How To Take Your Brain Off Autopilot + Manifest The Life Of Your Dreams

It’s time to get fierce about change. And it’s going to take more than a little positive thinking to do it right.

Torrie Pattillo said, “If you’re living on autopilot, you’re manifesting on autopilot.” It caught my attention, and I want to explore why. Think of autopilot as your default mindset and actions. The thing is, when you’re unhappy, that autopilot setting is perpetuating what you don’t want.

If you’ve lived on autopilot for a long time, you’re comfortable there. You believe, think, say and do things like you’ve believed, thought, said, and done them for quite some time. That’d be OK if you were living a life that made you smile every day.

But if you aren’t, and you have a vision of a life that includes consistent happiness, you’re going to have to shake things up, get out of your comfort zone, and take some risks.

All your fears, the things keeping you paralyzed and on autopilot (safe, sure, steady, certain) are trying to point you toward happiness. But you’ve never been taught to walk toward that before; you’ve been taught to run away.

To create a life that lights you up, accept that discomfort is going to be your new normal. You’ll have to remind yourself every time you feel that compulsion to run for the hills that something bigger is at stake.

You’ll have to say and do the things that align with your passion, desires, and purpose, even when you’re scared. And it won’t feel good some (much) of the time. You’ll forget. You’ll run away again. And that’s OK because it’s all a part of the adventure. There are no mistakes or failures on this particular adventure—only opportunities to learn more about yourself.

Now, who wants to walk around feeling uncomfortable all the time? Nobody. That’s why this is a warrior’s path. That’s why you see people giving up every day. That’s why your friends, when they see you doing your thing, will call you “too much” and hope you’ll come back down out of the clouds to your normal self again, so they can feel better.

But that’s their comfort zone, and you don’t live to keep them safe and happy. You live to keep you happy. That matters.

You want something different. You want happiness and gratitude to be your default. So you’re going to have to get your warrior on. You’re going to have to fight the feeling of fear every single day. You’re going to have to fight the feeling of unworthiness every single day. You’re going to have to be OK with feeling uncomfortable, every single day.

You’re not alone. Your tribe is out there doing their thing too. You’re going to find them and stick to them like glue so that you’ll be reminded you’re not alone when your old friends fall by the wayside. Celebrate that moment.

The people who fall off are making room for others who will lift you up so high you’ll wonder how you ever breathed without them. Let those others fall away. And don’t look back.

Autopilot is for people who aren’t able to stand the discomfort of reaching for their dreams, who are better at excuses, and who are afraid of failure. Autopilot is not for warriors. The perseverance required to do “you,” no matter what people call you, is badass.

Be a badass. Show other people who are contemplating badass that it can be done. Give other people permission to be warriors.

If giving other people permission to be their awesome selves is the only reason you fight your fear and do your thing some days, then do it. Because that’s what changes the world.

Unconscious patterns of doubt, fear, shame, self-sabotage, and negative thinking are more ingrained than we think. Don’t settle for any thought, word, or action that does not align with the dream you hold for your life. None. That’s going to take a fierce, unapologetic discipline—constant rejection of autopilot thinking. You’ll be tested by your friends, co-workers, classmates, partners, and family.

Don’t give in.

When you’re worrying about the next step, wondering how something will turn out, afraid of not being/doing/saying enough, just keep forging ahead. Shut down the worry (it’s a waste of your world-changing badass warrior time) and push through to awesome/productive/positive/aligned thoughts. Do this every time those thoughts creep in.

That’s the practice. It’s not easy. It’s worth it. It creates magic.