Guest Blog: Margie Vorillas

My friend Margie is a true kindred spirit. She has such energy and zest for life that is infectious. Margie is great at looking outside the box and providing a refreshing perspective on things. She is passionate about living a fulfilled life and she is a true inspiration to me. Here are her musings on recalibration...

Life gets a little dull when you stay in one spot for too long. I’m talking about that feeling, when you become too familiar with something. The feeling of being too comfortable in your environment. You get itchy feet, you want to travel, move, change things up, maybe even do something reckless. Sometimes you just need to recalibrate!

My work place recently moved a 5.5 minute walk from my home. When I first heard we were moving, I was awakened with excitement, thinking about trips home on my lunch break. I thought it was a dream come true, I could go home to drink hot chocolate, and perhaps fit in little nanna nap. Unfortunately, one minor detail was left off my dream list - I would become stuck in my own version of Ground Hog Day!  

Suddenly I was stuck, in a monotonous routine. Compared to the variety and excitement I’d become accustomed to while working in the big city. In the city I would run across the harbour bridge weekly, have lunch dates in wonderful cafes. Around every corner in the CBD, was a new experience to be embraced. And now, my lunch time is replaced with dumplings, dumplings and more dumplings!

A few months after the move I wanted to pull my hair out, because I felt I was going mad. I began to fantasise about the next big, expensive holiday (I had just come home from 3 months in Mexico). And free time was spent scheming about ways to get back in the city. I was confused, because I love what I do for work, and didn't want to change my job. But I felt frustrated being stuck in suburbia, day in and day out.

Then one afternoon, after work, I had a moment of recalibration! I went to the grocery store, to buy tomato paste. My mind was screaming 'Blrggh I don't want to go to the same local shopping centre again'. I listened to that voice, and drove the extra ten minutes, to a shopping centre in the next suburb. Surprisingly, this small trip shifted me into recalibration.

The neighboring shopping centre was recently renovated. Suddenly I was immersed in sparkly new surroundings. I wandered around curiously, observing the small differences in the new centre. I explored the fresh new shops, ate at an unfamiliar cafe. It was a satisfying experience, for my curious and adventurous soul.

That day I learnt escape through crazy travel adventures, and emotionally charged ideas, is not always the answer. If you feel down in the dumps on a routine day, take a small dip into a new experience. This will help keep the everyday interesting and vibrant. Especially if you wish to stay grounded, and focused on the  bigger vision. Simply get creative with your daily routine, and mix it up a little.

If you’re a gym junkie, go for a swim at the pool one day. Why not book a ticket to an interesting seminar or talk? You could start a side project? Or simply download an album from an unknown artist.

Tomorrow I shall embark on my standard 5.5 min walk to work. But to keep things fresh in Ashfield tomorrow, I will drive to the beach for a morning walk,  use coloured pens instead of the standard black and red colours, email a friend in Spanish, then cook a meal I’ve never tasted.

About Margie...

You will usually find Margie working on a major event campaign, coordinating a private wedding/ function or hosting a quirky party for friends and family. Margie loves bringing communities together and creating buzzing environments through events and festivals. Alongside her love for organising events, she also enjoys learning Spanish, does a little rock n roll dancing with her husband Chris, runs and likes to travel the world. Simply put, Margie believes in approaching life in a creative manner as it makes everyday life remarkably interesting and fulfilling.

A Work Life Balance

They say you must surround yourself around people you aspire to become. My Chiropractor, Dr Adrian Couzner from Chirosports is one of those people. He has his bases covered in all areas of his life and has simultaneously managed to work out the perfect 'Work Life Balance'.  Adrian just launched a Facebook page dedicated to just this, he aims to inspire and empower people to take control and achieve this. I am intrigued by this concept and I decided to ask Adrian a few questions about it!

What are your top 3 tips for a good work life balance?

1. Find a vocation rather than a job, that way work is never about at ends to a means, it’s about your calling.
2. Have a values list and live according to your values  That way, life will feel completely congruent.
3. Health is everything, without it, nothing else matters.  So work on it!!

What are your suggestions for a stressed or overworked person?

•  Come to terms with the fact that somewhere deep inside it makes you feel important, significant and needed to be that overworked/stressed.

•  Make sure you look after your health.  Sleep, energy and your immune system will be the first to suffer if you don’t invest in your health.

• Spend time doing things that connect you with your values, that way you will feel more inspired and energised to get back to work.

•  Get yourself a mentor, someone who can guide you through this patch. (check out my facebook page Work Life Balance).

 What are your tips for a successful marriage?

• Share similar morals, beliefs and values.

• Communication is the key.

• Be a better listener.

• Have fun, make each other laugh.

• Kids come second, partner comes first.

Is there someone in your life who inspires you with their work life balance?

I think positively or negatively we develop our perspective on the world firstly from our parents.  I was lucky enough to have amazing parents as my role models.  As much as they both had professional careers, I always felt like they were there for us and that they weren’t slaves to the 9-5 routine (that’s what we called it in the 80’s).  My parents juggled with ease their work, family, sports, friendships and most importantly their relationship.

How do you recalibrate?

There is nothing like kids to bring you back to the real world.  

A few short minutes can bring you back into focus real quick.  But for those who don’t have kids, I think you need to rely on your values list and do things that connect you with your values.  That way you are living to your highest purpose.  For some that is health, family/loved ones and for others it’s travel.

Where is your favourite travel destination?

That is a hard one…..I’d have to say Greece.  It has amazing scenery, history and culture.  They love family and food, which are very important to me.  They also have picturesque islands and beaches, where life is all about the simple important pleasures.  

