In the movie The Matrix, Neo is advised not to try to bend the spoon, but to instead try realize the truth: There is no spoon. He is then told that it isn’t the spoon that bends, it is only himself.
Neo cannot manipulate reality and bend the spoon, he can only change his own thinking. By confronting his preconceived ideas of how the world works, he can change his thinking, and as a result, his reality.
This encounter with the spoon is actually a pivotal point in the story. The Matrix has all these “rules”, like gravity and time. They are lies the Matrix tells his brain. Once Neo realizes this, he can do what he needs to do in the story as “The One.” He gains more confidence and power.
Neo can fly and do all sorts of “matrix-like” things because he realizes what he was taught about gravity is a false construct.
By realizing that there is no spoon, you can challenge all that you have learned that may or may not be true. It can open you up to new opportunities and ways of achieving your dreams.
On a larger scale and fundamental level, as children we are programmed to believe certain things that may or may not be accurate. Think about things you grew up believing that have been proven wrong as you’ve gotten older and gotten more life experience.
I’ll give you can example of my thinking, which is rather embarrassing, but here goes. When I was a child, I didn’t believe I would be able to get married in a church because I didn’t have a relationship with my father. How could I be walked down the aisle by my father if he wasn’t around? My godfather wouldn’t be able to do it because he had been murdered. Who did I have?
The limited information that I had about getting married was based in fear of judgment and came from a place of lack. I was very young, so that is to be expected, too. I also grew up Catholic during a period of time when divorce was frowned upon. And I was uncomfortable asking the question of who would be able to walk me down the aisle. As a result, I assumed if I did actually get married, it would have been in Vegas after a series of some bad decisions!
But seriously, can you imagine if what I believed about the process of getting married wasn’t ever challenged? That would have been sad. It never dawned on me that my uncle, who ended up being a father figure to me, would be a great person to walk me down the aisle. Or that I could do any kind of ceremony I wanted to do. It didn’t have to conform to the rules I had formulated in my own mind. There were options, Carlyle. (Yep, that’s from Twilight when Edward tells Carlyle he needs options.)
The lesson here is that once you can break yourself free from previous conditioning and beliefs, a whole new world of possibilities opens up for you. And it is waiting for you. All you have to do is free your mind.
