It’s Claire McGee. The Smart One.

You’re going to love this episode. It’s stupendous.

If you’ve ever been in a position in your life when it was difficult for you to see beyond the forest, then you will discover how to do just that from Claire right now.

This is something about which Claire wrote a lot in her book, I Believe Therefore I Am. (If you don’t have it already, then what are you waiting for? Get it now!)

Now, with Claire’s dulcet voice to guide you, you’ll learn how to overcome whatever is in your way at any time. Maybe that time is now?

Listen on, my friend — and believe!

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The theme song for Claire McGee – The Smart One is the song “Smart 1″ by the KoStarz, an incredible R&B group from Chicago. To hear the song in its entirety, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGRXzs4SZE. To learn more about this gifted young group, please visit http://www.reverbnation.com/kostarz.

Welcome to this, our first episode in what will hopefully become a long-running series of episodes from consultant, coach, and resident “Smart One,” Claire McGee.

You’ve met Claire here before this. She has been interviewed here as she is the author of the amazing and life-changing book I Believe Therefore I Am.

In her first episode of her “The Smart One” teleseminars, Claire will answer a question that probably has been on your mind…

Does the Law of Attraction really work?

Listen to Claire’s answer. And then think for yourself. And then believe.

You’ll see why we’re calling Claire “The Smart One.”

To learn more about Claire, please visit www.ClaireMcGeeConsulting.com.

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The theme song for Claire McGee – The Smart One is the song “Smart 1″ by the KoStarz, an incredible R&B group from Chicago. To hear the song in its entirety, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGRXzs4SZE. To learn more about this gifted young group, please visit http://www.reverbnation.com/kostarz.

The article will be posted soon.

The article will be posted soon.

If you’ve been following us, the first four exercises trained us to get into the “state” of relaxation and receptivity. We now know how to keep ourselves still, how to relax, how to quell our thoughts, and how to “let go” of discordant feelings.

With Week Five, we began our studies into visualizing, a most important aspect of personal development. Hopefully, you’ve mastered Week Five’s exercise — and had some fun with it! If so, let’s progress to Week Six…

The Exercise in Week Six of The Master Key System

24. In order to cultivate the power of attention, bring a photograph with you to the same seat in the same room in the same position as heretofore. Examine it closely at least ten minutes: Note the expression of the eyes, the form of the features, the clothing, the way the hair is arranged — in fact, note every detail shown on the photograph carefully. Now cover it and close your eyes and try to see it mentally. If you can see every detail perfectly and can form a good mental image of the photograph, you are to be congratulated; if not repeat the process until you can.

25. This step is simply for the purpose of preparing the soil; next week we shall be ready to sow the seed.

26. It is by such exercises as these that you will finally be able to control your mental moods, your attitude, your consciousness.

The Exercise for Week Six Explained

This exercise will be building within you two important skills: attention to detail and the power to recall. In doing so, we will be building our ability to visualize.

With a photograph in hand, take your seat in your usual place. (On the call, I explain the importance of having a place that you do these exercises.) Once you are there, get into the “state” as you learned in the first four exercises. Next, study the photograph. COver it and then recall it from memory.

That’s about it! Mr. Haanel‘s instructions are pretty easy and clear.

The Benefits of the Exercise for Week Six

As Haanel wrote, you will be cultivating your “power of attention.” This is huge! It’s your ability to look at something and notice details that not many other people do. By mastering this exercise, you will be learning a technique that could turn you into the next Sherlock Holmes.

Along with that, you are training yourself to keep yourself in the “Now” rather than running on autopilot playing with the shibboleths in your mind. How many times have you met someone who just “wasn’t there” with you? Thus, they didn’t notice much — if anything — of what was occurring about them.

How many times was that person you?

Yes, we all get preoccupied at times. Sometimes we have a pressing concern on our mind. For too many people, though, this is a normal state of being. Even worse, they really have nothing on their mind! They’re trapped with their shadows, never noticing anything around them.

By taking the time to make note of the things around us, we begin to pay attention to all the things around us.

Digging even deeper, as we develop this power of attention, as we study a problem or research something in which we’re interested, we will see those details that others miss. Those details can then become the basis for our fortune! The examples of this happening are practically limitless.

This exercise — and skill — is very important. Master it!

Tips for the Best Practice of Week Six’s Exercise

The best tip for mastering this exercise is to follow Haanel’s instructions exactly: Use a photograph of a person. Do your best to use your same seat and place as you usually do. Notice every detail. Take your time with it. Practice until you get it right.

That’s it. Nothing fancy.

It’s funny how sometimes the more important exercises are the simplest ones. This is one of those times. It’s simple, but oh so powerful.

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything…

With this exercise, we move beyond the “foundation” laid out in the first four exercises. Now, we have our first “taste” of visualization.

While it is not visualization proper, it is an exercise in focusing, concentrating, and creating mental pictures.

I have found — and my Master Key Coaching clients have found — this exercise to be fun and helpful. I think you will, too. So, let’s get on with it!

The Exercise in Week Five of The Master Key System

29. Now, go to your room, take the same seat, the same position as heretofore, and mentally select a place which has pleasant associations. Make a complete mental picture of it — see the buildings, the grounds, the trees, friends, associations, everything complete. At first, you will find yourself thinking of everything under the sun, except the ideal upon which you desire to concentrate. But do not let that discourage you. Persistence will win, but persistence requires that you practice these exercises every day without fail.

The Exercise for Week Five Explained

Charles F. Haanel organised the exercises in The Master Key System perfectly. You will come to realize that as you explore them.

The first four are what we have come to call the “foundation” exercises. They built the foundation upon which all of the subsequent exercises will be laid. These exercises are essential for getting you into the “state” so that you can easily do the remaining exercises and so that you will be receptive to the results that you are seeking.

So, with the first four exercises mastered, we have this exercise for Week Five.

As usual, you are to take your regular seat and assume the position that you have been mastering since Week One: sitting with your feet on the floor, your hands on your thighs, your back erect, your eyes closed. Once you are there, you are now to make a “complete mental picture” of a “place that has pleasant associations.”

That “place” can be anything you wish! Your childhood home. A farm you visited. A beach. A city. An office. Any place!

The key is to make your mental picture “complete.” You want the picture to be very detailed, very lush, and very realistic. You are aiming to such a detailed picture that it is almost a “virtual reality.”

Within this exercises, Haanel anticipates that it may be difficult for some people. Those people may not be very “visual” people. He does ask that we persevere, though. And we should!

Haanel is building within you the ability to picture anything you wish in your mind. As we’ll see, those pictures will be  very important. That’s why for this exercise, Haanel is starting us with something simple: visualizing a place that we enjoy. That makes it an exercise that we will want to do! After all, it is fun to reminisce or fantasize about a pleasant place. The difference is that we are not doing either: we are visualizing and aiming to make the picture complete and detailed, to “see the buildings, the grounds, the trees, friends, associations, everything complete.”

Do your best and make your vision as complete as you can. With practice, you will be able to see it perfectly!

The Benefits of the Exercise for Week Five

Much like going to a gym will increase your ability to run longer or lift heavier items, this exercise will begin to awaken or it will strengthen your ability to create mental pictures. You will be able to almost lose yourself in the details of your mental images.

That can be and will be a very powerful tool for you.

This exercise will also begin to fire parts of your brain you may not have been “using” prior to this.

Also, this exercise, when fully perfected, will just make you feel good. Seriously. I have heard time and time again from folks who do this exercises and actually feel themselves at the beach or on the farm. It’s amazing! They often state that afterwards it’s like they had a small vacation.

Tips for the Best Practice of Week Five’s Exercise

You can practice this exercise anywhere. To really get this exercise mastered, the key is to select just one place and continue to return to it.

The people who don’t perfect this exercise generally have one thing in common: one day they “go” to the beach; the next they “go” to their favorite city; and so on. They never just select that one place!

And that is the key here.

By selecting just one place and for one week continual revisiting it, you will access those details that your brain is storing and activate them. With each pass, you will be adding details after detail, until your picture is “complete.”

So, select just one place! Just one! And run with it.

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything…

In this exercise, you will effectively master your ability to relax physically as well as mentally. You will master the control of you body and your emotions. You will learn to allow yourself to attain the “state” of physical and emotional control and well-being that will set you apart from the masses.

In short, you will learn to be a master of yourself rather than a plaything of circumstances. You will see your intellect rule and over-ride your emotions, thus allowing you to cast aside feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, and any other emotion that serves no useful purpose.

The Exercise in Week Four of The Master Key System

29. Last week I asked you to relax, to let go physically. This week, I am going to ask you to let go mentally. If you practiced the exercise given you last week fifteen or twenty minutes a day in accordance with the instructions, you can no doubt relax physically; and anyone who cannot consciously do this quickly and completely is not a master of himself. He has not obtained freedom; he is still a slave to conditions. But I shall assume that you have mastered the exercise and are ready to take the next step, which is mental freedom.

30. This week, after taking your usual position, remove all tension by completely relaxing, then mentally let go of all adverse conditions, such as hatred, anger, worry, jealousy, envy, sorrow, trouble, or disappointment of any kind.

31. You may say that you cannot “let go” of these things, but you can. You can do so by mentally determining to do so by voluntary intention and persistence.

32. The reason that some cannot do this is because they allow themselves to be controlled by the emotions instead of by their intellect. But the will guided by the intellect will gain the victory. You will not succeed the first time you try, but practice makes perfect, in this as in everything else, and you must succeed in dismissing, eliminating, and completely destroying these negative and destructive thoughts because they are the seed which is constantly germinating into discordant conditions of every conceivable kind and description.

The Exercise for Week Four Explained

The exercise for Week One was to keep your body still. That allowed you to gain control of your physical being.

The exercise for Week Two was to inhibit your thoughts. That allowed you to gain control of your thoughts.

The exercise for Week Three was to relax your physical body. That allowed you to achieve a physical state in which you can lose your tension at will.

The exercise in Week Four brings all of those ideas into one grand exercise in which you will learn to achieve a state of physical and mental well-being — a state that is necessary for one to achieve if you wish to not only get great benefits from the rest of the exercises in The Master Key System, but from any other technique in personal development that you may wish to explore.

Why is this so important?

Haanel explains why in point #32: “…you must succeed in dismissing, eliminating, and completely destroying these negative and destructive thoughts because they are the seed which is constantly germinating into discordant conditions of every conceivable kind and description.”

You must learn to master “letting go” of the feeling and emotions that damage you more than you imagine. Remember that one of the main points of studying The Master Key System is to learn how to think, how to really and truly use your brain.

Most people don’t. They allow their emotions to sway them, to rule them. Fear rules people. Anger moves people. Jealousy sways people. We see these in operation every day in others. And generally, the result of these operations are not very good. In fact, they are destructive.

Worse than that, those emotions enslave people in a web of shadows. Thus, Haanel writes that this exercise — this next step — will secure for you “mental freedom.”

The Benefits of the Exercise for Week Four

The benefits of this exercise are multitudinous. As already stated, it is necessary to master this exercise — to be able to achieve this “state” — so as to gain the benefits of the subsequent exercises in The Master Key System as well as any other personal development tools you wish to explore.

If you cannot rule your body and mind, then you are a still enslaved by perceptions and shadows — the shibboleths of your mind. Thus, pursuing any tools for your advancement would be like exercising in a gym only to return home and eating bad foods and indulging in bad habits such as smoking or excessive drinking. You gain nothing once all is said and done. Your good works are for nought.

Thus, the benefits of mastering this exercise is, to put it simply, just about everything! Your ability to “let go” frees you from the “world without” and puts you in command of the “world within.” It severs you from the world of circumstances and places you in the seat of ownership.

Master this exercise. The consequences of doing so are far-reaching.

Tips for the Best Practice of Week Four’s Exercise

The great thing about these first four exercises is that they can be practiced almost anywhere. Waiting in a doctor’s office? Do the exercise. Sitting on a bus? Relax and do the exercise. Have a break at work? Do the exercise.

You should have a “place” that you can do the exercises, though, Especially Week Four’s exercise. Here’s why.

Many people will find it difficult to “let go.” You may find it difficult to do so. You can do it — and you will do it — because you will relate it to something you do almost every day.

Let me ask you this: Do you work during the week? Do you have the trials and tribulations that most of us have during the week? A yelling boss? Indifferent co-workers? Tough commute? Impatient customers? Repetitive work?

Now, do you look forward to the weekend? Of course you do! That’s when you can leave that world behind and get on with your life. On Friday evening (or afternoon), you leave work and feel as if you unburdened yourself of the yolk that you must bear during the week and you look forward to enjoying life without the hassles of the office.

That’s exactly how you should view doing this exercise and why you should have a place where you can sequester yourself. Your place is going to be your “safe zone” — the place where you can get away from it all. And when you enter that place, you can feel exactly as you do on a Friday afternoon: as if you were relieving yourself of all the troubles and worries of your work week. The only difference is that you will be allowing yourself to drop (“let go”) your negative emotions — “hatred, anger, worry, jealousy, envy, sorrow, trouble, or disappointment of any kind” — and enter a state of relaxation, placidity, and perhaps even bliss.

Over time and with practice, you will be able to do this anywhere. Are you getting annoyed because you’re stuck in traffic? With mastery, you will be able to lose those feelings and become at peace with the situation. Did someone anger you with something they did? You will be able to drop that baggage and tend to the situation with tact and calmness.

And that will make you something that most people are not: a person to be admired and followed. A person of dignity, tact, and thought.

Mastering this exercise will change you — for the better.

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything…

The exercise for Week Three is very important — more important than many people realize. You must master this exercise to not only take advantage of all of the exercises in The Master Key System, but also to take advantage of just about any other personal development techniques you may wish to explore.

It is my hope that this teleseminar and article will make it clear why that is so.

The Exercise

29. For your exercise this week, I will ask you to go one step further. I want you to not only be perfectly still, and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but relax. Let go. Let the muscles take their normal condition; this will remove all pressure from the nerves and eliminate that tension which so frequently produces physical exhaustion.

30. Physical relaxation is a voluntary exercise of the will and the exercise will be found to be of great value, as it enables the blood to circulate freely to and from the brain and body.

31. Tension leads to mental unrest and abnormal mental activity of the mind; it produces worry, care, fear, and anxiety. Relaxation is therefore an absolute necessity in order to allow the mental faculties to exercise the greatest freedom.

32. Make this exercise as thorough and complete as possible. Mentally determine that you will relax every muscle and nerve until you feel quiet and restful and at peace with yourself and the world.

33. The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function and you will be surprised at the result.

The Exercise for Week Three Explained

The exercise for Week Three of The Master Key System seems simple — deceptively so. Mr. Haanel wrote that this week you are to “not only be perfectly still, and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but relax.”

Relax.

In many of my responses to questions about The Master Key System, I type that word a lot. You see, it’s the foundation of everything that we will be doing from this point onward. That’s why this exercise is very important.

Haanel explains why: “Tension leads to mental unrest and abnormal mental activity of the mind; it produces worry, care, fear, and anxiety. Relaxation is therefore an absolute necessity in order to allow the mental faculties to exercise the greatest freedom.”

In order for you to be able to benefit from the exercises in The Master Key System, in order for you to effectively use techniques from the personal development field, in order for you to truly acquire the mental fitness that you so desire, relaxation is the key.

Being relaxed allows you to think clearly, to see truly, and to cogitate efficiently and purposely. It allows “things” to happen fluidly and easily. It brings to bear your entire mental arsenal and provides an alacrity that cannot be had otherwise.

Mental tension leads to physical tension. Mental tension begets constricted thoughts, much like a zipper that is stuck: it may wiggle and perhaps move a space or two, but it doesn’t flow and do what it is supposed to do.

That’s why this exercise is key. As Haanel states, physical relaxation is a “voluntary exercise of the will.” It is something that we allow ourselves to be. No matter the surroundings or the situation, we either choose to be relaxed or we choose to not be relaxed.

Thus, choose to allow yourself to fall into a state of relaxation. Allow yourself to become relaxed physically. Lose the tension that you may feel in your muscles, in your joints, on the surface of your skin. Allow it to drip from you.

Relax.

The Benefits of the Exercise for Week Three

As one masters becoming relaxed, Haanel wrote that “The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function and you will be surprised at the result.”

Haanel explains the function of the Solar Plexus in The Master Key System, so I won’t delve into that here. I will deal with the latter part of that statement.

I have found, both with myself and many Master Key Coaching clients, that the surprising result is a feeling of placidity, almost a euphoria, that may sweep over you. As you lose the physical tension, you’ll feel light, calm, at ease.

This result is surprising because you have so much tension within you, much of it barely perceptible because it is like background noise, that only when you release it do you realize just how much there was!

That benefit, as great as it is, leads to other benefits that you can take advantage of in your daily life. These benefits will also highlight what Haanel means by having everything working fully.

How many times have you been talking with someone and a movie gets mentioned, but for the life of you you cannot recall the name of the star, even though the name is “on the tip of your tongue”? Yup, that’s your body’s tension constricting your thoughts.

When you learn to relax, you’ll be able to improve your recall in situations such as these.

Here’s another situation: have you ever been engaged in a game such as billiards or baseball or golf and you just can’t seem to “find your groove”? Thus, you miss shots, perhaps some easy ones. Now, to be clear, it’s not because you’re necessarily a novice at the games. You may actually be fairly decent at them. Your tension, though, is preventing you from performing at your peak.

As you can see, the tangible benefits of learning how to volitionally achieving a state of physical relaxation are massive. You’ll see many more benefits of this as we delve deeper into the exercises in The Master Key System.

Tips for the Best Practice of Week Three’s Exercise

Week Three’s exercise is one that some people will find very easy. Others, perhaps not so much. To that end, it may help in the beginning to treat this exercise almost as if you would being hypnotized.

As you may know, a hypnotist does his job by placing his client in a state of hypnosis. That state is achieved by relaxing the client. That same technique can be used here, if you so desire.

Now, to be clear, you are not hypnotizing yourself here! You are merely relaxing yourself. You are not going into a “deep sleep” or a “trance.” You are merely using the techniques that work so effectively for hypnotists on yourself to achieve an as complete as possible physical relaxation.

So, start at your head and volitionally will yourself to release the tension. Then continue to move downward. You neck. Your chest. Your stomach. Your waist. Your legs. Your ankles. Your feet. Your toes.

Let go of all the tension. Allow it to fall from you.

If you would like some help with a self-hypnosis technique, please see Tom Nicoli’s book Thinking Thin. Yes, it’s a weight-loss book, but the techniques are the same and there is no better teacher that I know of than Mr. Nicoli.

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything…

I am happy to tell you that this exercise is much easier than you think it is.

Also, the goal of the exercise is quite different than what you probably think it is.

It is my hope that this explanation will assuage any frustrations that you’ve had and set you on the right track to mastering this exercise and getting the full benefits from it.

The Exercise

30. Last week I gave you an exercise for the purpose of securing control of the physical body. If you have accomplished this you are ready to advance. This time you will begin to control your thought. Always take the same room, the same chair, and the same position, if possible. In some cases it is not convenient to take the same room. In this case simply make the best use of such conditions as may be available. Now be perfectly still as before, but inhibit all thought. This will give you control over all thoughts of care, worry, and fear, and will enable you to entertain only the kind of thoughts you desire. Continue this exercise until you gain complete mastery.

31. You will not be able to do this for more than a few moments at a time, but the exercise is valuable because it will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.

32. Next week you will receive instructions for an exercise which may be a little more interesting, but it is necessary that you master this one first.

The Exercise Explained

Before I explain this exercise, I want you to read what the exercise is again.

Now, here’s what most people get wrong: Most people believe that the goal of this exercise is to “inhibit all thought.” They think that they have to become some sort of super-yogi Zen master and have no thoughts for minutes, hours, days, weeks.

It’s not. Inhibiting your thoughts is not the goal of the exercise for Week Two.

The goal for this exercise is stated by Mr. Haanel in point number 31:

You will not be able to do this for more than a few moments at a time, but the exercise is valuable because it will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.

Most people go into this exercise trying to do their best to inhibit their thoughts for minutes. When they can barely do a couple of seconds, they get very frustrated.

In that same point, though, Haanel explicitly states that you “will not be able to do this [inhibit thoughts] for more than a few moments at a time.”

Moments. Not seconds. Not minutes. Moments.

One of the definitions of “moment” is “A brief, indefinite interval of time.” It’s a very short amount of time. Very short. It’s, as the perhaps clichéd phrase goes, fleeting. Moments are here and then gone.

Does that make sense? Does that now make the exercise doable? Easier?

It should.

Haanel in that same point tells us what the real goal of this exercise is: “[I]t will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.”

This exercise is made to showcase just how much mental chatter is constantly bombarding us. That’s it.

Concurrent with that, it will also allow us to develop ways to stop those thoughts as they occur. When you do this exercise, you will inhibit your thoughts. You will only be able to do that for a moment or two before a thought creeps into your consciousness. “Hey! I think I got it … Doh!” Then you stop that thought and return to inhibiting your thoughts again. That will once again last for a couple of moments. And then … It goes on and on.

So, your aim with this exercise is not to be Mr. or Ms. Zen Master. You don’t have to worry about inhibiting your thoughts for minutes. Heck, you don’t even have to quell your thoughts for seconds!

The chief aim of the exercise for Week Two is to just notice how many thoughts are constantly happening in your head and then to stop them at will.

Doesn’t that make more sense? I hope it does. Now, go and do this exercise properly. You should feel no frustration at all and you should be able to master it with ease.

The Benefits of This Exercise

The tangible benefits of this exercise are manifold.  The chief one is this:

Have you ever set yourself to do a task and then, all of a sudden, you start hearing that “little voice” that says things like “Isn’t it time for lunch?” or “How about that other thing you have to do?” or even “It looks like a nice day outside.”

Those are those thoughts that come to us — unbidden and unwanted.

As you master this exercise, you’ll be able to notice those thoughts quickly and then cast them out just as quickly, thereby allowing you to focus solely on your task.

Here’s another benefit: Do you ever denigrate yourself with negative self-talk? Of course you do. We all do. As you perfect this exercise, you will be able to notice yourself doing that quicker and then stopping it quicker. You will find yourself to be a happier person.

This is a form of mental mastery that is much more important than inhibiting thoughts.

Tips for the Best Practice of Week Two’s Exercise

There are no specific tips for mastering the exercise from Week Two other than what is written here. Go to your place. Take your seat. Keep your body still. Inhibit your thoughts. As you see, hear, or feel thoughts coming into your consciousness, shut them down and inhibit your thoughts again.

Don’t worry about how long you can inhibit your thoughts. The person who can, for whatever reasons, inhibit their thoughts for a minute is no better than the person who can only do it for a second or two. It just doesn’t matter!

Do your best with what he exercise is really about: noticing those thoughts that come and then stopping them.

That’s it for this week. Stick with the exercises and remember that they are all building toward something.

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything…

As you may know, I’ve often referred to the exercises in The Master Key System as the “meat and potatoes” of the book. Friedrich Nietzsche once remarked that all books could be reduced to one paragraph without losing any meaning. While I think that might be tough with The Master Key System, I’ve opined that it could be reduced to maybe five or six pages.

That’s because the ideas in the book are presented in many ways. You have the various “laws” (attraction, love, growth), the concepts of the “world without” and the “world within,” the ideas of “cause and effect,” and other such notions — and each is presented in different forms throughout the work.

The real power of the book resides in the exercises. As Haanel often writes, it is “in the application alone that the value consists.” By that he means that we should practice the exercises.

Or, as I often say, it’s not good enough to read the book and know the information, one must truly understand the material in order to experience the wonderful effects of this philosophy.

So, for those reasons, for the next twenty-four weeks we will explore, explain, and make clear each and every exercise that Haanel gave us in The Master Key System. I am highly confident that you will benefit greatly from these teleseminars. If what I receive in my email is any indication, the vast amount of questions I receive all revolve around how to master an exercise. So, I hope that I help a lot of people — including you.

To obtain the full benefit from these articles, teleseminars and exercises, I highly recommend that you get for yourself Charles F. Haanel’s Complete Master Key Course. You’ll not only get the best version of The Master Key System available anywhere, you’ll get the entire philosophy of success — plus a whole lot more. Have a look; you’ll be glad that you did.

The Exercise

44. Now make the application: Select a room where you can be alone and undisturbed. Sit erect, comfortably, but do not lounge. Let your thoughts roam where they will but be perfectly still for fifteen minutes to half an hour. Continue this for three or four days or for a week until you secure full control of your physical being.

45. Many will find this extremely difficult; others will conquer with ease, but it is absolutely essential to secure complete control of the body before you are ready to progress. Next week you will receive instructions for the next step. In the meantime, you must have mastered this one.

The Exercise Explained

The first exercise that Haanel gives us and that we encounter is a seemingly easy one. It’s one not to be taken lightly, though. As you’ll see as we progress through the exercises week by week, each new exercise builds upon the one prior to it. In other words, by the time we reach Week Twenty-four, we will see a cumulative effect with the exercises.

So, take each exercise seriously — and do master them as best you can, especially with the information you garner from these teleseminars and articles.

For Week One, Haanel instructs us to sit comfortably and be “perfectly still” for fifteen minutes to half an hour. What’s the purpose of this? As Haanel wrote, it’s to “secure complete control of the body.”

This is very important. As we progress through the exercises, we’ll be dealing mainly with the mental aspect of ourselves. In order to get to that point, we must first control our body, which may be a distraction from our mental pursuits.

Now, this is a bit of a difference in thought from what we will come to know of Haanel’s philosophy. You see, Haanel — and The Master Key System as well as the entire philosophy — is about cause and effect: our mental is the cause and the world around us is the effect, thus we must work with the cause (our mind) should we want to remedy the effect.

With this exercise, though, we are seemingly working in reverse. Instead of working on our mind to keep our body still, we are keeping our body still in order to learn to control ourselves as we aim to quell (or gain control over) those subconscious yearnings of our mind to move or fidget. It’s a strange juxtaposition — and the only time we’ll see something like this in all of Haanel’s philosophy.

This exercise is the base-point. With every exercise in the book, we will always begin here. Even when we reach Week Twenty-four, you’ll find that to effectively do the exercise, you will first keep yourself still. Look at this exercise as the basic move, like the “box step” in dancing.

The Benefits of This Exercise

I have found that while the exercises in The Master Key System aim toward an overall goal (those being what you should be learning as you explore the book, which I listed in our very first teleseminar), each exercise has its own tangible benefits that will help you in real life.

For this first exercise, the major (and obvious) benefit is that you will gain self-control over your body. No more will you fidget or appear to others to be a “mess” with bouncing knees and twirling your hair. Instead, you will be the picture of physical composure. Calmness. You’ll be “cool.”

Think of how that will benefit you. Instead of being the “nervous wreck” in, say, a job interview, you’ll display an outward calmness that most people do not have. You won’t be tapping your pen or playing with your nails. You’ll be composed. While at this point you may be roiling internally, you will give the appearance of placidity. And that means a lot.

Another benefit that you’ll find is that when you master gaining control of yourself and keeping still, you’ll find it easier to calm down should you get heated or riled or anxious. Our physical body does in some ways control our mental aspect. Forcing yourself to smile when you’re sad or angry often times does bring about a true happiness. At the very least, it improves your mood. Thus, learning to keep yourself still will assuage your nerves should you be beset by them.

Tips for the Best Practice of Week One’s Exercise

For such a seemingly easy exercise, I’ve received countless emails asking questions about it. Here are some tips that may answer questions you may be asking yourself.

First, while you don’t need a “perfect” room or location, try to find a place that provides as much solitude as possible. I know that’s not possible for some people. Thus, sometimes you have to make-do with what you have or what you can find.

Technically, this exercise can be practiced just about anywhere. Sitting in a waiting room, on a bus, at work, on a plane. Anywhere you have a place to sit and no one is bothering you. It is best, though, if you have a place where you can return to regularly, especially as we get into the later exercises. You want the place to be comfortable to you. So, if you have a little office space for yourself, that would be best. If not, as noted, please make-do with what you have at your disposal.

