Matt's Audio Letter of the Week

All right—hey everyone, and welcome to this edition of The Feel Better Letter, or the FBL. This is Matt.

Today, I want to talk about the idea that everyone knows how to get a six-pack of abs—and really cross that with the idea that most people actually know how to get better from OCD and anxiety.

It’s really not a matter of information that prevents people from getting better.

It’s not that information is being withheld, or that there are people protecting it and keeping it from you.

It’s more about your willingness to actually create the inner transformation that’s necessary to get results.

And that transformation happens internally, not externally.

So what do I mean by that?

Well, if I asked you, “Hey, how does someone get abs—a nice six-pack of abs?” the answer is pretty straightforward, right?

It’s: you need to be losing fat in your body. If you’re storing fat—especially around your belly—you need to lose it. The way to do that is to be in a calorie deficit.

You can do that by either eating less—so your body starts burning the stored fat—or by working out to burn calories, while still maintaining a calorie deficit. Or you can do both.

Now, people who think calorie deficit diets don’t work—just watch the show Alone. Right? They go out into the woods, and every single person, within a short period of time, loses a lot of weight because they’re not consuming as many calories as they’re burning.

It’s just math.

Then there’s also the component of strengthening and toning your body—doing pushups, crunches, weightlifting, whatever it may be.

If you do those things, a six-pack will eventually form.

Now, I’m sure I’ll get an email or two about some factors I’m not considering—but for the most part, that’s the basic gist. And it applies to most people.

So, same thing here with breaking free from OCD and anxiety.

It’s a matter of asking: “Am I doing things that are perpetuating this loop of fear?”

And if I am—why?

And how do I actually break the loop?

If we understand fear as an energetic or emotional experience—which is just energy in motion—then we can start to get somewhere. When I say energy, that’s what an emotion is.

We differentiate emotions because they feel different. Right? Fear feels different than anger. Anger feels different than acceptance. Peace and love feel different than both of those.

So we understand that we experience different emotional states.

And what happens with fear is that we get caught in loops that become self-perpetuating.

Fear creates fearful thoughts, which creates more fear, and more emotional energy. And when we resist those experiences, we engage in compulsions to give ourselves temporary relief. But that relief creates a circuit—and that circuit becomes self-perpetuating.

Once you understand that, the goal is not to eliminate the thoughts or feelings—but to break the loop itself.

I talk about this a lot.

Even though people tell me they understand this, the things they’re doing often indicate they’re not implementing it.

There’s a big difference between understanding an idea and implementing it.

Like I said—everyone understands how to get a six-pack. And if it’s something they want, very few people actually implement it.

It’s not a matter of missing knowledge. It’s about what it takes to actually go from where you are to where you want to be.

That’s an internal process.

It means diving into your belief structures, your identity, your emotions, your thoughts—all the patterns that lead to behaviors, which then create the reality you’re experiencing.

So when we talk about breaking the cycle of OCD and anxiety, one thing we really have to understand is that looking outside of ourselves for answers—as if it’s information we’re missing—is usually not the issue.

Sure, there might be some nuances you haven’t learned that can help. But ultimately, it’s about the inner transformation needed to help you implement what you already know.

That’s why something like Taking Back Control exists.

Taking Back Control is not about bombarding people with information until they magically transform.

It’s about actually facilitating the implementation of transformation—whether that’s shifting beliefs, building responsibility, developing discipline, gaining accountability, or finding community support.

And when people run into roadblocks, it’s about helping them identify and overcome them. That’s where real transformation happens.

So if you’re seeking transformation and you're looking outside yourself right now, come back to the simple realization: you already have the answers.

And if you’re positioning the answers as something external, you’re likely avoiding the very work you know you need to do.

Most people don’t need to read 15 books on how to get six-pack abs.

People often hide in information to avoid doing the work they know they need to do—or to avoid getting the support they know they need to help them do it.

That’s why we enroll in programs. That’s why we seek support.

We don’t get support for the information—we get support for the implementation.

The reality is, most people would do a lot better reaching their fitness goals if they worked with a one-on-one trainer.

Group classes can also be great. But going at it alone? Most people fail with that model.

Same thing with mental and emotional health.

If you want transformation, you need guidance and accountability. And again—it’s not about the information. It’s about all the intangible things that come with support, structure, and commitment.

Knowing what to do is maybe 20% of the battle.

The other 80%? That’s actually doing it—consistently—until the transformation happens.

Just wanted to share that today.

Hope it’s helpful. Wishing you all a great day and a great week—and I look forward to talking to you soon.