quidni wrote: 
and not the first time I've heard it. May I recommend the following from
The Cornered Cat? (worth taking time to explore if you haven't already.)
Advice to a New Gun Owner by Kathy Jackson
You picked out a weapon -- good! Now go train.
Go learn how to use it to hit where you aim...
<much good stuff snipped>
...What carries the day when the battle is nigh,
Is the Will that refuses simply to give up and die --
The Will that commands your eye not to blink,
And forces paralyzed mind to nonetheless think --
The Will that requires your aim still be true
No matter what damage may terrify you.
So I'll say it again, though I sound like a fool:
Your Will is the weapon. Your gun is a tool.
Your gun may save the day; then again, it may not.
But if a brand name and caliber are all that you've got
The game's already over and your life may be done --
For you still are not armed. You're just holding a gun.
(click on the poem's title to read the entire text.)
