What You Think You Are Seeking Will Not Complete You

Over the weekend, I took a walk in the Whirinaki Forest. Apart from needing to get my dose of nature’s remedy - I also wanted to find a quiet place to have a conversation with myself, to ground and make peace with something I’ve held onto for too long. April is my birthday month after all - I’ll be turning 35, and this one feels light years different than the last. It feels hopeful, the last couple of years seemed like so many things in my life ended, this time feels like I’m finally seeing the big picture.

Two days ago, I was dreaming about an erupting volcano for what felt like a split second before my 5am alarm clock kicked in. It was dark, maybe night time because everything was in silhouette, it also took me awhile to realise that in front of me was an erupting volcano. I could see the lava flow from the crater, but not close enough to feel the heat. I watched my head begin to turn away before the shriek of my alarm woke me up.

Life, Motivation, Self Love, Relationships, DatingRonna Grace Funtelar5 April 2018situationship, datingComment

Love Is The Tool To Remind Us Of Who We Are

The last two days have been surreal - like a switch just flipped and nothing’s really been the same. I’ve learned that life may not always work out the way you want it to, but it can give you magical moments if you let it. Like the way the threat of rain clouds disappeared, while the moon made its way above the stage just as Ed Sheeran began to strum the chords to ‘Thinking Out Loud’. I wasn’t even supposed to be there - but it was one of those take it or leave it moments that the Universe offered up on a plate. Game on Universe, game on.

You see, normally I’m at the gym on Saturday mornings, but two weeks ago, I was tired and decided my body needed a sleep in. I was scrolling through my newsfeed when a friend from high school posted that she had a spare ticket to the Monday night Ed Sheeran show in Auckland. A sold out concert at that.

Life, Motivation, Self Love, TravelRonna Grace Funtelar28 March 2018loveisthetool, selflove, selfworthComment

A Leap Of Faith To The Other Side

I logged off Friday night from both Facebook and Instagram with all the intention of staying off until Sunday night. There were some notifications, which took about ten seconds to decide if I wanted to click on any of them. I had some private messages, an invitation to a night out, a friend who was in town for the weekend and another couple that I had to follow up on. Didn’t even bother mind-numbingly scrolling through my newsfeed (it’s 4am by the way).

What have I learned in being offline in my little experiment - I didn’t miss that much.

March has felt like I’m having a growth spurt (because let’s be honest, at five feet tall, I didn’t have one of those as a teenager), and because my energy has fluctuated, I’ve been really protective of my vibe. I feel like the butterfly in the pupa stage - here I am in my cocoon, sleeping, letting nature take its course.

Life, Motivation, Self Love, TravelRonna Grace Funtelar25 March 2018thebutterflyjourney, leapoffaith, theotherside, lettinggoComment

Sometimes You Have To Suck It Up And Be Your Own Cheerleader

I recently reactivated an old social media account, one that I hadn’t used for almost three years. It was like discovering an old childhood diary or photo album at your parents’ house - it triggers nostalgia and the memories, with each photo serving as a visual aid, were in fact, mostly junk. I obviously took a lot of photos of food (I still do), which makes you wonder how people ever knew what you ate during the day before Instagram, right? *Insert favourite sassy emoji here.*

The collection felt like a digital time capsuIe. I deleted almost 300 photos from this account, but not before I made time to look at each one. Some were more precious than others, like the ones of the puppies, or the first time I ventured to Singapore for a dance camp. There were forgotten snapshots of my marriage. I looked at each one, said goodbye and deleted them with love. Yes, with love.

Life, Motivation, Self LoveRonna Grace Funtelar21 March 2018lifechoices, selflove, selfworth, motivation, beyourowncheerleaderComment

Keep Your Fears. Share Your Courage.

I blinked twice, was I reading it right? The screen said 91% humidity. A fever can play mind tricks on you, particularly when it comes to convincing you that it’s a good idea to wear a sweatshirt, even when it’s almost 100% humidity. I look down at my gym shorts and realised I was embracing both winter and our tropical summer.

The beads of sweat that rolled down my face, back and legs was somehow soothing, yet gross at the same time (for obvious reasons!). I spent a few hours in bed in and out of the blanket, trying to find that sweet spot of sweating but not overheating from a blanket sauna.

Life, Motivation, Self LoveRonna Grace Funtelar25 February 2018life, motivation, self love, taneatua, new zealand, street art, owendippie, tameitiComment

Close The Door So That It Clicks

I went to see an acupuncturist a couple of days ago. She also practises Reiki. There was a tightness in my left hip that had been persistent for the past month. It wasn’t painful, just mildly tight and sometimes an uncomfortable feeling at night. I had been following her on Instagram for some time and had read her reviews - the Universe insisted that I go to see her that Friday.

My acupuncturist talked about the left and right sides of the body and what they represented to her as she treated patients. The tightness on my left hip was being caused by fear, and possibly furthermore, habitual fear. Feeling stuck and indecisive, as well as becoming frustrated because I can’t (or won’t) make decisions that I know will help me to move forward. Like booking my tickets for Peru. The tightness I felt in my upper left glute felt the same way as if I had been sitting on a concrete floor for hours. There’s that word again - stuck.

The point I’m making is this, sometimes, when we need to move on, you need to make sure that proverbial door clicks...shut. Then you make a promise to yourself that, no matter what, you walk away. Don’t let the fear of having that one part of your life ending hold you back from the thousand other (read “better”) ways for you to be happy.

Life, Motivation, Self Love, TravelRonna Grace Funtelar16 February 2018closethedoor, movingon, selflove, selfworth, how to be happyComment