This exercise (and all the following ones) are made to be done while you’re sitting! Please don’t make the mistake of lying in bed or on a couch. Sit as Haanel describes. The goal is not to fall asleep! At the same time, you’re not to sit rigidly erect. Sit as you would if you were driving a car: back straight as if it were supported by a lumbar support and your feet firmly on the floor.

You will close your eyes as you practice this exercise. (Hence, the no lying in bed!) This will prevent you from blinking.

Major movements are to be avoided or refused! These include scratching your nose, shifting your weight, unclasping your hands. Anything like that.

Minor, uncontrollable movements are OK: breathing, small tics, perhaps a nose twitch. Please don’t condemn yourself because your chest is moving with your breathing. It’s OK.

Lastly, I have found that keeping my hands palm-down on my thighs as I sit is best. I have found that intertwining my fingers leads to them eventually falling asleep and then producing some pain. It’s best just to keep your hands on your thighs. Believe me, you’ll thank me later.

At this point I’d just like to say to you to not over-think this exercise (or any of the exercises, for that matter). They are all pretty straight forward.

I’d like to note one significant thing: These exercises aren’t magical. They’re not meditation. You won’t see God or transmute lead into gold if you perfect them just right. Approach them as you did math homework problems that you had in grammar school. You did them so that you could increase your skill in math. Well, we’re doing these exercises to increase our skills in thinking, in focusing, in cutting through the noise of the world. Approach them with that in mind and you’ll see true and impressive results.

Until next week when we probe the depths of the exercise from Week Two of The Master Key System. Be well and get for yourself the best of everything!

Things have been busy here at Kallisti Publishing. We will be releasing a new book. We’re in the process of getting the word out about Claire McGee’s incredible book I Believe Therefore I Am. Add in there the weird weather and acts of God that we have been experiencing in our area.

There just hasn’t been time.

We will return soon! In two weeks.

In the meantime, please enjoy this interview from many years ago. Amber Grady graciously interviewed me for her show “Jewels for the Journey.” We discussed Mr. Haanel, The Master Key System, and the philosophy of success. It’s short, but I think that you’ll get a few points from it.

That’s all for now. I’ll “see” you in a week or two!

As usual, I wish you and yours the best of everything!

On this call, Claire and I discussed an amazing technique for permanently letting go of self-destructive and limiting beliefs and habits.

You’re going to be stunned at how simple it can be — no matter what the belief or habit is! You’re also going to be impressed by how easily you can “let go” of your emotional and experiential “baggage,” that stuff that is holding you from being the person you want to be.

This is an amazing call with an incredible technique that I urge all of you to practice. I have used the techniques discussed here with my Coaching clients and the results have been nothing short of miraculous. Even in my own life, I have had awesome experiences merely from letting go of certain thoughts and beliefs. I am highly confident that you will, too.

Let Me Re-Introduce You to Claire McGee

Claire McGee, M.Msc is a highly professional and uniquely qualified motivational teacher whose goal is to empower people with the realization that they are in control of their destiny and have the very real and very valid ability to achieve their goals.

Claire knows this because she lived it.

In early 2004, Claire was on her way to a successful corporate career. Her future looked bright. Happily married with two small children, a new home, and a rewarding career, she was well on her way to achieving all of her dreams.

These dreams were to deteriorate rapidly when she was diagnosed with Congenital Fiber Type Disproportion Myopathy, a very painful and debilitating muscle disorder.

Claire rejected the reality of barely surviving and replaced it with a true belief in her ability to achieve all she had set out to do. It was during this time that Claire delved into the process of the mind and began to recognize all the negative thoughts and habits she had been living with on a daily basis.

This newfound understanding of the principles for being inwardly aware and outwardly successful lead Claire down a path of self discovery which, in turn, positively influenced the people around her. She speaks differently, acts differently, and has built a passion for helping others to understand the power of the mind.

The “Baggage” We Carry with Us

We all have “baggage.” Yes, that’s one of those pop-psych terms that gets thrown around probably too much. Yet it’s true that we have it and it is true that it adversely affects each and every one of us.

That baggage can be just about anything that we’ve done or experienced.

• picked on in school
• bad relationships
• abuse
• past behavior when you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• divorce
• the loss of a loved one
• failures

That list can continue indefinitely.

These experiences that you’ve had affect you to this day.

How?

They play on your mind in such a way that they affect your emotions, which in turn dictate the experiences you have in your life.

Thus, these negative experiences lead to negative emotions that lead to … Well, you get the idea.

Unfortunately, you also get the results. It’s a cycle that you see in your life, right?

Most of all, this baggage develops within each and every one of us as negative beliefs and habits. They cause us to not be the person we want to be. They stifle us. They cause us to act in ways that we do not want to act. They mute our voices and shutter our lights.

They must be jettisoned from us.

Here is how…

Claire McGee’s “Catch & Release” Technique

You can overcome these experiences by mastering Claire McGee’s “Catch & Release” technique. When you do, you will finally be able to

• let go of your past,
• remove doubt and insecurity from your mind,
• enjoy being impressed with all that is positive,
• release self-destructive beliefs,
• form a new and self-empowering reality.

Are you ready to let go of the things that have been hurting you and holding you back and experience the change for which you have been looking?

With your emotions dictating the results you experience, it is wise to remove all seemingly negative experiences you are stubbornly holding onto from your past and replace them with the positive aspects that came from the experiences.

By doing this, you alter your perspective, leaving you impressed with all that is positive. This new perspective causes you to naturally release the self-destructive beliefs you have created and you thus begin to form a new and self-empowering reality.

Take a piece of paper and create a page under the heading “Catch and Release.”

Make headings with the titles

• “What was the circumstance?,”
• “How does it make me feel?,”
• and “What positive things came from the experience?”

Now, ask yourself the questions and then answer them.

Begin to look within yourself and be completely honest with yourself. Allow the words and emotions to flow as you write your answers. Continue this line of thinking until such time as all is said and acknowledged. When you’re finished, put the paper or journal down and walk away for a while. When you’re ready, go back to it and read what you wrote. You may be amazed at what your mind came up with as to the positive things that came from the experience.

Doing this allows your mind to accept this new perspective because it came from you.

Now, this exercise may be difficult as you weed out all of your hurts and discomforts. The end result is extremely rewarding and self-empowering as the goal of this exercise is to address the cause and change your perspective.

Claire provides guidance to how to properly do this on the Teleseminar. So please listen to it.

“We Are Today the Result of Our Past Thinking”

Charles F. Haanel wrote in “Week Three” of The Master Key System that we are “today the result of our past thinking, and we shall be what we are thinking today.”

If you allow your “baggage” to burden you — to plague your mind, as it were — then you will continue to get what you have always received.

Another author, MiMi Paris, wrote in her book Size Matters! that “If you trip once, it is an accident. If you trip repeatedly, you are clumsy.” By using the word “clumsy,” Ms. Paris means that there is something within you — your negative, self-destructive thoughts — that keeps you doing the same things over and over again.

If that’s the case, then you get rid of those things.

To get rid of those things, you use Claire McGee’s “Catch & Release” technique.

You can discover more about Claire and this amazing technique in her book I Believe Therefore I Am and at her new web site, www.CoachingWithClaire.com.

Check them out. You’ll be glad that you did.

Until next time, my friend, please get for yourself the best of everything.

Al is a great guy. He’s funny, down-to-Earth, and inspiring. His infectious laugh and humor coupled with his South Carolina accent made me and everyone who listened feel comfortable. If we were seated across from each other, you would have seen me sitting in that leaning forward position that many books on body language indicate is the body language for rapt attention.

We had the most enjoyable conversation with Al about his life, his work, and his incredible book, The Sheep Thief. You’re going to love this book.

He’s Not Heavy, He’s Al Walker!

Al Walker. Speaker. Trainer. Author. Funny guy. Proud South Carolinian. Margaret's husband.

So, who exactly is this guy, this Al Walker?

Well, that would be a lot for me to type. Please allow me to be lazy and just copy and paste from his official bio. (Thanks!)

Al earned a business degree from the University of South Carolina in 1969. He joined a residential building and development firm, and within two years as head of sales and marketing, the firm was the highest dollar volume residential builder in South Carolina.

During that time, Al attended a Dale Carnegie course and decided his future was in training and developing people. Since starting his own company in 1981, Al and his instructors have conducted over 2000 training sessions in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. His international clients include Michelin, Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, Wal-Mart, Westinghouse, and many other Fortune 500 clients, and many National, Regional and State Associations.

Al is past president of the National Speakers Association and has served as Chairman of the NSA Foundation Board of Trustees. He has earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional and has been inducted into the prestigious Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speakers Hall of Fame.

In addition to being active in his church, Al is Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Harvest Hope which provides food for over 400 agencies in his home state. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Camden Military Academy.

However, Al feels his most significant accomplishments in life are being married to his wife Margaret, having two wonderful daughters and son-in laws, having three amazing grandchildren, and being blessed to work with an incredible staff of dedicated professionals.

See? That’s a lot!

Let’s add to that that Al has worked with so many companies and organizations, the list looks like the stock page in a newspaper. Not only that: Al has been in business with his company for thirty (that’s three-oh) years!

Suffice it to say that Al Walker is a pretty impressive guy.

You would have known that, though, if you read his book, The Sheep Thief.

Good Night, Ralph. Good Night, Sam.

I didn’t think I would like Al’s book The Sheep Thief. Perhaps it was the mood I was in. Maybe it was the day of the week. I don’t know. I just know that when I first picked it up to read it, I wasn’t expecting much.

Then I got into it. Boy, was I wrong! The Sheep Thief is a phenomenal book — and one that I will read again and refer to often. You will, too!

Here’s a quick summary of it.

Several hundred years ago in a quaint village in Italy, two young men were caught stealing sheep. They were immediately taken to trial before the town judge, found guilty and, there in front of their fellow villagers, were given their sentence. It was a cruel, harsh and painful sentence that would mark them for life.

One of these men died a lonely, embarrassed and embittered old man who was far away from home, penniless and without any friends, while the other overcame his past to become the wealthiest, most successful man in the region. Everyone knew his name and honored him. He became the patriarch. There was not one human being who had not been touched by him in some way.

And that’s just the beginning, which is the parable of the “Sheep Thief.” The book has a greater story that involves a character named Harvey Cole, a person perhaps a lot like you and me, and his mentor, Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor instructs Harvey in the philosophy of success using this parable as his base. Over the course of a couple of weeks, Mr. Taylor reveals to Harvey the thirty-one steps of true happiness and success.

Be just like Al Walker! Thinking Big and Living Large.

It’s an amazing journey for Harvey — and for us, the readers. Every page and every step is either an illumination or a reminder of what it takes to be truly happy and successful. Yes, the “usual suspects” are there. The way Al through Mr. Taylor explains them, though, makes them seem as if we’re reading them for the first time or with new eyes.

The Sheep Thief came to me at the right time — right when I needed it. I know that when you read it, you’ll see what I mean. Sometimes (many times? too many times?) we find ourselves spinning our wheels, trying this and that and not getting anywhere and feeling bad about it. More often than not, what we need is not something new, rather a reminder of what the root ideas of happiness and success are, the main causes and prime movers.

Al gives us that — and more! — to us in The Sheep Thief. You’ll dig it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV_R2Q1Hoac

Take the First Step

I highly recommend Al Walker’s The Sheep Thief. It’s awesome in its simplicity and captivating in its style.

Most of all, it’s one of those books that makes you feel good. Please take note that that “good” is italicized because that’s the kind of good you’ll feel. That alive-feeling kind of good. That it-feels-good-to-be-alive kind of good feeling. You know what I mean.

Al’s personality comes through in his book. You’ll feel that when you listen to the interview that we did her and when you read his book.

So, check it out The Sheep Thief and take the first step on the stairway to true happiness and success.

You’ll be glad that you did.

Until next time, my friends, please get for yourself the best of everything.

You’re going to learn a lot here. Fireball (yes, that is his real and legal name!) is highly successful at what he does and he revealed during the course of our interview exactly how he went from where he was (pretty much nowhere) to where he is now (totally somewhere). If you know who he is, then after listening to this interview you’re going to love him more than you already do; if you don’t know who he is, then you’re going to discover someone really cool.

It was really an honor to interview Fireball. I’ve been a follower of his show(s) and blog(s) for years. It’s not just because I enjoy cars and movies. It’s because I like Fireball.

I mean, let’s face it. There are a few hundred guys out there talking about fast rides. There are about a dozen TV shows as well. That’s not to mention all the web sites and magazines that are out there. I don’t really read or watch any of them. A nice car is a nice car. Without someone really interesting to showcase the vehicle, it’s just yet another posh ride.

It’s Fireball that makes the cars interesting — exciting! You’ll know why when you listen to the interview.

So, let’s meet Fireball…

Who Is That Guy?

I am going to make it easy on myself and paste from one of Fireball’s web sites Fireball’s bio. It’s impressive, to say the least.

Fireball Tim Lawrence is “Hollywood’s Secret Design Weapon.” The Movie Car Designer and TV Host is consistenly called upon by Hollywood’s elite to envision designs for what has been a chain of over 350 entertainment and design projects in film, TV and commercials.

He conceptualized vehicles, weapons, spaceships, costumes, props and completely unique environments for Hollywood’s biggest films and Television. He was the All Star Designer for Discovery Channel’s hit series“MONSTER GARAGE” with Jesse James, as well as the award winning 650hp POLICE PURSUIT MINI for Speed Chanel’s “STREET TUNER CHALLENGE”, a show syndicated worldwide to a billion viewers. His unique concepts have established Fireball as a leader in film design and Hollywood’s most sought after expert and host.

Fireball’s days are filled with MOVIE CAR DESIGN projects through his company FIREBALL TIM ENTERTAINMENT and his partnered build house CINEMA VEHICLES. His TV Show appearances and the filming of his hugely successful Web-Series “Fireball Tim’s WORLD OF CARS” number in the hundreds. He’s done Discovery Channel’s “WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE RIDES”, attends 50-75 car shows a year, blogs to millions of fans through his personal blog as well as the millions subscribed to CarDomain.com, has developed Nutritional Supplements, is designing CHILDRENS BOOKS, gives “Mindstorm Seminars” on creativity in High Schools and even designs characters for his professional PROMOTIONAL MASCOTS division, KCL Productions, with his wife Kathie. He’s been featured in TOP GEAR MAGAZINE, drives the pace car for The Palos Verdes Marathon, is a featured guest at many shows including the Las Vegas DIECAST SUPERCON and THE HOUSTON ART CAR PARADE with 250,000 in attendance.

Fireball attends over 75 shows a year including MAJOR AUTO SHOWS worldwide and has been featured in more than 50 Trade Publications including AUTOWEEK, MOTOR TREND and many others. He currently lives in Malibu, California.

Watch videos of Fireball and his cars and exploits at www.thehollywoodgarage.com

Yes, he gets around.

Not only that, he lives a life that most men (and perhaps more than a few women) dream about. He works with and designs cars for movies!

In other words, he works in Hollywood and is the go-to guy for cars in films.

You know the Batmobile? No, not that one. The original one. Wait, not that far back. The Michael-Keaton-Batman Batmobile. The really cool one.

Fireball designed that!

The Batmobile as designed by Fireball Tim. You know you want it...

How did this guy get such a cool gig?

No Matter Where You Go, There You Are, Buckaroo

Fireball designed real cars at one time at a real job for a real car company. He quickly found that it wasn’t exactly what he wanted to do. Sure, he enjoyed it, but he just wasn’t passionate about it.

That’s about when he had what he calls his “chocolate and peanut butter” idea.

He loved the movies. He loved cars. How could he make a living blending the tow together?

Most people would have dismissed the craziness of the notion and continued with their usual day-to-day.

Not Fireball. He gave it a go.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

It Is Not the Spoon That Bends, It Is Only Yourself

It may not surprise you to know that along the way, someone like Fireball had help from a few friends.

Wallace D. Wattles. Charles F. Haanel. Napoleon Hill. And a few others.

Those were — and continue to be — Fireball’s friends. He has read and continues to read the books, to work on his mind and thoughts, and to improve himself and what he does. He knows it’s a process — a process of learning, of growth, and of experience.

He takes what he learns and runs with it.

One of the main things he garnered through his years of study and self-realization is that it’s not other people who should control us and our attitudes; rather, it’s we who are in command. We can look at any situation and, based on how we think about it, literally change it merely with a thought.

We aren't happy when people give us the finger. We might make an exception for Johnny Cash, though.

Here’s an example Fireball used during the interview. You’re driving down the road and somebody gives you the finger. It may be because you did something not-too-bright whilst driving. It could be for no real reason at all, maybe just because you were there.

The sad fact is that most people carry that minute encounter with them for the rest of the day. They allow it to jade their every thought and action. This reminds of a Zen story I included in The Master Key Workbook.

Two monks were traveling together down a muddy road. It was raining heavily. They met a lovely girl on the road who was unable to cross the intersection because the mud would ruin her silk kimono. One of the monks lifted the girl in his arms and carried her over the mud.

Later that evening, when the monks were in their lodgings, the other monk said to the one who carried the girl, “We monks do not go near females! Especially not young, pretty ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?”

The other monk replied, “I left the girl there. Are you still carrying her?”

Fireball reminded all of us during the interview that we control what we think. Far too often we continue to carry something with us. We then go even further and begin thinking and imagining things that never happened, but things over which we become angry or bitter. No longer did just one random person give us “the bird,” rather we begin to imagine how unkind all people are and how the world is a bad place and that everyone is out to get us.

Car girls. Just because...

Of course, nothing can be further from the truth! But we allow our thoughts to trip down this avenue because … Well, because it gives us a tangible feeling. Whether that feeling will actually help us is not really in question. It won’t. But we do it any way.

What we should do is to allow that event to run off our backs like water on a suck’s back. It happened. So what? We control out thoughts, so why should we reflect on the bad, which doesn’t help us at all? Flip your thoughts and think of the positives: what you want to do; what you’re going to accomplish today; all the exciting people you’re going to meet; all of the neat things you may do.

That’s what Fireball did. He stuck to the positive. Look where he is today!

Oh, Jerry, Don’t Let’s Ask for the Moon. We Have the Stars.

Fireball Tim gives you two thumbs up and says "Reach for your dreams!"

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Fireball went above and beyond anything I ever hoped to hear. Listen to this interview with Fireball. Absorb what he says.

This is a guy who read the books, who strove to understand the books, and then took action based on what he learned and understood.

And he made it: he achieved many of his dreams.

It wasn’t always easy. He had set-backs and problems. But he always kept his mind straight and his eyes on his goals. He thought differently. He thought certainly. (You’ll see what that means when you listen to the interview.) Even when there was little hope and even less of a chance, he kept his faith and did his best to move forward.

Fireball’s story is a story for all of us. Listen to it. Learn from it.

More importantly, act on it.

Check out Fireball at his web site The Hollywood Garage (www.thehollywoodgarage.com). Also get to know his at his very personal blog, The Infinite Blog (www.theinfiniteblog.com).

Believe me, you’ll be glad that you did!

Folks, until next time, please get for yourself the best of everything!

That question refers to what was written in the Bible in 1 Timothy 6:10.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

That’s not why we’re exploring it, though.

I’ve been interested in personal development for about twenty-five years. I’ve been publishing personal development books for a little over ten years. Through all that time, it seems that every few years the self-help “gurus” jump on that quotation and use it as the scapegoat for why people — people like you — aren’t yet wealthy. Their reasoning is that since you were raised in a culture that more than likely was Judeo-Christian, that one line from the Bible has affected your thinking about money and wealth. They posit that since you “believe” that “money is the root of all evil,” you tend to shun money, either consciously or subconsciously.

So, before we go any further, lets see if that’s true.

Has Your Brain Been Affected By That One Line from the Bible?

At this point, I think it would help to tell you a little bit about myself. I was raised Roman Catholic. I went to a parochial school for grades one through six. I was an altar boy in church as well as a church lector. I also received all of the sacraments. Above and beyond that, I am one of the few people I know that has read the Bible cover to cover.

In other words, I’ve been through it.

Through it all, I don’t recall ever being hammered with the notion of money being the root of all evil. (Or even the love of money, for that matter!) I’m not stating that I never heard it, just that there was never any emphasis placed on it. In the very few times that line from Timothy was discussed, it was correctly quoted and correctly interpreted: that if one were to covet money so greatly that he would lie, cheat, or steal, then that would lead to his demise.

That’s how I learned it — and that’s how most people with whom I’ve discussed this interpret it.

That’s the first thing that lead me to think that the notion that people everywhere are not wealthy because of their “flawed relationship” with money based on that line was incorrect.

The next thing that made me pause was the fact that I have never met anyone — and I mean anyone! — who, when asked if they would like more money, refused the offer, be that offer come in the form of a pay raise, a gift, or simply someone’s generosity.

Think about it. Have you or anyone you’ve ever known ever run away from money?

Of course not. It’s silly. More often than not, we have to actively protect our money from being stolen from us!

The last straw, so to speak, is the fact that the United States was founded on the notion of what is referred to as the “Protestant Work Ethic,” which was coined by the sociologist Max Weber. In a nutshell, it means that if you work hard and get rich, then God loves you.

I think we can see the veracity in that. Think of someone in our society who is rich, be it Trump or Gates or Buffet. What’s the first thing we think about them? We usually say that they’re smart, right? We respect their opinions on things — even things not remotely related to business or money. Right? True, not the same thing as “salvation,” but the parallel is there. If someone is rich, we admire them and respect their views. After all, they’re rich and we’re not.

All of those reasons lead me to the conclusion that the notion of anyone being adversely affected in their money-making prowess because of that quote from the Bible is bunk. Plain and simple. It’s just another way for some folks to sell yet another book or course so that you can “heal yourself” of the bad attitude you have toward money.

I’ve seen it before. Many times. As I noted, this idea comes around every few years. The sad thing is that people buy into it — and buy the courses and seminars, of course — and never really address the issues that really cause them to not be earning their full potential!

Instead of addressing the things that could actually help them become what they want to become and earn what they deserve to earn, many people end up chasing chimeras like the “money is the root of all evil” thing.

So what I will address here are the real reasons why you’re not earning what you should. If you address these items, then you’ll find yourself ahead of the game. And not chasing chimeras.

The Three Reasons You’re Not Earning Your Full Value

As I usually make clear when I make one of these lists, these items are in no particular order. One may affect you more than the others, but generally, it’s best to take all of them in and work on all of them. That way, you avoid what I call the “gold medal effect.” In the Olympics, everyone remembers the gold medal winner (the number one); few remember the silver medalist; even fewer, if anyone, remembers the bronze medalist. That’s quite sad because all of them achieved something that very few ever will and they should all be applauded.

It’s the same with lists. More often than not, people remember the number one item and then run with it, forgetting the remaining items because they’re not as important. Thus, they’re only getting part of the picture.

Don’t let that be you! Take all of these items in stride and work on them.

Cool? Then let’s get into it.

1. Self-Confidence/Self-Worth

When it comes to earning what you deserve, then self-confidence and being attuned to your self-worth is the big one. You’ll see that the following two items are closely tied to self-confidence.

If you lack a good sense of self-confidence, then it is likely that you let people push you around. You more than likely just take what is offered rather than fighting for what you truly deserve. You don’t stick up for yourself, nor your ideas or the deeds you’ve done. You’re like Clark Kent, always getting the short end of the stick.

You need to become Superman — at least in some respects. Or, you have to really absorb what Haanel wrote in The Master Key System.

You must first have the knowledge of your power; second, the courage to dare; third, the faith to do.

You cannot allow yourself to be a lowly whelp pushed and pulled by the whims of others. To earn what you’re worth, you have to have the self-confidence to stand your ground, to fight if need be, and to demand what you deserve.

Please let me note that this is not an invitation to be arrogant! It’s not about being boastful or haughty. Those are perversions of self-confidence. (They actually indicate that someone is rather lacking in the self-confidence department!)

This is about being cool. About being strong. About being “the Man.” (Or “the Woman.”)

Many times, though, we have a terrible perception of ourselves. We don’t think our ideas are good enough. We’re afraid to speak our minds for fear of being laughed at. When faced by someone we perceive as more powerful, we simply acquiesce silently.

If you’re one of those people, then you need to work on your self-confidence. It can be a long road. Changes won’t happen over night. They will come, though, and you will be glad that they did.

So, the first reason that you’re not earning your worth is that you lack the self-confidence to go out and grab it. Work on that and chances are likely that you’ll find your income increasing.

2. You Don’t Realize the Value of What You Have

This is a lot like self-confidence, instead it deals with what you have or do rather than just with yourself.

Here’s an example: Let’s say that you sing and that you sing wonderfully. If you take it for granted and sing at every wedding and bar mitzvah that comes along for a bottle of water and one trip to the appetizer bar, then chances are likely that you’ll never earn what you deserve.

The point of that example is to illustrate that your talent — or your skill or whatever it is that you do — has value and that value demands to be paid accordingly.

This may be a point of self-confidence. Many times, though, it is a point of not truly knowing what price your talent or skill demands. This comes from not being in tune with the goings-on in your industry. If you’re the singer from our example, you may not know how singers get paid nor how that pay is scaled. Thus, you sing for drinks and perhaps applause — and nothing more.

Picture it like this — and maybe you have heard something like this happening: Someone finds a painting in their attic. Seeing it only as junk, they place it with the garbage in front of their house. Another person, who happens to be driving by that house, sees the painting. There is a difference, though: this person knows a little something about art. He recognizes the painting for what it is: a Picasso. This person slams on his brakes, steps from his car, and takes the painting and sells it for a huge sum.

The latter person knew what he had. He knew the value of it.

That’s how many are in their chosen profession. Yes, self-confidence plays a part. More often than not, though, it is a matter of not knowing the value of what they have in the industry in which they are working. In other words, it is a matter of ignorance.

The remedy is simple. Get to know what’s happening in your industry. With that knowledge, objectively evaluate what your value is worth. Then, demand that value.

3. Protecting the Downside Too Much

People are generally risk averse. We like things to be safe, known, and without surprises, especially the bad kind. This is usually a bad thing, as safety is good. It can be taken to extremes, though.

When taken to extremes, in personal development it’s called staying in one’s “comfort zone.” To break out, one must take a little risk and stretch beyond the boundaries one has imposed on himself.

There is another version of this. It stems from a business adage:

Protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself.

In business dealings, if you take care to protect yourself from the things that can potentially go wrong, then all you have to worry about is the upside — the making of the money and making sure that things go smoothly. We even use this in everyday life: we take a spare tire with us when we travel so that we can rest assured that in the event of a flat tire, we’ll be OK. We protect the downside; the upside — getting to our destination safely — takes care of itself.

Unfortunately, many people over-protect their downside — to the point that they make no moves toward their potential upside. Instead of looking to advance their business through whatever means or channels, they stay where they are. After all, why risk anything? Instead of looking for better career prospects, some people will cling to the job that they have, all the while saying that they’re just lucky to have any job whatsoever never mind reaching for a “dream job.”

When we over-protect what we have, then we run the risk of stagnation. Of course, we also never really take the chance to earn what we’re truly worth. We end up “living” according to this old adage:

Those who fear death never truly live life.

It’s good to be safe. It’s even better that we don’t take unwarranted or foolish risks. We shouldn’t jump blindly into a pool.

We shouldn’t over-protect either. Or, as the band Pink Floyd put it in their song “Wish You Were Here”:

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

Because we try to be too safe — because we “exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage” — we often neglect or pass up opportunities that can get us what we truly want from life and what we truly deserve to earn. Mind you, it’s not about being foolish; it’s about being wise and taking advantage of everything that life has to offer.

Yes, protect your downside, but don’t make protecting your downside your life’s purpose. Make your dreams and your goals your life’s purpose.

There You Have It

There you have it: The three reasons you’re not earning what your worth. It has nothing to do with having bad “beliefs” about money. It’s all about what you believe about yourself and how you approach life. When you work on these items and stretch from where you are toward where you want to go, you’ll find yourself accumulating everything you need to get you there.

Try it. You’ll be glad that you did.

Until next time, please get for yourself the best of everything!

Before we get into the interview I did with Mary Anne, I want to quickly respond to an email I received that asked a simple question:

Why are you doing all these interviews?

