None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
In our last few articles, we’ve been discussing the benefits of creating a conscious economy. As the status quo becomes increasingly narrow and stifling, more of us are starting to think outside the box in order to explore new ways of living and collaborating in a sovereign society.
When the psychopaths-that-be started using the phrase “the new normal” a couple of years ago, most people did not realize that they intended to normalize living beneath an unprecedented level of authoritarian power.
A contagion of fear is very effective in getting people to rally in favour of their own restriction and enslavement – and fear is propagated through the tangle of societal expectations, family obligations, and conveniences with-strings-attached that prop up the illusion of modern life.
From childhood, we’re told what to think, how to act, and to follow the path of expectations laid out neatly in front of us – and we’re also taught to fear any deviations from the status quo and to expect punishment for misbehaviour. If we don’t make waves and do all the right things, we expect to be rewarded with a “good” life.
But, wait… Good by whose standards, exactly?
In the 1999 movie The Matrix, we come to understand that life is in fact a hollow simulation, yet “exiting the Matrix” is depicted as jarring, painful, full of bleak landscapes, and devoid of pleasure.
The blue pill is the opiate of the masses, while the red pill awakens you to such horrors you may regret ever taking it!
Fortunately, the truth is that there’s always a third path to explore which allows us to be aware of the duality, exit the matrix, and co-create our own version of Zion.
How do we achieve this? By exploring our deeply held beliefs and ideas, and being willing to radically reexamine what we define as a successful life and livelihood.
You can begin by asking yourself some broad questions, and really feeling into your answers.
For example, how much money do you need to feel secure and safe? What things do you need to own, and what things do you need access to, in order to thrive as a human being? What alternate ways are available for you to get those needs met?
Forget the “have-to’s” of modern life, and start looking back across time, to what our ancestors recognized and sought out: food, water, shelter, access to land and natural resources, and most of all – community.
As researcher Gregg Braden says, we are living through a time of extremes. The things we have been taught all of our lives simply may not be as relevant for the uncertain future we are facing – so it’s time to rethink what we’ve learned, release our culturally-conditioned fears, and return to the basics of a vibrant life.
Work, money, and jobs
Millions of us have dealt with extreme financial upheaval over the past two years, and it’s frankly confounding to be told to be patient by those who haven’t missed a single paycheque.
Creating multiple streams of income is important, because with diversified assets, it’s less alarming if one or two slow down or disappear. Many people are being coerced to compromise their medical and bodily integrity in order to keep their jobs – and so amidst a mass exodus from these workplaces, more people are exploring new ways to earn income from sovereign sources – including virtually, informally, work-trade arrangements, and/or being paid in alternate ways.
In the past, it was important to stay with one employer and prove your loyalty over time – but it makes little sense to stay loyal to a corporate machine who treats you like a mindless drone and will cull you without conscience, like a string of faulty data.
It’s important to remember that financial success is not just a measure of how much you make, but also what you choose to spend and how you prioritize your earnings – and even your time.
The Matrix will tell you it’s important (essential, really) to look a certain way, live in a certain style of house, buy the latest trends, watch the popular movies and shows (you don’t want to be left out, do you?), and seek out new experiences – all pay-to-play, of course.
Reclaim your sovereignty and exit the matrix by choosing consciously
Maybe you’ve already been thinking out of the box in small ways, and it’s time to start reflecting on larger changes.
What if you moved house, chose a new location, quit your job, or radically cut your expenses in other ways? How much more money would be available to pursue new things, if you decided to shift your priorities and choose differently?
Living in a supportive place
The environment we live in is such an important factor in whether we thrive or simply survive. This encompasses not just the city, climate, and landscape, but also the zoomed-in perspective of your home environment, the friends and loved ones you connect with regularly, the way your bedroom or kitchen feels, and even how you choose to care for your physical body.
While we don’t all need to move to a tropical paradise, it’s true that our community has a huge determining factor in our overall wellbeing, including our physical health. Even just 50 years ago, communities were often close-knit – neighbours knew one other, waved hello when they drove past, and helped each other out when times were tough.
Today, families may live thousands of kilometres apart and only see each other on holidays or via FaceTime calls. Social support has been swapped for commercial endeavours, and from the nanny to the home health aide, paid strangers are more likely to care for us in times of need than our friends or loved ones.
First – the land is worth consideration. Are you in the city or the country – and do you enjoy the area? Do you live near a body of water, or have access to a well? If you’re in an area with little rainfall and lacking fertile soil, your food is also travelling thousands of miles before it arrives in the grocery store – so gardening or farming is more challenging.
How do you feel about where you live? Consider the land, the soil, the plants, the air quality – the people and communities, the cities nearby, things like noise and light pollution…
Are you in a supportive place, with like-minded people? If not, what can you do to cultivate a more supportive environment, whether on a macro- or micro-level? There might be pockets of freedom and supportive relationships, even if you live in an area where you seem to be the only freethinker for miles. Chances are, even in places that seem generally unfriendly to those who value their autonomy, there are others who think, feel, and hope for a better, more sovereign life…they’re just feeling stuck and alone, like you are. Use your voice, start making different choices, and you might be surprised at who shows up in solidarity alongside you.
How can you increase feelings of freedom, abundance, and joy in your life? Start with those feelings as your main goals and motivating ideals, and then work backward to determine the choices and actions that are likely to get you closer to those feelings. You may find yourself considering new perspectives you had dismissed in the past as too unusual or unconventional!
The duality of the Matrix tells us we’re supposed to choose either red or blue, both of which are problematic in their own ways.
The idea isn’t to break free of the Matrix and then accept a life of self-imposed suffering! It’s recognizing that we’re being presented with a false duality, and choosing to veer off the two-lane course which elitist controllers have set us on.
Where you live and how you provide value are two of the most central ways that most people are compelled to stay within the Matrix:
Live in a city apartment, or a home in a “respectable” neighbourhood. Make friends with your co-workers, do what they do, watch what they watch, and don’t ask too many questions. Stay calm, and carry on. Wait patiently for your paycheque, your vacation time, your weekends, your retirement…otherwise, you’ll surely end up unhappy, poor, and alone.
NO.
If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that NOW is the time to claim your power and sovereignty and recognize that you are truly limitless, if you’re willing to start thinking and making choices beyond the Matrix.
