Shifting out of Autopilot and into Life - Getting Clear About What Matters Most

Last month I took one of those classic and oh-so-awkward skiing tumbles — you know, the kind where it’s hard to distinguish between limbs, poles, skis, and snow? That was me, in a blundering mess, on the side of a mountain.

Once I was no longer in motion, the excruciating pain in my left knee set in. After what felt like 10 minutes to click-out of my skis, I laid on my back, looked up at the sky, and took deep, calming breaths. In that moment I chose to surrender.

I knew I would be okay.

I also knew that my knee would eventually heal.

In the days and weeks that followed the fall, I surrendered deep into healing. I allowed myself to by supported by those close to me. I embraced the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method, a self-care regimen to reduce swelling and speed up the healing process.

Yet, the truth is, I’ve never surrendered to healing my physical body in this way…even though this wasn’t my first time awkwardly laid out on the side of a mountain in need of medical assistance.

Nearly ten years ago I took a similar fall skiing, albeit on a different mountain, that resulted in a similar injury to my left knee. My response to this injury was to not give in to the pain… I treated the entire experience like business as usual (literally, those are the words my sister used to describe me at that time, ha)! It seemed that I was “too busy” and that I didn’t have time to slow down. Others needed me, work needed me. Years of the corporate grind working nights, weekends, and holidays — years of focusing on my clients’ problems instead of my own, I conditioned myself to ignore my needs.

Feeling and finding love in nature.

My physical body already ached from overwork; my energy was beyond depleted from chronic stress and lack of sleep, so it was easy to ignore the pain from my knee injury. It was business as usual, indeed.

My knee eventually recovered even though it took four months longer than anticipated.

What has changed for me in the last ten years?

Well, I made the decision that I want to LIVE my life completely different and here’s the slap in the face that I needed to take me out of living in autopilot.

“One can die at forty and not get buried until ninety.” Susan Shaughnessy

Big gulp.

Those words landed hard for me.

In that moment, I acknowledged that I was completely miserable. It was clear that my autopilot-way of “doing” life wasn’t working for me anymore. I did not recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror. I was confused by how I ended up here yet, it didn’t matter. I knew it was time to switch out of autopilot to not only be an active participant in my life, but to play the lead role.

My journey so far has taught me that each stumble or tumble along the way is an opportunity for healing — it’s also an opportunity to gain clarity about what matters most.

No, it’s not easy to shift out of autopilot… to stop going through the motions. It takes courage, perseverance and, at times, tears. Yet, when you’re able to shed light on what isn’t working for you, you’re able to get clear about what matters most in your LIFE.

Are you ready?