The emailer stated that he enjoyed the interviews immensely and has learned a lot from the people with whom I speak. He just wanted to know if we’re ever going to discuss The Master Key System and the philosophy of Charles F. Haanel again.

I get his point. This Teleseminar did begin as an exploration into The Master Key System. I also stated that when we finished that incredible book, which we did, we would explore Haanel’s other works. And we did that too! Well, at least we started to.

We began Master Key Arcana and Haanel’s “lost parts” of The Master Key System. Then I had the idea — and the opportunity — to interview some folks: Charles Umphred, Tracey Jones, Claire McGee, Guy Kawasaki.

My view is that since we finished The Master Key System, what better thing is there to do than to talk with people who are actually using Haanel’s philosophy of success to do awesome things? Doesn’t that give us an inside look into how to really put this “stuff” into action?

I think it does. So do a lot of people.

So, as long as people are willing to come and do an interview with me, I would like to keep on interviewing them. I plan to keep on asking questions that will hopefully illustrate to us what it takes to become successful. I plan to pick their brains about the different techniques and methods they use(d) to massively succeed. I plan to share the new things I hear about that will extend and build on your understanding of Haanel’s philosophy of success.

That doesn’t mean that I won’t be going back to Haanel again. Not in the least. We will. For now, though, if you’re interested in reviewing The Master Key System (or it’s your first time here), then go back and listen to the fist thirty or so teleseminars. Read the accompanying articles. Share them with friends of like mind and discuss them. The point in all of this — from the first episode to the interviews being showcased now — is to gain an understanding of this philosophy so that you can put it into practice.

So, go for it!

Meet Mary Ann Wihbey-Davis

According to her business web site, Peak Performance Solutions, this is Mary Anne Wihbey-Davis:

Mary Anne Wihbey is the President and Founder of Peak Performance Solutions, and author of “The Sales Messenger: Ten  Lessons for Sales Success in Your Business and Personal Life.”

Since 1994, she has been committed to “moving individuals to action” through training and advanced learning.  She is an internationally recognized sales and management consultant and trainer, and has helped an international Blue Chip list of clients achieve bottom line results with her dynamic leadership and expertise.  She is a regular contributor to the newsletter published by the American Society of Training and Development, has made numerous appearances on television, and served as host for a program on Time Management.  Her articles have appeared in respected business publications and periodicals, including Manager’s Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Business Journal and more.

Before founding Peak Performance Solutions, Wihbey spent 10 years as a successful sales professional with Allianz ® Life of North America, consistently achieving Million Dollar Round Table results and winning performance awards.  Her achievements led to her induction into the company’s Hall of Fame, and was the first woman ever selected to speak on the main platform at the Annual Leaders Convention.

Wow. That’s someone who’s succeeded.

It was great to meet her during our interview and discuss her book The Sales Messenger.

The Sales Messenger is a tremendous book. (Tremendous not only in its topic and delivery but also because it’s published by Tremendous Life Books!) Whether your career is in sales or not, it’s a book that will give you insight and methods to better navigate the world in which we live.

When you listen to the interview, that will become abundantly clear. I steered my questions (and Mary Anne directed her responses) to those who are not in the formal role of sales but rather normal, everyday people such as parents.

The insights Mary Anne shares will amaze you. You’ll see how learning how to “sell” will help you in all aspects of your life — and that the techniques you need to know (that Mary Anne shared in the interview) are surprisingly simple.

How to Avoid Arguments

When I asked Mary Anne how The Sales Messenger can impact someone’s life, she responded -

Success is not industry specific. Many people in sales and management come to me and they have these off-the-record conversations, sharing that they feel stuck. They are just like Julie, Bob and Patty [ed: the characters in The Sales Messengers] and they are sales people, executives, plant workers, and they just don’t know where to go from here. This book can bring the sales person concrete bottom line results, and it gives those in other roles, even those who volunteer, the skills — and more importantly the confidence — to sell their ideas and make effective presentations.

During the course of the interview, Mary Anne discussed how we are all presenting and selling our ideas, the “Human Laws of Communication,” the use of “reciprocal questions,” that we should watch the use of emotional words.

Here’s one example — and it should give you an idea of how powerful these ideas are.

Did you know that many arguments are caused by one simple three-letter word?

Think about it. What word is it? How can it cause arguments? You know what it is.

It’s the word … “But.”

Yes, “but” is the cause of many of the arguments we get into in life, primarily with those closest to us.

Don’t believe me? How many times has this happened to you?

Let’s say that your spouse makes dinner for you. It’s a lovely meal. The table is set. The food is your favorite. The wine is perfectly paired. There was a lot of love and preparation that went into the affair.

After you eat, you look at your spouse and say, “Wow! Everything was great, but…”

It doesn’t even matter what comes after the “but.” It could be the most minuscule of observations. That little word, though, negated every positive comment that you made. Your spouse is now focused on what came after the “but.”

Not only that, but now your spouse is on the defensive! And thus an argument ensues.

This happens all the time: in the workplace during employee reviews (How many times were you in an office where your manager praised your performance and then uttered that damned three-letter word? Didn’t every good thing he said about you fly right out the window? And didn’t you know once that word was uttered that you were doomed?); when making a purchase in a store; in school; with your children … The list is endless.

Mary Anne recommends that we replace our “buts” with another three-letter word: “and.”

“And” tempers any criticism we may have and allows us to present our concern or critique in an open fashion without challenging the other person’s beliefs.

It works. It’s powerful. Try it. You’ll see…

Get Mary Anne’s Book The Sales Messenger

While we’re not all sales people, we all could learn to sell so as to help us present our ideas better, relate to people better, and thus enjoy life more. As Mary Anne is fond of saying when speaking of our children, “If you’re not selling them your beliefs, someone else is selling them theirs.” Think about that.

The real joy of The Sales Messenger is that it’s written in the form of a story rather than as a tome of sales clichés and hit-you-over-the-head tropes. You’ll journey with the characters as they learn how to sell properly and effectively. You’ll learn many of the techniques in an easy and fluid fashion — all the while enjoying the tale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RKq8ge_hko

Watch that video. Learn more about the book. And then hurry up and buy the book!

You’ll be glad that you did.

Until next time, please get for yourself the best of everything.

Before we jump into what was discussed this week, let’s quickly review last week’s discussion. (Let’s see if I can do this in just a paragraph or two!)

Claire McGee was diagnosed with with a rare genetic disorder that left her practically an invalid. Rather than succumbing to fear and depression and living the rest of her life like that, she made the conscious decision to live rather than exist. By changing her beliefs and taking “baby steps,” Claire retrained herself to walk and overcome that which ailed her. She is now an acclaimed speaker and her book I Believe Therefore I Am is about to be released by Kallisti Publishing.

Here’s a snippet from last week’s interview that will give you an idea of Claire’s perspicacity and insight…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFr5aTIfPeQ

Pretty awesome, yes?

Use the affirmation that Claire shared in that video snippet and start earning your $10,000 per month! You know you want to!

OK, let’s get on with part two of our interview…

Making It Clear About Claire and Her Disease

I received an email from a listener who had a question about Claire’s disease and how she handled. He wanted to know if Claire believes that she cured herself of her disease.

That’s a very good question — and it’s also something that we’ve discussed a few times over the course of these teleseminars.

Claire made clear that she did not cure herself of her disease – Congenital Fiber Type Disproportion Myopathy. As she stated in the interview, she knows that she will have this condition “until the day she dies.”

What she did do, though, was overcome the symptoms that made her an invalid. She didn’t wallow in despair and self-pity and depression. She didn’t fall into the blank void of hopelessness.

At least not for too long until she snapped out of it.

Claire made the conscious decision to focus on the things she could do and the things she could improve rather than focus on the things that she couldn’t.

To retrain herself to walk, Claire began with “baby steps.” She started by merely standing on her own two feet for as long as she could. When she mastered that, she ambled about her house. When she became comfortable with that, she walked outside.

Eventually, she was walking around the block. Then to the park near her house.

It was a process. A long, arduous process.

But one that eventually allowed her to live a completely normal and active life.

I think this is enlightening on many levels. As we’ve discussed many times when we were going through The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel, things don’t happen overnight. Most of the things we do in life aren’t going to be resolved in a “sit-com fashion” — meaning they won’t be resolved by the end of the third commercial break.

To really accomplish things, especially those things relating to our health, it will take time, effort, and really pushing through our mental boundaries.

With faith and effort on our side combined with some belief and faith, we can accomplish just about anything.

Listen to Claire as she described what she went through. You’ll be inspired. I guarantee it!

A Simple Exercise That Will Change Your World

In our first interview with Claire, she shared two awesome exercises with us — and a lot of other information. If you’ve taken the time to implement what Claire suggested, then I am highly confident that you’re encountering some massively positive changes.

One thing about the exercises that Claire developed is this: they are usually very simple. So simple, in fact, that you’ll slap yourself in the forehead and say to yourself “Why didn’t I notice that!”

As Claire likes to say, she likes to “make the obvious obvious again.”

The exercise that Claire shared this week is no exception.

Here’s the gist of it: At least once per day, take the time to sincerely compliment someone you meet in your daily travels. Just a simple and honest compliment.

• “My you have nice eyes!”
• “I really like your hair.”
• “I like the tie you’re wearing. You wear it well.”

Get it?

And that’s it.

What can you expect from doing that?

While the exercise is simple, it’s effects are profound.

You see, you will be affecting yourself deeply. Think about how you usually go through your day. I bet that you consciously and unconsciously judge and criticize the people you see and meet. Am I right? Of course I am …

Now, instead of allowing yourself to do that automatically, you are going to sort of force yourself to look at people and for opportunities to compliment people.

Think about how that will change your thinking and you beliefs if you practiced this for a week. A month.

Instead of looking at people and seeing everything that’s wrong with them, you’ll look at people and notice everything that’s good.

Can you see the benefit in that?

I think you can.

So do this exercise. Really compliment that people whose paths you cross.

Remember that by changing yourself, you’ll be changing your world.

Claire’s Book I Believe Therefore I Am

Reserve your copy of Claire McGee's I Believe Therefore I Am now!

Claire’s book I Believe Therefore I Am is going to be released in early May. You can reserve your copy now, though, and save 25%!

I highly recommend that you do so. It truly is an amazing book.

It is up to you to alter your own reality and make it whatever you want it to be. It is up to you to realize what habits are controlling your life and change them if the purpose they are serving is self destructive. You are destined to repeat experiences over and over again until the day you gain the self awareness to do something about it—to succeed.

This book was created to do just that: To teach you how to program your mind for success. In the pages within, you will visit the reasons for the habits you have created throughout your many years of existence and experience. You will begin to realize what habits you have developed that are self destructive and those which have help to advance your life.

Here’s what a reader of an advance copy of I Believe Therefore I Am wrote.

I was going through a very rough patch in my life and knew I needed to change my thinking. I have read many books about positive thinking, The Secret being the most recognizable to your subscribers. These have all laid the foundation to the mindset of “being what we think”; however, your book is the only one that gave specific exercises, examples and methods to actually be able to change how I think. The most beneficial exercises to me were the pros and cons list and the catch and release exercise. Who knew that the “bad” things I remember from my past actually had positive outcomes! What a great way to look at life! I practice the mirror exercise every morning, I do my affirmations and I visualize the outcome.

I AM achieving prosperity in all areas of my life.  My outlook toward many things has been changed, in a very positive way. I have written my mission statement and my children have as well. We all have the summary from the end of the book typed up and taped on our mirrors as a daily reminder.

Near the beginning of the book you speak about the Compliment exercise.  Let me tell you, I noticed the difference immediately. Not only in myself, but complete strangers on the street. People are now saying hello to me while passing on the sidewalk without me saying a word! Great book, great read and it’s wonderful you are making it available to everyone.

Pretty incredible, yes?

Reserve your copy of I Believe Therefore I Am now.

Also, visit www.facebook.com/IBelieveThereforeIAm and get more insights and information from Claire.

Take of advantage of all this. You’ll be glad that you did!

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything!

Claire McGee is a speaker, a thinker, and the author of I Believe Therefore I Am, her first book soon to be released from Kallisti Publishing.

Claire is amazing. She dazzled everyone who listened on the call with her charm, wit, perspicacity, and insight. She not only gave us a good idea of what her book is about and what her views are, but she also shared two wildly important exercises with us — exercises that when you begin practicing them will impact your life massively!

Who Is Claire McGee?

In early 2004, Claire McGee was on her way to a successful career in marketing. Her future looked bright. Happily married with two small children, a new home and a rewarding career, she was well on her way to achieving all of her dreams.

These dreams were to deteriorate rapidly when she was diagnosed with Congenital Fiber Type Disproportion Myopathy, a very painful and debilitating muscle disorder. After months of tests and one specialist after the other saying that there was nothing they could do, she decided to fight back.

Claire rejected the reality of barely surviving and replaced it with a true belief in her ability to achieve all she had set out to do. It was during this time that Claire delved into the process of the mind and began to recognize all the negative thoughts and habits she had been living with on a daily basis. When she understood these habits, she said “No more.” Whenever a thought came to her which held her back she would say “No more” and would replace the thought with what she knew to be true: ”I am well and I am moving forward.”

Dissecting every inch of her being, she developed a way to remove these debilitating habits and replaced them with empowering ones. Claire knows and truly believes she is a success already and there is no limit to what she can do and to where she is going. Claire continues to walk the walk.

This new found understanding of the principles for being inwardly aware and outwardly successful lead Claire down a path of self discovery which, in turn, positively influenced people around her. She speaks differently, acts differently, and has built a passion for helping others to understand the power of the mind.

President of T.S. Consulting, Claire now leads a highly professional, uniquely qualified team of motivational teachers who apply these techniques on a daily basis. Claire’s team is committed to working with corporations, educational entities, and individuals all over the world to empower them with the realization that they are in control and have the very real and very valid ability to achieve their goals.

I Believe Therefore I Am — A Method by Claire McGee

What do you need to do to get your subconscious mind to believe and work cooperatively with your conscious efforts to manifest what you desire in life?

That’s the main question that Claire answers in her incredible book I Believe Therefore I Am.

It is up to you to alter your own reality and make it whatever you want it to be. It is up to you to realize what habits are controlling your life and change them if the purpose they are serving is self destructive. You are destined to repeat experiences over and over again until the day you gain the self awareness to do something about it—to succeed.

I Believe Therefore I Am book was created to do just that: To teach you how to program your mind for success.

This book is simply incredible and you are going to love it. More than that, you are going to get so much from this book that I am highly confident that you will look back on the time you read this book as a changing point in your life.

Much like Charles F. Haanel‘s The Master Key System – of which I am sure you are familiar! — I Believe Therefore I Am is a complete method of working with your beliefs so that you can achieve all that you want. There are exercises, both mental and written, that will guide you through the process of change and growth. It will be an amazing journey.

Visit www.IBelieveThereforeIAm.com to sign-up for Claire’s newsletter and to order your copy of her tremendous work.

The Mirror Exercise

Throughout the course of her interview, Claire shared lots of information with us.

• What exactly is a belief?
• What’s the difference between a belief and a delusion?
• Can we truly change our beliefs?
• How does “brain filtering” work for us or against us?

Great stuff.

Claire also shared two great exercises with us. The first was the “Mirror Exercise.”

Every day, look into a mirror and talk to yourself. Compliment yourself. Say something nice to yourself.

As Claire writes in I Believe Therefore I Am…

Every morning (for a minimum of one week) as you get ready for the day, look in the mirror and straight into your eyes, smile and say, “I love you, (your name here).  I love all that you have accomplished, all that you are accomplishing now, and all that you are accomplishing in the future. You offer great value and I love you.”

Quite often people who initially hear about this exercise think, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” or “This is just ridiculous.” I know this because I too had a similar reaction. When we have these thoughts, they speak loudly of the way our subconscious mind truly views ourselves. Our brain is retaliating and creating a sense of unease.  This is a clear indication our belief system is in opposition. It truly does not believe we are worthy of self love.

It is then even more important to do this exercise.

Do this exercise. It is awesome. Or, to be more precise, the results you will get from this exercise will be nothing short of incredible.

"Girl at the Mirror" by Norman Rockwell

Let’s move on now to how one simple change in how you do your affirmations will make them more effective than ever…

A New Way to Do Your Affirmations

One of our frequent callers to the Teleseminars is “John in Orlando.” Thanks to his great question, he allowed claire to share with us a revolutionary way to re-image our affirmations.

Believe me, this is incredible. So much so, that when you listen to the call, you’ll hear that I actually went speechless for a few moments!

John’s question was simple: How does one use affirmations or auto-suggestion when working with one’s beliefs?

Claire asked John for an example of a goal or affirmation he had. John shared with us this -

“I earn $10,000 per month.”

By changing one word in John’s affirmation — just one word! — Claire made this simple — and as of before this call, ineffective — affirmation incredibly powerful.

Listen to the call and see what Claire did to bring this change. You will be stunned. Like I was.

And you’ll never do your affirmations the same way again!

This Was Only the First Part…

This was only the first part of my interview with Claire McGee. She will be joining me on the next call and I will do my best to get more exciting exercises and insights to make you a powerhouse of success and achievement.

For now, do yourself the favor and reserve your copy of Claire’s new book I Believe Therefore I Am.

Reserve your copy of Claire McGee's I Believe Therefore I Am now!

You’ll be glad that you did!

Until next week, get for yourself the best of everything!

Charlie “Tremendous” Jone

Unfortunately, he passed away in 2008. He left us, though, with books, speeches, videos, and, most importantly, a daughter.

That daughter, Tracey Jones, now heads Tremendous Life Books and continues to produce some of the finest personal development books in the world.

It was a privilege and an honor to interview Tracey Jones for the 37th episode of the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars.

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

I remember the first time I spoke with Charlie Jones. I was a young, green publisher looking for outlets for the few books I was publishing. As Haanel wrote in The Master Key System,

We make money by making friends, and we enlarge our circle of friends by making money for them, by helping them, by being of service to them.

A friend pointed me in the direction of Mr. Jones and I gave him a call.

The first five minutes (I am not exaggerating!) of the conversation was Charlie Jones delivering the most funny one-liners I had heard in a while. Not only were they funny, but they came one after another in a spitfire fashion. Before I even had a chance to catch my breath, another joke was thrown my way.

Then, without too much of a warning, the jokes stopped and we talked books for a few moments. Just as funny as he was when the conversation began, he was serious when we discussed my books and what I was looking to do. He gave me good advice that has helped me over the years.

I spent a total of about ten minutes on the phone with the man but I felt like I had known him a lifetime. That’s the kind of man he was.

He started life as a poor Southern boy, made his bones in the insurance business, and went on to write one of the perennial books in personal development, Life Is Tremendous, which has sold over two million copies to date.

He then started a publishing company, Executive Books, which became one of the finest producers of personal development books.

You’ll hear all about the ride when you listen to the episode. This just scratches the surface.

Some Wit & Wisdom from Life Is Tremendous

Remember what I said about The Master Key System and how we should all learn it? I said that rather than just learning it, we should strive to understand it. Remember now?

Well, here’s Charlie Jones with much the same message, written in a much more eloquent fashion.

If you are to profit as countless thousands have, don’t remember what I say here … that’s right: you must not remember what I say. You wonder: “Aren’t you going to say anything worth remembering?” Yes, I am, but the value of this book won’t be in your remembering what I say but rather in remembering what you think as a result of what I say.

Or how about this thought on leadership…

Anyone who is not leading others in life is not really living. Whether you realize it or not, other people lead you in every area of your life, for good or ill. And with every passing moment your own leadership responsibilities are increasing.

On growing…

You know what growing means? Growing means growing pains: it means changing.

Great stuff, yes? Get Life Is Tremendous.

Tracey Jones

Sometimes, when a company’s founder passes the business to his children, the business ends u getting ruined. We’ve all seen that movie and read that book.

That didn’t happen with Executive Books when Tracey Jones took the helm.

Actually, things changed and things became better!

Tracey Jones embodies all of the qualities of an exceptional leader: experience, determination, the ability to learn, the ability to listen … And much more.

She took charge of Executive Books and instead of resting on her laurels, she transformed the company into Tremendous Life Books.

The change not only honors the legacy and memory of Charlie Jones, but points the company toward the future.

When you listen to the interview, you’ll hear how and why she made the changes she made and how Tremendous Life Books is poised to donate over $400,000 (yes, that’s four hundred thousand dollars!) to charities.

Be prepared to be inspired.

Better yet, be prepared to learn how to lead!

This interview was amazing because Tracey, a seasoned speaker herself, shared with us many things we need to become leaders and how to grow from where we are to what we want to become.

Listen to it. Take notes. And most of all, have fun.

Until next week, I wish you the best of everything!

I felt the need to address this for a couple of reasons.

The first is that it’s a “complaint” I hear more than I think I should. I sometimes hear a person say that they’ve been studying this “stuff” for years and they have nothing to show for it.

I understand how frustrating that is. That’s why Im addressing it.

The second is that I think many people are deluged with some of the more modern personal development books and such and … Well, they’re not doing folks many favors! I think that some are skewing peoples’ perspectives in such a way so as to make true success almost impossible.

I know how frustrating that is! I hope my words can remedy that.

More often than not, it’s not your fault that you’re not succeeding like you should be. I hope this episode sheds some light on how just by shifting your perspective just a little, you can begin to really take advantage of not only Charles F. Haanel’s philosophy of success, but of all of the books you’ve read.

So, let’s get into the five reasons you’re not as rich or success as you should be…

How Harold Cameron Influenced This Topic

As you may know, my friend and author Harold Cameron is walking across America as his way of battling brain tumors and brain cancer.

Harold is an amazing and inspirational fellow.

What he did in preparation for his walk and what he continues to do on a daily basis influenced the five reasons you are about to read.

You can read about what Harold is doing and why he is doing it in his book Why I Walk, which is available just about everywhere!

For the book: www.whyharoldwalks.com (you’ll get some cool bonuses here!)

For the Kindle: www.whyharoldwalks.com/kindle

For the Nook: www.whyharoldwalks.com/nook

For the iBook: www.whyharoldwalks.com/ibooks

On Amazon: www.whyharoldwalks.com/amazon

Follow Harold’s walk on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/WhyIWalk

Enjoy!

To understand these five reasons better — and what you must do to overcome them — I am going to briefly explain what Harold did.

Harold has two brain tumors. Rather than letting them get the best of him, he decided that he would get the best of them! He made a plan to walk across America. The proceeds from his book Why I Walk would be donated to the wonderful organization Miles for Hope. In order to make his walk possible, Harold reached out to the community and got sponsors.

That’s it in a nutshell.

The 5 Reasons You’re Not as Rich or Successful As You Should Be

Before I list these reasons, I want to make sure that you know one important thing: These reasons are in no particular order. No one is greater or more important than another. Far too often when people see lists, they just concentrate on the top one r two things without paying much attention to the others. That is not the case here. These are all equally important. Please keep that in mind.

Also, these items are very easy to mold into our lives. You’ll see that it’s just a small perceptual change that needs to take place.

So, let’s get to them …

1. Do Something!

We have to do something if you want to be successful or rich. There’s no way around it. Action is key!

I bring this point forward because many people still do not think that is the case. Instead of taking steady, deliberate action, they fuss around with vision boards and things like that.

Let me make clear, vision boards (or goal boards) are fine! They serve a purpose. They are things we make to remind us about why we are doing what we are doing. A person may keep a picture of his family on his desk at work to remind him of why he is toiling long hours. Likewise, a person may keep pictures of a fancy new car or house on a vision board to remind them to go further and work harder.

That’s how they work. They are inspirers and reminders. Nothing more nor less.

Harold has a goal: He wants to walk across America and back. How far would he get if he just thought about it all day? Or if he only pasted pictures on his wall?

It has taken — and will continue to do so — an Herculean effort to get things off the ground. He had to find sponsors. He had to make travel plans. He had to do so many things it would make your head spin.

But he did it. He’s doing it.

You really have to decide to do something.

2. Waiting for Help Rather Than Giving It

Most people want a hand — someone to pull them up. They want to be “discovered” or they want someone to find them and give them what they need to succeed.

That rarely — if ever — happens.

What you should be looking for is someone you can help. Someone you can make an effort for.

Harold decided that his walk was going to help other people with brain tumors and brain cancer. He decided that he was going to do something, no matter how small or insignificant or crazy, that was going to benefit others.

Once he made that decision, the flood gates burst open. He got sponsors. He got help. He made contacts.

Instead of looking for someone to help you, look for someone to help. When you do that, you’ll find people coming to help you.

3. Be of Service

Haanel wrote in Week 23 of The Master Key System that the “law of success is service.”

3. We make money by making friends, and we enlarge our circle of friends by making money for them, by helping them, by being of service to them. The first law of success then is service, and this in turn is built on integrity and justice. The man who at least is not fair in his intention is simply ignorant; he has missed the fundamental law of all exchange; he is impossible; he will lose surely and certainly; he may not know it; he may think he is winning, but he is doomed to certain defeat. He cannot cheat the Infinite. The law of compensation will demand of him an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

People get rich not by taking from others nor by “lucking” into it. They become rich and successful by serving others — by trading value for value.

It’s sometimes funny to me when people say that they are going to “fire their boss.” What they mean is that they are going to start their own business. Little do they know that instead of firing their one boss, they are actually going to be placing themselves in the service of many — hopefully! — of bosses, those “bosses” being their customers.

But that’s the name of the game. We serve each other. We become our “brother’s keeper” and find the best way we can serve our fellow man. That’s what business is all about. Think about it.

On his walk, Harold will be stopping at sponsors’ businesses and inspiring the “troops.” He’ll bring attention to his sponsors and help them as much — if not more — as they helped him. He will be of service to those who helped him.

4. Tony’s Axiom #3

There are three Axioms for success. This is the third:

Successful people don’t worry about the things that they want; they look at what other people want and provide it — at a profit.

Read that again. And again. Get it, as we like to say on the calls, “bone-deep.”

Far too often we are taught to only think about the things that we want, whether it’s a new car, more money, whatever. We’re told to fix our minds on that and concentrate on that until we can think of nothing else.

How far has that gotten you?

You see, the trick to making this philosophy work for you is to stop focusing on the things you want; rather, you should look around you — pull your head out of your … you know the rest — and see how you can deliver what other people want. By supplying those wants and needs in a fair and efficient way, you can begin to take part in the abundance that these philosophies of success discuss.

Now, I am not saying that you should cast away your wants and personal goals. Not at all! What I am saying is that to get the things you want, you have to provide the things other people want.

Harold is endeavoring to help others. People need help and Harold knows that. That’s part of what inspired him to do what he is doing. He wants to do his best to fill a gap that has been unfilled for too long.

Yes, Harold wants things for himself; but he knows that he must first deliver to people the things that they want. He is doing that in spades!

Get it? Good.

5. Only Looking at the Money

Whether you’re looking at starting a business or you’re contemplating a career move, far too many people look at the money — at the dollar signs — rather than looking at what is really important, which is how what they are thinking of doing truly serves or benefits others.

I mainly see this problem with beginning entrepreneurs. Rather than judge a business on its merits and feasibility, they look at or listen to the pie-in-the-sky promises of the person pitching the “opportunity.” That makes them easy pickin’s for scammers and bad business deals.

Look at the business. As Haanel taught us in The Master Key System, think! Ask yourself questions about how this move will work. Look at the whole picture. Don’t just focus on the money. Focus on the business and how that can generate revenue through serving others or supplying a want or need.

When you do that, then you’ll really begin to make bank.

When Harold began his plans. He didn’t know where the money was going to come from. He didn’t worry about that, though. He knew it would be there. What was more important for him was to deliver his message — to help and inspire others. He knew “bone-deep” that everything else would fall into place.

The Difference Between Heaven and Hell

On the call, I shared a story I heard many years ago. Luckily, I was able to find it online.

I suggest that you give it a read. It will tie things together nicely for you.

Long ago there lived an old woman who had a wish. She wished more than anything to see for herself the difference between heaven and hell. The monks in the temple agreed to grant her request. They put a blindfold around her eyes, and said, “First you shall see hell.”

When the blindfold was removed, the old woman was standing at the entrance to a great dining hall. The hall was full of round tables, each piled high with the most delicious foods — meats, vegetables, fruits, breads, and desserts of all kinds! The smells that reached her nose were wonderful.

