One of our son, Austin’s, highlights of our time in New Zealand was the opportunity to fly a plane. He absolutely loved the scenic flight experience with U-Fly. He talks about being a pilot someday. He did not use auto-pilot while flying. 

One of my highlights was discovering a beautiful magazine called, Breathe. It spoke my language, celebrated what I value. Breathe is a “body-and-soul guide to a happier, healthier and more mindful you and is brimming with enchanting illustrations, thoughtful content and a fresh perspective.” I love this soul guide and really hope someday they deliver to the US. It was in a Breathe issue that I read about the idea of “autopilot.”

Autopilot develops from our habits and routines. It can develop slowly over time by our brain’s desire for efficiency hardwiring our behaviors. Our life’s momentum then charts the course. And just like that we live on autopilot. When we live on autopilot we are not present. When we live on autopilot we are not living with intention and purpose. When we live on autopilot life just happens. And maybe that is ok for some and ok for sometime, especially when life is challenging. Sometimes autopilot is the best we can do. But there are times when we get stuck in habits that no longer serve us. When we want to make a course correction. But in order to do that we have to TURN OFF AUTOPILOT.

Mindfulness enable us to become fully engaged in the present moment, with full awareness, noticing the world around us with active senses. Mindfulness enables us to replace autopilot with awareness. Awareness enables us to notice, pause and then purposely move forward. With awareness, noticing and pausing we are able to live from our heart with intention and purpose.

If you want to turn autopilot off here are a few ideas to consider.

1. Connect with Nature - let nature awaken your senses, notice the beauty in nature. Take a mindful walk tuning your mind and body into awareness of your body’s movement. Noticing your heal lifting, knee bending, toes lifting, foot moving forward and resting back on the ground. Notice your breathing. Activate all your senses as you take in sights, smells, sounds and touch of your surroundings.

2. Allow Mind Gaps - bring awareness to the empty spaces that form between thoughts. Notice, find the mind gaps. They maybe few and short at first due to our inherent need to fill in silences. In time they become longer.

3. Meditate Daily - through a daily meditative practice of even just a few minutes we can bring mindfulness into our daily life. The key is pausing and doing it every day.

4. Journaling - through writing we create awareness of our thoughts, we connect to our heart, we connect to our dreams. When we journal we reflect; through these reflections we can connect to our purpose and hold ourselves accountable.

5. Create Something - make something, whether you grab colored pencils and a pad of paper and draw or grab a hammer and nails and build. Find something that you enjoy creating with. Allow that creativity that is in all of us to come out and be with it. Go to the local pottery studio. Play an instrument. Turn on music and dance. Ignite your creative spirit and have fun! When we create we are present.

6. Just Do It - do that thing that is on the bottom of your to do list. Enjoy the satisfaction of doing the task the best you can. Immerse yourself in the project with awareness and purpose. Take satisfaction in the completion of a job well done.

7. Take a Digital Detox - whether starting to establish an hour a day or by taking a weekend. Switch off your mobile phone. It is amazing how when we turn off our phones, we find the best mindful gift of all - TIME!

Let’s leave autopilot to the pilots on the planes and let’s live our lives mindfully from our heart.