While watching it again recently, I had some thoughts about how The Matrix is represented in our own day to day lives and how maybe we could reduce its presence in 2012 and use some of its ideas to make our lives happier and more meaningful. In the movie, The Matrix is described as a computer generated dream world built to keep humans under control in order to use them as a source of energy somewhat akin to a battery cell. Those who are part of the matrix are unaware of its existence, they are happy in their ignorance that what they believe to be real is reality. Then there are those who have escaped from the Matrix, their reality is not so sweet but it represents Truth as opposed to the superficiality of the dream world. What does this imagery say about our own lives? Are you a battery cell? Is your life spent pursuing the goals of others? Do you like to ignore the things you know need to change in your life or have you accepted the truth and the responsibly that comes with that knowledge? Coming to the end of another year is the time to take stock of our lives. To think about the past year and whether it has been a good one, and what parts can be improved upon. Is it time for change, for advancement, for improvement? Are you leading a life of your choice?
Achievement List
Start by looking at the achievements of the past year. They may be work-related or personal achievements. Maybe a sporting achievement or a habit you managed to break. Make a list of all the achievements from the past year. Far too often we achieve great things but we don’t’ give them enough acknowledgement. We tend to move on and focus on the next goal or objective. Now is the time to sit and acknowledge the good things, to celebrate and feel good.
Looking Forward
After looking at your past achievements, now take a look forward, what still needs to change? Do you still need to make changes and adapt things to make the coming year happier and more successful? Often people tell me they don’t know what they want from life and therefore don’t know what goals to set. If this is the case let us use The Matrix to give us some ideas where to start. Take some time to think about those questions and then look towards another great lesson to be learned from the Matrix both for our personal productivity and our general success. This comes from one of the ideas throughout the first movie that the main character Neo may be “The One” — the one is who is not going to do things the way they are always done, the enlightened one, or the awakened one. So maybe it is time to wake up — and wake up what needs to change.
Doing things differently
Einstein once said: If you want to make changes in your life you need to change the way you are currently doing things. So many people whine and moan about their unhappy lives, how circumstance has dealt them a raw deal. If you are unhappy with the hand you were given go out and get a different set of cards and deal yourself a new hand, make changes, step outside your comfort zone only by doing things differently will your reap the results that you desire A new year is time for change, but now is the time to plan that change, to think about the commitments you are going to make for yourself and for your world. It’s time to wake up and embrace the truth in order to make 2012 one of the best yet.
