Embrace the middle - when the familiar becomes unfamiliar at the same time

If I was writing this five years ago, it’s about now that I would do a philosophical deep dive into how embracing change…well, changed my life. Not today. Today, I’m having an identity crisis. Kinda.

Life feels like I’m in the middle of a long, slog-of-a-hike lately. I’m still walking in the right direction, but somehow, I keep losing the track markers. I stop, backtrack and walk around, and eventually find footprints or the track hidden in the overgrowth. When I’m in the bush, losing the track doesn’t worry me too much - I’ve been here before and don’t stay ‘lost’ for too long. So, why is life so uncomfortable right now?

It started as I sat in a mihi whakatau at work (a mihi whakatau is an informal pōwhiri/welcome) as I listened to my former manager, Alex, give a speech to welcome a new member in her old team. Ironically, it was also the first day in her new role as a general manager, yet here she was filling in for the role she hasn’t held since last November. I’ve heard her speak many times before, and she always smashes it. She is the Communications Manager after all. Was. I think it finally hit me, for realsies this time.

Friendships, Life, Mental Health, Motivation, Self Confidence, RelationshipsRonna Grace Funtelar16 February 2025life lessons, fearofchange, embracethechange, embracethemiddle, positivechanges, purpose, development, intentionComment

You Oughta Know...How Alanis' Lyrics Described My Life.

Yesterday was Christmas Eve. I woke up early and went for a run before sunrise. In my peripheral I could the sun’s glow climbing over Mokoroa that soon painted the sky a bright lemon pastel with splashes of icy blue. I spent the morning at work - which was really just finishing off a few jobs, eating chocolate, and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as they left one by one. Then I joined the ‘traffic cues’ and headed home. I spent the 15 minute drive home with a big smile, especially knowing that I’ve dodged the supermarket apocalypse unfolding in the parking lots. After a decent afternoon nap, I mowed the lawns, ate the leftover pizza and had an early night. It felt more like a weekend than a Monday.

Life, Motivation, Self ConfidenceRonna Grace Funtelar25 December 2019lifelessons, selflove, lifechoices, positivechanges, positiveliving, lettingo, selfbelief, self love, self-love, loveyourself, love yourself, embracethechange, wanderlustComment