Time to turn off auto pilot

When you read a lot of self help and personal development and inspirational material, especially as an entrepreneur, you see and hear a lot of reference to "the treadmill" or the hamster ball, there are other colloquialisms as well - mostly pointed at corporate America, or the average person's life. 

All of these refer to the idea of exerting a lot of effort (running) but never actually moving forward. 

I've seen this all around me in not only my corporate life, but also as I watched my friends and family in serious relationships.

So many people just keep moving on to the "next logical step" because they are on a track like a railroad train. Even though they are not going where they want, it's just easier to keep moving on the path that is clear. I'm sure you can think of countless examples of people in positions, some maybe even high level management positions who get there and turn around and ask "How did I get here?"

I've seen it happen to people in my life in serious relationships as well. My sister as well as a dear girlfriend both ended up in a position where they ended up calling off a wedding mid planning. 

That is an extremely tough thing to do. Looking at all of the planning and the time and the money invested into the wedding, it's easier to just go along with it and not disappoint anyone. Not have to answer questions. But how much more expensive in dollars and emotional breakdowns is it to get divorced? 

I talked with my girlfriend about it at length and she related to me that they found themselves looking at one another and asking "How did we get here?". They were dating long enough that it "just seemed like it was time to get engaged". Thankfully, they had the wherewith-all to realize in time that they were really just super great friends and it was easier to keep dating than to not. 

How many people do you know that don't like their job, maybe even hate it, but aren't looking for an alternative because "it's good enough", "it pays the bills" and it's easier to do nothing.

Life's not meant to be that way. I'm not saying life is easy, or that it's supposed to be easy. But it's supposed to be happy. 

It's supposed to light you up. 

It's supposed to excite you. 

Not 10 years from now, not when you retire, not tomorrow, but today and every day.

That's what life is meant to be. 

Is it time for you to turn off the auto pilot on your life and take the controls?