Many of us go through our days responding to situations and
individuals without pausing to consciously consider whether our responses are in alignment with our highest values -- our best selves. We could be said to be operating on "autopilot" -- reacting to life in ways we have unconsciously adopted and become attached to. We often fail to notice that some of these habitual actions are
fear-based, defensive reactions which are not actually serving us well.
The secret to engaging our higher selves to influence our responses seems to lie in pausing and taking a mental step back to be aware of the present moment. This brief shift out of autopilot creates a spaciousness in which we can make more conscious choices.