The old woman noticed that, in hell, there were people seated around those round tables. She saw that their bodies were thin, and their faces were gaunt, and creased with frustration. Each person held a spoon. The spoons must have been three feet long! They were so long that the people in hell could reach the food on those platters, but they could not get the food back to their mouths. As the old woman watched, she heard their hungry desperate cries. “I’ve seen enough,” she cried. “Please let me see heaven.”

And so again the blindfold was put around her eyes, and the old woman heard, “Now you shall see heaven.” When the blindfold was removed, the old woman was confused. For there she stood again, at the entrance to a great dining hall, filled with round tables piled high with the same lavish feast. And again, she saw that there were people sitting just out of arm’s reach of the food with those three-foot long spoons.

But as the old woman looked closer, she noticed that the people in heaven were plump and had rosy, happy faces. As she watched, a joyous sound of laughter filled the air.

And soon the old woman was laughing too, for now she understood the difference between heaven and hell for herself. The people in heaven were using those long spoons to feed each other.

[source]

Until next week, please get for yourself the best of everything.

Thus, goals are problems.

We can solve any problem, though, by using what is taught in The Master Key System. It’s all there.

To make it easy for you, I listed the “five simple steps” to solve any problem.

I did this for two reasons.

The first is that a majority of what I do is solving problems. I am very good at it. It’s part of my nature. I also love doing it. I sometimes go nuts if I don’t have a problem to solve. I enjoy “crunching the numbers” and thinking about the various possibilities and solutions.

I must admit that sometimes I do it to my detriment, as I can easily be either be distracted or overly involved in solving the problem. I’m getting better, though. (And often, isn’t that what all this stuff is about?)

The second reason I decided to list these five simple steps is because when you look at successful people, the number one thing they generally do is … You guessed it! … Solve problems! From good middle managers to politicians to titans of industry, successful people are known as “problem solvers.” We refer to them when we need help with something. We go to them when we encounter obstacles. We go to them because we know — or at the very least we hope — that they can solve or help us solve our problem.

So, let’s not tarry any further. Let’s get to solving our problems!

The 5 Simple Steps to Solve Any Problem

Got a flat? Not a big problem when you know the Master Key System!

When I delivered these steps, I used as my running example a person getting a flat tire. That’s something everyone can relate to. It’s also very tangible. I should mention here, though, that these very same steps are to be used on any problem we encounter, from the tangible to the intangible, from the small to the large.

Here are the steps:

1. Assess your current situation.
2. Define your end result.
3. Assess your resources.
4. Act!
5. Wash – Rinse – Repeat, if necessary.

1. Assess Your Current Situation

The very first step to solving any problem is to assess your current situation. That means to know exactly where you are and where you stand.

This can be quite difficult to do, especially when you start to go for your big (and perhaps not as tangible) goals.

It’s difficult because we sometimes run into two difficulties between which we vacillate.

The first is that we sometimes over-esteem our virtues, or “positives.” The second is that we sometimes underestimate our flaws, or “negatives.” To add to the difficulty, sometimes those are switched: we underestimate our positives and overestimate our negatives.

Using and knowing The Master Key System, though, we understand that to really do this properly — and perhaps easily? — we have to be most “dispassionate” and objective as we assess our situation.

We want a very balanced and true estimation of where we stand. We want to have a level head — not panic-y and all “end-of-the-world-y” but also not “rose-tinted-glasses.”

As we learned from the exercises in The Master Key System, it’s important to relax, remain clam, and to not let our emotions rule us.

Got it? Good. Let’s go to step 2.

2. Define the End Result

This step utilizes two very important things we learned in The Master Key System: using visualization and using our creative imagination.

Here, you are to visualize exactly what your ideal outcome is to be. In other words, what is your “problem solved” state?

Define it. Be thorough about it. Use your creative imagination to construct it. Visualize it.

3. Assess Your Resources

In this, the third step, you’re going to assess the resources you have at your disposal, be they people, places, or things.

It should be mentioned that this step will play hand in hand with Step #2, in which you are visualizing your end result. That’s because your end result may sometimes determine your path, which is sometimes determined by what resources you have with which to work.

In our flat tire example, you might have a cellular phone, which can be an easy solution to your problem. Then again, you might not have a signal. So you have to check the spare tire. You have to take into account if you’re on a road with lots of traffic or if you’re on a “road less travelled.” Weather conditions may come into play. People available to you may take part.

All these things intertwine to solving the problem. The main point in this step is to use what you have.

For longer range goals — not ones like this flat tire example that are emergencies — you can develop the resources you need, such as relationships, skills, and knowledge.

It’s important to know what you have and what you need. And that’s the point here.

4. Take Action!

I think this step speaks for itself. Here is where you enact your plan. Done.

5. Wash – Rinse – Repeat

After you’ve taken action, see what you’ve done. Is the problem solved?

If it is, then you’re done.

If not, then you’ll have to “go back to the drawing board.” You have to gage your results — once again, honestly and objectively — to see where the error is. Does it lie with you? With what you’ve done? Is the plan inherently flawed? These are just a sample of the questions you’ll have to ask.

The point is to make an honest assessment of where you are now, after you’ve taken action. You might have to try the same exact thing again! Alternatively, you might have to move to “plan B,” whatever that is.

It’s important, though, whichever the case to keep going until the problem is solved.

In other words, never give up!

An Exercise to Get This Method “Bone-Deep”

For some, this method may come naturally. For others, it might be something new.

Whichever the case, it’s important to get this method “bone-deep,” like all of the philosophy of Charles F. Haanel. What that means is that you should aspire to learning and understanding this “stuff” so that it comes from you naturally, practically automatically.

To get to that point with these five particular steps, the best thing you can do is to practice it on everything you do. For example, take something you do, such as making dinner. As you go about that task, which is something you may have done literally hundreds (even thousands!) of times, you mentally think about the 5 steps here and assign what you are doing to the proper step.

As is written in many a self-help tome: “As in the small, so in the large.”

When you go to attain one of your real goals — or if you are in a situation like our flat tire example — you’ll be able to run through the steps. It will occur naturally.

When you get to that level, you’ll be a leader — a problem solver.

And that’s a good thing.

Until next time, please get for yourself the best of everything.

This week, I recapped my interview with Guy Kawasaki. It is truly amazing to hear someone so successful speak about the principles of success that we already know because of Haanel and The Master Key System — even though during our interview we never once mentioned him!

I will be conducting more interviews throughout the year. I will keep you updated.

Instead of continuing from where we left off in Master Key Arcana, I instead jumped to the last item in the book: “If” by Rudyard Kipling.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same.

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son!

Enjoy this week’s episode. There’s a lot of illuminating information there.

Until next week, I wish you and yours the best of everything!

Please See This!

As an individual who has been “disabled” for over five years as a result of having two brain tumors, an acoustic neuroma, and a meningioma, Harold Cameron has devoted his life — his energy, time, and resources — to being an advocate for others.

Harold says, “I am just an ordinary man with faith in the extraordinary God and by His power working in me and through me, extraordinary things are accomplished!”

In 2004, Harold Cameron was diagnosed with two brain tumors. In an instant, his life changed drastically.

Rather than wallow in depression and self-pity, Harold mustered every ounce of hope and faith and love that was within him.

The result is a plan. Despite all the odds, Harold is going to fight brain tumors and spread his message of hope, faith, and love the only way he knows how:By walking across America and back.

This is not the story of a hero. It’s not the story of a saint or a martyr.

This is the story of Harold Cameron — an ordinary man with faith in the extraordinary God.

Harold’s historic walk across America begins on April 2, 2011 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

That same day, his incredibly inspiring book Why I Walk will also be released.

Kallisti Publishing is proud to make Harold’s book available to you. Beginning today, you can help Harold — and help others who suffer with brain tumors — by reserving your copy of Why I Walk.

By helping others, you will also be helping yourself! When you reserve your copy of Why I Walk, you will receive a 33% discount off the retail price. You will also receive a slew of very special bonuses.

Harold’s historic journey begins April 2, 2011.

Join him in spirit and “Have the Hope – Keep the Faith – Feel the Love.”

Please also see:

Positively Crossing America Brain Tumor Walk

Miles for Hope

“Like” Why I Walk on Facebook!

I have to admit that I was very nervous going into this interview. Here’s someone who literally changed the world! From being one of the original Apple evangelists to being a venture capitalist to founding sundry companies such as AllTop.com, Guy Kawasaki is the real deal.

Some people write books in order to make a name for themselves. I know this for a fact because I’m a publisher. I’ve received countless manuscripts over the years from people who want to publish their “How to Get Rich” book even though they don’t have two nickels to rub together. They believe that publishing said book will get them the two nickels! (Mr. Kawasaki and I hit on this topic in the interview. Guy’s commentary is hilarious!)

Guy Kawasaki's new book, Enchantment - The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions.

Guy Kawasaki isn’t that person. Not even close. He did it. He lived it. Then he wrote about it. To date, he has about ten books under his belt — from The Macintosh Way to Reality Check and now, Enchantment.

Enchantment is the culmination of Mr. Kawasaki’s life’s work. It’s a collection of the ideas and methods he used to not only market, not only persuade, but to enchant.

Enchanting is different than both marketing and persuading, although there are similarities. The difference can best be shown with an example. Let’s look at Mr. Kawasaki’s first use of enchantment — the Apple Macintosh.

Most people look at computers as a thing — a commodity of sorts. Have you ever known a person who had a Mac, though? They’re passionate about them! Sometimes to the point of annoyance! (I know I have been at times…) People aren’t like that about Dell or Hewlett-Packard or IBM. Only Apple.

While a person may need to be persuaded to try a Mac, once that first bite is taken, it’s practically guaranteed to become a love affair. Perhaps a love affair that will last a lifetime.

That’s enchantment.

In Guy’s book, you will learn the ideas and methods that will enable you to do that.

You’ll even learn them in this interview, so have a listen!

Guy Kawasaki is interesting in more ways than what he’s done and his new book. His world-view — as well as his reason for doing things — should be models for all of us to follow. While this interview, nor this article, are about Charles F. Haanel or The Master Key System philosophy, you’ll find many similarities.

What’s so powerful about that is that Guy is a person who made it all work — massively!

Enjoy the interview. Additionally, enjoy the following links that will introduce you to the world of Guy Kawasaki and Enchantment.

My awesome review of Enchantment.

Web quiz. Online test so that you can determine how enchanting you are — most people score in the low teens. http://great.guykawasaki.com/ or Facebook version:http://www.facebook.com/enchantment?v=app_6009294086

Facebook fan page. Upload your photos, videos, and commentary about  Enchantment.http://www.facebook.com/enchantment#!/enchantment?sk=app_4949752878

Enchantment infographic. One simple diagram that explains the basics of enchantment.http://www.guykawasaki.com/enchantment/infographic/

Enchantment wallpaper. Wallpapers for computers, tablets, and phones. http://www.guykawasaki.com/enchantment/wallpaper/

Buy Enchantment now! http://www.guykawasaki.com/enchantment/order/

Until next week. Please get for yourself the best of everything!

He has a lot of wisdom and insight to share.

We are thankful that he agreed to do an interview with us for the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars.

Folks, what you are going to hear during this interview is going to blow your mind.

Charles Umphred: Network marketing legend and highly successful entrepreneur.

Some of you may have heard of Charlie. He is a Network Marketing legend. As a distributor, he helped to build two huge companies. His methods of recruiting and teaching the ways of MLM are much discussed online — and copied by every person who wants to succeed in the MLM industry.

Currently, he is partners with Bob Scocozzo and Carmen Milazzo and together they produce and market Mia Bella Soy Candles. The growth of the company is nothing short of amazing.

I am not going to write too much about this interview. I am going to let the interview “speak” for itself. I will let you know a few things that are in store for you as you listen to Charlie’s incredible life adventures and sage advice and the methods he discusses.

Charlie has been a student of the Philosophy of Success for quite a long time. He credits much of what he has accomplished because of the books he studied — books like Napoleon Hill’s Think & Grow Rich, Charles F. Haanel‘s The Master Key System (of course!), and Bob Proctor’s You Were Born Rich.

Charlie Umphred speaking at a Scent-Sations conference.

He also credits much of what he’s accomplished to his will to succeed and his focus. He illustrates that in the interview with his story of his parachuting experiences. (You simply must listen to this story. Not only is it inspiring, but it is a life-lesson for all of us.)

Charlie was born in Northeastern Pennsylvania and was a printer for a local newspaper. That was going to be his life, pretty much, until…

On May 1, 1987, Charlie was driving home from a friend’s house when he was hit head-on by a drunk driver. Practically every bone in his body was broken. He was told he would never walk again. He was told he’d never speak normally again. Everyone from doctors to loved ones were preparing him for a life of managed care.

One year later, Charlie was not only walking and talking, he had “re-built” himself better than he was before the accident.

How did he do it?

In the interview, Charlie will tell you about Frank Zane and the auto-suggestion methods they used — methods similar to what is in The Master Key System.

While most would have given up after such a traumatic experience, Charlie didn’t.

Charlie Umphred and business partner Robert Scocozzo of Mia Bella Soy Candles and Scent-Sations.

He set new goals. He made new plans.

He exceeded his boundaries and became massively successful.

I first met Charlie circa 1995. I became a distributor of his in a network marketing opportunity. Even though we started in a business relationship, over time we became friends.

Network marketing wasn’t for me, but that didn’t end our friendship. Charlie isn’t that kind of person. Rarely have I met someone who helps others like Charlie does. I can say that I wouldn’t be where I am without knowing Charlie. Not only has he been — and continues to be — an inspiration, but he has been a mentor, a guide, and a friend.

I cannot speak too highly of Charlie Umphred. Of all the people I’ve met in my life, he’s one of the “topper-most.”

When you listen to this interview I did with Charlie, you are going to do more than learn a lot — about life, about how to succeed in network marketing, about how to truly engage life — you are going to meet someone you’d be very fortunate to call a friend.

During the interview, Charlie mentioned a little book he wrote called Mind Over What Matters. Charlie sent it to me after the call. I made it a little prettier and here it is for you to download. You’re going to enjoy it…

Mind Over What Matters by Charles Umphred

Listen to this entire interview. You’re going to be impressed. You’re going to learn a lot. If you’re in MLM, then you are going to learn a few things that will help to explode your business. If you’re looking for something, then Charlie may have the opportunity for you.

Whatever the case, just listen and learn.

You’ll be glad that you did.

Until next time, please get for yourself the best of everything.

Master Key Arcana

That’s what we began this week on the 31st episode of the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars.

I think that this episode may be the most misunderstood episode that I’ve done to date.

There’s a good reason for that.

What we discussed was very tricky subject matter.

Once again we returned to the question whether we can heal ourselves with our minds — whether we can achieve perfect health. While discussing that, I asked more questions than I answered.

Yes, the obvious question was raised: Can we heal (or cure or just plain ol’ achieve perfect health) by having the correct mindset?

There were others, though.

Let’s take what Haanel wrote in point #10 of “The Hidden Manna” in Master Key Arcana (which is Week 25, one of the “lost” parts of The Master Key System).

10. When man’s mind is made perfect, then — and then only — will the body be able perfectly to express itself.

The first question that comes to my mind is, Do we have to achieve perfection or is close enough good enough?

After that, the questions just flow.

What is a mind “made perfect”?

Is that “perfection” unique to each individual or is there an actual state of perfection?

In other words, what does “perfection” — in this specific case — mean?

If there is a state of a mind “made perfect,” can we even achieve it? In other words, can we ever achieve this perfection when perfection rarely — if ever — exists?

Even though we are going to leave these questions unanswered, we are compelled to move on to new ones.

How long does it take for one to achieve this perfection? If we use The Master Key System as the plan for achieving a perfect mind, then we can assume it would be quite a while. Yes, it does take a person twenty-four weeks to go through the method, but it takes longer — much longer — to perfect many of the exercises. (As you know, those of you who have been listening regularly, one doesn’t need to perfect them to gain great value from them!)

That being the case, is it even worth it to get a perfect mind in order to get perfect health because it just might be too late? It might takes years — decades? — to achieve the perfect mind. What if one only has a few years left to live?

Additionally, if a person is being ravaged by a disease, would he or she be able to undertake the rigorous mental work necessary to achieve the perfect mind that would then allow the body to “express perfectly”?

You see, tough questions.

There aren’t many — if any — answers.

I don’t have them. That’s why I posed them during this teleseminar.

They are there for you to answer.

For yourself.

A caller made an excellent point during the Questions & Answers session regarding point #1.

1. We live in a fathomless sea of plastic mind substance. This substance is ever alive and active. It is sensitive to the highest degree. It takes form according to mental demand. Thought forms the mould or matrix from which the substance expresses. Our ideal is the mould from which our future will emerge.

“We live in a fathomless sea of plastic mind substance.”

The caller, our resident sun-loving Floridian “John in Orlando,” stated that the “plastic” metaphor is a lot like evolution and that we see it happening around us every day.

I like that thought.

I think the grander point is that we are all evolving according to our own “plan.” Regardless of whether or not a state of perfection exists and whether or not we can attain it, anything we do to improve our condition — mentally, physically — is better than what we were. It’s evolution. Maybe we’ll never hit the “mark” — perfection — but we’ll always be getting better.

Perhaps — just perhaps — coming to a true understanding and realization of that is the mark of a mind “made perfect.”

Have a listen to this week’s episode. As I stated at the beginning of this article, it has more questions than answers. They’re there for a reason, though.

Think about them.

All the best!

[Added February 21, 2011]

What is Love?

That question — What is love? — has captured the human imagination since … Well, it’s been a long time.

It’s been said that all great literature is about two topics: love and death. One can easily fathom why. They are the two great mysteries of life.

The greatest minds of all the past ages have taken a stab at defining love — from the Biblical prophets to Shakespeare to the comics we see in newspapers across the country every day. What have they discovered?

They’ve found that we really don’t know.

The best that can be said about the definition of love is strangely similar to what Justice Potter Stewart said about pornography in 1962.

I shall not attempt further to define the kinds of materials I understand to be embraced … but I know it when I see it.

In other words, while we can’t define love exactly, we know it when it happens to us. And even if we say to someone that we’re in love (or that we love something), we all understand.

We just can’t define it exactly, like we can with the tangible things in our lives or even other emotions that we have.

So where does that leave us?

Well, we “know” what love is to one degree or another. We’ve felt it (hopefully!) and we fell it for others (once again, hopefully!). We even understand the “shades” of love that we experience — our love for something like ice cream as opposed to the love we feel for our children. We understand the difference between romantic love and love in a friendship.

We got those things.

Now, what does Mr. Haanel say about love?

Charles F. Haanel and Love

Love plays an important part in Haanel’s philosophy, The Master Key System. According to him, it is essential that we feel it because it is, in one sense, the be-all-end-all. In Week Fifteen, Haanel wrote

11. It is love which imparts vitality to thought and thus enables it to germinate. The law of attraction, or the law of love — for they are one and the same — will bring to it the necessary material for its growth and maturity.

In those two sentences, we discover two very important things.

First, we see that love is what makes our thoughts grow. Without love, our thoughts would stagnate. They would have no “push.”

The second thing we find is that the law of attraction is the law of love. They are one and the same!

That’s huge!

Think about it for the moment. What Haanel is saying is that as we feel for something and thirst for its attainment, we will “attract” what we need to make it happen.

Love equals attraction.

In Week Twelve, Haanel wrote this.

19. We find this truth emphasized wherever the power of thought is understood. The Universal Mind is not only Intelligence, but it is substance, and this substance is the attractive force which brings electrons together by the law of attraction so that they form atoms; the atoms in turn are brought together by the same law and form molecules; molecules take objective forms; and so we find that the law of love is the creative force behind every manifestation, not only of atoms, but of worlds, of the Universe, of everything of which the imagination can form any conception.

Yes, love makes the world — and perhaps even the Universe! — go ’round.

Let’s Be Clear About This Love

I think I should make absolutely clear that this love is not the warm, fuzzy, gushing, saccharin love that some think it is.

It’s not loving “unconditionally.”

It’s not hugging trees or blessing every little insect that crosses your path.

It’ not putting on shows of concern and caring and playing like an empath wherever you go.

What Haanel means is that love is life — and life is love. It’s the will — and the enjoyment and the thrill — to live!

Does that make sense to you?

You get that feeling when you want to do something. It’s the feeling you used to get (or hopefully still get) on Christmas morning. It’s the feeling of seeing possibilities instead of fears and dangers. It’s the thrill of moving forward and knowing that each step is taking you on an adventure.

That’s love. That’s life. That’s living.

How Do We Get Love?

Did Haanel supply us with a way to get love if we have none?

Yes, he did.

In Week Nine, Haanel wrote this in point #16.

16. If you require Love try to realize that the only way to get love is by giving it, that the more you give the more you will get, and the only way in which you can give it is to fill yourself with it until you become a magnet. The method was explained in another lesson.

First, let’s look at that last sentence. What was the method Haanel explained?

In Week Three, Haanel discussed the solar plexus and how it works within us.

5. The Solar Plexus has been likened to the sun of the body, because it is a central point of distribution for the energy which the body is constantly generating. This energy is very real energy, and this sun is a very real sun, and the energy is being distributed by very real nerves to all parts of the body, and is thrown off in an atmosphere which envelopes the body.

6. If this radiation is sufficiently strong the person is called magnetic; he is said to be filled with personal magnetism. Such a person may wield an immense power for good. His presence alone will often bring comfort to the troubled minds with which he comes in contact.

We get to this level of experience by thinking constructively and concentrating.

In Week Seven, this is what Haanel wrote.

6. Concentration is much misunderstood. There seems to be an idea of effort or activity associated with it, when just the contrary is necessary. The greatness of an actor lies in the fact that he forgets himself in the portrayal of his character, becoming so identified with it that the audience is swayed by the realism of the performance. This will give you a good idea of true concentration; you should be so interested in your thought, so engrossed in your subject, as to be conscious of nothing else. Such concentration leads to intuitive perception and immediate insight into the nature of the object concentrated upon.

7. All knowledge is the result of concentration of this kind; it is thus that the secrets of Heaven and Earth have been wrested; it is thus that the mind becomes a magnet and the desire to know draws the knowledge, irresistibly attracts it, makes it your own.

Thus, by “losing yourself” within your interests, you begin to make a “magnet” of yourself.

Gt it? Good.

The Master Key Way to Find Love and Relationships

During this episode, I detailed a way — a way that works! — that will help you to find love (romantic or friendly).

Listen to the call and put it into practice. I would love to hear more success stories form this method!

The Exercise

I know that we finished The Master Key System, so there shouldn’t be an exercise.

But I invented one for you to do. Best of all, it’s really very easy.

Your exercise is to…

Are you ready?

Talk to people.

Wherever you go and whatever you’re doing, talk to the people you meet and see. From the clerk at the gas station to the receptionist at the office, talk to the people you meet.

Now, not just quick “Hi, howyoudoing? Fine.”

Rather, look at them and really see them as a person — as a fellow human being. Ask them how they’re doing and then wait for an answer. Smile!

This is what Haanel would call “giving.” You’re putting something out there. It may only be a smile or a kind word or just the fact that you’re acknowledging someone else’s existence, but it might — it just might! — mean the world to someone.

As people, we fall into our own little solipsisms far too easily. We filter out much of what is happening around us as we drown ourselves in our thoughts. We become the centers of our imaginary universes and never bother to see the stars all around us.

Blast out of that shell!

Break that cell!

See the world and all that in it — and all who is in it!

So, just take the time to share a few words with the people you meet and see.

By doing this exercise, you will also be developing within yourself a very powerful trait: courage.

Most people are shy to one degree or another. By speaking with and relating to people, you’ll overcome your shyness and become, in some ways, a friendly, social “butterfly.”

So, go forth and experience the world around you. Interact with it. Have fun with it!

Until next week, I wish you the best of everything.

This is truly the last section of The Master Key System.

This was the section in the original book in which Haanel answered questions from students of his correspondence course. There is a wealth of information here and it should not be overlooked.

So, we didn’t overlook it.

We made this episode of the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars the big Questions & Answers session.

Please enjoy what we reviewed. If you have any questions about The Master Key System, please send me an email or read the articles I wrote.

Ready to jump into the Questions & Answers?

Let’s get it on!

“Hewers of Wood”

During our big Questions & Answers session, I reviewed questions from four sources.

1. Haanel’s Questions & Answers
2. Questions I received from the survey I did before I began these Teleseminars
3. Questions I received via email
4. Questions during the call

All of those made for a busy evening.

The first questions I reviewed was from Haanel’s Questions & Answers.

“Unless we are willing to think we shall have to work, and the less we think the more we shall work, and the less we shall get for our work.” Is it possible to conceive of a world in which there are no “hewers of wood?”

This question is asking what many of us ask today: Can there ever be a world without people who dig ditches or work the counter at McDonald’s?

In other words, what if everyone succeeded at doing what they wanted to do? Who would do the “grunt work”?

Haanel addresses the question thusly:

Thought has taken much drudgery out of work, but much so-called “scientific management” and “efficiency and engineering systems” look upon millions of human beings as mere machines capable of making so many motions less or more per hour.

To labor is to serve and all service is honorable. But a “hewer of wood” contemplates blind service instead of intelligent service. Labor is the creative instinct in manifestation. Owing to the changes which have taken place in the industrial world, the creative instinct no longer finds expression. A man cannot build his own house, he cannot even make his own garden, he can by no means direct his own labor. He is therefore deprived of the greatest joy which can come to man, the joy of achieving, of creating, of accomplishing, and so this great power is perverted and turned into destructive channels. He can construct nothing for himself so he begins to destroy the works of his more fortunate fellows. Labor is however, finding that the Universe is not a chaos but a cosmos, that it is governed by immutable laws, that every condition is the result of a cause and that the same cause invariably produces the same effect. It is finding that these causes are mental, that thought predetermines action. It is finding that constructive thought brings about constructive conditions and destructive thought brings about destructive conditions.

The “key” here is “blind service instead of intelligent service.” Now, this goes beyond the old — and tired — adage “Don’t work harder, work smarter.” Haanel is referring here to thinking. Plain and simple thinking instead of following.

Thinking is, as you know, one of the main skills you should acquire from studying The Master Key System. Here, Haanel is once again imploring us to think; to not just follow a recipe or dictums, but to really and truly think.

That being said, Haanel defines labor as the “creative instinct in manifestation.”

Instinct. That’s something at the root of it. At the core. It’s what drives us. It’s what produces the things around us.

It’s true that everything begins with a thought. It doesn’t end there, though. That is just the beginning — because “though predetermines action.” If our thoughts be constructive, then the results will be constructive as well.

Those who don’t follow their creative instincts become those who tear down the works of others. This sounds suspiciously similar to a sociologist named Emile Durkheim, much of whose work was based on man’s separation from the things around him — anomie.

Thus, Haanel is imploring us to be creative outlets; to work and service intelligently.

The “5%-ers”

The next question we reviewed from Haanel:

What is the meaning of the statement, “Only five percent have the vision to annex the strategic position, to see and feel a thing before it happens?”

And the answer:

Ninety-five percent of the people are busy attempting to change effects. Something happens which they do not like and they try to change the situation. They soon find that they are simply changing one form of distress for another. The other five percent are busily engaged with causes. They know that in order to make any permanent change it is the cause which they must seek. They soon find that the cause is within their control. It is the five percent that do the thinking, and the ninety-five percent which merely accept the thought of others. It is those only who think who can see and feel a thing before it happens.

Once again, thinking.

The “5%-ers” are the people who think and who don’t necessarily accept the thoughts of others.

Aim to become a “5%-er”!

Turn on the Light

The last question in Haanel’s Questions & Answers is a deep one. It’s a question that we ask today — and we’ve probably asked it throughout the ages.

You are, without doubt, correct in stating that Carlyle’s attitude of hatred of the bad was not conducive toward his own best development; on the other hand, what should be the attitude toward the giant evils of the day, such as war, graft, murder, vice, theft and the like? Is it not often true that a tearing down, a clearing away of the brush piles, so to speak, must precede constructive work?

In other words, why is there evil in the world and what can we do about it? Do we have to destroy what we have and build anew? A veritable bloody revolution?

