“If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”

Life’s strange, but that quote from the matrix always makes me think how true it is that perception is projection. We make assessments on situations and circumstances based on an interpretation of what is real rather than approaching the world objectively – sometimes not even with our own interpretation.

We make up an insane list of rules which become our reality, policed by biased expectations and models of the world.

We judge ourselves based on the opinion or view of others, then build a reality forged by habits and influences leading to a life flowing by.

We create false, limiting beliefs on every essence of what we do.

We react to the daily snippets of other people’s highlight reel,

Smiles without the conflict.

Cars and Houses without the late nights and stress.

Abs without hunger.

Dreams and goals in reality fueled by time away from loved ones and sleepless nights.

We waste time in stress and rage about things that really don’t matter or can be resolved.

And then we weigh it all up with luck and use that all as a yard stick to test or justify our own version of success.

The fastest route to happiness is taking a deep breath, forgetting what anyone else says thinks or does, and focusing on your personal reality. Just do you. Just f***ing do it.

Turn the voices off. Don’t put anyone else anywhere near the driving seat of your progress that doesn’t have a vested interest in you making it to your destination. Don’t even let them change the radio station.

Figure out what makes you tick, who you love, what you love, your perfect vision and grab it all with both hands. Use it to drive the rest forwards to a point where it starts working out.

If it isn’t harming others, then do what you need to do for your soul and accept when that doesn’t fit others’ models of the world.

Reality is your perception, you can change how you interpret it, which means you can change what you make possible.

It just takes action, not excuses.

Process, not wishes.

Ownership, not blame.

Development, not dwelling on wasted feelings.

At cause, not at effect.

Work and life isn’t a balance, it’s a harmony. Symbiotic. Do some good, Embrace it all, enjoy it all.

Live life passionately, step by step, which can’t be done by settling for a life that is less than the one you know you are capable of enjoying.

When all’s said and done, life is short. Really short. Don’t take a year or ten to realise that you’ve spent so much time finding that out the hard way, just do.