Breaking Free from Autopilot
Author Shwetha Sivaraman shares her guide to navigating life with clarity, calm, and connection.
Most of us sleepwalk through our days and call it a life. We say we are fine, but we are far from it.
We endure work, are barely present in our relationships, feel emotionally overwhelmed, and struggle to do the bare minimum. Moreover, there’s no incentive to change because it’s not ‘that bad’. So, we continue to suffer through our days, enduring the non-stop chatter in the minds of our doubts, worries, and fears until we hit rock bottom and are forced to change our ways.
But what if we didn’t wait for illness, accidents, or loss to be our wake-up call? Imagine if we allowed self-awareness and consciousness to shake us up from our autopilot ways of existence!
Life on Autopilot Mode
On autopilot mode, we continue cruising at the busy pace set by the external world without contemplating the direction of our progress. Autopilot living goes from out to in—where our actions, choices, and desires are prescribed by society or the people around us.
But we are unique beings with distinctive gifts to contribute to the world that can only come forth when we break free from autopilot living and get intentional. To do that, we must drop the busyness and find our balance, change the direction from in to out, and generate clarity on who we are and what we truly want from our lives.
Intentional living begins with regulating our nervous system, moving away from constant stress and fight-or-flight mode to a space where we are physically grounded, mentally calm, intellectually alert, and spiritually connected. Notice where you can slow down the breakneck speed of modern lifestyles and create spaces for reflection.
Once we are out of survival mode, we arrive at a resourceful space to explore possibilities and generate clarity. The journey to finding clarity begins with reconnecting with our true selves.
Self-Discovery Exercise
Here is an exercise from my book Far From Fine:
Describe yourself outside of your job, relationships, and external identities through a metaphor. An object or another living being that captures the essence of who you are, a symbol that reflects your core nature and aspirations. It could be the ocean, a butterfly, a candle—any natural element, animal, object, or entity you deeply resonate with.
When we expand our sense of self beyond our jobs, external identities, and societal stereotypes, clarity emerges on what is most meaningful for us to pursue in this brief life.
All the answers we are seeking lie within. The question is whether we are done settling for mere existence and are ready to ask for more from life. If you are, Far From Fine is your roadmap to personal transformation and discovering your true potential.
Far from Fine is now available both online and at your nearest bookstore. Check our website for the latest updates.
About the Author
Shwetha Sivaraman is a corporate banker turned self-mastery coach, passionate about maximising life for herself and others. She founded ‘Being Meraklis’ in her quest to understand what it takes to live a good life and support others in the journey of becoming. Through podcasts, workshops, and coaching, she facilitates the journey from self-awareness to self-transformation, so high achievers can find both success and peace.