No, it is not true. The tearing down process is not at all necessary. We do not need to laboriously shovel the darkness out of a room before letting in the light; on the contrary, all that is necessary is to turn on the light and the darkness vanishes; likewise, if but one-tenth of one per cent of the money and effort was spent in constructive work that is now being spent in destructive work, the giant evils of the day to which you refer would disappear as if by magic.

I agree with the first part. Much of the problems in our life can be assuaged simply by “letting in the light.” Is that trite? Perhaps a little. But is it true? More often than you think.

As we’ve come to realize from reading and studying The Master Key System, when we react, we are generally reacting to the “world without.” That’s often times the land of shadows and shibboleths. It’s our perceptions.

To change them, we have to change the “world within.” And when we do that, we generally find it is much like flicking a light switch.

As for the second part of what Haanel wrote, that may or may not be true. I guess it depends on one’s political point of view. And we will leave it at that.

The Survey Results

Before the Master Key Coaching teleseminars started, I posted a survey online to see what people wanted to learn. I received hundreds of responses. Apart from deciding what day and time these calls would happen, I posed open-ended questions about what people wanted to know.

The results were overwhelming, which was incredible.

Those responses guided what I presented during the course of our review of The Master Key System.

Those responses will also serve as a guide as we move forward.

There were only a couple of “stragglers,” as I like to call them, that didn’t get the attention they deserved. Listen to the audio of the call. Those stragglers raised some good points that will help you to understand this philosophy better.

An Email Question – Repetition and Visualization

I receive lots of questions via email. This one caught my eye.

Some say that we need repetition (via visualisation of our specific desires) in order to convince the subconscious mind that we are wealthy and to counter the past programming of poverty. Yet others say that once a request to the universe has been made, to keep going over it says that we don’t believe that we have/can have what we’re seeking and thus reinforces the poverty mentality.

It would be great of you could clarify this.

What we are doing with this philosophy is a reprogramming of our minds – of our subconscious. We know that. That’s why we’re here.

The key is how we are doing it.

The purpose of the first three exercises in The Master Key System is to teach us — to instill within us — the ability to relax, to loose our anxieties and fears.

You see, it will take repetition to “reprogram” ourselves.

It must be done properly, though. And the proper way to do it is when we are relaxed.

The person who posed this question is correct in a way. If we repeat our visualizations or affirmations when we are in an anxious or fearful or reactionary state, then we will only reinforce what we don’t want. That is why those first three exercises are so important: we must be able to relax and get into our “state.”

That’s the key right there. We “let go” of the bad thoughts and then we enter our state and then we visualize or affirm.

Easy, isn’t it?

And Then the Callers Asked Questions

Our frequent caller, “John in Orlando,” and I had a really riveting conversation. During it, we discussed perseverance, the tendency for us humans to needlessly complicate things, and how acknowledging that in the end we’re all going to die can be a greatly liberating thought.

Take the time to listen to the call. Listen to it with some friends. It’s really pretty interesting and insightful. Then again, what did you expect when you have the brightest and most insightful callers and listeners in all “podcast-dom”?

I hope that somewhere in here a question of yours was answered. Actually, I hope that all of them were answered!

If not, then please let me know. I shall endeavor to be of service to you.

Until next week, I wish you and yours the best of everything…

It’s the end. After twenty-three weeks of study and exercises, after twenty-seven weeks of these Master Key Coaching Teleseminars, we come to an end.

That end is just the beginning, though.

The point is to use this knowledge and these methods to attain what you want from life.

You do that by thinking, by concentrating, by seeing the world as it truly is, by planning, and then by taking action.

You now know how to do all of those things. You know how to think. You know how to solve problems. You know how to see a plan in it entirety.

It’s up to you, now, to take action.

That’s when the alchemy begins.

The Letter of Transmittal

Week 24 is a very metaphysical lesson. It’s meant by Haanel to tie things together in a neat bundle. It’s meant to be a send-off of sorts. It’s meant to be the final word.

It’s all of those.

If you have practiced each of the exercises a few minutes every day, as suggested, you will have found that you can get out of life exactly what you wish by first putting into life that which you wish, and you will probably agree with the student who said: “The thought is almost overwhelming, so vast, so available, so definite, so reasonable, and so usable.”

“You can get out of life exactly what you wish by first putting into life that which you wish.”

Those are some powerful words.

As we now know, we have to “give to get.” We have to engage in life, grab the proverbial bull by the proverbial horns. We do that by thinking — truly thinking — and taking opportunities as we become aware of them.

An understanding of this principle, I believe, is the secret for which the ancient Alchemists vainly sought, because it explains how gold in the mind may be transmuted into gold in the heart and in the hand.

We all have something to offer. We’re all in possession of the “greatest treasure in the Universe.”

We only need to unlock it and allow it to grow.

When you do so, “you may reach degrees of power to which it is impossible to assign any limit.”

Go into the Silence

For every exercise, Haanel always instructed that we take our usual position and go into the Silence.

The Silence.

It’s the place where we “hear” our thoughts. It’s the place where problems are solved and ideas are hatched.

8. As all conditions are thought creations and therefore entirely mental, disease and lack are simply mental conditions in which the person fails to perceive the truth. As soon as the error is removed, the condition is removed.

9. The method for removing this error is to go into the Silence and know the Truth. As all mind is one mind, you can do this for yourself or anyone else. If you have learned to form mental images of the conditions desired, this will be the easiest and quickest way to secure results; if not, results can be accomplished by argument, by the process of convincing yourself absolutely of the truth of your statement.

We also use the Silence to “know the Truth.”

We use the Silence to clear our thoughts (as we’ve been taught and as we’ve exercised) and escape from the world of shadows and shibboleths. We then see things as they are — as they truly are.

We begin to perceive the Truth.

The Truth

“The Truth shall set you free” is the saying.

It also works.

19. Truth is not the result of logical training or of experimentation, or even of observation; it is the product of a developed Consciousness. Truth within a Caesar manifests in a Caesar’s deportment, in his life, and in his action; his influence upon social forms and progress. Your life and your actions and your influence in the world will depend upon the degree of truth which you are enabled to perceive, for truth will not manifest in creeds, but in conduct.

Truth will manifest itself in your conduct — in what you do!

These actions will yield results — what you want.

It’s not an easy journey. We’ll be assaulted by false thoughts, distractions, daydreams, and quick fixes. If you persevere, though, you will find the Truth and therefore your greatness.

22. It is this truth which makes you “free” and it is the conscious knowledge of this truth which will enable you to overcome every difficulty.

23. The conditions with which you meet in the world without are invariably the result of the conditions obtaining in the world within, therefore it follows with scientific accuracy that by holding the perfect ideal in mind you can bring about ideal conditions in your environment.

It all begins with our thoughts — the “world within.”

This is our guide. This brings us “our own.”

24. If you see only the incomplete, the imperfect, the relative, and the limited, then these conditions will manifest in your life; but if you train your mind to see and realize the spiritual ego, the “I” which is forever perfect and complete, then harmonious, wholesome, and healthful conditions only will be manifested.

Remember that this is not daydreaming! This is not fantasizing about things that will probably never be.

This is about seeing — realizing — the “spiritual ego,” that which is truly you. It’s not a made-up character nor a hapless wish. It’s you and who you are supposed to be.

Once Again, the Master Key Is You!

Let’s see point #28.

28. Men have, heretofore, generally used the word “God” to indicate this Universal, creative principle; but the word “God” does not convey the right meaning. Most people understand this word to mean something outside of themselves; while exactly the contrary is the fact. It is our very life. Without it we would be dead. We would cease to exist. The minute the spirit leaves the body, we are as nothing. Therefore, spirit is really all there is of us.

Far too often people are looking for something outside themselves that will get them what they want.

All the answers are within.

The Master Key is within.

It is you!

You’re not separate from things. You are a part of them. When you realize that — truly realize that! — you will be two steps closer to actualizing your potential.

Life and attaining that which you want isn’t about waiting for “gifts” or wishing for things to “manifest.”

It’s about using the gifts that you have and attaining for yourself the things that you want.

Why set shackle yourself to the capricious wings of fate when you have the rock-solid knowledge of your thoughts and your ideas and, in total, yourself?

Unlock yourself.

Be free.

The Exercise for Week 24

Although this is the last Week of The Master Key System, we still have an exercise.

31. This week, try to realize that this is truly a wonderful world in which we live, that you are a wonderful being, that many are awakening to a knowledge of the Truth, and as fast as they awake and come into a knowledge of the “things which have been prepared for them” they, too, realize that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man,” the splendors which exist for those who find themselves in the Promised Land. They have crossed the river of judgment and have arrived at the point of discrimination between the true and the false, and have found that all they ever willed or dreamed was but a faint concept of the dazzling reality.

We do live in a wonderful world.

You truly are a wonderful being.

Realize those things. Truly realize them.

“Know thyself” and inherit all that should be — and could be — yours.

It’s there to be had.

Reach for it!

Get for yourself the best of everything…

For the past twenty-two weeks, we’ve been learning quite a few things and doing quite a few different exercises. We’ve learned how our mind works, how the world works, even, to one extent or another, how the Universe works.

That’s all fine and good.

I’ve been publishing the books of Charles F. Haanel for over ten years. I’ve written numerous articles about Haanel’s philosophy. I’ve been quoted, written about, interviewed, and referred to. Heck! I’ve even been deferred to a few times. I’ve been coaching people in this philosophy for more than a few years — and I’ve yielded some awesome results for my coaching clients.

Through all that time and through all those experiences, above all else, what people ask me the most — “most” being about 99.99% of the time — is …

How do we use this “stuff” to get rich?

Of course, those aren’t the words that are used. Some people want to “share in the abundance” or “receive the gifts from the Universe.”

I call a spade a spade. We want to know how we can get rich. Plain and simple.

It’s why we read these books. It’s why we want to improve ourselves.

And it’s OK. Money plays a big part of our lives. We should want more. We should get more. We should attain more.

Luckily, Week 23 explains how all of that is possible.

The Letter of Transmittal

The “Letter of Transmittal” for Week 23 is awesome. There’s so much in just this one page of text that a person could spend a week just studying it alone.

That being the case, here is the “Letter” in its entirety.

In the part which I have the honor to transmit herewith, you will find that money weaves itself into the entire fabric of our very existence; that the law of success is service; that we get what we give and for this reason we should consider it a great privilege to be able to give.

We have found that thought is the creative activity behind every constructive enterprise. We can therefore give nothing of more practical value than our thought.

Creative thought requires attention, and the power of attention is, as we have found, the weapon of the Super-man. Attention develops concentration, and concentration develops Spiritual Power, and Spiritual Power is the mightiest force in existence.

This is the science which embraces all sciences. It is the art which, above all arts, is relevant to human life. In the mastery of this science and this art there is opportunity for unending progression. Perfection in this is not acquired in six days, or in six weeks, or in six months. It is the labor of a life. Not to go forward is to go backward.

It is inevitable that the entertainment of positive, constructive, and unselfish thoughts should have a far-reaching effect for good. Compensation is the key-note of the universe. Nature is constantly seeking to strike an equilibrium. Where something is sent out, something must be received, else there should be a vacuum formed. By observance of this rule you cannot fail to profit in such measure as to amply justify your effort along this line.

What’s in there is everything that we have learned in the previous twenty-two weeks — and then some.

Read that a few times. Listen to the audio of the Teleseminar. I’ll be commenting on what’s there as we explore the main points of this week.

Got the “Money Consciousness”?

In the first Week of The Master Key System, Mr. Haanel asked us “Would you bring into your life more power? … More health? … More happiness?”

In the first point of Week 23, Haanel talks about the “money consciousness.”

1. The money consciousness is an attitude of mind. It is the open door to the arteries of commerce. It is the receptive attitude. Desire is the attractive force which sets the current in motion and fear is the great obstacle by which the current is stopped or completely reversed and turned away from us.

It is an “attitude of mind.”

That means that if we wish to make money — if that is what we truly desire — then we must become aware of the way money works — of how it is made, of how it is transferred, of how it flows. It’s not merely an awareness that we live in an “abundant Universe,” as so many talking heads blather. It’s an understanding of how the system works and how to tap into that system

As Haanel writes in the very next sentence, “It is the open door to the arteries of commerce.”

Commerce. It is defined in Wikipedia as

Commerce is the exchange of goods and services from the point of production to the point of consumption to satisfy human wants. It comprises the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information, or money between two or more entities.

That’s what Haanel is talking about in this chapter. Frankly, that’s what Haanel’s been writing about throughout the entire book!

Sadly, that’s the point that most people miss as they study The Master Key System or other books like it. For some reason, they were lead to believe that by thinking about something and staring at a picture on a post-it board they’ll somehow cause the Universal ether to coalesce into the object of their desire.

It doesn’t happen that way.

By now we know the “method”: Thought leads to action which yields results.

If our thoughts are on money — if we have the “money consciousness” — then our thoughts will influence our actions into commerce. Our goal will be to “satisfy human wants.”

We’ll become a “player” in the “game.”

This is only possible, though, as we are confident and strong. We must be proud of what we do and what we offer. Otherwise, we will succumb to fear.

Fear brings about the “poverty consciousness” because it stifles our participation in the life of commerce. That’s why it’s the “opposite from the money consciousness.”

So, How Do We Make Money?

Point #3 is the key point for this week. This will explain just about everything.

3. We make money by making friends, and we enlarge our circle of friends by making money for them, by helping them, by being of service to them. The first law of success then is service, and this in turn is built on integrity and justice. The man who at least is not fair in his intention is simply ignorant; he has missed the fundamental law of all exchange; he is impossible; he will lose surely and certainly; he may not know it; he may think he is winning, but he is doomed to certain defeat. He cannot cheat the Infinite. The law of compensation will demand of him an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

That’s Economics 101 in a nutshell. Class dismissed. Go and make money.

We make money by “making friends” and we make friends by “making money for them, by helping them, by being of service to them.”

In other words, we “satisfy human wants.” We supply a good or service that people want or need. The more people we satisfy — the more “friends” we make — the more money we receive.

We become our “brother’s keeper.”

This is why capitalism works so well. Frankly, capitalism isn’t the best economic system, it’s the only economic system. You see, no matter how you cut it, no matter what political system you put in place, no matter how you try to control the masses, people will always find a way to trade value for value. Take money from the picture and people will trade favors; remove those and people will trade on status … Always one value for another.

But I digress.

Haanel writes, then, that the first — the first! — “law of success then is service, and this in turn is built on integrity and justice.”

As we “serve” people — as we “satisfy human wants” — we make money; but we can only do so as long as we are honest in our dealings. If we fail — if we cheat or deliver shoddy goods or performances — then we won’t be in business for very long. We will be “doomed to certain defeat.”

Now, many people think that this applies only to those who have or want to have a business.

Nothing is further from the truth. This applies to those who have jobs and who want better jobs just as much. It’s all the same.

A person who has a job is trading value for value just as the businessman. The employee is trading his skills and his service to the employer for money.

Listen to the audio for the Teleseminar. There is a lot there, especially for those who are seeking employment or a better position. It’s good stuff!

The Third Axiom of Success

We further learn how to make money — not only that, but how to make a “money magnet” of ourselves — in point #5.

5. You can make a money magnet of yourself, but to do so you must first consider how you can make money for other people. If you have the necessary insight to perceive and utilize opportunities and propitious conditions and recognize values, you can put yourself in position to take advantage of them, but your greatest success will come as you are enabled to assist others. What benefits one must benefit all.

How can you make money for other people?

Now, when you think on that, don’t limit yourself into thinking that you have to become an investor or stock broker of some sort.

Making money for other people can entail anything that saves a person time or effort. Think about that. Why do you buy what you buy? Go where you go?

You pay a grocer money to buy fruits and vegetables because it beats all hell out of growing your own. You pay people a lot of money to buy and own a car because that car saves you time by transporting you places quicker than your feet can.

In other words, time truly is money.

An employer hires someone to make money for him. Maybe not directly, but by saving him the time and effort it would take to do the task.

Are you getting that? Is that making sense?

That’s why Haanel has the big condition there.

“If you have the necessary insight to perceive and utilize opportunities…”

By thoroughly studying and applying the philosophy of Haanel, you will have that insight to perceive. It’s a matter of seeing the world as it truly is — in all its grit and glory. It’s a matter of seeing — perhaps sensing — what people want and then making the Herculean effort of supplying it for them.

That last part is pretty much my “Third Axiom of Success.”

Successful people don’t focus on the things that they want; they focus on what other people want and make those things available to them for a profit.

I am going to deliver a small rant here. Just a wee-little one. I promise.

One of the main reasons I was so miffed when that infomercial The Secret was so popular was that sequence with the boy who wanted the bicycle.

If you haven’t seen the movie, it happens like this. A boy wants a bike. He stares at pictures of the bike he wants. He fixates on the bike with all his thought wherever he goes. Until … The “law of attraction” delivers the bike to him — as a gift from someone.

Were you as offended as I was by that? Did it cause you to facepalm? Were you as skeeved as I was by the pedophile-looking dude who gave the bike to the kid?

How much better — and more poignant — would the movie had been if they showed a kid who wanted a bike. He uses his mind to develop ways that he could earn the money he needs for the bike. He mows lawns, gets a paper route, walks dogs … The typical stuff. Then, with the money he earns, he “attracts” the bike to himself.

Wouldn’t that have been great? That would have been awesome!

It would have been awesome because the successful aren’t successful because they sit around and think about the things that they want. On the contrary! They think about the things that other people want — and do their best to supply those things.

A carpenter will spend ten hours a day building a house for someone else!

A business man spends time, money, and effort planning a factory to manufacture televisions for people he will never meet!

A writer pens a book so people he may never meet will see the world a little differently.

In all those cases, it’s people doing things for other people. These other people — these strangers — then become “friends” as Haanel would have said.

Giving: It’s Not Just for Charity Anymore

In those three cases — the carpenter, the businessman, and the writer — those people gave. It’s not giving in the charitable sense. No, this is something different.

In point #6 Haanel writes

6. A generous thought is filled with strength and vitality, a selfish thought contains the germs of dissolution; it will disintegrate and pass away. Great financiers like Morgan and others are simply channels for the distribution of wealth; enormous amounts come and go, but it would be as dangerous to stop the outgo as the income; both ends must remain open; and so our greatest success will come as we recognize that it is just as essential to give as to get.

Wealth comes in many forms: money (of course), skill, talent, ability. Those are just a few.

They all share one thing in common. In order for us to benefit from whatever wealth we have, we must “give” it. We must use it.

Even before one book is sold, a writer will toil over his tome for months, maybe years. A carpenter will study his craft for years, will apprentice for years, will do lowly jobs for years before he makes top dollar for doing the big jobs.

We must give to get.

As I have indicated, though, that does not mean that by donating to charity will we get something back from it, like interest or something.

As Haanel clarifies in point #7

7. If we recognize the Omnipotent power that is the source of all supply, we will adjust our consciousness to this supply in such a way that it will constantly attract all that is necessary to itself and we shall find that the more we give the more we get. Giving in this sense implies service. The banker gives his money, the merchant gives his goods, the author gives his thought, the workman gives his skill; all have something to give, but the more they can give, the more they get, and the more they get the more they are enabled to give.

Get it? Are you really getting it?

Good.

THINK

In The Master Key Workbook I wrote this.

The founder of IBM, Thomas J. Watson Sr., made a single word the company motto:

THINK

Thought may be the only thing that you have at the moment. It will always be the most valuable thing that you own. A labourer has a wage that has a cap, because the physical body has bounds; a thinker knows no bounds because the Mind is in touch with the Infinite.

One idea can change the world. One idea can net for you millions of dollars. Look around you and realize that everything that you have came from somewhere and that everything originated in the mind. Someone’s mind envisioned and planned what you are using, sitting on, watching, eating.

Never before has it been more possible to realize your idea. Production costs are decreasing, the Internet has become a viable medium, and knowledge and information are everywhere. We are in the midst of a great Renaissance. Take advantage of everything. Think!

Haanel wrote this in points #8 and #9.

8. The financier gets much because he gives much; he thinks; he is seldom a man that lets any one else do his thinking for him; he wants to know how results are to be secured; you must show him; when you can do this he will furnish the means by which hundreds or thousands may profit; and in proportion as they are successful will he be successful. Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and others did not get rich because they lost money for other people. On the contrary, it is because they made money for other people that they became the wealthiest men in the wealthiest country on the globe.

9. The average person is entirely innocent of any deep thinking; he accepts the ideas of others and repeats them in very much the same way as a parrot; this is readily seen when we understand the method which is used to form public opinion and this docile attitude on the part of a large majority, who seem perfectly willing to let a few persons do all their thinking for them, is what enables a few men in a great many countries to usurp all the avenues of power and hold the millions in subjection. Creative thinking requires attention.

As we think, as we truly think, we become our own person. We lead. We cease to be a follower.

That’s why one of the main things you should be getting from The Master Key System is the ability to truly think. It’s powerful!

Now, as Haanel wrote in the “Letter of Transmittal,” it’s not something that is “ac- quired in six days, or in six weeks, or in six months.” No, it is “the labor of life.”

With practice, though, comes better.

The Exercise for Week 23

This week concentrate on the fact that man is not a body with a spirit, but a spirit with a body, and that it is for this reason that his desires are incapable of any permanent satisfaction in anything not spiritual. Money is therefore of no value except to bring about the conditions which we desire and these conditions are necessarily harmonious. Harmonious conditions necessitate sufficient supply, so that if there appears to be any lack, we should realize that the idea—or soul—of money is service, and as this thought takes form, channels of supply will be opened and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that spiritual methods are entirely practical.

Whether you’re religious or spiritual or not, this exercise makes sense — and will help you.

You see, the body part of us is somewhat inconsequential. What really matters, what really counts is the spirit — the brain, the thoughts, the insight. That’s the spirit!

And that’s where the “money” comes from. It comes from our thoughts. Our thoughts lead to our actions. As our thoughts look outward to others and we become insightful to what opportunities are available, we “attract” money to ourselves.

It’s easy. There are no tricks to it.

The “soul” of money is service. Plain and simple.

Get it?

That’s how you get rich.

So, stop dallying here and go and get thyself rich!

Until next week, may you get for yourself the best of everything.

The practice part is obvious. Not only did Haanel provide us with exercises, but we have to practice applying them properly. Review all the articles I wrote. Listen again to the recordings of the Teleseminars. Many of the answers are there. If not, there’s always Master Key Coaching.

Perseverance is something that gets down-played. It shouldn’t. It’s the glue that ties all this “stuff” together.

Please realize that changes will not happen over-night. Quite frankly, they might not happen in a week or a month or even a year. It takes persistent effort — “persistent” being the key word there — to make positive changes.

They will come, though. Sometimes suddenly. Sometimes gradually. It doesn’t matter. The fact that they comes does matter.

Finally, we have to hone the ideas to fit our problems and to fit our situations. As I probably have said too many times to count, this stuff — this Master Key System and any personal development in general — is philosophy, not dogma. It’s meant to be shaped and molded, to be discussed and argued.

Along with that, it’s meant to be picked for nuance. Instead of blanket statements and over-generalized bromides, we’re supposed to take this philosophy and apply it properly to different aspects of our lives. Just as we wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to drive a carpenter’s nail into a delicate piece of wood, so we shouldn’t take a general statement from The Master Key System and apply it to every aspect of our lives.

The right tool for the right job.

That brings me to a little bit of a flashback. I want to return to something we discussed way back in Episode #2 of these Teleseminars in order to hone it and help to make better sense of it.

All set? Let’s go…

I Don’t Want to Be All Negative Again, But…

In the second episode of these Teleseminars, someone asked a question about negative people and how we should distance ourselves from them, especially if they are family or close friends.

I answered that pushing away those close to us is generally a bad idea. Not only is it not nice, but it can cause some real damage. I suggested that we should work in silence and let the results speak for themselves rather than looking for encouragement from anyone except those who can really help us or move us toward our goals.

A few people emailed me questions about this topic and one person left a very intelligent comment about it. I hope what I write here will answer those questions and those questions that are unasked about negative people.

First, let’s talk about family members or close friends whom we might consider to be negative. Should we just chuck them from our lives?

The answer to that is a resounding no.

There are far too many stories of families becoming broken when one of the members takes the “get rid of negative people” mantra to far or too literally. Steve Salerno, the author of SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless, has written on his blog — the SHAMblog — many articles about families torn asunder all because one person found the environment “too negative” or “too stifling.”

The question to ask is, Were the families negative? I mean were they really negative?

And that’s the question we have to ask ourselves if we start to get those feelings.

You see, if people — be they family or friends — are abusive to us (physically or mentally) or actively sabotaging us, then yes we should distance ourselves from them.

Chances are likely, though, that that is rarely the case. More likely, the “negativity” mainly consists of general “down-ness” and perhaps a few unkind remarks or slights. Especially if we just regaled them with stories of our goals and dreams and how great we’re going to be one day.

That’s why I say to work in silence; let the results speak.

If someone we know is too negative for our tastes — someone we may refer to as a “friend,” but they’re not really a friend, they’re more like an acquaintance or just someone we know — then it’s OK for us to keep our distance. We don’t have to invite them for drinks or return their calls.

Is that making sense to you?

I think many people who want to improve their lives look at the people around them as “negative” because they want — perhaps need — a crutch.

You see, as we study this stuff and as we learn about the people who “made it,” we are apt to use the people we know as excuses for why we didn’t or aren’t making it. It’s an ego-defense. It’s our brains talking to us and saying “We can’t be at fault for us not being all that we can be. It’s because we’re surrounded by so much negativity!”

It’s a crutch we lean on — and if we lean too much, it runs the risk of breaking and hurting us and the people around us.

I wrote this in The Master Key Workbook.

For no longer can you place the blame on anything or anyone else. It is now the time to look where you stand and take the reigns. That power is available for all and it does not have to be found or obtained. You already have it and it is within you. Claim it!

Part of the lessons in The Master Key System are about steeling our minds: staying focused on our goal, working hard at it and not letting anything — anything! — distract us. As we do that and as we grow into our power — our confidence, our knowledge, our skill — we will grow to handle better the people close to us.

It won’t be by just leaving them either. Nor will it be by being dismissive or unkind.

We’ll let our actions and results do the talking.

We’ll truly be “the Man.” (Or “the Woman”!)

The fact is that often we need negative people. (I bet you never thought you’d hear someone say that!)

It’s true, though. There are a couple of reasons for that.

First, we need people to say “no” to us every so often.

Think about the celebrities that have risen and fallen. What do many say contributed to their fall?

All the “yes men” that with which they surrounded themselves.

Every so often, we need someone to tell us we’re nuts or we’re crazy. Or just flat out “No.” It keeps us in line. It keeps us grounded. It keep us looking at reality rather than fantasy.

Along with that, sometimes when we get a “negative response” we get spurred into action more!

We’ve all had times where someone will tell us that we can’t do something and then we think, “Oh yeah! Well, I’ll show them!” And then we go and do it. Would we have attained the same result without that little “incentive”?

I was at a concert once. (I won’t name the band so as not to embarrass myself.) After the show, I said to my friends, “I’m going to go backstage.” Of course, they made a point to mention that I did not have a backstage pass and that I didn’t stand a chance of getting there. I just shrugged my shoulders and said that I’d give it a try anyway. (Luckily, I drove, so the transportation home was under my control.)

I went to the backstage entrance, did my “Tony thing,” and two hours later I met my friends by the car where they were waiting for me. They were quite angry for being made to wait so long. I said, “I told you I was going backstage. You should have come.”

Sometimes a little resistance — a little negativity — stirs a resolve in us that makes us like little tanks. It gives us the drive to just make a point, to do the “impossible.” How many inventions and great feats were accomplished all because someone was “negative”? A lot!

So, in summation, don’t use the people around you as “crutches” for your ego. If they’re truly negative — as in abusive — then by all means make a break for it. If they’re just your run-of-the-mill people, then take them with a grain of salt. Better yet, use them to make your point: Let their words spur you to more action and better results. Do something so that you can look at them and say “I told you so.”

Or, as I use as the tagline for The Master Key Workbook, “Stop running from your trouble. Start chasing your dreams.”

