Autopilot

Why are we stuck on autopilot? This talk helps us to understand why we may be on automatic pilot and what changes when we move into a place of intentionality in our lives. How pulling ourselves out of the vortex of habit can bring us ease and steadiness from moment to moment. Enjoy!

Transcript

What is it that is really preventing you from being in the present moment right now?

One reason is that the brain is reflexive.

It loves to outsource the work to autopilot.

So that means whatever menial tasks that can be done with minimum direct attention are done in this automatic way.

In this way the brain is free to reflect,

Plan,

Problem solve,

Dream.

Sounds ok so far?

However,

Have you ever found yourself driving down the road only to discover you're going in the wrong direction to the wrong destination?

Or have you even found yourself in the wrong place entirely?

Supposed to be at the supermarket but you're outside the school.

Perhaps you've been so lost in thought that the memory of the journey is unclear or unavailable to you.

I know I have.

When autopilot takes over we lose awareness of our surroundings.

How we feel,

What we are doing and our thinking processes are part of this automacity.

No major problems so far that I can see.

Still functioning,

Still getting through life.

But what happens when challenges arise?

Our reactions are left in the hands of autopilot.

Our reactions can be knee-jerk.

Deeply ingrained habitual patterns may not be serving you in the way that you might wish.

A second reason we don't really want to be present is because we are judging experience and it doesn't quite match up to expectations.

Well not always anyway.

We find ourselves at point A but we prefer to be at point B.

We tend to fall into a gap in between point A and point B.

When we intentionally focus on a task,

Chemicals are released in the brain to create change and it is the returning of the focus again and again that promotes and sustains this change.

So if it's sipping your morning coffee or brushing your teeth,

Bring intentionality to it.

Allowing this practice to pull us back out of autopilot and into our lives where we can experience life fully,

Where we can find acceptance,

Ease and steadiness in the moment.

Reviews

Thank you for this lovely reminder to come back to the moment and be present in our lives!

That was a perfect moment of complete awareness of our experience. Thank you so much! I could listen to your voice all day.