Every time you escape the Grail woods in your own life, you learn a little bit more about yourself.

The only way out of the Grail woods is by learning and becoming what you are, not someone else, not what you wanted to be, or what you tell yourself you are, but what you actually are, the beautiful, never-seen-before-or-again you.

You can only lick it out of the Grail woods by following your path. You have to discover it as you make it, and make it as you discover it.

If you’re lost in the Grail woods, and you see a path, stay off it! It’s someone else’s path and it will take you around in circles forever.

There is only one way out of this place, Pilgrim. Your way.

Do you know what a ‘league’ is, as a unit of measure? It’s how far you can walk in an hour. On the trail to the Western Lands, all us Pilgrims can always walk exactly one league per hour. No more, no less! Just like life. All you can ever do is walk today’s miles, and you’ll always go at the right speed. One league per hour. It might be five miles or five feet, and it doesn’t matter a bit which it is. You can only walk your miles, no one else’s.

When you’re lost in the dark woods of your life and the path has disappeared completely, you’re in the Grail Woods! You only have to see the next right step, and you can always see that far, if no farther.

Life just ain’t like a laundry detergent commercial. Life is like life, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to embrace yours for whatever it actually is.

If you’re a warzone kid, I’ll wager a dollar to a donut that you’ve got…ambivalent…feelings about the holidays. You know what? That’s ok. There’s no reason for you to feel any differently than you feel. If you’re putting pressure on yourself to be different, or if you’re firing second arrows of judgment at yourself about your attitudes to holidays, do yourself a favor and take all of that out of your rucksack and leave it on the side of the trail. Santa Claus will pick it up later.