Believe me, it’s more fun.

Week 22: “Spiritual Seeds”

This part of The Master Key System is about health. More specifically, it’s about how we can heal ourselves with our mind — how we can find perfect health through right thinking.

This is a tricky topic. It’s controversial. It can be dangerous.

Even Oprah, who after airing her show about The Secret, had another show about the movie so as to dissuade a viewer who thought that she could cure her cancer with her thoughts from stopping her medical treatments.

Maybe it was Oprah’s conscience that made her air that second show. Maybe it was her legal team. Maybe it was both. Whichever the case, I think that illustrates just what murky waters we enter when we discuss a topic like this.

With that in mind, let’s look at the Letter of Transmittal.

In the last paragraph, Haanel wrote that

“Nourishing foods and strengthening tonics” cannot bestow life, because these are but secondary manifestations of life. The primary manifestation of life and how you may get in touch with it is explained in the part which I have the privilege of enclosing herewith.

That illustrates two points.

The first is that “life” doesn’t come from something outside ourselves. Drinking juices and taking mega-vitamins and getting the latest supplement won’t do much for us. Life — health — comes from within.

The second thing that this quote illustrates is the background from which Haanel came and which deeply influenced The Master Key System. That background is Christian Science.

That’s important to note because that, to one degree or another, jades Haanel’s view on the topic. It’s neither good nor bad; it just is.

Thoughts Do Influence Our Bodies

Haanel wrote this in point #2.

2. If the state of our health is not all that could be desired, let us examine our method of thinking; let us remember that every thought produces an impression on the mind; every impression is a seed which will sink into the subconscious and form a tendency; the tendency will be to attract other similar thoughts and before we know it we shall have a crop which must be harvested.

According to Haanel, to change our health, we must change our thinking. In point #3, Haanel is even more straight-forward.

3. If these thoughts contain disease germs, the harvest will be sickness, decay, weakness, and failure. The question is: What are we thinking, what are we creating, what is the harvest to be?

Is this true? If we think about sickness, will we become sick?

I don’t think that that is the case. (That is my personal opinion.) I don’t think that because someone thought about the flu that they will get the flu. I think that for two reasons.

The first is that diseases are caused by contagions that are often outside our control. If we happen upon a virus that our immune system cannot handle, then we’re going to get sick.

Now, even if that isn’t exactly the case and there is something to what Haanel wrote, I would like to add that just thinking something for a moment or two will not bring that upon us. A fleeting thought is not effective. It’s about the predominant thoughts that we carry with us.

During the “Questions & Answers” session of the Teleconference, our friend “John in Orlando” made a most excellent — and most apropos — analogy. He said that negative thoughts like that are like cigarettes. If a person were to have just one cigarette, that’s not going to bring any adverse health problems on them. A person needs to smoke regularly to begin seeing the negative consequences of smoking. It’s the predominant habit that prevails, just like the predominant thoughts.

In point #8, Haanel wrote

8. All that is necessary is to consult our own experience. When our thought has been uplifted, progressive, constructive, courageous, noble, kind, or in any other way desirable, we have set in motion vibrations which brought about certain results. When our thought has been filled with envy, hatred, jealousy, criticism, or any of the other thousand and one forms of discord, certain vibrations were set in motion which brought about certain other results of a different nature, and each of these rates of vibration, if kept up, crystallized in form. In the first case the result was mental, moral, and physical health, and in the second case discord, inharmony, and disease.

I think that we can all testify that our thoughts do have an influence on our bodies. If we are embarrassed, we get flushed. If we’re scared, our heart races. We can worry ourselves sick. Likewise, we can make ourselves feel better with good thoughts.

Like Haanel wrote in point #24.

24. This influence or control over the body by the mind is coming to be more and more generally understood, and many physicians are now giving the matter their earnest attention. Dr. Albert T. Shofield, who has written several important books on the subject, says: “The subject of mental therapeutics is still ignored in medical works generally. In our physiologies no reference is made to the central con- trolling power that rules the body for its good, and the power of the mind over the body is seldom spoken of.”

Keep in mind that this was written c. 1916! (Yes, the New Age movement is not very “new” at all.)

Robert Anton Wilson even had something to say about thinking optimistic thoughts over glum thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llLY9VUKpRM

Optimists — people who think healthy, constructive thoughts — tend to live longer and be healthier than people who are pessimistic. Study after study after study has shown this to be true.

Does this happen because thoughts cause disease?

Or is it because thoughts yield actions that yield results?

I tend toward the latter. I think that if we have a predominant thought pattern, we will do things both consciously and subconsciously that will yield results. In the case of health, if we have “diseased” thoughts, then we will take actions that will yield “diseased” results. We’ll tend to eat unhealthily. We’ll take part in unhealthy activities. We will bring to ourselves “our own.”

Louise L. Hay, with whom you may be familiar, would definitely go with the former. As I wrote in The Master Key Workbook…

In her book, You Can Heal Your Life, Louise L. Hay lists common (and at times not so common) diseases and ailments and their associated probable mental cause. For example, for allergies, she has as the mental ailment, “Who are you allergic to?” She also includes a listing of affirmations that can be used to counteract the negative thought. Here is another example: For nervousness, she has listed as a probable cause “fear, anxiety…not trusting the life process.” For the new thought pattern she would use to counteract it, she writes, “I am on an endless journey through eternity, and there is plenty of time. I communicate with my heart. All is well.”

It’s definitely an interesting take on things.

Is it true?

The answer is simply that I don’t know.

Going further, I don’t think anyone has the definitive answer. Maybe the answer will be found somewhere in the middle.

I noted earlier that one of Haanel’s big influences was the Christian Science movement. Not too long ago, I received an email from a woman who claimed to be a Christian Scientist. She explained that many Christian Scientists accept medical treatment because they view the work of the doctor as coming through the Universal — as being an extension of God’s work.

That makes some sense to me. I hope it does to you as well.

Let’s get to the exercise.

The Exercise for Week 22

28. For your exercise this week concentrate on Tennyson’s beautiful lines.

29. “Speak to Him, thou, for He hears, and spirit with spirit can meet, Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.”

30. Then try to realize that when you do “Speak to Him” you are in touch with Omnipotence.

That line is from Alfred, Lord Tennyson‘s poem “The Higher Pantheism.”

Haanel explains in point #31…

31. This realization and recognition of this Omnipresent power will quickly destroy any and every form of sickness or suffering and substitute harmony and perfection.

Will it?

Personally, I don’t think so. I also don’t think it will hurt, though.

I do know that it will raise our spirits. It will make us feel better — and sometimes that’s the start to healing.

As I wrote at the start of this long essay, this topic of healing with thoughts is a tricky one. There is a lot to be discussed about it. There’s a lot to be said for both the pros and the cons.

Even deeper, what makes it so controversial is that it’s an argument wrapped in beliefs. Two people can argue facts — even opinions — all day long and not have a fight. Once beliefs enter the ring, a fight will break out between friends.

If anything, look at both sides with an open and inquisitive mind. Do your best to separate fact from fiction, proper thinking from wishful thinking. There are a lot of great and wonderful things in this world. There are also some things that suck.

With that in mind, stay optimistic. Stay healthy. I’ll see you next week.

Until then, get for yourself the best of everything!

In other words, we’re here, we’re alive, we’re free to do what we want, and we have the ability — whether we know it or not — to get what we want; so, why aim low?

Aim high!

Think big!

That’s the overall message of Week Twenty-One. Let’s explore it.

The Letter of Transmittal: Prayer and Spiritual Laws

What is prayer?

In paragraph eight you will find that everything which we hold in our consciousness for any length of time becomes impressed upon our subconsciousness and so becomes a pattern which the creative energy will weave into our life and environment. This is the secret of the wonderful power of prayer.

In a nutshell, it’s impressing the subconscious mind with what we want so that it becomes a part of us and therefore “comes into” our life.

Let’s look at Haanel’s definition again so that we can get a clearer picture of what exactly prayer is.

Haanel refers us to point #8.

8. When we realize these facts concerning mind, we understand how we may bring to ourselves any condition by creating the corresponding conditions in our consciousness, because everything which is held for any length of time in the consciousness eventually becomes impressed upon the subconscious and thus becomes a pattern which the creative energy will weave into the life and environment of the individual.

It’s basically the same thing with a few more words.

Take note of a few of those words, though.

When we hold something for a time in the conscious mind, it “eventually becomes impressed upon the subconscious and thus becomes a pattern.”

A “pattern”? To what does that refer.

It refers to everything we have been studying in this Master Key System up until now.

As we change our consciousness, we change our unconscious. That, in turn, changes our actions, our attitude — in short, it changes us at the core.

Thus, new “patterns” are formed. We exhibit new attitudes and demeanor. We take different actions. We “grow up.”

With our new “patterns,” we will use the creative energy and we will be able to find ways to get what we want — to answer our “prayers.”

You see, prayer as explained here isn’t about petitioning the “Lord” or begging for gifts. It’s about changing ourselves. We impress our subconscious mind — our deep-set command center — with what we want, what we want to be, what we want to do and as those thoughts become more and more impressed, we become that for which we ask.

As Haanel would say, we become “vessels” through which Spirit — Life! — works.

That’s why these “spiritual laws” are important. As I keep saying, it’s not about being or not being a theist; it’s not about believing in God or even the “Universe.” It’s about connecting with our Life — the experience of and the act of living. It’s moving from the shadows and shibboleths of our thoughts and connecting with ourselves — our true selves — and becoming that “live wire” that sparks and energizes and, perhaps most importantly of all, lives.

The Secret of Power

In the last part — Week 20 — Haanel stated that it was of the utmost importance that we recognize our power. This Week in point #1, Haanel delivers the same message.

1. The real secret of power is consciousness of power. The Universal Mind is unconditional. Therefore, the more conscious we become of our unity with this mind, the less conscious we shall become of conditions and limitations, and as we become emancipated or freed from conditions we come into a realization of the unconditional. We have become free!

We must come to a realization of the power within us. We must recognize it!

As we come to a recognition of this power, we “become free!”

Free.

As in freedom.

As in not a slave to conditions.

Not a slave to environment.

Not a slave to others.

Let’s look at points #2-4.

2. As soon as we become conscious of the inexhaustible power in the world within, we begin to draw on this power and apply and develop the greater possibilities which this discernment has realized, because whatever we become conscious of is invariably manifested in the objective world—it is brought forth into tangible expression.

3. This is because the Infinite mind, which is the source from which all things proceed, is one and indivisible, and each individual is a channel whereby this Eternal Energy is being manifested. Our ability to think is our ability to act upon this Universal substance, and what we think is what is created or produced in the objective world.

4. The result of this discovery is nothing less than marvelous and means that mind is extraordinary in quality, limitless in quantity, and contains possibilities without number. To become conscious of this power is to become a “live wire;” it has the same effect as placing an ordinary wire in contact with a wire that is charged. The Universal is the live wire. It carries power sufficient to meet every situation which may arise in the life of every individual. When the individual mind touches the Universal Mind it receives all the power it requires. This is the world within. All science recognizes the reality of this world and all power is contingent upon our recognition of this world.

This power is within us. We must only realize it.

This recognition provides — or is a part of — a connection to Life itself.

That’s why this recognition of this power is “to become a ‘live wire.’”

Have you ever noticed that successful people tend to be a lot like “live wires”? Actually, isn’t that sometimes what we call them?

They’re always active. They’re bundles of energy. They’re productive. They’re loving life — and, more importantly, they’re living life!

Donald Trump. Larry Ellison. Richard Branson. These aren’t boring guys. They bristle with energy!

They recognize their power. They have that “connection.”

Big Thoughts, Big Goals

With that connection, achievers of all types from all backgrounds have one thing in common: They think big thoughts.

They don’t “sweat the small stuff” nor do they fret about the inane and insipid. All of that is chuff to be pushed aside as they pursue their big goals.

As Haanel notes in point #6:

6. Large ideas have a tendency to eliminate all smaller ideas so that it is well to hold ideas large enough to counteract and destroy all small or undesirable tendencies. This will remove innumerable petty and annoying obstacles from your path. You also become conscious of a larger world of thought, thereby increasing your mental capacity as well as placing yourself in position to accomplish something of value.

Big thoughts and big goals always over-rule and over-power the “little things.” You’ve even experienced this in your life. Probably quite a few times.

Have you ever hurt yourself a little and were about to suffer a little and then you noticed someone who really hurt them self? I mean hurt them self to such an extent that they really needed help. You forgot about your little scratch in a micro-second and went and helped with the real injury, right?

Whenever you go after something major — something that completely fills your consciousness — you forget about the trifling matters in your life and concentrate on the things that become important — that get you to your big, juicy goal.

7. This is one of the secrets of success, one of the methods of organizing victory, one of the accomplishments of the Master-mind. He thinks big thoughts. The creative energies of mind find no more difficulty in handling large situations than small ones. Mind is just as much present in the Infinitely large as in the Infinitely small.

That, my friends, is how you will succeed.

The Process for Securing Power

So, how do we secure this power? How do we go from “zero” to “hero”?

It’s what we’ve been studying this entire time in The Master Key System. In points #10-19, Haanel lays out the process for us once again.

10. From this science we learn that every thought creates an impression on the brain, that these impressions create mental tendencies, and these tendencies create character, ability, and purpose, and that the combined action of character, ability, and purpose determines the experiences with which we shall meet in life.

11. These experiences come to us through the law of attraction. Through the action of this law we meet in the “world without” the experiences which correspond to our “world within.”

12. The predominant thought or the mental attitude is the magnet, and the law is that like attracts like. Consequently the mental attitude will invariably attract such conditions as correspond to its nature.

13. This mental attitude is our personality and is composed of the thoughts which we have been creating in our own mind. Therefore, if we wish a change in conditions, all that is necessary is to change our thought; this will in turn change our mental attitude, which will in turn change our personality, which will in turn change the persons, the things, and the conditions or the experiences with which we meet in life.

14. It is, however, no easy matter to change the mental attitude, but by persistent effort it may be accomplished. The mental attitude is patterned after the mental pictures which have been photographed on the brain; if you do not like the pictures, destroy the negatives and create new pictures; this is the art of visualiza- tion.

15. As soon as you have done this you will begin to attract new things and the new things will correspond to the new pictures. To do this: Impress on your mind a perfect picture of the desire which you wish to have objectified and continue to hold the picture in mind until results are obtained.

16. If the desire is one which requires determination, ability, talent, courage, power, or any other spiritual power, these are necessary essentials for your picture; build them in; they are the vital part of the picture; they are the feeling which combines with thought and creates the irresistible magnetic power which draws the things you require to you. They give your picture life, and life means growth, and as soon as it begins to grow the result is practically assured.

To make things even easier, in The Master Key Workbook, I distilled that into an 11-step list.

1. Every thought creates an impression on the brain.

2. Experiences come to us through the law of attraction.

3. The predominant thought or mental attitude is the magnet.

4. Like attracts like.

5. The mental attitude is our personality and is composed of all the thoughts that we have been creating in our mind.

6. By persistent effort, we can change the mental attitude.

7. To do this, replace the pictures you have in your mind with new pictures of what you want and desire.

8. When you have done this, you will begin to attract to yourself those things.

9. Build into your mental pictures the necessary essentials, such as determination, ability, talent, courage, power, and anything else.

10. Aspire to the highest possible attainment in anything you undertake.

11. Repeat this process as repetition builds habit.

Get it?

Good.

The Exercise for Week 21: The Truth

28. For your exercise this week, concentrate on the Truth. Try to realize that the Truth shall make you free. That is, nothing can permanently stand in the way of your perfect success when you learn to apply the scientifically correct thought methods and principles. Realize that you are externalizing in your environment your inherent soul potencies. Realize that the Silence offers an ever available and almost unlimited opportunity for awakening the highest conception of Truth. Try to comprehend that Omnipotence itself is absolute silence—all else is change, activity, limitation. Silent thought concentration is therefore the true method of reaching, awakening, and then expressing the wonderful potential power of the world within.

That’s the exercise for Week Twenty-One. Concentrate on “the Truth.”

Now, that’s Truth with a capital-T. Concentrate on it as Haanel describes here.

As I’ve noted, these exercises are now at a point where they are very “heady.” Every person will have a different experience when thinking on them.

That’s OK! That’s how it is supposed to be.

As you think about the Truth of what Haanel wrote this week and the observations he made — and those that you made yourself — you come to a recognition of your powers, of your abilities, or your potential.

That will connect you with Life — and make a “live wire” of you.

Allow it to happen. Yes, allow it.

Take advantage of your life.

Let “Each thing I do, I rush through, so I can do something else” become your motto so that you transcend your human being-ness and instead become a human doing.

Until next week, I wish you the best of everything.

Week Twenty is an important week. Of course, they’re all important weeks, but this one highlights Haanel’s thought processes and further brings our thoughts into the process of The Master Key System.

You’ll see as we go along. So, let’s begin.

Going to 11?

On one of our recent calls, I quipped about going to “11″ in 2011. Yes, I got it from the movie Spinal Tap.

I liked it so much, though, that I incorporated it into a cool ad and a cool image you can use as your desktop wallpaper. I hope that it serves to remind you to always — every day — give it your all and then go one step further.

Take it to 11 in 2011!

To help you get to and stay at 11, I am offering an awesome deal on books. Please check it out!

Now, let’s really get into Week Twenty of The Master Key System …

The Letter of Transmittal

This week’s Letter of Transmittal is very important and significant. Please keep in mind that all the prior weeks lead to this week and the few remaining weeks.

It is quite a process.

The awesome thing about the LoT this week is that it showcases Haanel’s thought process in regards to this “mind stuff.”

It’s logical. It’s consistent. It falls in line with what we know about him.

It’s also illuminating to us.

God is Spirit.

Spirit is the Creative Principle of the Universe.

Man is made in the image and likeness of God.

Man is therefore a spiritual being.

The only activity which spirit possesses is the power to think.

Thinking is therefore a creative process.

All form is therefore the result of the thinking process.

The destruction of form must also be a result of the thinking process.

Fictitious representations of form are the result of the creative power of thought, as in Hypnotism.

Apparent representations of form are the result of the creative power of thought, as in Spiritualism.

Invention, organization, and constructive work of all kinds are the result of the creative power of thought, as in concentration.

When the creative power of thought is manifested for the benefit of humanity, we call the result good.

When the creative power of thought is manifested in a destructive or evil manner, we call the result evil. This indicates the origin of both good and evil; they are simply words which have been coined in order to indicate the nature of the result of the thinking or creative process.

Thought necessarily precedes and predetermines action; action precedes and predetermines condition.

This is Haanel’s philosophy in a nutshell — from God to man to the nature of good and evil to the creative power of thought.

There are many interesting points to highlight.

First, as we’ve discussed on many prior occasions, it isn’t necessary that you believe in God. It is about the “whole thing” — the world and universe in which we live. Based on that, we know that the nature of this “thing” is creative. Whether it be moons and stars or grass and trees or movies or buildings, it’s about creation.

How do we create? How does “it” create?

By thinking — by the creative power of thought.

If those thoughts destroy — if the results are bad — then we call that evil.

If the thoughts create — if the results are good — then we call that good.

Thus, good and evil are known by their results. Nothing more nor less.

Here is the crux of Haanel’s logic:

Thought necessarily precedes and predetermines action; action precedes and predetermines condition.

We think. We do. We get results.

Thinking alone won’t get for us that which we want. We must take action. We must work. Only then will we become since we’ll be known by the fruits of our labors.

A genius is only known as a genius because of his works. Whether he writes or composes or invents, we only know him by his deeds.

Now, whether he is a “good genius” or a “bad genius” is also known only by his results.

We’re still waiting to laud the person who will cure cancer. In the meantime, we laud the great people in history who helped to build the world as we know it: Tesla, Einstein, Ford … The list is long and stretches into the annals of history. We know them by their deeds, though.

What we see here and what we’ll see in the body of Week Twenty is that as we work in the “spirit of things,” we shall bring that genius from within ourselves and let our lights shine in the world.

Recognize!

In a marketing piece that Haanel used, he has this quotation on the cover.

The inscription “Know thyself,” as written over the entrance of the Temple Delhi, 600 B.C., does not apply to the Greeks alone, but is a command to every man and every woman of every age. It is written over the door of each living temple, not as a decoration, but is the passport into the city beautiful. Every door that swings ajar from ignorance to wealth, from lack to plenty, from death to life, has done so because the Master of the House has found the Master-Key.

Haanel reiterates that idea in point #2.

2. You may have all the wealth in Christendom, but unless you recognize it and make use of it, it will have no value; so with your spiritual wealth: Unless you recognize it and use it, it will have no value. The one and only condition of spiritual power is use or recognition.

We must recognize within ourselves the wealth, the power, the talent, the ability that we have in our possession. That is the prerequisite for actually using that power!

Haanel expands on this in point #3.

3. All great things come through recognition. The scepter of power is consciousness and thought is its messenger, and this messenger is constantly molding the realities of the invisible world into the conditions and environments of your objective world.

Please note that Haanel wrote “All great things…” All.

When we’re working on something, we only understand when we recognize the connections, when things become clear.

This recognition only comes through us via work: study, concentration, persistence.

4. Thinking is the true business of life. Power is the result. You are at all times dealing with the magical power of thought and consciousness. What results can you expect so long as you remain oblivious to the power which has been placed within your control?

Let’s answer Haanel’s questions there. What can one expect to get if he or she doesn’t come to a recognition of the power within themselves?

The answer is that one can expect nothing.

Thus, we must think. Thus, we must work with out thoughts and come to recognize the world around us in such a way that we can make an impact — use our talents for the good.

5. So long as you do this you limit yourself to superficial conditions and make of yourself a beast of burden for those who think; those who recognize their power; those who know that unless we are willing to think we shall have to work, and the less we think the more we shall have to work, and the less we shall get for our work.

As Haanel wrote, thinking is the true business of life. As we think and plan and take action, we cease to become the “beast of burden” for those who would do the thinking.

Please keep in mind that when Haanel writes “work” here, he is not implying that if we think we will be doing no work. Rather, the work to which he refers here is the mindless work that many do simply to earn a paycheck — to get by and merely survive.

Haanel implores us to go beyond that. We must think for ourselves. We must come to recognize the power we each have in our possession that will enable us to impress the world for the good.

With thinking comes knowledge. From knowledge comes power.

As I wrote in The Master Key Workbook…

You probably know that old adage, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” As a matter of fact, you have probably seen or heard about it in operation. Perhaps you’ve seen the television show where auction people appraise what appears to be junk. They startle the owners of the junk by informing them that in truth, the “junk” they possess is a valuable antique.

Closer to home, you’ve probably seen this adage in operation. How many times have you uttered “I thought of that” or “I could do that better” when you see a person making money with a product or service. In operation, the adage becomes “One man’s junk is another man’s fortune!”

Within you is untapped power. There is “junk” awaiting to be polished so that its true value can be ascertained. Your fortune is your mind! As you wait for things to happen for you, some one else is making things happen for them self. Why cannot you do the same?

The answer is simple: There is no reason why you cannot take advantage of your ideas. You must take action. To take action, you have to know what is in your inventory. This week, you will concentrate on what you have. From that point you can spring into action and turn your “junk” into your fortune.

Think about that.

You’re more powerful than you think. You have more to offer than you think.

Take the time to recognize and make use of it all.

Inspiration

Let’s look at a few other points from this week.

8. When you begin to perceive that the essence of the Universal is within yourself—is you—you begin to do things; you begin to feel your power; it is the fuel which fires the imagination; which lights the torch of inspiration; which gives vitality to thought; which enables you to connect with all the invisible forces of the Universe. It is this power which will enable you to plan fearlessly and to execute masterfully.

9. But perception will come only in the Silence; this seems to be the condition required for all great purposes. You are a visualizing entity. Imagination is your workshop. It is here that your ideal is to be visualized.

10. As a perfect understanding of the nature of this power is a primary condition for its manifestation, visualize the entire method over and over again, so that you may use it whenever occasion requires. The infinity of wisdom is to follow the method whereby we may have the inspiration of the omnipotent Universal Mind on demand at any time.

In point #8, we see something that I want to aver again and again and I want you to fully understand it.

The Master Key is you.

We are not to look for something outside of ourselves to come to our aid. We’re not to await for some cosmic “White Knight” to rescue us from our travails. As we study this “mind stuff,” we are not studying something outside ourselves.

Much like Homer Simpson said about beer, we are the cause of and solution to all of our problems.

I wrote an article many moons ago that I think puts this into perspective perfectly.

There is one point about The Master Key System that most people fail to grasp. That point is this:

When Haanel talks about a “master key,” he is not talking about something outside of you, something separate from you. He is talking about YOU.

The Master Key is YOU.

You have the power. You have the ability. You have the will.

It is your duty to use it.

You are the only one who can open the doors put before you.

Be proud, be fearless, and be bold–and take advantage of that.

Is that making sense to you?

Maybe a better way to phrase things is to say that “God helps those who help themselves.”

The point is that from wherever our power comes, it is up to us to use it. It is our choice. It is our actions.

It comes from us.

So, how do we become inspired? How do we get ideas?

14. To become inspired means to get out of the beaten path, out of the rut, because extraordinary results require extraordinary means. When we come into a recognition of the Unity of all things and that the source of all power is within, we tap the source of inspiration.

We see things differently.

We take the road less travelled.

We explore new territory and we do so fearlessly, boldly, and audaciously.

We do that because we have the power. It is within.

15. Inspiration is the art of imbibing; the art of self-realization; the art of adjusting the individual mind to that of the Universal Mind; the art of attaching the proper mechanism to the source of all power; the art of differentiating the formless into form; the art of becoming a channel for the flow of Infinite Wisdom; the art of visualizing perfection; the art of realizing the omnipresence of Omnipotence.

One thing that Haanel wrote here that I think is most poignant is that Haanel calls inspiration the “art.”

It is an art!

It’s not a science. We can’t give you exact steps to follow. You can’t put it on a production line. You can’t list it like a recipe for cookies.

It’s an art. It’s meant to be played with — and every person will have a different experience with it, much like if you had a hundred people play the same piece of music you’ll have one hundred different interpretations of that music. If you have one hundred people listening to those pieces, you’ll also have one hundred different experiences and impressions with listening to the music.

As we practice the exercises in The Master Key System and as we build our ability to think and concentrate, we’ll become inspired — and it will be in our own way.

It will be ours.

As Haanel wrote in point #18.

18. Inspiration is from within. The Silence is necessary, the senses must be stilled, the muscles relaxed, repose cultivated. When you have thus come into possession of a sense of poise and power you will be ready to receive the information or inspiration or wisdom which may be necessary for the development of your purpose.

“Inspiration is from within.” We will find within ourselves as we study, experience, and concentrate what we need to accomplish what we set ourselves to do.

The Exercise for Week 20

31. For your exercise this week, go into the Silence and concentrate on the fact that “In Him we live and move and have our being” is literally and scientifically exact! That you ARE because He IS, that if He is Omnipresent He must be in you. That if He is all in all you must be in Him! That He is Spirit and you are made in “His image and likeness” and that the only difference between His spirit and your spirit is one of degree, that a part must be the same in kind and quality as the whole. When you can realize this clearly you will have found the secret of the creative power of thought, you will have found the origin of both good and evil, you will have found the secret of the wonderful power of concentration, you will have found the key to the solution of every problem whether physical, financial, or environmental.

“In Him we live and move and have our being” is a quote from the Bible — Acts 17:28.

Once again, whether your faith is aligned with Haanel’s or not, it doesn’t matter.

The point is that we are a part of something larger — the whole.

Within that whole we live and move and breath.

Within it we also have the same opportunity to use what we have as every other being or thing on the planet.

Think about that for a few moments. Understand that the only thing separating you from what you want to be is you — your thoughts.

Understand that you are a part of a world — a universe! — and that you can take advantage of every opportunity around you — or not.

It’s your choice.

Get it?

Good.

Until next week, my friends, I wish you and yours the best of everything.

This is definitely a part of The Master Key System that should be read a few times in order to truly understand the points that Haanel is impressing upon us. I cover three main points here.

1. The Vital Force
2. Extremes
3. Concentration

As we comprehend these points, we are better able to navigate the world in which we live and create what we want. We do this by attaining what Haanel refers to as “the distinguishing mark of genius.”