Tell me about a time where you followed your heart and went against grain.

My career was taking off and I decided to take a break from work and go on a 6 month adventure with my new girlfriend (now wife, Simone).  My head was telling me to continue building and establishing myself in the Chiropractic world, but my heart was telling me to go have some fun.  Often we are crippled by our thoughts of what we are losing, rather than the potential for gain.  Despite not working for 6 months and spending all the money I had saved, it solidified my relationship with Simone and well the rest is history as far as that is concerned!!  It by no way slowed my financial success either and it definitely broadened my horizons.  The heart is always right!!

More about Adrian...

Dr Adrian Couzner has been a Chiropractor for 20 years and more recently a Work Life Balance advocate.  He runs 2 successful Chirosports clinics and the facebook page, Work Life Balance.  He is a husband and father to 4 children, Finn, Ocea, Cy and Tay.  He originates from South Australian and now resides on Sydney’s North Shore. 

Those closest to him have looked on with envy as he juggled running 2 Chiropractic clinics (himself consulting with over 140 clients per week), managing his family commitments and still approaching life with a calm, yet energetic passion.

For more information on Dr Adrian Couzner, go to www.chirosports.com.au or on Facebook. 

Livin' la vida loca

Tonight I was meant to be on a date. I cancelled. I just wanted to go home and just be. This past week, life has really thrown me around in all directions, quiet literally. Today is my first day of just being. No running around from one place to the next, just a simple day. I just wanted to go home after work and cook, recalibrate and regroup after a whirlwind.

In the space of a week, I had an amazing long weekend up in Byron Bay with the girls, reigniting the inner gypsy in me. We had a ball eating our way around the town, hitting the beach, having our palms read by an interesting man on the street and of course some retail therapy. We then returned to real life and I was getting ready to embark on a non-eventful few days ahead.

Just when you think you have a good grasp on your life, surprises can come out of nowhere.

That's what makes life exciting! On Thursday afternoon I was spontaneously invited to attend a health  industry professional event in Melbourne by a person in my life that I call my real life Guardian Angel. The ticket was available and it had my name on it - if I wanted it! Oh my, I went into overdrive. There was no way I could say no. Before I knew it, I was in Melbourne, immersed, inspired, still pinching myself that I was there. I was surrounded by people in the industry that I really admire and respect. I relished every moment. 

In between all of this, I was actually having pretty serious dramas with someone at my work place, I wasn't going to let it derail me or burst my bubble...no way.

It occoured to me that sometimes you think that you may be lacking something in your life and then you come to realise that what you want or yearn for is actually coming your way - you just need to be open to it!

My trip to Melbourne was short, yet sweet and unforgettable. Dashing off my flight from Sydney, I then headed to an amazing afternoon at a networking event by The Relauncher, again surrounded by like-minded souls, I felt like I was bursting at the seams with energy and inspiration. I had a pitt stop home for sleep and then a road trip down to Canberra for work for two days.

From Byron Bay, to Sydney, to Melbourne, back to Sydney and then to Canberra!

My dear friend asked me today if I missed galavanting around. We haven't known each other for all that long, but she does know me so well.

I get bored easily and love change, so I thrive instances like the past week, with everything happens at once and you really just need to ride the wave. I also realised that I need to ground myself as much as possible during those times, so I tried as much as possible to not get to out of whack - whether it be jumping into the ocean, exercise, walking through a beautiful park, drinking a great cup of tea and just enjoying the present. And the reason why I am home tonight and not on a hot date :)

Some weeks can go by with nothing significant happening, almost forgettable and then others, like this past loco one for me, will be etched in my memory forever.

A modern-day gypsy

The last few years have seen me travel to some amazing places throughout the world. I often refer to myself to a modern-day gypsy, I thrive on change, moving and exploring. So in 2013, I made the conscious decision to stay put. No big, grand plans to conquer another place. It was a hard concept for me to grasp, but I can say this with the benefit of hindsight now, after travelling through Bali and India the year before I needed time to regroup. I put myself through so many life changing experiences, it was time to make sense of it all. So after a trip to the Gold Coast hinterland for a few weeks in February, I didn't enter the airport again until this last weekend. It was a long time, I needed this break, but I was getting withdrawals. I won't lie, there is never a time that I don't drive past the airport, see a plane in the sky or when I hear a travel story, do I yearn to get back onto a plane to wherever life wants to take me.

It is funny, that the very thing that makes me feel free and alive can also unnerve and unsettle me to the very core. I learnt that I can be a tourist in my own neighbourhood and still feel the joy I experienced when exploring the globe. Realising that I can tap into these core feelings, here in the comfort of my own city and that there are ways to feel this all the time was a huge 'ah huh' moment for me. So for me, living and breathing a beach lifestyle has made me feel more alive than ever before, going on road trips and simply being around people who energise are all activities that conjure up the same feelings I get when I travel.

Not that I am placing any lesser value on travel, I think it is essential to my growth and development and I hope to travel for the rest of my life. This weekend I set foot on a plane again for a few days away up in Byron Bay with the girls. The inner gypsy in me became reignited. Such a short trip, yet it meant so much to me, being away from your bubble really gives you the capacity to see things in a different light, my inspiration was on over-drive. 

 Stories to tell, experiences shared, laughs and giggles, time seems to be cherished so much more when you travel.  

      Good times in Byron

I have come back home recharged with energy and zest...and maybe some more travel ideas to start looking into!