Sourced: Pinterest

Have you ever started driving and then suddenly you stop and ask yourself “HOW did I get here?” Do you feel like you are just going through your daily motions as if you were sitting in the back seat of your car? If you said yes to either of these questions it’s pretty safe to say you’ve experienced “operating on auto-pilot”.

For some, it’s a survival mode after a traumatic experience. For others, it’s simply not knowing how or even what living with intention means, and a big portion of that boils down to lack of self-awareness.

What is self-awareness? Self-awareness is the “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires”. Being self-aware helps you know your strengths and weaknesses, along with allowing yourself the freedom to be in touch with your feelings but not allowing them to control you (to an extent). We can achieve being self-aware by making conscious choices and being an active participant in our own lives.

Are you wondering how you start?

Start small – ask yourself why you take the route you do for work? The answer could be as simple as “it’s the most time efficient route” – and that answer is great! Asking yourself “why you do what you do” gives you a reason (motive) behind your choices.  While you are asking yourself that question about your choices, start thinking about where you see yourself in 5 years and the potential tasks/decisions it will take to get there. Are your answers lining up with your choices? If not, it may be time to be a little more intentional with your decisions.

A few tips on being an active participant in your life:

• Take care of yourself
• Dream & make a plan for yourself, but be open to adjusting the plan if need be.
• Pay attention to what’s around you.
• Rest & retreat

In a world full of cliché’s you could hop on Amazon and order yourself 20 self-help books, add 20 new motivational quotes to pin to your Pinterest board, or try 20 different yoga poses to “align your chakras” but if your motive isn’t to learn and grow to help you become more present in your everyday life. Opportunity and purpose will pass you by.