The Vital Force

Haanel opens Week Nineteen by discussing fear. He describes how to overcome fear in the second paragraph of the Letter of Transmittal.

Of course, the way to overcome fear is to become conscious of power. What is this mysterious vital force which we call power? We do not know; neither do we know what electricity is. But we do know that by conforming to the requirements of the law by which electricity is governed, it will be our obedient servant; that it will light our homes, our cities, run our machinery, and serve us in many useful capacities.

We all possess this “vital force.” Haanel admits that he does not know what it is, but that it is a “primary force which manifests through living bodies.”

It’s life force. Energy.

Perhaps it’s that which makes us want to live, to not only survive but to thrive.

This week is about developing that force within us.

The lesson which I enclose herewith tells of a very simple way of developing this vital force. If you put into practice the information outlined in this lesson you will soon develop the sense of power which has ever been the distinguishing mark of genius.

That “sense of power” is confidence and courage. As we understand this lesson and develop this force within us, we will overcome those feelings of doubt we have. We will become bolder, more willing to push forward, even when the times are trying.

Those are facets of genius.

A genius is only ever known by what he does — what he provides and showcases. If we have not this sense of power, then we will more than likely hide our ideas and thoughts underneath a bushel, allowing only very few — or no one at all — to see.

In order to get what we want, in order to effect changes in the world, we need to let our light to shine. We must be willing to take the criticism. More importantly, we must be willing to be wrong.

Remember, it’s not a big deal to be wrong. As Haanel stated, if we are wrong, then we merely have to try again.

We’ll never know if we are wrong, though, if we don’t try, if we don’t share our ideas.

We will increase our chances of succeeding, though, by following what Haanel relates in this chapter. We’ll get to that in the exercise for this week.

Black and White; Up and Down; Light and Dark: Extremes

In points #5 to #9 we see Haanel waxing philosophical.

5. In the physical world there are innumerable contrasts and these may, for convenience sake, be designated by distinctive names. There are sizes, colors, shades, or ends to all things. There is a North Pole and a South Pole, an inside and an outside, a seen and an unseen, but these expressions merely serve to place extremes in contrast.

6. They are names given to two different parts of one quantity. The two extremes are relative; they are not separate entities, but are two parts or aspects of the whole.

This is very Oriental thinking. Reading this, one cannot help but be reminded of the Chinese concept of the Yin-Yang.

You should notice something particular about Haanel’s writing here.

Notice that Haanel does not use the word “opposites.” Rather, he uses the word “extremes.”

Why is that?

Haanel is making the point here that while extremes exist, they are referent to the whole, to one thing. They aren’t two things fighting in opposition; they are two aspect of the same thing.

Keep that in mind as we read the following points.

7. In the mental world we find the same law; we speak of knowledge and ignorance, but ignorance is but a lack of knowledge and is therefore found to be simply a word to express the absence of knowledge; it has no principle in itself.

Notice that ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge. Nothing more, nothing less. It has no real principle by which we can define it. Whereas we can define knowledge and even someone who possesses knowledge, we can’t really do that for someone who does not, except by saying that they do not possess knowledge.

8. In the Moral World we again find the same law; we speak of good and evil, but Good is a reality, something tangible, while Evil is found to be simply a negative condition, the absence of Good. Evil is sometimes thought to be a very real condition, but it has no principle, no vitality, no life. We know this because it can always be destroyed by Good; just as Truth destroys Error and light destroys darkness, so Evil vanishes when Good appears. There is therefore but one principle in the Moral World.

Like ignorance, Evil has no real principle either. It is simply a term that refers to a lack of Good, of Order.

9. We find exactly the same law obtaining in the Spiritual world; we speak of Mind and Matter as two separate entities, but clearer insight makes it evident that there is but one operative principle and that is Mind.

Finally, we find that Mind and Matter are not separate either. We find that Mind and Matter are tied.

We also find that it is Mind that is the “operative principle.”

What does that mean? Why is that so?

It is because Mind gives Matter meaning.

Matter is malleable not only in the sense that Haanel writes about, that is is forever changing, growing and decaying, here and then gone. It is also malleable because our ideas of it — our perceptions, our uses — can change something from one thing to another in the blink of an eye.

In his book The No Nonsense Guide to Enlightenment, Blair Warren gives wonderful examples of this happening all the time.

As we finished playing the game, I realized that a screw was loose in the chair I was sitting in. I asked Zachary if he had a screwdriver I could use to fix the chair. He said he didn’t. I asked him if he was sure. He assured me he didn’t. I promptly reached across the table, picked up the dime and used it to tighten the loose screw. He sat with a stunned look on his face.

“Why didn’t I see that,” he asked me.

“Because you knew that a dime wasn’t a screwdriver and your knowing became your reality.”

(Just a note: The No Nonsense Guide to Enlightenment is only available as an e-book as part of the Complete Master Key Course. Click the link and get the books … You’ll be glad that you did!)

As you see in that example, a dime — a unit of American currency — was changed by Blair’s mind and use into a screwdriver — a tool that allows a person to turn a screw that fastens things together.

Countless examples of that abound in our lives. How many times have you used a “chair” as a “stepladder” in order to change a lightbulb? Perhaps you’ve used a “drink coaster” as a “shim” to fix a wobbly table?

Let’s look at what Mr. Warren writes about a paper clip.

On the table beside me is a large paper clip. Until this moment, it wasn’t there. My awareness of it brought it into reality. Not actual reality of course. It surely existed prior to my noticing it, but it didn’t exist to me. So now I sit typing at my computer with a paper clip beside me. If I stop here, soon the paper clip will recede from my awareness and cease to exist. My temptation is to do just that. Ignore the paper clip and move on in search of more exciting things. But I don’t. Not this time. I pick up the paper clip and ask, what’s this? It is a thin, twisted piece of metal. Again. What’s this? It’s a money clip. Again. If I straighten it out, it is a lock pick. It is a small back scratcher. It is a fingernail cleaner. It is all this and more. But only if I recognize this as so. As long as I see it as only a paper clip, that is all it will ever be.

Whatever the case, your mind changed reality. You took one thing and your perceptions and your use of the item caused it to become something else.

Matter was made malleable by your Mind.

We see this happening on ever larger scales today.

When the idea of personal computers was first pitched by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to the executives at Hewlett-Packard, they were rebuffed. “What will the average person need a computer for?” they asked.

What indeed? Because they were looking at computers from their limited point of view, they missed being the first company to make a personal computer. The two Steves took the idea and ran with — and Apple Computers was born.

Your Exercise Is to Concentrate

The exercise for Week Nineteen is somewhat similar to a previous exercise — the exercise in Week Seventeen.

27. For your exercise this week, concentrate, and when I use the word concentrate, I mean all that the word implies: Become so absorbed in the object of your thought that you are conscious of nothing else, and do this a few minutes every day. You take the necessary time to eat in order that the body may be nourished, why not take the time to assimilate your mental food?

28. Let the thought rest on the fact that appearances are deceptive. The earth is not flat, neither is it stationary; the sky is not a dome; the sun does not move; the stars are not small specks of light; and matter which was once supposed to be fixed has been found to be in a state of perpetual flux.

29. Try to realize that the day is fast approaching — its dawn is now at hand — when modes of thought and action must be adjusted to rapidly increasing knowledge of the operation of eternal principles.

As you well know by now, one of the main things we should be taking from The Master Key System is the ability to concentrate. This is one of the activities that is of paramount importance in this philosophy — and this life.

Concentration is the “distinguishing mark of genius.”

The ability — the skill? — to completely immerse yourself into the subject of your study is of paramount importance to your growth, your success, attaining your goals, and much more. It may difficult at first, especially if you’re not used to “hard mental labor,” but it can be instilled within you by practicing.

That’s why the exercises in this book are so important. They all lead to building skills like these within us. These important skills that were it not for this book, we would not even be learning them unless chance intervened.

As we discussed earlier in this essay, “appearances are deceptive.” To fully appreciate this world and this life and to grow and succeed in it, we must train ourselves to look beyond what is in front of us. An object may appear as one thing, but it actually is — or can be! — another.

When we see something, we should look for its relationships to other things.

We should look under the surface.

We should look beyond what is before us.

As we learn to do that and as we practice that, we will discover that we don’t need to travel to distant stars to find new worlds.

New worlds are all around us awaiting to be explored.

I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year and a most prosperous and bigger, better, badder, bolder 2011!

Remember, in 2011, we go to 11!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuzpsO4ErOQ

Enjoy and get for yourself the best of everything!

I hope that you had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a bigger, better, and more exciting New Year. If you’ve been taking the time to study this philosophy of Charles F. Haanel and if you’ve made the effort to truly understand it, then you will absolutely have an awesome 2011 as you put this philosophy into action. I have no doubt about that. I see the results of this method of thought every day — with myself, with Master Key Coaching clients, and with people who make the news.

With effort and persistence, you too will do exciting things. You have (or are acquiring) the knowledge of your power; you have (or are acquiring) the courage to dare; the only thing for you to do is to allow yourself the faith the do.

In other words, just go for it!

Working Backwards

I approached our twenty-second episode of these Teleseminars a little differently than prior episodes.

I started with the exercise.

The exercise for Week 18 is very poignant. I would say it is one of the key things you should understand when you’re studying The Master Key System. It’s the thing that all successful people — be they business people, entrepreneurs, politicians, scientists, artists — understand.

As you know, the exercises of late in these deeper chapters of the book are more “ethereal” than the first ones. The exercises in the first third of the book are somewhat “mechanical.” Haanel instructed us to do something and we did it, be it sitting still or imagining something specific such as a friend or place or shape. These exercises were there to “till the soil,” so to speak. They were (and are!) methods to prepare our minds for what was to come.

What came was these “thought exercises.” Yes, we thought about or imagined specific things. These “things,” though, were concepts — ideas! — rather than things.

Peace. Harmony. Connection. Consciousness. These are ideas that mean different things to different people. These are ideas that have been discussed and debated for millennia. These are ideas for which there won’t be simple solutions as if they were simple math problems like “2 + 2 = ?”; rather they are complex problems for which there are a multitude of answers with even more ways at arriving at those answers, like a proof for the Pythagorean Theorem.

I often use as my example college. In your first and second year in school, the classes are primarily “breadth” classes — classes in which you mainly learn the facts about a subject. The tests reflect that, mostly being multiple choice and true-false tests. In your later years, as you get deeper into your major, the classes become more thought oriented, more idea oriented. The tests reflect that as well, being essay exams and papers, where your manipulation or understanding of the facts is important.

That’s where we are now — and have been for a few episodes — in The Master Key System.

The exercise for Week 18 implores us to understand that we — each and every one of us — are creative beings.

This week concentrate upon your power to create. Seek insight and perception. Try to find a logical basis for the faith which is in you. Let the thought dwell on the fact that the physical man lives and moves and has his being in the sustainer of all organic life air, that he must breathe to live. Then let the thought rest on the fact that the spiritual man also lives and moves and has his being in a similar but subtler energy upon which he must depend for life, and that as in the physical world no life assumes form until after a seed is sown, and no higher fruit than that of the parent stock can be produced; so in the spiritual world no effect can be produced until the seed is sown and the fruit will depend upon the nature of the seed, so that the results which you secure depend upon your perception of law in the mighty domain of causation, the highest evolution of human consciousness.

You may already “know” that you are a creative being, that you possess the power to create. Haanel wants you to go deeper, though.

“Try to find a logical basis for the faith which is in you.”

Empty faith is just that — empty. It has no foundation, thus you can’t really build on it. It has no legs, thus you can’t really run with it.

You need reasons. You need something to give your faith buoyancy.

Alexander the Great built the Macedonian Empire because he had a logical basis for his faith which began with his parents and only grew from there.

One of the concepts that built America was the “Protestant Work Ethic” — the belief that God rewards those who are industrious.

The idea of “Manifest Destiny” compelled early Americans to conquer a continent.

I use these examples (and there are many others) because they all contain in them something of which I want you to take note. That is that the “logical basis” does not have to be “strictly logical” in the sense that everything must be fact-based. You can, in essence, begin with a belief that is anything but and still arrive at a compelling conclusion — one that will drive you toward your goals.

In her book that will be published in 2011, I Believe, Therefore I Am, Claire McGee details how we do this every day and have been since we were born and how we can take advantage of that to become what we will to become.

These beliefs and the reasons behind them have built for us what we currently have. They can also be used to get us what we want.

They will also bring the Law of Attraction into operation.

Let’s see how that is done.

The Law of Attraction

By now you should be aware that the Law of Attraction as explained by Haanel is nothing like what has been presented in recent years in sundry books and movies.

Haanel writes in the Letter of Transmittal for Week 18, “In order to grow we must obtain what is necessary for our growth. This is brought about through the law of attraction.”

He elucidates in the next paragraph.

Think for a moment. What would a man be if he were not a husband, a father, or a brother; if he were not interested in the social, economical, political, or religious world? He would be nothing but an abstract theoretical ego. He exists, therefore, only in his relation to the whole, in his relation to other men, in his relation to society. This relation constitutes his environment. He exists therefore in his relation to his environment and in no other way.

It is evident, therefore, that the individual is simply the differentiation of the one Universal Mind “which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” and his so-called individuality or personality consists of nothing but the manner in which he relates with the whole.

This we call his environment and is brought about by the law of attraction.

Each of us is shaped by the world around us. We are as we are only in relation to the whole. What we need for our growth, what feeds our “demands,” is the law of attraction.

Think about that for a moment or two.

We attract what we need in relation to our environment. As we change ourselves, we change our environment and we attract new things to ourselves. It comes about by our thoughts, our work, our effort.

Haanel writes in point #10:

10. It is the recognition of Natural Laws that has enabled us to annihilate time and space, to soar in the air, and to make iron float, and the greater the degree of intelligence the greater will be our recognition of these Natural Laws and the greater will be the power we can possess.

As we recognize these “natural laws” in operation, then we can use them for our benefit.

Haanel is not merely discussing the law of attraction here; he means every “law” that man has grokked — the laws of aerodynamics, of thermodynamics, of the quantum world. These laws have created for us a world of convenience and luxury.

It is important to point out — and perhaps reiterate — that we don’t have to do anything “special” to make these laws work. They just do. It’s how the world works. We can, though, adapt ourselves to these laws and therefore use them to get what we want.

And that’s just how the law of attraction works.

Beliefs of Value to Us

In points #16 – 20, Haanel emphasizes that beliefs in and of themselves are of no use. Rather, we must prove our beliefs so that they become “Truth.”

Keep in mind that this view of beliefs is slightly different than the one espoused earlier in this essay. The beliefs discussed here are those that have a proof-point — a point at which something can be said to be definitively true or false. Some beliefs such as the afterlife, God, spirits, don’t have a proof point. They are open-ended questions. Some of our personal beliefs are like that as well.

Many beliefs do have a point at which we can certainly say they are true. Is the Sun the center of the Solar System? Can a person fly by flapping his arms? Or does he need an apparatus?

In other words, there is a difference between science and philosophy.

16. The Understanding which is usually developed is about as valuable as a telephone box without wires or a central station; in fact, it is usually nothing more than a “belief” which means nothing at all. The Indians believe something and so do the savages of the Cannibal Islands, but that proves nothing.

17. The only belief which is of any value to any one is a belief that has been put to a test and demonstrated to be a fact; it is then no longer a belief, but has become a living Faith or the Truth.

18. And this Truth has been put to the test by hundreds of thousands of people and has been found to be the Truth exactly in proportion to the usefulness of the apparatus which they used.

19. A man would not expect to locate stars hundreds of millions of miles away without a sufficiently strong telescope, and for this reason Science is continually engaged in building larger and more powerful telescopes and is continually rewarded by additional knowledge of the heavenly bodies.

20. So with understanding: Men are continually making progress in the methods which they use to come into communication with the Universal Mind and its infinite possibilities.

Some may ask, Isn’t Haanel’s use of the “Universal Mind” an unprovable?

For that, remember that the Universal Mind can be a term that means what you want it to mean, to one degree or another. It just refers to everything. Whether that is God (or “god”) to you or just the physical universe, it does not really matter. The fact is that we are a part of the whole and as far as we can tell, there are infinite possibilities within that whole. We are at this point in history just scratching the surface of what is there.

To get deeper, though, we cannot just rely on “belief.” We must put our beliefs to the test.

The same is true in the life that we live. An irrational belief can have a devastating effect on our life and can lead to great misfortune or worse.

Rational beliefs, those put to the test, can — and usual do — lead to a life of success.

Growth and Creation

Haanel writes

24. In order to grow we must obtain what is essential for our growth, but as we are at all times a complete thought entity, this completeness makes it possible for us to receive only as we give. Growth is therefore conditioned on reciprocal action, and we find that on the mental plane like attracts like, that mental vibrations respond only to the extent of their vibratory harmony.

25. It is clear, therefore, that thoughts of abundance will respond only to similar thoughts; the wealth of the individual is seen to be what he inherently is. Affluence within is found to be the secret of attraction for affluence without. The ability to produce is found to be the real source of wealth of the individual. It is for this reason that he who has his heart in his work is certain to meet with unbounded success. He will give and continually give, and the more he gives the more he will receive.

26. What do the great financiers of Wall Street, the captains of industry, the statesmen, the great corporation attorneys, the inventors, the physicians, the authors— what do each of these contribute to the sum of human happiness but the power of their thought?

27. Thought is the energy by which the law of attraction is brought into operation, which eventually manifests in abundance.

Here we see what The Master Key System in its entirety is building within us.

We think and we create.

An animal is but a slave to his environment. If there is no food in an area, he must move to another or starve. If the weather changes, he must move of die. If stronger animals invade his territory, he must flee or be killed.

Not so with man.

We have created  a world of thought. We can live where we want — because we adapt the territory to us. We do that with our thoughts and our ideas.

Out thoughts have created a world in which we play and work. We are but thoughts relating to other thoughts, ideas meeting ideas, each influencing the other and judged on their usefulness and efficacy.

No longer is the brute the ruler of the roost for he must acknowledge the laws under which we all live, which we have created to allow the mind to flourish.

Ideas are now what make people rich rather than looting and wars.

This is the environment that we — as a whole — have attracted.

And this is what we are creating.

We all have the power to take part in it. We all have something to add.

Think.

Create.

Then reap the rewards of your efforts.

Until next time when we have our New Years Edition of the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars, I wish you the best of everything.

There is a lot of insight and philosophy in Week Seventeen. We’ll do our best to get through as much as we can. I can’t implore you enough, though, to take the time yourself to really study this week — as well as all of the weeks. Remember that you’re not only looking for knowledge, you’re also looking for understanding.

I hope that my explication of this week’s teleseminar helps you to understand more.

The Letter of Transmittal

Haanel writes in his Letter of Transmittal for Week Seventeen:

The student who masters the contents of Week Seventeen will not mistake the symbols for the reality; he will be interested in causes, rather than effects. He will concentrate on the realities of life and will then not be disappointed in the results.

I want you to do a favor for me. I want you to refer to the very first episode of these Master Key Coaching Teleseminars. Recall what I said — and wrote.

On that very first call, I listed the five things you should really be getting from studying The Master Key System and Haanel’s philosophy of success. As you know, many people talk about how the book is all about the “law of attraction.” I disagreed. The five things I listed were:

You will learn how to focus.
To be able to focus is the ability to dedicate your mind (your thoughts) to one problem (or goal) for an extended period of time. By mastering this skill, you’ll far outreach most people, who flitter from one thing to the other without result.

You will learn how to achieve mental clarity.
Instead of a brain and thoughts beset with “noise,” you’ll see things clearly — rationally. You will rid yourself of the “shibboleths” of your mind.

You will se the things in the world for what they are rather than what they appear to be.
Instead of seeing symbols and perceptions, you will see things truly — objectively.

You will learn the greatest skill of all: how to THINK.

You will learn that the Master Key System is really about solving problems.

Now, please look at #3.

That is a huge part of this book and Haanel’s philosophy of success. I would go even further and say that it is a huge part of living a successful life.

You see, as a person moves from their perceptions of the world — the shadows and shibboleths — to seeing the world and everything in it for what they are, that person gets a clearer picture of things and gets a better grasp on things. No longer are they a victim of errant thoughts and skewed views. They are instead masters of reality.

So, how do you get this level of understanding, this clearness of vision?

Concentration

Another item on the list I provided on the first episode was that you should be learning how to focus. In other words, you will learn to concentrate. You should be able to direct your mind — your thoughts — toward any problem and hold it there until you solve it.

The exercises in The Master Key System are geared to making you a “focusing machine.” If you’ve been practicing the exercises, then you should be able to concentrate now. As you practice more, you’ll get better and better.

This week, Haanel writes in points 3 to 7 that the key to seeing reality is concentration.

3. We are accustomed to look upon the Universe with a lens of five senses. From these experiences our anthropomorphic conceptions originate, but true conceptions are only secured by spiritual insight. This insight requires a quickening of the vibrations of the Mind and is only secured when the mind is continuously concentrated in a given direction.

4. Continuous concentration means an even, unbroken flow of thought and is the result of a patient, persistent, persevering, and well-regulated system.

5. Great discoveries are the result of long-continued investigation. The science of mathematics requires years of concentrated effort to master it, and the greatest science — that of the Mind — is revealed only through concentrated effort.

6. Concentration is much misunderstood. There seems to be an idea of effort or activity associated with it, when just the contrary is necessary. The greatness of an actor lies in the fact that he forgets himself in the portrayal of his character, becoming so identified with it that the audience is swayed by the realism of the performance. This will give you a good idea of true concentration; you should be so interested in your thought, so engrossed in your subject, as to be conscious of nothing else. Such concentration leads to intuitive perception and immediate insight into the nature of the object concentrated upon.

7. All knowledge is the result of concentration of this kind; it is thus that the secrets of Heaven and Earth have been wrested; it is thus that the mind becomes a magnet and the desire to know draws the knowledge, irresistibly attracts it, makes it your own.

If you can’t concentrate, then learn how. It’s a matter of will power, more often than not. One thing is clear, though, it is essential.

Isn’t concentration just thinking? Don’t we do it all the time?

11. Concentration does not mean mere thinking of thoughts, but the transmutation of these thoughts into practical values; the average person has no conception of the meaning of concentration. There is always the cry “to have” but never the cry “to be;” they fail to understand that they cannot have one without the other, that they must first find the “kingdom” before they can have the “things added.” Momentary enthusiasm is of no value; it is only by unbounded self-confidence that the goal is reached.

The answer to the above question is no.

It’s more than that. It goes deeper than just thinking about something. It’s about completely — or as completely as possible — understanding something.

Get it? Good.

What If You Fail?

Haanel wrote in point 12

12. The mind may place the ideal a little too high and fall short of the mark; it may attempt to soar on untrained wings and instead of flying, fall to earth; but that is no reason for not making another attempt.

Perhaps our thoughts — our goals — are too lofty. Perhaps we aren’t ready to reach them yet. Perhaps we’ll fail in our pursuit of them.

So what?

13. Weakness is the only barrier to mental attainment; attribute your weakness to physical limitations or mental uncertainties and try again; ease and perfection are gained by repetition.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

No matter what you do, how hard you try, how easy something seems, sooner or later, you will fail. You will lose.

It happens.

As Haanel avers here, though, you try again.

As you endeavor more and more and as you practice and learn, you’ll get better and better.

Keep that in mind.

The Most Important Idea You Can Take Away from Week Seventeen

Here is the heart of Week Seventeen.

28. You may be pursuing the symbols of power instead of power itself. You may be pursuing fame instead of honor, riches instead of wealth, position instead of service; in either event you will find that they turn to ashes just as you overtake them.

29. Premature wealth or position cannot be retained because it has not been earned; we get only what we give and those who try to get without giving always find that the law of compensation is relentlessly bringing about an exact equilibrium.

30. The race has hitherto been for money and other mere symbols of power, but with an understanding of the true source of power, we can afford to ignore the symbols. The man with a large bank account finds it unnecessary to load his pockets down with gold; so with the man who has found the true source of power: He is no longer interested in its shams or pretensions.

That’s a powerful group of sentences.

Not only are they inspirational in the sense of “it’s not always all about the money,” they highlight the true source of where wealth originates.

Please keep in mind that Haanel is not saying that money is bad or wrong here. Nothing can be further from the truth.

He is stating that we — each of us — should have a goal higher than simply making money. Our vision should instead be something grander. That grand vision will more than likely be the “source” of that wealth that we desire.

Regarding premature wealth, Carlon Haas posted an amusing article on his web site Don’t Step in the Poop. It is entitled “Why Getting Rich Quick Sucks.” I recommend reading it not only because it’s funny, but because it is poignant.

The point of this week and of The Master Key System in general is that we should see things clearer. We should be looking behind “the curtain” of life. We should be removing our focus from the facade.

It’s a difficult process. It’s difficult to explain. It’s difficult to learn. And it’s difficult to understand.

When you do understand it, though, the world looks different. It feels different.

And what you achieve and accomplish in it is different.

You can only get that understanding by studying The Master Key System.

Do it.

The Exercise

33. For your exercise this week concentrate as nearly as possible in accordance with the method outlined in this lesson. Let there be no conscious effort or activity associated with your purpose. Relax completely and avoid any thought of anxiety as to results. Remember that power comes through repose. Let the thought dwell upon your object until it is completely identified with it, until you are conscious of nothing else.

34. If you wish to eliminate fear, then concentrate on courage.

35. If you wish to eliminate lack, then concentrate on abundance.

36. If you wish to eliminate disease, then concentrate on health.

37. Always concentrate on the ideal as an already existing fact. This is the Elohim, the germ cell, the life principle which goes forth and enters in and becomes, sets in motion those causes which guide, direct, and bring about the necessary relation, which eventually manifest in form.

There is not much to add to this. If you have any questions, please email me. I will answer your questions as best I can.

Until next week when we explore Week Eighteen, I wish you and yours the best of everything.

Also, I wish you Happy Holidays!

The first is that it will be impossible for me to touch on each and every point that Haanel makes in the course of the chapter. While that would indeed be nice, it would mean either that an episode of our Master Key Coaching Teleseminars would have to be about three hours long or we’d have to discuss it over the course of three or four episodes.

I don’t think either option is very viable. I do touch on the most important — as I see it — points that Haanel is making. For the others, it is imperative that you take the time to read the chapter. There is a lot in the book. You know that. Take the time to read it. Review what I’ve said from the first episode here to where we are now; read the chapters; and then work on what was said and written.

The second thing you’ll be noticing is that I’ll be reading more and more from the book. Haanel makes many of his points very clear. He wrote many things perfectly. I see no need to try to fix what is not broken. Of course, I’ll add some commentary, which hopefully helps you to really grasp it, but the beauty of Haanel’s words stand quite well on their own.

With those two items in mind, I hope that you enjoy what was said. Let’s get into Week Sixteen!

Haanel’s Strange Letter of Transmittal

From the first time I read The Master Key System, I’ve always found the Letter of Transmittal for Week Sixteen somewhat strange. With the prior letters, there was a certain flow from the letter to the chapter proper.

Not so with this week.

Yes, there is a connection, but to me it was never as string as other weeks. It doesn’t line up as nicely.

That being said, Week Sixteen’s Letter of Transmittal does offer a lot about which to think.

The vibratory activities of the planetary Universe are governed by a law of periodicity. Everything that lives has periods of birth, growth, fruitage, and decline. These periods are governed by the Septimal Law.

The Law of Sevens governs the days of the week, the phases of the moon, the harmonies of sound, light, heat, electricity, magnetism, atomic structure. It governs the life of individuals and of nations, and it dominates the activities of the commercial world.

I am not going to get into this too much here. Haanel wrote much about the “Law of Sevens” in his book A Book About You. Get it and read it. I think that you’ll like it.

As you may know, I am not a new Age-y kind of guy. I don’t get into much of the woo that is bandied about as self-help nowadays.

I do like and find a certain validity, though, in this Law of Sevens.

From fads to music trends to business cycles, one can observe them in action. Music trends tend to have a life span of about seven years. Disco segued into punk/new wave which moved to heavy metal then came grunge then hip hop/rap … And each lasted about seven years. (Give or take.)

