Finding Joy, Forgiveness, and Peace in the Wilderness

It was around a campfire at the peak of Mt. Tapulao in the Philippines, when I came to realize how I will become genuinely happy and at peace with life.

I remember the moment very clearly that the smell of burnt wood, dry dust, and forest grass is still fresh in me up to this day whenever I close my eyes.

My friends and I weren’t laughing or drinking or dancing during that night. We were telling stories, giving our share to the fire that is burning inside all of us, as we retreat from the busy world, miles away from those cities that never sleep.

There are dreams inside all of us.

Our fire that night was quite a good fire. It was enough to warm our hearts and to cradle the lingering hurt we kept hidden from each other.

If it did anything more, looking back, I think it awakened my heart, and opened some emotions inside of me I never thought I had:

The Joy of Being Alive

Thinking about my desk at work, the bills I have to pay for the month, or the next iPhone I am saving up for is draining my heart. I thought they were inspirations for me to keep going and to stay alive. But I was wrong.

When you have the mountain wind singing you to sleep, and the gentle warmth of a small campfire embracing you under the carpet of a billion stars staring down at you, all the pull of the world you are living becomes meaningless.

• You gravitate towards the bigger mass.
• You plunge into deeper waters.
• And you realize the joy of being alive.

I thought only people could love me. But there around me, are celestials caring for my heart.

If you want to experience the joy of being alive, then know that you are loved.

Could it be that you are the center of the universe?

Forgiving Oneself

Every day when I wake up, I look in the mirror and tell myself all the things I am going to do for the day.

• Today, I am going to be great at work.
• Today, I am going to top that presentation.
• Today, I am going to close that deal!
• Today, I am going to build my empire.

All the hard work will pay off one day. But I realize at that campfire, that I have expected a big fire out of little firewood.

Don’t let your dream bubble become so big you forget about yourself.

Dreams will only be good to keep you going for a while, but they wouldn’t mark your existence, or make your life special.

Dreams are born every day and many, if not all will die out throughout your lifetime. Some dreams are never truly yours. You just learned to accept them because you haven’t kept one alive, yourself.

Did you just?

So if there was something I am very thankful for that night, it was the first moment I learned the art of forgiving oneself.

When you grow up so fast and forget what makes you, you? Forgive yourself.

Peace in Acceptance

The truth is that you are alive right now.
The truth is that your story is still being written on this day. You wake up every day, and the sun keeps on shining on you and for you, even if you accept it or not.

Every day is another chance for you to make a choice, stir the wheel, and drift to where you feel most alive.

I felt peace the moment I accepted that I have this choice, that I made this choice, and that every day I am being presented with choices I am free to choose.

Peace is never just an idea or a concept. You don’t need to die to attain it. In fact, for me, I think it will be natural to attain peace once you have fully accepted all your truths.

I am feeling the fire inside of me that night up to this day because it brought me peace in my heart. Here is a man who is learning the ways, threading the path, discovering himself little by little every day.

And that path that I have isn’t perfect. It’s never smooth or planned out like the rest of the world. But it was so pure, so joyful, so forgiving and so accepting, that it melted my heart.

I am happy and at peace.

It only takes a gut to say it.

Hello Readers, 👋🏽

I’ve written this piece based on my memory and how it contributed to my self-discovery process.

If you get to this part, I’d love to hear about your moments of self-discovery and acceptance. Have you ever experienced a similar awakening? What practices help you stay connected to your inner truth? Kindly share your story in the comments below — let’s inspire and support each other on this journey.

Peace.