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Playing the Matrix

Playing the Matrix

A Program for Living Deliberately and Creating Consciously
by Mike Dooley 2017 216 pages
4.24
500+ ratings
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Key Takeaways

1. Thoughts Become Things: Understanding the Power of Focus

You're not here, in these hallowed jungles of time and space, by accident.

You are a creator. Your thoughts, words, and actions shape your reality. This isn't just positive thinking; it's a fundamental truth of existence. You are literally the eyes and ears of the Universe, come alive in the dream of life. Your wish is the entire Universe's command.

Your power is immense. You've always been and will always be a natural-born creator. However, you may not have been taught the truth of your unimaginable power. This doesn't stop it from being true. Understanding this power is the first step to harnessing it.

Focus determines reality. What you consistently think about, speak about, and act on becomes your reality. This applies to both positive and negative thoughts. By consciously directing your focus, you can shape your life experiences and manifest your desires.

2. The Matrix: A Tool for Defining and Achieving Your Dreams

The Matrix also reveals the interconnectedness of our many dreams, and when "played properly" you'll see how they can add to one another, rather than negate one another.

Understanding the Matrix. The Matrix is a tool for getting clear on what you really want, defined in a way that avoids contradictions and detours. It consists of six columns representing the spectrum of reality, from ethereal (thoughts and emotions) to physical (things and people).

Left to right flow. The Matrix illustrates how manifestations flow from left (general, thought-based) to right (specific, physical). Starting with general end results on the left side allows for greater flexibility and success in manifestation.

  • Columns: Happiness, Understanding, Fantastic Five (Livelihood, Abundance, Health, Relationships, Appearance), Physical Type 1, Physical Type 2, Physical Type 3
  • Key principle: Dwell on the left, dabble on the right

3. Knowing What You Really Want: Embracing General End Results

Happiness is the ultimate end result, because it's the only end result that implies all the major cylinders are firing in the Fantastic Five column.

Clarity through generality. Most people struggle with knowing what they want because they've been taught to focus on the "how" rather than the "what." By keeping your desires general, you avoid self-sabotage and create space for even better outcomes than you imagined.

The power of happiness. Happiness as an end result implies that all major areas of your life are thriving. It's not about settling for less, but about creating a life where all cylinders are firing.

Defining your priorities. Focus on 3-5 general areas for transformation, such as:

  • Rock my career
  • Love my healthy, sexy body
  • Be creatively fulfilled
  • Have a vibrant social life
  • Be happier and play often

4. Getting into the Details: Fueling Excitement Without Attachment

To revisit the question of who creates our dreams at night: You would tell me that when I looked into the wild blue yonder of my nighttime dream ... you would tell me that I created all that I saw, right?

The purpose of details. Details are used to generate excitement and emotion for your general end results, not to be the end results themselves. This emotional charge accelerates manifestation.

Visualization guidelines:

  • Visualize once a day for 5-10 minutes
  • Imagine every conceivable detail
  • Feel the emotions associated with your dream
  • Put yourself in the picture
  • Visualize from beyond the end result

Avoiding attachment. Understanding chaos theory helps release attachment to specific outcomes. Like a chaotic dripping faucet that produces consistent results over time, the Universe arranges details in unpredictable ways to manifest your desires.

5. Taking Action: The Importance of Showing Up Consistently

Taking action summons resources, emboldens beliefs, and avails you of life's magic.

Consistent action is key. Taking action means showing up consistently, moving in the direction of your dream to the best of your ability. It's not about getting more spiritual, but about taking concrete steps, even if they seem small or unglamorous.

The Universe responds to movement. For every step you take, the Universe takes 10,000. By taking action, you increase exponentially what the Universe can do for you. This creates opportunities for life's magic to find you.

Diversification is crucial. Unless you're already living your bliss and can afford it, diversify your actions. This reduces stress, creates more possibilities for success, and navigates around unknown limiting beliefs.

6. Navigating the Bermuda Triangle of Manifesting

There's always an infinite number of possibilities until you attach to an unimportant detail—and all details are unimportant.

The Bermuda Triangle of Manifesting:

  1. Insisting on specific details
  2. Messing with the "cursed hows"
  3. Expecting specific behavior from specific people

Avoiding the trap. By keeping your end results general and avoiding attachment to specific outcomes, you allow the Universe greater flexibility in manifesting your desires. This increases your chances of success and often leads to even better outcomes than you imagined.

The power of generality. General end results allow for multiple paths to success and avoid the pitfalls of micromanagement. They create space for the Universe to work its magic in ways you may not have considered.

7. Expediting Delivery: Techniques to Accelerate Manifestation

Pretending changes everything.

Visualization techniques:

  • Script your visualization in advance
  • Feel the emotions associated with your dream
  • Get physical during visualization (e.g., pump your fists, wave your palms)

The power of words. Choose your words wisely; they are your thoughts that will become things the soonest. Speak of yourself and your life as if you were already living your dreams.

Token acts of faith:

  • Prepare the way for your dream's arrival (e.g., rearrange furniture, buy complementary items)
  • Act "as if" your dream has already come true (e.g., have a celebratory dinner party, buy concert tickets for two)
  • Write a letter from the future detailing your successes

8. Embracing Chaos: The Unpredictable Path to Success

Only in hindsight will the miracles become obvious, will you see you were guided, and will you find there was order all along.

The nature of chaos. Like the unpredictable dripping of a faucet that produces consistent results over time, the path to your dreams may seem chaotic and unclear in the moment. Trust that there is order beneath the apparent randomness.

Faith through understanding. Recognize that you often won't see the miracles happening in your life until long after they've occurred. This is where faith, supported by understanding the process, becomes crucial.

Embracing the journey. Your job is to hold the vision of your end result and keep moving forward, even when it seems like nothing is happening. The Universe will arrange the details and create the "coincidences" necessary to bring your dreams to fruition.

  • Trust the process
  • Keep taking action
  • Remain open to unexpected opportunities and paths

Last updated:

Review Summary

4.24 out of 5
Average of 500+ ratings from Goodreads and Amazon.

Playing the Matrix receives mixed reviews, with an overall positive reception. Readers appreciate Dooley's optimistic approach to manifesting desires and his emphasis on taking action. The book's Matrix concept provides a fresh perspective on the law of attraction, focusing on general goals rather than specific details. Some find Dooley's writing style engaging and humorous, while others consider it choppy or overly enthusiastic. Critics note that much of the information can be found elsewhere, but many readers still find value in Dooley's unique presentation and practical exercises.

Your rating:

About the Author

Mike Dooley is a former international tax consultant who transformed his career to become an entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He founded an online philosophical Adventurers Club with over 350,000 members from 189 countries. Dooley is known for his "Notes from the Universe" emailings and his New York Times bestseller "Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams." He has authored books translated into 23 languages and was featured in the popular film "The Secret." Dooley travels internationally, speaking on topics such as life, dreams, and happiness, embodying the principles he teaches in his own life.

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