Waking up to your life

Have you ever looked up and realised you’ve been moving through life … but not really living it?!

Like you’re doing all the things, ticking the boxes, getting through the to do lists, juggling the demands of family, work, home and life but somewhere along the way you’ve become a bit disconnected from it all?

Just going through the motions, living on autopilot!

That’s where I found myself recently and to be honest I didn’t even fully realise it at first.

It’s funny because years ago when I first started life coaching, one of the things I felt most passionate about was helping people live intentionally. I even created a little BREATHE philosophy around it (if anyone remembers those days!)

But sometimes life has a way of pulling us off course doesn’t it?

Busy seasons creep in! Responsibilities build and the noise gets louder and before we know it we’ve slipped back into survival mode, doing what needs to be done but not really stopping to ask ourselves why.

Recently God’s been gently waking me back up to this.

For a while he kept putting Ephesians on my heart and one evening as I sat down to read I got stopped in my tracks by this verse …

‘Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.’ Ephesians 5:15-16)

And just like that I felt this gentle conviction in my spirit and I knew God was speaking to me. As I paused and began to reflect I realised that the way I had been living lately was anything but intentional!

In fact it was quite the opposite! I’d been rushing around a million Rushed , distracted, a bit reactive.

But you know what, I think so many of us are living like this without even realising.

We live in a world that constantly pulls at our attention. There’s always more to do, more to achieve, more to keep up with. Add in phones, social media, the endless scrolling, the pressure, the noise and it’s no wonder we end up feeling disconnected from ourselves, from the people around us and from God.

But I just don’t believe that’s how we were made to live! I believe God created us to be intentional with our lives, to be present, to live ‘on purpose’ not on autopilot. That’s what intentional living is to me, it’s simply living on purpose. It’s having an awareness of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and checking in to see if it’s aligned with where God’s leading you and what actually matters most.

The thing is if we’re not careful, it’s so easy to drift! We get caught up in habits that don’t always serve us! We drift into saying yes when we mean no, we start scrolling, binging, overthinking, overcommitting, reacting! And then stress and frustration starts to build, and I don’t think it’s just because life is a bit crazy at times but because deep down, we know that something just feels a bit off.

We know we’re out of alignment!

So how do we wake up!?

For me, it starts with awareness. Looking at how I’m spending my time, because what we spend our time on often reveals what we’re prioritising. It’s asking the right questions like what am I giving my time and energy to? What keeps filling my days? Am i saying yes to things that feel like I should be saying no? Am I saying no to things that should be yes!

Then I look at my habits because our habits literally shape our lives. How am I starting my mornings? How am I ending them? Am I making space to be still, to pray, to read the word, to listen to God? Or am I waking up and instantly reaching for my phone!

Am I ending every night mindlessly switching off with Netflix or am I taking a minute to reflect, to be grateful and to think about my day.

And then there’s our thought life. What am I allowing to take up space in my mind? Am I taking my thoughts captive or letting them run wild!? Are they just running the show on autopilot? This is such an important observation to make because our thoughts shape so much more than we realise.

Then, relationships! Who am I surrounding myself with? Are the people around me helping me to become who God called me to be? Are they encouraging me, pointing me back to truth, uplifting me?

Even our environment is worth paying attention to. What am I consuming every day? What atmosphere am I creating in my home? What words am I speaking over myself and my family? All of these things matter. Because they are shaping us and the direction that we are heading with our lives.

And finally I think intentional living is about making space to hear God again. To slow down enough to notice him, to let him speak to us, to realign us, and remind us who we are and to show us what he’s calling us into.

I truly believe God has placed dreams, passions, gifts and purposes inside each of us. Things he wants to bring to life, ways he wants to use us. But it can be hard to pursue those things when we’re stuck on autopilot.

So maybe this is you’re reminder today to pause and check in.

To ask yourself honestly: Am I awake to my life? Am I living intentionally? And if the answer is no that’s ok.

Awareness alone is such a great first step and from there change becomes possible.

And if this is something you’re wrestling with, if you feel stuck in autopilot, out of alignment, disconnected from yourself, from God or from the life you know you’re called to live, this is exactly the kind of work I love to do through life coaching.

Helping women slow down, get clear on where they are going, live more intentionally and make changes that bring then back into alignment with where God’s leading and what matters most.

Sometimes that looks like breaking old habits, creating healthier rhythms. Sometimes it’s uncovering the dreams God has placed in your heart and finding the courage and clarity to pursue them.

Whatever it is you haven’t always got to figure it out on your own.

If you’re longing to live with more purpose, intention and peace and want someone to walk alongside you in that, I’d love to support you.

Pop me an email at hannahroseministries@gmail.com or check out my 1:1 coaching and we can have a chat!

Wishing you all a beautiful and blessed day.