Joey Atlas

What would you do if you learned there was an invisible matrix keeping you out of shape, unhealthy and unhappy?

What if someone showed you the hidden field of negative forces that surrounds you, and prevents you from being your best self?

Would you want to know how to break out of it? Would you want to see how to release yourself from its destructive grasp?

Or would you prefer to stay “in it”, and remain a victim of its evil influence and harmful impact on your life and that of your loved ones?

If you want to see “the way out”, then read on…

Do you remember the movie, “The Matrix”? If not, no worries…

The movie itself was/is fiction, but it provides a perfect analogy for the world we actually live in… Or the world we “think” we live in.

Let me explain…

About 88% of the population (give or take a little) is unhealthy, unfit, out of shape and suffering emotionally. (when you’re out and about – just take a look around you. My number will be VERY accurate, I promise.)

And it would be very easy to say, “Well, it all comes down to personal choices and habits, and most people make choices that keep them in that horrible rut of constant decay and withering wellness…”

There is truth to that, but, there’s more to it than just that superficial attempt at an explanation of destructive human behavior that is far too common.

There’s the constant force-field that surrounds us all the time… Their surroundings are made up of a “collective mindset” that dictates the similar habits of most people – and in the process, unfortunately reinforces the false “normalcy” of behaviors…

See, being out of shape (for some/most this means overweight), low on energy, unhealthy and feeling like you’re only living up to half your potential in every regard (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, etc…), has become “normal” in our society…

That is why about (est.) 88% of the population falls into that category… because it’s “normal”. Not good, but normal, as in ‘the norm’.

Understanding what lies at the foundation of the Matrix of Negativity is critical in allowing yourself to break free from it.

So, let’s focus on what I refer to as ‘the commonly accepted norms of average living’. It’s first important to note, I don’t use that term in a demeaning way, it’s simply an identifier, categorizing society’s ‘common mode of operation’.

For example, from a reactive conversational perspective, how many times do we hear phrases such as;

“Oh, I hate exercise…”
“I’m not into fitness and working out…”
“Eating healthy is boring…”
“I need my wine….”
“I work all week, why would I want to hike in nature on the weekend…?”
“I don’t like to sweat…”
“Oh, she’s a real health nut…”
ETC…

And from a physical surrounding perspective, there are endless places of consumption that literally surround us at every turn, such as;

– Restaurants and food buffets
– Bars and snack food/drinking establishments
– Dessert shops (ice-cream, chocolate, candy, cup-cakes, etc..)
ETC….

There is more supply than what we actually need, let alone the quality of what’s on display. But I’m not blaming the elements that make up the matrix, I’m calling for people to ‘wake up’ and take responsibility for their own thoughts, choices and actions.

I’ve done this myself, against tough odds, so I KNOW it can be done. Even by YOU.

Let’s dismantle ‘the matrix of negativity’…

Here are some examples of “the matrix” in action in our daily lives:

1 – People We Look to As Leaders and Examples of Behavior Mislead Their Followers

This is horribly rampant on social media. For example, the amount of ‘perfect’ bodies and ‘health gurus’ spewing absolute nonsense is deeply frightening to say the least. More on that in a future blog post, I promise.

But for today’s article, let’s take a very simple example:

Most people, especially students, assume school teachers are ‘smart’. But many of them keep stashes of processed foods and sweets in their classrooms to give to their students as treats and rewards.

The students ‘assume’ the smart teacher wouldn’t feed them harmful foods and therefore the students generally assume these processed food items are “ok” for them, sending the quiet message that this is what they should also shop for and feed themselves when not in school.

Not good a good lesson.

On the other hand, hats off to the small percentage of teachers who are “aware” enough to stock only healthy foods and treats for these purposes. And even more so to the teachers who share/teach the reasons why they supply healthy foods instead of unhealthy ones for their students.

2 – Parents Who Sit and Watch Their Kids Practice

Soccer practice, baseball practice, gymnastics practice, tumbling practice, football practice, dance practice, lacrosse practice, ALL practices…

I’m stunned at the number of parents who just “sit and watch” their kids practice several times a week – and at the same time complain about their own personal fitness, their body, their energy, their health issues, etc….

Your kid doesn’t need you to watch them practice. They DO want you to watch their games, but practice? No, that can be YOUR time.

YOU should make creative and worthy use of that time FOR YOU. Exercise while your kid practices. Listen to some upbeat music, or listen to The Fitness Whisperer Podcast while you go power-walk. Or find a playground nearby and do one of the fitness training sessions from the Free FIT for LIFE Fitness Program.

Your child would rather you ‘invest in yourself’ so you can be healthy and AROUND for them years to come from now, hopefully around to see your grandchildren, and even able to play with them!!

But that’s not likely to happen if you continue on the sedentary path combined with harmful eating habits. It’s not rocket science. It’s cause and effect. Simple.

DO NOT get stuck in THE Negative MATRIX with all the other parents who “pull up a chair” and sit… Rather, be the one who steps out of the negative matrix and into your positive matrix. It is very possible you will meet a few other people in the Positive Matrix, and maybe even influence a few others to ‘make the shift’ with you.

3 – Your Social Circle Is More Interested In Happy Hour and Joking About Their Lack of Fitness

Your current group of friends is one of the strongest zones of the matrix that surrounds you. This can be good – but more often, it is not.

