Matt's Audio Letter of the Week

Hey everyone, and welcome to this edition of the Feel Better Letter, or the FBL.

This is Matt.

And this is the first letter for 2026.

Today, I want to talk about having a vision for your life beyond fear.

A lot of what I see that keeps people stuck is that they’re trying to mitigate, manage, and cope with the symptoms they believe—or perceive—they’re not supposed to be experiencing.

The idea becomes: If I cope enough and implement the tools enough, I’ll eventually get to a place where I can live the life I want.

But more often than not, people don’t actually know what that life is.

In fact, many people make coping, struggling, and managing their symptoms—whether that’s intrusive thoughts, anxiety, panic, chronic pain, or anything else—their entire practice in life.

And the problem with that is it keeps you focused on the problem, not where you want to go.

If you really want to get better—and I mean truly get better—you have to understand that it’s not about information.
It’s not about coping.
It’s not about managing.

There has to be a point where it hurts that you’re not living the life you know you could—and should—be living.

The desire for the life you want has to become greater than the discomfort of the emotions, thoughts, or sensations you’re experiencing.

There has to be a flipping of the scales.

Because as long as you’re focused on trying to get rid of the symptoms you don’t want, you inadvertently create more of them.

Your life becomes about:
Am I having thoughts today?
Am I having feelings today?
If I’m not, when are they coming back?

And even when you’re symptom-free, you’re still afraid of them returning. Your entire life stays centered around symptoms.

That’s how the cycle keeps repeating.

Recovery isn’t about healing symptoms so you can finally go live your life.
It’s not about solving problems.

Recovery is about creating an entirely new existence.

It’s about creating a completely new way of interacting with life—a new version of you.

The version of you that exists inside the problem—whether that’s OCD, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, or anything else—is not the version that will create the life you want.

And the life you want is achievable. You wouldn’t even desire it if it weren’t.

But you can’t remain who you’re currently being and create a new reality at the same time.

Recovery is about creating an entirely different life experience.

And interestingly enough, that has nothing to do with managing symptoms.

So if you’re entering this year wanting something different—wanting something better—you have to be willing to let go of who you’re currently being and what you’re currently practicing.

Because if that approach was going to work, it would have by now.

You have to want the new life more than you want your symptoms to go away.

You have to become deeply invested—almost consumed—with creating what you want, rather than managing what you don’t want.

That’s what true transformation is.
That’s how it happens.

As I move into this year, one thing I feel called to do is work more closely with people in a one-on-one capacity.

There are seasons in my life where that really aligns, and after the last couple of years—with a new baby and a lot going on—this year feels like one of those seasons again.

So if you’ve been listening for a while, or if something in today’s message resonates, and you feel ready for meaningful change, I invite you to fill out an application.

I’d love to talk with you, learn more about what you want, and see if it feels like a good fit.

With that, I wish you a great day, a great month, and a great 2026.

And what I want to leave you with is this:

Create a vision for your life that exists beyond fear—and make that your focus.

Because doing so will naturally require you to let go of the version of you that created the loop you’re currently stuck in.

If working together feels right or you feel nudged toward it, fill out an application. There’s no risk and no obligation.

And let’s talk.

All right—talk to you soon.