Wake Up…
The Matrix has you.
Follow the white rabbit…

KNOCK,
KNOCK,
NEO

A lot of things actually…
An image
A system
A network
Data tables / points,
System and mathematical equations…

But…
Most of us associate the word matrix with…

The movie about a simulation.
Or… A fake reality or controlled society.
Allegorically speaking the concept of the matrix predates the movie.

Samsara — cycle of rebirth driven by craving/ignorance; escape = enlightenment.
Plato’s Cave — shadows on the wall mistaken for truth; leaving hurts;
Gnosticism — the material world as a trap/false creation; awakening through hidden knowledge (gnosis).
Buddhist “illusion” framing (often simplified) — misperception creates suffering; awakening changes what “real” means.

Some think that this reality is actually a simulation. 
I’m not here to prove it is or isn’t. (it’s been talked about to death)
So why am I referencing / rambling about The Matrix like it’s 1999?

Well it’s not for nostalgia…
Most interpretation of the Matrix and similar concepts frames the perceived reality as…
“A prison for your mind.”

But…
The matrix doesn’t actually have you (Your Mind)
Your mind isn’t in prisoned in a simulation or reality.

Because our mind isn’t anywhere. (There is no spoon)

Your mind is the simulation.  🤯
But before you think I’m just high… Here me out. 

Last article we explained how our mindset is how…
Our brain operates thinking, beliefs. Actions, choices and so on…
Basically… Mindset is how we perceive and interpret reality.

So…
You can’t unplug or escape from the matrix  
(Unless you’re dead… God how I wish…)

But you can change it…
Not in a stopping bullets in mid air kind of way… 

But in a shift your lifestyle and perceived reality to a new one kind of way.
Not in a pseudoscience / spiritual mumbo jumbo wu wu kind of way.

But with actual proven science! Here’s how…

Welcome to…
MIND OS:
Chapter 3:  Metacognition
(How to stop bullets mid air… Figuratively speaking.) 

Body = Hardware
Brain = CPU
Mindset = Operating System
Thinking = Software / Applications

Your nervous system is the security.
And it’s aggressive.

If it senses:
Embarrassment.
Rejection.
Failure.
Uncertainty.
Past memories…

It locks the system. Fixed OS Closed Source mode.

“BEEP BEEP BEEP!” / “BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!”
The Alarm blares loudly. 
“Fck why didn’t I go to bed sooner.”
“If I press snooze l won’t get any significant rest.”
“But if I Uber I can sleep for another 2 hours 30 mins.”
You would think someone writing about mindset would instantly choose discipline.

Hell Nah.
That’s the sad part,
I didn’t give AF. I wanted to sleep. 
But then something I learned from Atomic Habits came into my mind.
Put what you crave after the desired action. 
“If we wake up now we can get breakfast.”

Growth.exe launched and loaded. 

In Atomic Habits,
James Clear explains:
Systems drives behavior more than motivation.

So when my alarm went off…
It wasn’t willpower vs laziness.
It was: Nervous system vs discomfort.

The night before I stayed up til 1:48 AM. 
Until I realized I had to wake up at 5:55 AM. 
Got into bed then proceeded to toss and turn. 
I check the time it’s 2:46 AM. Listen to one guided meditation video after another. 
Then to finally wake up abruptly by my alarm. Fixed OS isn’t just about safety and comfort. 

In Thinking, Fast and Slow,
Daniel Kahneman explains:
Most decisions are automatic.
Fast. (Impulsive)
Emotional.
Protective.

Not logical.

Sooo… Me doomscrolling…
That was dopamine seeking.
When I couldn’t sleep till 2:46AM…

That was stress.
Fixed OS isn’t just about comfort.

Goals vs Systems
I want discipline.
My system wants sleep.

Thinking vs Doing
I know staying up till 1:48AM was dumb.
I still did it.

Awareness vs Action
I understand habit loops.
I still scroll.

The Illusion of Control

See…
Willpower isn’t some infinite power source.
It’s a battery that drains every time you make choices, resist impulses, or juggle uncertainty.
Decision fatigue: Is the more decisions you stack/ make…
(what to wear, what to eat, how to respond, what to start first),
The more your brain starts defaulting to the easiest option like…
Avoidance, procrastinate, scroll, snap, or pick the quick reward.

The fix is NOT “try harder,”
It’s design smarter system:
Reduce unnecessary choices, create defaults, and automate.
So your willpower is reserved for the decisions that actually change your life.

Self awareness lets us know that we’re doing something wrong.
but how do we use that to do something right?

Well it’s all meta. 
Metacognition is catching the default mid-launch.

When you’re stuck, open the console and run this check:

AGAIN!!!!
Metacognition = opening the console and asking:
What state am I in right now? (growth vs fixed vs Low Battery)
What triggered it? (stakes, fatigue, audience, shame)
What app is running? (rumination, avoidance, curiosity)
What does this app optimize for? (safety? image? control? growth?)
What’s one update I can install right now?

Area → Fixed OS Default  → Trigger → Growth OS Update → Patch
Example row:

You can’t think your way into Growth OS if your body is in threat.
Regulate first → then reframe.

Mantra: “Calm installs updates.”
The 5-Minute Recovery Protocol (Install Growth)

Use this when you’re spiraling or procrastinating.

1) Reduce threat (1 minute)
Say: “This is a threat response, not a honest reveal.”
2) Lower the stakes (1 minute)
Convert “performance” → “practice.”
“This is a rep. Not a verdict.”
3) Shrink the task (1 minute)
Define a minimum viable step: 2–10 minutes max.
4) Run an experiment (1–2 minutes to start)
Ask: “What would I try if I couldn’t fail?”
Then do the tiniest version.
5) Log the data (30 seconds)
Write: Trigger → App → Patch → Result
(You’re training your OS, not just finishing a task.)

Old me thought The Matrix was external.
New me realizes it’s internal.
Old me blamed society.
New me audits patterns.
Loser snoozing alarms.
Legend launching Growth.exe.
Not perfectly… But consciously. But…

Not really… See that sounds good…
And all but I’m fckin…
STRUGGLING YALL!

This past week I have been struggling with depression.
I went back to my old coping strategies! 
I started to smoke again.
Got drunk last night. 
What’s worse…

I think about harming myself & those who wronged me every night. JK
It’s hard for me to stay positive or consistent even as I write. 
I want to fckin diee… (But I can’t and won’t)

I don’t want pity, or to play victim…
But to be honest on my journey.
The good, the bad & the ugly.

So…
Next issue we will tackle how to target depression and ADHD.
Till next time…
-Loser Logging off.

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