The collective mindset and habits of that group of people are the elements that have DIRECT influence on you.

This isn’t personal, it’s simply an observation of time-tested, and proven, human nature. Generally speaking, humans prefer to be lazy. On top of that they also prefer social activities that passively bring immediate rewards and instant gratification. Naturally, that is eating and drinking.

It’s not hard to figure out why the majority of the population is overweight, horribly out of shape, and battling endless health issues.

Sitting, eating, drinking… Repeat daily – and you have the ingredients for living in constant misery, depression (a major issue in the matrix of negativity), premature aging and health decay.

The evidence of this is highlighted by the rise of disease and deteriorating health of humanity as a whole. There’s no need for me to cite references and research studies on this. Again, as I mentioned up top – just observe what you see when you’re out and about in your daily routine. The proof is overtly obvious.

Sure, you may love your current friends and their company, BUT, if you’re ready to make a personal shift toward a positive mindset, lifestyle and healthy, life-enhancing outcomes – then a change in who you surround yourself with and who you are connected to is most likely in order…

And don’t see that as an obstacle – but rather as an essential stepping stone on the path of personal growth, self awareness and positive evolution toward your best potential.

Just because booze-bars exist and happy hour is on their social media ads, doesn’t mean you have to go and be part of what is best for their business, and best for your friend’s short-term fixes and emotional band-aids (daily or weekly numbing with alcohol is a temporary band-aid for many)….

And Another Observation About “The Booze”

Quite often I’ll find myself running into the local supermarket to get some fresh veggies, fruit, salad items, etc… (this is part of my matrix of positivity)..

And when my food-shop drop-in happens when lots of poeple are heading home from work (around 5:30/6pm-ish), they are also stopping in to get groceries… And SO MANY people are stopping in to get their daily dose of alcohol (in Florida, most supermarkets sell wine, beer, spirits)…

Men and women alike, placing some crappy foods on the checkout belt, along with a few six-packs, or a few bottles of “their vino”… Clearly out of shape… Guys have their odd-shaped bellies hanging over their snug belts, and women usually wearing outfits baggy enough to hide everything under”, or sometimes just wearing whatever they can squeeze into, not really caring how it all looks…

I don’t say any of this judgmentally. It’s simply observational… Observed in a loving way, and I’d be more than happy to hand any of these people my materials for free, if I knew they wouldn’t be offended by the gesture.

“Just as easy as it is for these people to make their daily purchase of booze and bad food and then go home and eat it – is as easy as it could be for them to find a fitness activity they enjoy and go do that instead. And then eat a healthy, life-enhancing meal after that…”

Again… Simple. (I’ve gone through this and done it myself, so I KNOW it can be done.)

YOU must choose what is best for you and what will lead you to the outcomes you desire. Let’s move toward doing exactly that by exposing one more aspect of the matrix…

The More Insidious Aspect of The Matrix of Negativity for Us to Master

Constant intrusions on your time and mental space have become ‘the norm’ because of technology and because people allow it to happen.

When you consider random phone calls and texts, of which probably only a small percentage are of real importance or meaning, we realize these common distractions result in time wasted on unnecessary communication – time that could be spent in productive, life-enhancing, enjoyable activities.

Then, when you throw in Facebook, Instagram and any other social media that eats up your personal time, WITHOUT you benefitting directly – you can easily start to see how the matrix of negativity is keeping you pinned down.

“The road less traveled is filled with less travelers because it does require self-discipline, self-awareness and self-management – but those who go there are living a much happier, fulfilling, peaceful and rewarding existence…”

It’s your choice now. You have full awareness. I have shown you what you need to know.

Which path will you travel?

Which matrix you will live in?

As I wrap this up, before I give you the “Action Steps”, it will help if I put this into context for you…

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon as I finish double-checking this, one I could have spent at the beach, stand-up paddle-boarding, but there’s tomorrow for that. So, I’ve just spent most of the day, tucked away in the corner of my local Starbucks, across from the SCULPTAFIT Studio in Saint Johns, Florida, writing this post…

Why? Because I care. And I am “able”. I’ve been given a gift and it’s up to me to use it. Likewise, you’ve been given the gift of life. Will you abuse it, or will you use it constructively and get the most out of it in the most positive ways?

I want to positively impact YOU and anyone else we can get this in front of. I know people need a helping hand, the proverbial ‘life-saver’… Let’s make this article save some lives. Text it to a friend… Use the share buttons below. Share it however you wish.

Action Steps to Break Free from the Matrix of Negativity

1 – State your awareness of “The Matrix” that surrounds you
2 – Admit how you’ve let it influence and impact you in negative ways
3 – Identify the aspects of the matrix you will change and the reasons why
4 – Claim your actions steps and PLACE them in your schedule, on your calendar
5 – Review your progress daily at the end of the day and at the start (keep a simple pen/paper journal)
6 – Aim for gradual improvement, each day, week and month, NOT for perfection
7 – Observe the Negative Matrix evolve into a Positive Matrix, that surrounds you and supports you, as it becomes your ‘norm’.
8 – Return here to share your progress, observations and breakthroughs in your Matrix of Positivity, in the Comment/Reply box below…

If you enjoyed this, and/or if it has positively impacted you, please post below, so I know I this was time well spent, not just for me – but also for YOU.