Epiphany at Mt. Daraitan

I was invited by my bestfriend to go on a hiking trip at Mt. Daraitan along with her crossfit friends for the weekend. And since I felt the need to take in nature to make me feel alive again, I decided to go with her for some adventure. (Credits to Anna Payawal for planning everything.) 

The whole experience was something I couldn't just easily forget. It's both relaxation and enjoyment of nature without limits! I liked the feeling of listening to the rhythm of my breath with every step I take. I loved looking at the vast and magnificent scenery because it reminded me of how small I actually was. This helped me put things in the right perspective again. 

During our treacherous climb, I've realized a lot of things in life in which I want to mull over and share with you.

1. Get out of your comfort zone

I was fed up with my inability to take action and go for what I wanted; all because of the familiarity and being comfortable with where I was. The feeling of being trapped in a stagnant situation was so scary that I decided to explore my horizons and take risks.

When we step out of our comfort zone, there will be backlash and life will try to bring us down a little. But we should think of this as battle wounds; something we would have never received if we weren't in the game at all.

I didn't think I could tolerate and finish any hiking expedition as I thought that I wasn't physically ready for it, but amidst this self-doubt, I still dared to try without expectations. I knew it was never going to be easy and could even be more strenuous than I first thought it would be. But there I was, committed and determined to reach the summit. That was my goal at the time and I knew I couldn't fail. I could only fail if I didn't try.

2. Feel alive again and enjoy the journey

At first, all I cared about was reaching the summit. I was too focused on my goal that I didn't get the time to savor and appreciate the beautiful nature around me. I've realized that I was missing the point of life and the beauty of the hike.

Life is to be enjoyed in every step of our way. There may be an amazing view at the summit, but there is just as much beauty along the trail. What would happen if you didn't make it to the summit and you didn't bother to enjoy the fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun and the sheer cool breeze on your body? In the end, our lives will feel empty and only be filled with disappointments. We must enjoy the journey because it is filled with its own peaks.

Paige and I dubsmash-ing while enjoying the hike

3. Keep moving forward

One thing I've learned as I was trudging uphill was that hiking is all about having the will to keep moving forward despite all the hurdles and obstacles. We all just need to start moving, see how far we could go and learn to improve ourselves and never quit.

With every new path we're taking, there may be ups and downs. But we should always have a positive mindset that we would be able to weather the downs because the ups were all worth it.

4. Never lose sight of the end goal

Sometimes, we become so preoccupied with all the things that don't really matter that we slowly drift away from our goal and purpose. We get easily distracted because we lack the discipline to keep our head in the game.

I know it hasn't been all great and there have been some big struggles along the way, but in the end, it always ends up better when we achieve something we've been wanting and praying for.

5. Rest but don't quit

As the trail was nearing the summit, I had a hard time catching my breath every once in a while especially when going uphill the entire time. I was really disappointed with myself, but then I realized that if this was the only way to make it to the top, then I must push myself harder. I decided to rest a bit and ruled out the option to quit.

Sometimes it seems like we can't go on anymore. We can see an open path but we're too stubborn to continue. We should always be reminded that it's okay to rest, take a breather and pause for a while. Never quit, because everything will be worth it.