Where God Leads, the North Follows

 

A Reflection on the YATTA x DAKILA “Find Your True North” Workshop

By Jirah Martweven Palopalo

There are moments when the world feels loud , when expectations, plans, and even good intentions seem to pull us in different directions. But last September, through YATTA’s collaboration with DAKILA Philippines, I was reminded to pause, listen, and reorient my compass — not toward success or recognition, but toward something far more enduring: my true north.

The Find Your True North workshop gathered teenagers from different youth groups and organizations in Dumaguete. Guided by facilitators from Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA) and DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, the session invited us to dig deep into what we value, what drives us, and what direction we truly want to take.

YATTA, known for using theater as a tool for advocacy and self-expression, and DAKILA, a collective of artists and advocates promoting modern heroism, created a safe space for reflection, a space that didn’t demand answers but encouraged discovery. It wasn’t about being told where to go, but about realizing that our direction , our north , has always been within us.

Throughout the activities, we talked about values , the ones we live by, and the ones we sometimes forget.
We were asked:

• What do you hold most important?

• How do these values shape the way you live, speak, and choose?

• What happens when life’s noise makes you forget them?

We wrote our words on small papers, kindness, honesty, service, faith, courage ,and placed them on a large compass drawn on the floor. It felt simple, yet powerful. Seeing everyone’s words side by side reminded me that while our paths differ, our norths often point toward the same light.

And in that circle, I quietly prayed:

“Lord, remind me that my direction is Yours. Help me to stay anchored in the values You’ve planted in me , compassion, honesty, and love.”

What struck me most was how this workshop mirrored my faith journey.
Faith, much like finding your north, isn’t a one-time discovery, it’s a daily reorientation. It’s about returning to God each time you drift, trusting that His compass still points you home.

Sometimes I forget that my values, empathy, service, truth, are not just personal choices; they’re reflections of His character. They’re the ways He calls me to move in the world.
And when things become unclear, I’m reminded that the same God who placed the stars in the north sky is the One who guides me, too.

 The workshop also reminded us that finding our north isn’t only personal. Once we discover it, we are called to act on it, to live it out in our communities.

DAKILA’s message of modern heroism rang true: being a hero today doesn’t mean standing on a stage; it means standing for something, and standing with others.

As a youth advocate and theater artist, I felt God whisper:

“Your art, your advocacy, your community work, these are your ways of walking north.”

And so, this reflection isn’t just about finding direction; it’s about aligning that direction with purpose ,a purpose that serves, uplifts, and honors Him.

When the session ended, I left with a simple but grounding realization:

My true north is not just about who I want to be ,it’s about Who I follow.

There will be days when I lose sight of it, when fear and confusion cloud my path. But faith reminds me that north doesn’t disappear; I only need to look up, be still, and let God remind me where to go.

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:6

The Find Your True North workshop wasn’t just an activity, it was a quiet encounter with direction, with purpose, and with God. And I pray that each young person who joined left not only knowing their values, but also recognizing that faith can be the truest compass of all.