"Do not try and bend the spoon - that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth: there is no spoon. Then you will see it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself." Rowan Witt as Spoon Boy to Keanu Reeves as Neo, The Matrix

Mar 19 2018

I can't.

I can't do it.

It's impossible.

Like most humans, I am flooded with thoughts like this most hours of the day. I can't deal with that frustrating student one more day. I can't figure out how to improve my finances. I can't finish writing this stupid fucking book.

I can't. It's too much. No one could do this.

Forget all of the action sequences the cast and crew of The Matrix trilogy spent years sweating over. Forget the months of martial arts and weapons training. Forget the aching joints and permanent injuries. Forget the practical effects and special effects. Forget the camera tricks and lighting, forget the editing, forget the killer soundtrack.

This is my favorite scene: Neo meeting the oracle. It turns out that the oracle is a wise, older black woman with a house full of children and she's baking cookies. She's funny, she's clever, and she tells Neo exactly what he needs to hear.

But first, he meets a boy bending spoons just by looking at them. This advice that the boy gives Neo becomes a mantra he repeats to himself later as he transitions from ordinary mortal to The One: "There is no spoon."

I need to start reminding myself of this quote more often, because it always, always, always works on me.

Annoying student? There is no spoon.

Running low on cash? There is no spoon.

Haven't finished writing the book yet? There is no... actually, spoons are specifically mentioned in the book.

Dammit.

PaleDNN Twitter

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