Waking Up from Autopilot
You know that feeling when you reach for the same mug every morning, or take the same route home without thinking?
It’s small, but it says a lot about how most of us live, guided by habits and patterns we barely notice.
We wake, work, react, and repeat.
And somewhere in the middle of all that movement, we forget to actually be here.
It’s not that we’re doing anything wrong. It’s just that much of life runs quietly beneath awareness.
Old stories, fears, and learned responses steer us in ways we don’t see.
In my work, this is often where we begin by slowing down enough to notice what’s been running the show.
The Pull of the Familiar
The mind naturally reaches for what it knows.
What’s familiar feels safe, and safety feels like control.
That instinct once protected us.
But now, it can keep us stuck in roles or routines that no longer fit.
We stay where we’re comfortable in work that doesn’t feel alive anymore, in relationships that run on habit, in identities that feel too tight.
Familiar doesn’t always mean right.
Sometimes it just means known.
The first step is seeing that pattern, noticing when we keep choosing comfort over what’s true.
The Unseen Patterns
The unconscious doesn’t announce itself.
It shows up quietly, in small ways:
Saying “yes” when we mean “no.”
Repeating the same relationship dynamic with a new face.
Dismissing what we really want because it feels too uncertain.
Holding on to old roles because letting go feels risky.
These patterns aren’t mistakes, they’re strategies.
They once helped us stay safe, loved, or in control.
But over time, they start to limit what’s possible.
The work I do is about noticing these quiet patterns, not to judge them, but to understand them.
Because once we see them clearly, they lose their grip.
The Echo of the Mind
You can see how this works in the world around us too.
Click on one kind of post online, and soon your feed fills with more of the same.
It’s comfortable but it also narrows your view.
Our minds do that too. They filter reality through what we already believe.
We start to see the world not as it is, but as we expect it to be.
Awareness interrupts that loop.
It opens a small window and through that window, something real can enter.
The Smallest Pause
Awareness doesn’t come from effort. It begins in a pause.
That moment when you notice yourself reacting, rushing to fix, please, or defend and choose to stop, just for a breath.
In that breath, something shifts.
You see the space between what happens and how you respond.
From there, new choices become possible.
Not the kind you force, the kind that arise naturally when you’re fully present.
Try it sometime.
Catch yourself mid-habit, mid-scroll, mid-defence, mid-people-pleasing and pause.
Notice what’s really happening underneath.
That moment of seeing is where the real work begins.
Living Awake
The work I do isn’t about fixing or striving.
It’s about remembering, coming back to awareness, to presence, to what’s true right now.
Shadow work, mindfulness, self-inquiry, they’re all just ways of meeting what’s already here with honesty and curiosity.
The more we can see ourselves clearly, the less we’re ruled by what’s hidden.
That’s the quiet power of this kind of work.
It doesn’t make life perfect.
It just makes it real.
And from there, things begin to move, naturally, and in their own time.
With love and light,
Cindy Schmidt
Owner, Wild New Way Jungian Life & Relationship Coaching
wildnewway.com | 970-985-2416 | 813 Main Ave, Suite 201, Durango, CO
If you're feeling stuck in your relationships, unsure of your purpose, or simply looking for deeper meaning and fulfillment in your life, as a Certified Master Jungian Life and Relationship coach, Cindy Schmidt can help guide you toward greater self-awareness, clarity, and connection.
Through the lens of Jungian Psychology and Eastern Philosophy, you'll gain a deeper understanding of your inner world and develop tools to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and grace. If you're ready to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and growth, take action now and book a Complimentary Clarity Session with Cindy. The benefits of this work are immeasurable, and the possibilities for your life are endless. Don't wait another day to start living your most fulfilling, authentic life.