When The Matrix movie was released in 1999 (yes, it truly was that long ago) it made an absolute sensation. The special effects were cutting edge and over the next couple of years, The Matrix Trilogy attracted a cult following.

As I wasn’t feeling well over the weekend, I snuggled in and watched the first film in this fantasy trilogy again. I’ve seen it a few times but its just one of the those movies you can watch over and over again and not only enjoy, but each time you see it, you are reminded of the strong concepts which lie behind the action.

If you haven’t seen the film then you are seriously missing out. Keanu Reeves is at his finest, brooding, vulnerable, powerful and the ultimate hero. But more than the actors, more than the action and more than the special effects, this series of films has a powerful message at its heart.

Neo’s (played by Keanu Reeves) reality is the world in 1999 – one many of us remember quite well and which is not dissimilar to how we live today. However, all is not as it appears and with his life in danger, he is offered the change to see the world as it truly is. All he has to do is make a choice between a red and a blue pill. One will allow him to go back to his current reality and the other … well the other opens his mind to something he could never have imagined.

As I watched this the other day, I was reminded of the power of the mind. That no matter what you believe you see, there is always more going on that we know.

LESSON #1 – Your Reality Is A Result Of What You Believe

Neo chooses to take a chance on seeing the world as it truly is rather that as he believes it to be. What he discovers is shocking, turns his world upside down and changes him forever. Everything he believed to be true was an illusion, a fabrication designed to keep him focused on the world outside of himself rather than understanding the true power that lay within him. Once he sees the truth, he can never go back to his previous perception.

If reality is simply a reflection of what you already believe to be true, then does it not stand to reason that if you change what you believe then what you experience as reality will also be different? When you expand your thinking, when you step out in faith believing you have the power to create your life any way you wish, miracles can happen.

Anyone who has ever done something for the first time chose to believe that it was possible for them. A baby sees people walking and talking and therefore understand that they can too. Everyone learns at their own pace, some people have an easier time of pushing the boundaries of their current understanding, but anything that you truly ‘put your mind to’ you can achieve.

LESSONS #2 – You Can Always Learn Something New

In The Matrix movie, Neo and his fellow travellers were able to update their mind by way of a computer program. They learned martial arts, they learned how to fly helicopters and they learned everything they needed to know to truly make a difference in the world.

At this moment in time we cannot simply plug ourselves into a super computer and update our programming, but you can learn new skills, new ways of thinking and with practice you, just like Neo learned through training and practice, can create a new foundation for your life.

What we understand about life dictates the actions we take. If you believe you are not very smart, then you will choose a job that doesn’t challenge you. You will settle for something that feels comfortable and that you believe ‘someone like you’ should be doing.

Every single one of us has a unique gift we bring to the world. But you will never find yours if you do not take a chance and push your boundaries by learning something new.

LESSON #3 – Not Everyone Wants To Take The Road Less Travelled

Neo was part of a small group of people who were brave enough to accept the truth of the world they lived in. As they became aware of the truth, they also understood that they could never go back to their safe and comfortable world. One of their members bitterly regretted choosing the pill of knowledge and did everything in his power to return to the illusion of the ‘reality’ he knew previously, even to the point of turning his back on his fellow travellers and betraying their trust.

When you understand there is more to life than you first thought, when you start pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone, you will find that some people will reject you and some will laugh at you. Remember, that we don’t all walk the same path and that sometimes we need to leave people behind in order to follow our own journey. The road less travelled is less travelled for a reason. It requires you to believe in something more than your current reality, to visualise a different future for yourself and to take action towards it.

LESSON #4 – Find Your Tribe

There’s something magical about finding your own tribe. When Neo met Trinity, Orpheus and the others, he was immediately connected to them by their shared experiences. They were a small group of people who saw the world differently, who understood that things were not as they appeared and who had separated themselves deliberately in order to oppose the status quo. They worked together, supported and encouraged each other and each of them had a role to play to keep the others safe.

You might not be interested in changing the world but what about your world? For you to change things in your world and to keep the momentum going towards your goals, you may want the support of others who think like you. They may not have the same set of skills or the same goals as you but the fact that they have a similar mindset, that they believe in the power of the mind to change their reality, makes them your tribe.

LESSON #5 – What You Believe Is What You Can Achieve

When Neo first discovered the truth about the world he had been living in he was terrified. Everything he thought he knew about his life turned out to be a lie. 

Have you ever experienced that?

Maybe you were married and it just didn’t work out.

Perhaps you had a great career and suddenly you lost it.

It can be devastating to realise that the foundation you built so much upon was not as you believed.

There is only one thing you can trust and believe in and that’s yourself. When you truly connect with yourself, you begin to realise that you are so much more than what has happened to you so far. You are much more than the choices you’ve made; the ones which worked out how you hoped and the ones which didn’t.

Neo started to learn and in the process he discovered that the power of his mind was far greater than the power of his body. His mind was capable of pushing him beyond the limits he had previously set for himself. Limits that he had accepted as his own. And in time, he grew to the point where he was able to overcome his limits, he was able to push beyond what he thought was possible for him and he opened up a world of possibility he never previously imagined.

Are you prepared to do this? Are you prepared to put your trust in yourself and take a chance on what you might be capable of?

Perhaps like Neo, you too will find your inner strength, find your belief and maybe you will discover a world you never knew existed.