Perfectly balanced

When Chartered client Ronel Eloff took early retirement in 2005, she moved to Sedgefield and opened a B&B. After running the B&B for five years, she decided that it was time for a change and to focus her energy on something else. Always one keen for adventure, Ronel decided to take up line dancing, a hobby she enthusiastically pursued for a few years.

Next, she decided to try her hand at bowls, and it is here that she has found her niche. Bowls has opened up a whole new world for Ronel, and she has met so many people that she would never have otherwise met. Ronel is curious by nature (the number of books she reads is a testament to that), so whenever she meets new people, she makes an effort to get to know them. She is a firm believer in the fact that everyone has a story worth sharing.

Ronel practices or plays bowls daily, and this is because she was inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s, The Outliers, a book given to her by her nephew. In the book, Gladwell proposes that 10,000 hours of practice is needed to master a skill, even for prodigies like Mozart. She is certainly making a good dent in clocking up those hours.

When it comes to The Wheel of Balance, Ronel is an excellent example of someone who strives to achieve it. She gives back through volunteering at the hospice shop every Monday; this is also something that gives her purpose. She stays fit and healthy by playing bowls and doing pilates. She explores her creative side by making quilts and nurtures her relationship by spending time with all the important people in her life. She never stops learning as she is always engrossed in some or other book.

Perhaps the segment of the wheel that stands out the most is the segment of play. Ronel loves life, having fun and trying new things. Recently she bought and learnt to drive a scooter, at 67 years old! The state of the roads was frustrating her, which spurred her decision to buy. Now she zoots around Sedgefield, easily avoiding the potholes.

Ronel is grateful for the life she leads. Furthermore, she is proud to say that she lives in paradise, which also happens to be the mosaic capital of South Africa.