The Red Pill — Josh Levent

Unfortunately, no one can be told what the matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Remember: all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more.

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When I was a Teenager, I wanted to be an actor. It all started around 16 years ago, when my parents sent me to acting summer camp. I fell in love with telling stories from the stage.

Well, today, I’m no actor. But I still tell stories. I want to share with you four true stories from my life, that have taught me the most important lessons on happiness, emotions, love and time.

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Number One: Happiness.

I was a sad teenager. I was on the Internet a lot. One day, I asked the internet, What is the meaning of life? The internet gave me a book and in that book I met a wise man. So I asked him my question. What is the meaning of life? He said: “Do you want the blue pill or the red pill?”

I took the red pill. And the wise man showed me that happiness is a choice, made in every moment. With practice and discipline we can become happier with our lives as a whole, even as we face pain and suffering. That day, I learned that happiness was not something that came from the outside, but something that came from within.

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Number Two: Emotions.

I was fired from my dream job. I asked my mentor, What did I do wrong? She said, “Do you want the blue pill or the red pill?”

I took the red pill. She said “You lack emotional intelligence.” At the time, I didn't really know what she meant. She showed me that emotional intelligence was the cornerstone of great leadership. Without respecting and harnessing the great powers that emotions give us, we cannot be leaders at all. That day, I learned how to stop trying to hide my emotions and start using them instead.

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Number Three: Love.

My girlfriend died. I asked the Universe, Why? And the universe asked me if I wanted the blue pill or the red pill. I took the red pill.

The Universe showed me that even though I would never see her again, she continued to teach me how to give love as purely as she has given it to me. To her, love was not just an emotion, but also a way of being in the world. That day I learned that to experience love, all I had to do was give it unconditionally.

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Number Four. Time.

It was the sixth day of a silent meditation retreat. Time stood still. I crouched down next to a giant snail. It was slowly eating a dandelion leaf. I watched it for a while and asked, “What is time?” The snail said:

Unfortunately, no-one can be told what time is. You have to experience it for yourself.

Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more.

I was hungry for the truth, so I took the red pill. The snail showed me that the only time is now. The past is memory and the future is illusion. That day I learned how to live in the present moment.

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These are four of the most important stories of my life so far. But the truth is, there was never a blue pill. We cannot end the story, wake up in our beds and believe whatever we want. If there was a blue pill, I might have taken it at least once. The truth is, there is no turning back. The only thing we can do, is go forward, take the red pill, and see how life unfolds.

We can’t go back. But we can still learn from the past. The red pill represents the truth. And the truth is a story. Taking the red pill isn't just moving forward. It is to weave our past into a story that teaches us something and makes the future better. Stories define our lives.

What is your story?

Friends, after this, there is no turning back. Take the red pill, and see how deep the rabbit hole goes. All I am offering you is the truth, nothing more.