Are you living on autopilot?<br>by Tina Y. Gerber

A gentleman told me last week, he was only existing in life and not living! This made me think long and hard about life in general. Life should be more than just survival mode. But many are living their life by default and not by design. More often than not, we don’t recognize we are locked on autopilot! Most people have a goal in life and it’s to find joy and happiness. We all need to make intentional decisions about how we want to work, play, and live! Individuals spend too much time on the things that don’t count and too little time on things that count the most! I am a big advocate of structure and routine, but the most important steps in my life have been about the changes which have occurred. Living on autopilot keeps everything moving; the bills get paid, the house gets cleaned, and you go to work day in and day out. Autopilot is not always a bad thing. It helps us with our daily habits and routines. It helps us to be more efficient, making life easier and more relaxed, saving energy, and freeing up our conscious mind to work on other taxing problems. That being said, we don’t need to stop and figure out how to get dressed every morning but make a decision on how we want to dress, that is the difference! If you make these decisions while in default mode it can condition you to no longer be present in life and leave you ‘sleepwalking’ through life’s critical moments! Research has shown we are happiest when our thoughts and actions are aligned. I read, we make about 35,000 decisions a day. How you spend your day doesn’t tell you how happy you are, it’s your mental presence which is a better indicator of your happiness! Time moves forward, without our permission. The difference is whether we are ‘present’ in life. If you aren’t happy, dig deep and ask yourself those uncomfortable questions. Such as, what changes are needed? Perhaps, you are already retired and living to meet your immediate needs and feel stuck in your current situation? Day after day you do what’s familiar, even though you know it doesn’t serve your needs! Don’t be afraid, there’s hope and happiness on the horizon. Sometimes, we settle, in too many areas of our life, and wish we’d taken a different path. We all want to be happy, and even though we are trying to find happiness, still sometimes, it can be a struggle. It’s never too late. If you want to live a happier and fulfilling life, you must take action and turn off the autopilot! Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams; and yes, many will say get your head out of the sand, but don’t miss the opportunity to live a happy and fulfilling life along the way, be present in the little things in life. You may try to find joy and happiness in unconventional ways, or search in the wrong place! Many people, often feel another person or thing can make them complete, but only God can give us peace of mind and the ultimate happiness, after all He is the source of Love and life itself. If we draw near to God, He draws near to us, (James 4:8). What more could we ask?