When Autopilot Drives you to Bad Behavior

My children were sitting at the kitchen table painting, laughing, humming and really enjoying themselves.  My first instinct was I should get them more paint. Then deep awareness set in.  They don't need more paint they are doing just fine with the materials they have.  I was kind of stunned to be thinking that. How many times have I impulsively done something on autopilot? Am I really a more more more kind of person? Insert randomness (that is how my mind works people) I instantly began to think about learning to drive a stick shift.  There is so much involved. When driving I was forced to pay close attention especially on hills or I could roll back and hit someone (which by the way is how I got in my first accident). Another thought did my fear manifest that accident? I digress...  Now, all I do is get in the car and bam autopilot.  It scared me forging more thinking.  What else is on autopilot?  I did not like the answers.  When my children enjoy something I think we need more so they can prolong the enjoyment.  If I can't find a bed linen I must go an purchase a new set. If my dishes don't match perfectly I should buy a set that does. I realize that the autopilot response is to go and get (horrified).

There is a small problem - autopilot mentality does not work with my true nature.  I SO don't like a lot of stuff nor do I like to waste.  As I began to clean out the kids cabinet I noticed we have a plethora of stuff (paint included) that we don't use.  You see it takes a lot of effort to come up with creative ways to reuse and not buy.  At that very moment, I was grateful for the awareness of autopilot mentality syndrome.  It brought me great joy to step back, notice the behavior and think of ways I could re-route the behavior - to shift my consciousness.

Interestingly enough after noticing my thought patterns we were taken to see The Lorax which drove this point home a little more.  Sometimes in order to really shift your consciouness you need many (in my case a lot of many) different ways to soak up what you are trying to shift. If you haven't seen the movie it really makes a case for the way our society has become driven by profit and greed (in my opinion). I have a led a very fortunate life and am interested in teaching  my children that less is more.  How can I do that if my first impulse is to buy more?

In what ways are you shifting your consciousness? How do you remove yourself from autopilot?

Here's to less is more and I have all that I need :)...