoes are my tools. Tools that enable me to walk well, to feel grounded and steady. That thought opened up a whole stream of reflection… on the tools I use every day in my life and work — tools that make everything smoother, more efficient, more possible. I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me for all of them.

We use tools for all kinds of work, don’t we? An artist uses brushes, paints, canvases, and all sorts of vibrant supplies. A carpenter uses wood, saws, hammers, and nails. A teacher uses books, chalk, blackboards, maps, and charts. Every profession has its own set of tools — things that help us do our work in the best possible way.

Tools aren’t just functional. They’re extensions of us. They help us express what lies deep in the recesses of our minds. Without them, we’d struggle to bring our ideas, creations, and efforts into the world. A tool can be something physical, like a pen or a chisel — or something less tangible, like language, skill, or memory.

Some ancient scriptures even speak of the mind as a tool — the most powerful one. They talk about how, if harnessed well, the mind can help us unlock our highest potential. That idea is both humbling and inspiring. It reminds us that not all tools are held in the hand; some are cultivated within.

I also found myself thinking of the festival of Dussehra (10th day following the sacred 9 nights of Navaratri) — a beautiful tradition that celebrates tools. On this day, we clean them, honor them, decorate them with fragrant garlands, and offer our gratitude. I remember as a child, how we’d lovingly gather our books, our stationery, even the tiny household tools like screwdrivers and pliers. We’d line them up for the prayer, clean and shining. Even our vehicles would get a wash, be adorned with flowers, and parked like royalty for the day.

That celebration always felt sacred to me — a pause to acknowledge the very things that help us build, move, teach, fix, create, and live our daily lives with ease and purpose.

Imagine a day when the tools of your trade are not available — or worse, stop functioning altogether. What a frustrating day that would be! And yet, how rarely we stop to appreciate these quiet companions in our journey.

So today, take a moment to notice your tools — however simple, however ordinary. The pen that flows just right. The chair that supports your back. The app that keeps you organized. The notebook where your ideas bloom. The shoes that carry you through the day.

They are all part of our ecosystem of ease. They deserve our care, our attention, our thanks.

After all, tools don’t just help us do work. They help us be who we are.

“The tools we hold, hold us too,

In every task they carry through.

A chisel, brush, or walking shoe—

Each one shapes what we pursue.”