The world may be unraveling, but I refuse to acquiesce.
- Against rage, I stand for Serenity—so I had better be striving for it.
- Against fear, I stand for Courage—so I had better be encouraging it.
- Against folly, I stand for Wisdom—so I had better be seeking it.
- Against hatred, I stand for Compassion—so I had better be cultivating it.
Not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. Necessary — because the alternative is unthinkable.
When the center cannot hold, become the center.1
Will you join me?
In a quest to become just…
- a little more serene,
- a little more courageous,
- a little more wise, and
- a little more compassionate
…every day? It adds up. It makes a difference.
Stories and Music
How did people cope back when things were unimaginably hard? 100,000 years ago, when we were running around in the jungle, trying to find lunch without becoming lunch?
Did our ancestors sit around the campfire and share essays like “Five Ways to Find Berries” or “Better Brontosaurus Burgers: Grilling Secrets of the Neanderthal”?
No. Because nobody wants a TED Talk after nearly getting eaten by a saber-toothed tiger.
Instead, they told stories.
And not just any stories—empowering stories. When faced with a saber-toothed tiger—against whom you don’t stand a chance—you don’t need data. You need to hear about the Trickster who survived by being clever. You need to know that wit, resilience, and adaptability might save you when strength alone won’t.
People needed all the empowering stories they could get. Just to survive.
And here we are today. No more saber-toothed tigers, but the same old fears.
- Instead of woolly mammoths, it’s the next round of layoffs.
- Instead of hungry wolves, it’s the endless rumors of riots and wars.
- Instead of struggling to make fire, it’s wondering how to keep the lights on.
The world has changed. But the human heart hasn’t. We’re still just trying to make it through the day.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s not more headlines, more think pieces, or more advice we need.
Maybe we need what we’ve always needed—stories and music.
Because long before we had books, blogs, or social media, we had fire, the story, and the drum.
And they didn’t just explain the world.
They helped us survive.
To get through the night, and face the new day with renewed hope.
And, stories and music did more — they helped us bond into communities. And it’s as communities — not lone individuals in the jungle — but by banding together that humanity thrived.
Why “GrailHeart”?
“The Grail” doesn’t have just one meaning.
In the original medieval stories (and there are many versions), it was always something wonderful, something beyond ordinary reality—sometimes a cup, sometimes a stone that granted enlightenment or eternal life, sometimes a sacred and miraculous mystery beyond human understanding.
It was the highest aspiration of the heart, even when one couldn’t quite grasp what that was.
The Grail was like Polaris — the North Star in the night sky — forever guiding travelers in the wilderness or on the fearsome open sea.
At GrailHeart, we honor that search.
Not with easy answers. Not with tidy conclusions or “five simple steps.” But with stories and music — as seekers have done since time immemorial.
Because the Quest isn’t about getting there. It’s about who you become along the way.
If this resonates with you, please consider subscribing!
- An allusion to “The Second Coming”, W. B. Yeats, written in 1919 in the chaotic aftermath of WWI. The complete poem can be found here.