Breaking Out of the Matrix — How to Take Control of Your Life and Create a More Fulfilling Future

Breaking out of the matrix sounds like fun, but what exactly is the matrix anyway? Maybe you’ve seen the film The Matrix (and if you haven’t, I am judging you), and it felt a little too abstract or other-worldly to relate to. You can think of the matrix as a set group of things that affect the way situations develop. In our lives, we may hear the phrases, “It’s my lot in life” or “That’s just the way it is” to describe situations that we feel are out of our control. I know I’ve felt that way before — like the hand I was dealt is all I have to work with. But if you’re familiar with the film, you’ll recall that Neo, the protagonist and Chosen One, began to experience glitches, or moments of clarity and reality that were out of the norm.

Don’t get too excited; we won’t be catching bullets mid-air any time soon. But I want to encourage you to consider the abnormalities in life and to embrace new paths for a more freeing future as an entrepreneur, business leader and — most importantly — as a human being.

Related: 7 Steps to Living a Fulfilled Life

The mundane

Think for a moment about what your typical day looks like. Then a typical week. And finally, a typical month. Do you notice any patterns? Habits? Do you wear the same outfits like a cartoon character every day? Sometimes I feel like Wednesday Addams with the amount of black I wear. Do you drive the same route to work and stop at the same coffee shop? Do you end up having the same conversations and small talk with people you see regularly? Here’s the point: When we aren’t thinking too deeply about the things we do, we end up repeating them over and over again.

As author and neuroscientist, Joe Dispenza explains, the same thoughts lead to the same actions, which lead to no new or significant changes. You don’t have to think when you’re in the matrix of life. In fact, the matrix doesn’t want you to think. And that realization was the moment I knew I needed to make a change in my life. I didn’t want the same things to keep happening. I wanted adventure and growth that would leave me fulfilled. So, I started looking for glitches in my daily life.

Get glitched

When I think of glitches, I used to associate them with something going wrong or awry. “My car engine isn’t working, it’s glitching.” “My laptop is glitchy.” Or, a regular for me when I stumble over my words: “My mouth is glitching.” But ever since I’ve opened my mind to abnormal experiences, I view glitches simply as little moments that seem odd or curious and need attention.

For example, if a stranger strikes up a conversation with me about a recent book or author I’ve just started reading (true story), that feels like a glitch in the matrix. Something broke through in that moment and connected us in a strange way. Another time, I was cleaning out an old wallet and found a Health Savings Account (HSA) debit card from two jobs ago, and I happened to log into my account — surprised it was still active — and discovered hundreds of dollars just sitting there. Thirty minutes later (remember, this is also a true story), I got a call from a medical provider whose first question was, “Do you have an HSA account that can cover this expense?” Glitch? Well, some might call it synchronicity or luck or divine intervention.

But it’s moments like these that are out of the ordinary and indicate, at least to me, that there’s been a breakthrough. The key to these experiences is to ride with them. Embrace them. Don’t shrug them off as weird instances (but they are weird, I 100% agree). This is where the magic happens.

Related: Embrace the Unknown to Transform Your Life

Not the Magic Kingdom, but still magical

Let’s take a moment to pause here. You don’t have to believe in magic. Or miracles. Or anything in the realm of the intangible. But if we want to see an undeniable change in our lives, a “quantum flip” if you will, we must be open to the mystery of the magical. These are the stories we love to read about: the person who faced multiple tragedies and later became a world-famous movie star. Or the child who suffered unbelievable trauma and became a multi-billionaire by helping others (Keanu Reeves and Oprah Winfrey, respectively, in case you were wondering).

Perhaps in your personal life, you’ve witnessed a loved one turn their circumstances around to experience a fulfilling, exciting life. We may ask how it happens. Well, it happens in those moments of fear, anxiousness and hesitation. It happens in those moments when you just go for it. When you take a wrong turn or when you pick a new coffee shop, unafraid of doing something different, and you allow whatever is around the corner to happen. Life is waiting for you to shake it up.

Be freed

These moments are small, seemingly insignificant decisions that could totally free you from the matrix. In my life, I’ve experienced quantum flip moments many, many times. One in particular was when I made the tough decision to quit a fairly stable but problematic job. The decision was made without a backup plan, and it put my family in a one-income situation that scared me. Within two weeks, however, my lost income was more than made up for with the small business my husband and I operated.

I took a leap, and it liberated me. I felt freed. I felt a trust within myself I had never felt before. And that trust is really a major point in this piece of written content. I want whoever is reading this to be freed. Freed from the stress of your high-paying but miserable managerial position. Freed from the burdens of financial forecasting or debt you’re taking on as an entrepreneur. Freed from the fear of what to do next or of not doing anything at all and becoming complacent.

Related: How to Get Your Conscious Mind in the Driver’s Seat and Create Control in Your Life

Whatever being freed from the matrix means for you, whatever your desire is, I hope with all my heart you find your freedom. It starts small, so small. But believe me, however small you think your start is, the payoff is huge. Switch things up. Take a new route to work tomorrow. Wear your hair differently. Say hello to a stranger. Quit your job and hop on a plane. This life we live is full of surprise and mystery, and the best part is that it isn’t only for a select few. It’s for us all. And if your “lot in life” sucks, pick a new lot. We only have one life to live. Don’t you want control over yours?