The Perils of a Blind Auto Pilot.

A couple of things happened this morning.

Firstly, I have started writing my next book, and typically before I started it became a very different animal to the one that I had been planning.  One of the themes is fuzziness and running on autopilot.

Then I read a quote that said, ‘the greater your fear towards something, the more you should confront it.’

And then I thought about how often I hear people complain bitterly about something that repeatedly happens to them in their life, but totally refuse to do anything about it.

Simple things, like complain they never get invited to anything, but refuse to go when they do get an invitation.  Or complain that they never get calls, but don’t call anyone themselves.

Or more significantly say how much they hate their job, but don’t make any effort to find another one.  Or even make the one they have better.

People complain they are poor, but make no effort to save, or earn more money.  Some choose to spend their money on short term solutions, that do little to help and often make things worse.

It can take effort to realise you are in a rut, and even more to take a single step out of it. 

There is a lady I know that has 3 children I think, and a partner that seems to take her for granted.  She is often looking for work that will allow her to be a mum and make a few more pennies, probably for food and clothes.  Her intentions are always positive.  However, every time a potential job, or opportunity appears, she runs from it as fast as she can.  The reasons are always totally valid, justifiable reasons, but they are always good enough to allow her to feel OK about not taking that step.

I think we’ve all been there.  Ask yourself, honestly.  When was the last time you did something that annoyed you, yourself and you did nothing about it?  Obvious examples are the need to diet, or stop smoking, or drinking.  It was five years for me, between knowing I should stop drinking, and actually doing it.

But it might be letting other people push you around, or regularly buying things because other people did, or said you should. Or been afraid to be yourself because of what other people might say.

It’s hard to stand up to other people.  We are all afraid of not being part of the pack in some way.  It’s hard to stand up to a bully, especially if we live with them.  It’s even harder to deal with a bully, if that bully is you. And you are your main victim.

So, I go back to those statements at the beginning.  Are you living in a fog? Either self-induced, or enforced by someone else. 

Are you prepared to face the fear that comes with facing those issues?  What could be worse than staying where you are?  What could (will) be better?

How many movies do we watch where the hero does exactly that?  Most of them?

Pick one thing today that you could change, that scares you, and change it.  Just one small thing.  Make a phone call that you’ve been putting off, say ‘no’ when you would normally say ‘yes’, say, ‘yes’, when you would normally say, ‘no’.

Pick something, I’ll 99% guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

And pick something else tomorrow.