The financial markets tend to move in seven year cycles. As Haanel indicated further in the letter, there are seven years in each stage of a person’s maturation.

If the number seven sounds familiar, you’ll remember your Bible — Genesis 41: 22-36.

22“In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me.”

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

28“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

33“And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

Is there a connection?

Probably. But it’s not necessary to get into here. Just keep it in mind. Use your experiences to either validate the Law of Sevens or disprove them. It’s the Master Key way.

Haanel and Guy Kawasaki Say the Same Thing

Let’s have a look at points 1 to 6 in Week Sixteen.

1. Wealth is a product of labor. Capital is an effect, not a cause; a servant, not a master; a means, not an end.

2. The most commonly accepted definition of wealth is that it consists of all useful and agreeable things which possess exchange value. It is this exchange value which is the predominant characteristic of wealth.

3. When we consider the small addition made by wealth to the happiness of the possessor we find that the true value consists not in its utility but in its exchange value.

4. This exchange value makes it a medium for securing the things of real value whereby our ideals may be realized.

5. Wealth should then never be desired as an end, but simply as a means of accomplishing an end. Success is contingent upon a higher ideal than the mere accumulation of riches, and he who aspires to such success must formulate an ideal for which he is willing to strive.

6. With such an ideal in mind, the ways and means can and will be provided, but the mistake must not be made of substituting the means for the end. There must be a definite fixed purpose — an ideal.

Here, Haanel makes the point about wealth — or making money — that most people miss: that money in and of itself is a terrible end. Money (or wealth) is merely a means.

Money is the means for accomplishing goals, be they personal goals, financial goals, or otherwise. Generally, the people who make the most money have a greater goal in mind.

In The Master Key Workbook, I included an interview with Guy Kawasaki. Here is what Mr. Kawasaki said about money and business.

Venture capitalist and Forbes columnist Guy Kawasaki was recently interviewed about his book, The Art of the Start. Here is a snippet from that interview.

PAUL MAIDMENT: Guy, you have a Top Five list of things an entrepreneur must accomplish. At the top of that list is Make Meaning. What does that mean, and why is it so important?

GUY KAWASAKI: It means that if you start a company to “make money” then you’ll probably fail. Great companies start because the founders want to change the world … not make a fast buck. Call me a romantic, but I think entrepreneurs should try to change the world. This comes from working at Apple … old habits die hard.

MAIDMENT: Is there ever a case in which ‘making yourself rich’ constitutes making meaning?

KAWASAKI: Yes, absolutely. But that seems like an insipid reason to start a company. However, if you make meaning, you’ll probably make money. If you make money, you might not make meaning. At the end of one’s life, hopefully you’ve done more than simply make money.

It would behoove us to listen to that guy.

Of course making money is important. It’s important to us personally (we all have to eat!) as well as in business. The point with all of this — with what Haanel wrote and with what Mr. Kawasaki is saying here — is that it is not the most important thing.

The vision — the grand goal — is more important.

Let’s look at it in a possibly very real situation.

Let’s say a person wants nothing more than to have the time to provide well for his new son. So, he works assiduously at making money. He works so much, in fact, that he doesn’t spend any time with his son. Yes, he provides all the comforts that money can provide, but he doesn’t provide the things that count: time, attending his son’s games, taking his son to a ball game.

Before he knows it, his son is grown. He provided well, but did he provide everything as he had in mind? Did he focus so much on money that he lost sight of the reason he was making so much and working so hard?

The same situations arise in business as well. Should all decisions be made based solely on the bottom line? Should corners be cut in order to save a few cents per unit?

Sometimes these are tough decisions. Actually, more often than not they are tough decisions. With insight and wisdom and, as we’ll see, with controlling our thoughts so that we keep our grand goal in mind, we’ll be better equipped to navigate these problems when they arise.

So how does one create these big, lofty goals?

8. The power to create depends entirely upon spiritual power. There are three steps: Idealization, visualization, and materialization. Every captain of industry depends upon this power exclusively. In an article in Everybody’s Magazine, Henry M. Flagler, the Standard Oil multimillionaire, admitted that the secret of his success was his power to see a thing in its completeness. The following conversation with the reporter shows his power of idealization, concentration, and visualization — all spiritual powers:

9. “Did you actually vision to yourself the whole thing? I mean, did you, or could you, really close your eyes and see the tracks? And the trains running? And hear the whistles blowing? Did you go as far as that?”

“Yes.” “How clearly?” “Very clearly.”

Haanel adds in point 11:

11. The successful business man is more often than not an idealist and is ever striving for higher and higher standards. The subtle forces of thought as they crystallize in our daily moods is what constitutes life.

This may be the first time that you are hearing a business man referred to as an “idealist.” It is generally true, though. The best example can probably come from the computer industry — and it may be the very reason we get angry at the people in that industry so often!

You’re well aware that as soon as you get your brand new, expensive computer, as soon as you get it home, it’s practically obsolete. It won’t even be next year before the new line is released and it’s faster and better than what you just bought. It generally makes us quite angry.

But if we look beyond our anger (and I am using that word loosely), we’ll see that it is a perfect example of what Haanel wrote. The way things improve in our technology, the way those changes happen so quickly that we can barely stay abreast, is a showcase of these computer business people — the technologists and engineers and visionaries — and their reaching for new levels of excellence — of “higher and higher standards.” It can always be faster, smaller, more functional, more convenient, more … Whatever!

Perfection may never be realized, but that doesn’t stop the pursuit. Goals are set and goals are achieved — and money is made.

Think It With Feeling

Haanel in points 21 and 22 wrote

21.And finally, the vitality depends upon the feeling with which the thought is impregnated. If the thought is constructive, it will possess vitality; it will have life, it will grow, develop, expand; it will be creative; it will attract to itself everything necessary for its complete development.

22. If the thought is destructive, it will have within itself the germ of its own dissolution; it will die, but in the process of dying, it will bring sickness, disease, and every other form of discord.

A question I am often asked is how one should feel when thinking of their goals. Should they feel happy? Exuberant? Effusive? Euphoric?

Many say that they should feel happiness of some sort. They should feel like they would feel if they achieved and attained their goal.

Yet others say that they should “fake it till they make it.”

I think that what Haanel is implying here is that if your thought is truly constructive, it will have a certain vitality in and of itself. You won’t have to fake it.

Think of the time when you were going on the first date with someone with whom you fell in love. Do you remember that date? Do you remember the days before the date? You were excited. You were walking on air. You were thrilled beyond comprehension. Nothing could keep you away from that date. You did not need to fake a thing.

Sure, you were nervous and anxious, but your other greater emotions kept you moving forward.

The same is true when we build and plan goals that agree with us — that are constructive. When we strike on that idea or position or situation, we don’t have to fake it. It comes practically naturally.

The Exercise for Week Sixteen

37. For your exercise this week, try to bring yourself to a realization of the important fact that harmony and happiness are states of consciousness and do not depend upon the possession of things. Realize that things are effects and come as a consequence of correct mental states. So that if we desire material possession of any kind our chief concern should be to acquire the mental attitude which will bring about the result desired. This mental attitude is brought about by a realization of our spiritual nature and our unity with the Universal Mind which is the substance of all things. This realization will bring about everything which is necessary for our complete enjoyment. This is scientific or correct thinking. When we succeed in bringing about this mental attitude it is comparatively easy to realize our desire as an already accomplished fact; when we can do this we shall have found the “Truth” which makes us “free” from every lack or limitation of any kind.

As we review this week and this exercise, let me make one point clear: Money is not the root of all evil. It is not a bad thing nor is it something about which you should be unconcerned.

Money is a tool. Nothing more; nothing less.

With that in mind, you are not the amount of money you have nor the things that you have. Your “harmony and happiness” are not — or they should not be — dependent on the “possession of things.”

This is wisdom. It takes many people all their lives to realize such a seemingly simple thing. Recall the example I used earlier — the one about the father and his son. Far too often, people go through their lives chasing some shibboleth for whatever wrong reason only to realize that what they really wanted — and what would have been the better option for them and all involved — was right under their nose.

Now, what Haanel wrote here does not mean that one becomes complacent. That leads to laziness and sloth.

We’re happiest when we’re working, when we’re adding value, when we’re discovering meaning. That is not complacency.

When we’re moving forward toward the goal of our choosing — our dream, our aim, our vision — then we’re working with constructive thinking and we’ll find things moving our way.

That’s happiness.

Because when we allow what’s within us to move us, to act as our engine, we are pillars of integrity. Those are clothes and ornaments that make kings.

Or, as Tyler Durden would say …

(If the video doesn’t play, you can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo-wkv8gW6k.)

Until next week, may you get for yourself and yours the best of everything!

Insight is one of those things that is difficult to define. Even Haanel with his powerful prose has difficulty truly encapsulating what it is. Much like love or wisdom, it’s something that one only truly understands when one attains it. In many ways, it’s like describing a color to a blind person or explaining how weightlessness feels to a person who has never experienced it. We all to one degree or another know what it is, but to actually put it in terms is difficult, to say the least.

Haanel attempts to do so, though — and he does an excellent job. Attaining insight, then, is the goal of this week’s lesson and exercise.

Let’s begin at the beginning, though, shall we?

When you listen to the teleseminar (whether you do so right here on this web site, download it it to your computer, or if you get them from the iTunes Music Store), you’ll hear me say that as we progress deeper into these “later” Weeks of the “System,” I’ll be reading directly from the book more and more. That is because Haanel phrases things, in my opinion, quite perfectly many times. I will, of course, expand on things as I see fit, but in many cases, Haanel’s words will be enough.

Natural Laws

In the “Letter of Transmittal” for Week Fifteen, Haanel informs us that we live under certain “natural laws,” which, if we allow them, will “help” us in our times of need. Haanel writes about these laws,

It will explain that these laws operate to our advantage; that all conditions and experiences that come to us are for our benefit; that we gain strength in proportion to the effort expended; and that our happiness is best attained through a conscious cooperation with natural laws.

The entire Master Key System is about getting us to work via a “conscious cooperation” with these laws. That’s why the prior fourteen weeks have built within us the ability to relax, to clear our minds, to focus, and to think.

As we do the things that Haanel instructs, these laws come into play automatically. It’s not magic, nor is it something mystical; it is life working as it always does.

That’s why I won’t be one of those people who hawks one of those sketchy ways to “take advantage of” the law of attraction. If you think properly, if you have an idea (or a goal), if you work toward your goal and take action on your plans, if you remain focused, if you cast aside irrational fears and doubts, if you do all these things and embrace the hard work of thinking and the courageous acts of doing, then these laws — like the law of attraction — will work right along with you. Automatically.

I’ve seen it happen time after time, again and again. It doesn’t require magic or movies, CDs or anything outside yourself. It just requires you thinking properly and taking action accordingly.

That’s the “magic spell.” Nothing more; nothing less.

The Old for the New; the Good for the Better

Let’s have a look at points 1 to 5.

1. The laws under which we live are designed solely for our advantage. These laws are immutable and we cannot escape from their operation.

2. All the great eternal forces act in solemn silence, but it is in our power to place ourselves in harmony with them and thus express a life of comparative peace and happiness.

3. Difficulties, inharmonies, and obstacles indicate that we are either refusing to give out what we no longer need or refusing to accept what we require.

4. Growth is attained through an exchange of the old for the new, of the good for the better; it is a conditional or reciprocal action, for each of us is a complete thought entity and this completeness makes it possible for us to receive only as we give.

5. We cannot obtain what we lack if we tenaciously cling to what we have. We are able to consciously control our conditions as we come to sense the purpose of what we attract, and are able to extract from each experience only what we require for our further growth. Our ability to do this determines the degree of harmony or happiness we attain.

When Haanel wrote that “Growth is attained through an exchange of the old for the new, of the good for the better,” he means two things.

First, he means that we have to move from those episodes or things in the past that continue to hold us back. We have to “let go.” We have to keep our gaze toward the future rather than either clutching to the past in a nostalgic fashion or keeping in our mind the limiting thoughts and events that trap us there.

Haanel also means that we should begin as best as possible to trade the old for the new. If we want change for the better, we have to look around ourselves and find the things we can change now and then take action on them.

In The Master Key Workbook, I included an exercise that works wonders with this.

For this week, in addition to the usual weekly exercise that Haanel outlines, let us practice a method of growing that works wonders. When you are done, you will have replaced the good with the better.

Look around your house and take notice of the things that could be replaced. Let us use as an example your drapes. If they are in need of replacing, then simply get rid of them! Do not sell them or try to make money from the transaction, merely give them to a charitable organization, such as The Salvation Army. By making the path clear for the better to enter, the better will arrive.

You can go even further and do a thorough house cleaning. This will unburden you of much of your baggage and clear the way for new and better things. It is not advocated to dispose things of value, but the general rule is that if you haven’t looked at a thing in many years, then it can go.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Action & Commitment

In point 13, Haanel reminds us of something I say in every episode.

Thought may lead to action of any kind, but whatever the action, it is simply the thought attempting to express itself in visible form.

Remember, things won’t fall from the sky into your lap. This philosophy requires us to take action — to be a “mover and shaker.” Or, as Haanel would say, it is in the “application” that we get results.

In point 29, Haanel reminds us not only of the actions we must take, but also that we must be committed to seeing our action through to the end.

29. In the physical world there is a law of compensation which is that “the appearance of a given amount of energy anywhere means the disappearance of the same amount somewhere else,” and so we find that we can get only what we give. If we pledge ourselves to a certain action we must be prepared to assume the responsibility for the development of that action. The subconscious cannot reason. It takes us at our word; we have asked for something; we are now to receive it; we have made our bed, we are now to lie in it; the die has been cast; the threads will carry out the pattern we have made.

Remember commitment? Do you remember how important it is?

By not following thorough with what we propose, by not seeing something to the end, we plant bad seeds in our subconscious.

Think about it this way. Have you ever joined a gym in order to work out and get into shape? (If not a gym, then something similar. It could be you wanted to learn to dance so you joined a dance studio. Perhaps you wanted to learn a language, so you started taking classes.) You well know that in the beginning, you enjoyed going. You looked forward to it. You studied what was taught and gave your best effort.

Then, something happened. For whatever reason, you had to miss a class.

What happened after that? Didn’t it become easier and easier to skip classes? Didn’t the siren song of your couch or your friends become stronger than the lure of the goal that you set for yourself?

Pretty soon, you found yourself missing more classes than you attended until the day came when you weren’t going at all. That goal became a memory and when in a social situation, you say “Oh, I took some French lessons, but I just didn’t have the time for them. I can say ‘Bonjour’ now, though!”

We blame quitting on many things: life interrupting, not having time, losing interest, wondering why we’re doing what we’re doing … Countless things. The truth is that it all comes down to one thing and one thing only: We failed to honor the commitment we made to ourselves.

This is the beginning of the bad habit of not following through.

It’s time to change the habit. That is, if you truly want to become successful — if you want to change the conditions in your life. If not, then carry on. If you do — and I strongly believe that you do — then endeavor to make the change. Commit and follow through, come hell or high water.

You can do it. Lesser people have and they’ve become successful. If they can do it, then why not you? For that, there is no answer, because you can!

The Narrow Pathway

Points 24-25 can be best illustrated with a quote from the movie The Razor’s Edge (1984), which is based on the book of the same title by W. Somerset Maugham.

The pathway to salvation is as narrow and as difficult to walk as a razor’s edge.

Let’s look at those points as Haanel wrote them.

24. There is a principle of Mathematics, but none of error; there is a principle of health, but none of disease; there is a principle of truth, but none of dishonesty; there is a principle of light, but none of darkness; and there is a principle of abundance, but none of poverty.

25. How shall we know that this is true? Because if we apply the principle of Mathematics correctly we shall be certain of our results. Where there is health, there will be no disease. If we know the Truth, we cannot be deceived by error. If we let in light, there can be no darkness. And where there is abundance, there can be no poverty.

What does this illustrate? In life, it is the positive that can be proved by a certain, definable method or way. If you ask me for directions to my house, then I can give them to you very easily. I can also tell you how not to get here, but that would take considerably longer.

Likewise, you can tell me a plethora of ways not to bake a cake; whereas there is only one way to make a certain kind of cake. Your recipe is your way, your method, for baking the cake. Any other way I bake the cake will not result in your cake.

As you read The Master Key System, keep this principle in mind. This is the method by which one will accomplish wonders and seeming miracles. You can do whatever you may to escape debt or build a relationship, but without these principles to support your efforts, you are building a castle of sand on a beach where the tide is quickly rising.

Something Oh-So Rare: Insight

The major lesson of Week Fifteen is Insight. Let’s look at points 30-36.

30. For this reason Insight must be exercised so that the thought which we entertain contains no mental, moral, or physical germ which we do not wish objectified in our lives.

31. Insight is a faculty of the mind whereby we are enabled to exam the facts and conditions at long range, a kind of human telescope; it enables us to understand the difficulties as well as the possibilities in any undertaking.

32. Insight enables us to be prepared for the obstacles which we shall meet; we can therefore overcome them before they have any opportunity of causing difficulty.

33. Insight enables us to plan to advantage and turn our thought and attention in the right direction, instead of into channels which can yield no possible return.

34. Insight is therefore absolutely essential for the development of any great achievement, and with it we may enter, explore, and possess any mental field.

35. Insight is a product of the world within and is developed in the Silence—by concentration.

36. For your exercise this week, concentrate on Insight. Take your accustomed position and focus the thought on the fact that to have a knowledge of the creative power of thought does not mean to possess the art of thinking. Let the thought dwell on the fact that knowledge does not apply itself. That our actions are not governed by knowledge, but by custom, precedent, and habit. That the only way we can get ourselves to apply knowledge is by a determined conscious effort. Call to mind the fact that knowledge unused passes from the mind, that the value of the information is in the application of the principle. Continue this line of thought until you gain sufficient insight to formulate a definite program for applying this principle to your own particular problem.

Does this make sense to you?

Insight is part wisdom, part seeing things for what they are rather than what we think they are; it is understanding rather than knowing; it is working with what things are rather than our fantasies of what they are. As I wrote at the beginning of this essay, insight is somewhat difficult to define.

Haanel wrote that “Insight is a faculty of the mind whereby we are enabled to exam the facts and conditions at long range, a kind of human telescope; it enables us to understand the difficulties as well as the possibilities in any undertaking.”

In working with Master Key Coaching clients, we practice this intensely. You see, it’s not enough to have the goal in mind and to entertain the fantasies of what may happen, but to also visualize the difficulties that may occur in order that we are prepared for them should they occur.

This confuses some people. Aren’t we taught to only think about the good and to not think about the bad?

To a point that’s true — if the “bad” thoughts we are entertaining are irrational bad thoughts. In life though, if we undertake something, there will be rational difficulties that may come into play. Risks. Hazards. If we set into action without taking into account those risks, those hazards, those difficulties, then we may be dooming ourselves to failure.

Imagine that you are going to be like Clark Griswald and drive cross-country. Wouldn’t you get your car checked before you embarked on the journey? Wouldn’t you make sure you had a good spare tire? Your cell phone? Maps? Spare cash for emergencies?

Of course you would! That’s the smart move! If you didn’t, you’d be flirting with stranding yourself somewhere. You’d be putting yourself at the mercy of chance.

The same goes for starting a business. Switching careers. For buying a house or a car.

For just about anything in life.

Needless risk-taking is dumb. It has become fashionable to look at entrepreneurs and business people and say that they are risk-takers. That is generally not quite true — and oftentimes it is the furthest thing from the truth.

Entrepreneurs and business people actually work very hard to minimize risk, to put things in place so that in the event that the venture fails the don’t lose everything. Sure, the story of the entrepreneur risking it all and coming out on top is very romantic, it’s not true. Entrepreneurs aren’t placing bets on a roulette wheel and hoping for the best. They use their minds — their insight! — to make the best moves and keep the level at risk at a minimum. If the risk is too great, they don’t play. They leave that to the fools. If the risk is reasonable, they play, but cushion their “bets” and try to limit their “exposure.”

Read books about successful business people and entrepreneurs. Get the truth.That will give you some insight into what works, what doesn’t, and how the world really works.

Practice this Week’s exercise. Take your goal and concentrate on what it will take to attain it. See the good and the difficulties. Imagine yourself going through the actions. Realize what you’ll have to learn. Come to grips what what you are endeavoring to do.

This will give you a certain amount of insight, that wisdom that is oh-so rare and is often the differentiating factor between those who succeed and those who fail.

Until next week, my friends … I wish you the best of everything.

Thus begins Week Fourteen: The Creative Power of Thought in Charles F. Haanel‘s The Master Key System.

Welcome.

For those of you in the United States, this was our Happy Thanksgiving episode. I wish you the best time with friends, family, and lots of food this Thursday as we gather to celebrate our annual holiday of giving thanks for all that we have.

If you don’t live in the States, don’t fret. You are more than welcome to enjoy a nice large meal and give thanks for all that you have as well.

I must say that Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays. It’s not only because of the food and the friends and the family. It’s also because of the sentiment of the day and what it means. Imagine a full day in which one is to think about and ponder all the things one has for which to be thankful. While Christmas has become over the years an over-commercialized shopping fiasco — along with various other holidays — Thanksgiving has always just been about the meal, gathering for the meal, and the thanks — the gratitude. It truly is nice. So, no matter where you are or what you do, you’re more than welcome to give thanks with us.

Negative People and Dream Stealers

Before we discuss Week Fourteen, I want to touch on something that came to my attention this past week. It is something we’ve discussed in a prior episode during our Question & Answer session, but I was reminded of it as I read an article by one Ryan Healy. It deals with how to handle negative people, or, as they are often called, “dream stealers.”

It has been popular in the self-help field for quite a while now that one should get rid of negative people and influences in one’s life. It really came to the forefront when in the book (and movie) The Secret the practice of ignoring even the things one doesn’t want was advocated. Want to lose weight? Then don’t even look at fat people. Looking for wealth? Then don’t even think about the poor.

While allowing a person to behave in the most callous and ignorant fashion is at the top of the list as to why that way of thinking is wrong, it’s also wrong because you’re limiting yourself from opportunities that could be had if you kept your eyes open. (We’ve also discussed that on these teleseminars. Many people advocate ignoring problems or not complaining. I say bring it on because in problems and complaints are opportunities waiting to be taken and solved.)

I think eliminating people from your life based simply on the fact that they are “negative” is simply a bad practice. We’ll get to the reasons in a few. I want to say first, though, that there are cases where you do have to cut negative influences from your life. If someone is a recovering alcoholic or drug addict, they simply can’t associate with the people they did when they used. Those old “friends,” unless they are willing to change their life as well, will simply  have to go. The same also holds true if a “friend” is someone who consistently brings you “down” in a very real and serious sense, such as he steals, or she cheats, or they’re always bringing “drama” with them wherever they go. You get the idea.

In other words, there are times when you have to break ties with people. Those are generally very extreme cases, though.

This isn’t also meant to address people who are “Negative Nellies” or “Negative Neds,” those people who can take even the most joyous celebration and with their attitude and comments and demeanor turn it into a black hole of suck. Those kinds of people are a different case. Perhaps I’ll address that in a different article, but not here.

Sometimes we’ll term someone as “negative” or a “dream stealer” simply because they aren’t behind us 100% in what we’re setting out to do. It’s not that they’re actively working against us; it’s that they’re merely having doubts about what we want to do.

This attitude of theirs may come from sundry places. Perhaps they’ve heard this from us before and are quite simply sick of hearing it. Maybe you’ve never given any indication based on past experience that you’re even capable of doing what you say you want to do.

Whatever the case, what hurts us most about the person’s attitude is that in their attitude we see a reflection of ourselves. That, my friend, can be a tough thing to take.

In his books The New Psychology and Mental Chemistry, Haanel discussed heredity. He also touched on it in a few places in The Master Key System. He stated that we are products of our past: our past thoughts, our past actions, our past results. As we change, we cannot expect ourselves to change over night. Likewise, we cannot expect others — others who have experiences with us both good and bad — to believe that the changes we are aiming for will occur.

For that to happen, you will have to prove it to them!

With all that in mind, would it be really fair to them if you were to simply cut them from your life? Now, I’m not talking about casual acquaintances or drinking buddies, I am referring to spouses, relatives, close friends, and family.

The answer is no, it wouldn’t be fair. It also wouldn’t be right. Frankly, it would be flat-out wrong.

As Mr. Healy wrote in his article:

I am mostly in agreement with the idea of limiting negativity in your life. I agree it’s good to focus on the positive, to see the good in bad situations. I also agree that you shouldn’t pay much attention to naysayers — the types of people who casually dismiss your efforts by saying “that’ll never work.”

But I wouldn’t go so far as to say you need to cut yourself off from friends and family.

I would go one step further and say that it’s often stupid and wrong.

So, what’s the solution?

The best solution that I have found is to work in silence. What I mean by that is that when you make the decision to improve yourself, when you decide that you want something more and you begin forming your goal and making your plans, don’t broadcast them to anyone — anyone at all! — except those who can possibly help you in achieving your goal.

Many fall into the trap of talking about what they want to do or what their plans are with people who have no way of helping us. Also, we expend a lot of energy in the talking and not enough in the “walking.” I’ve also found that people like to broadcast their plans in order to merely get attention, not for any real constructive purpose. Instead of working on what they have in mind, the person would rather talk about what they want to do — without ever taking the first real steps.

In the end, it’s the results that tell the tale. Work in silence and when you have something to show, then you can begin cluing people into what you’re doing. By doing this, you’re avoiding any negativity you may encounter because the proof will be “in the pudding.”

Sometimes we’ll be wise and keep our goal to ourselves and talk with someone who can help us. We then get slapped in the face: the person with whom we’re speaking tries to dissuade us from our goal. What do we then do? Are they a “dream stealer”? Should we shun them?

Well, it depends. Who is the person giving you the advice? Is it good advice based on expertise, experience, and knowledge? Or is it a knee-jerk reaction?

In another article – ”The Dream Stealer I Wish I Had Listened To (Or, How I Lost $30,000 on a Dumb Business Opportunity)” – Mr. Healy has an excellent example of something like. Take the time to read it and learn what you can from it.

In summation, just because someone is “negative” doesn’t mean we eject them from our life as if they were a thing. Sometimes, negativity is just what we need. Sometimes it will spur us forward. Other times, it will allow us to see things just clear enough to make a better decision.

In the end, though, what I really think is that friends and family are more for what I call “human being things” rather than business endeavors or for being our own personal booster squad. When I am with friends enjoying dinner and drinks or when I’m with my loved one doing whatever, business and my goals and my plans are usually the last thing on my mind. Along with whatever we’re doing, be it eating or drinking or just enjoying a conversation, I’m just enjoying their company because I enjoy them as human beings — people who are in my life and for whom I care. The “goal” of my relationships with them goes beyond my aims and pursuits in business and life. It’s about being a human being enjoying my time with fellow human beings and leaving my care of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” at the office.

I hope this makes sense to you. If you have a question, please ask it in the comments section here or send me an email. I’ll be happy to help.

Week Fourteen: The Creative Power of Thought

Now, let’s get into Week Fourteen of The Master Key System — “The Creative Power of Thought.”

This week, Haanel is establishing that all thought is creative. As we think — and what we think and have thought — tends to become our reality. In the second paragraph of the Letter of Transmittal, Haanel wrote

The conscious and subconscious are but two phases of action in connection with one mind. The relation of the subconscious to the conscious is quite analogous to that existing between a weather vane and the atmosphere. Just as the least pressure of the atmosphere causes an action on the part of the weather vane, so does the least thought entertained by the conscious mind produce within your subconscious mind action in exact proportion to the depth of feeling characterizing the thought and the intensity with which the thought is indulged.

The conscious mind directs and controls the subconscious mind and that direction and control is in direct proportion to the “depth of feeling” we have about what we are thinking.

This is psychologically sound. It explains how phobias are instilled in a person through a traumatic experience. We can thus use this process to instill in ourselves whatever we want. Those changes will show on us because our thoughts become us. As Haanel noted in point #17:

We find that every man is the reflection of the thought he has entertained during his lifetime. This is stamped on his face, his form, his character, and his environment.

Think of the people you know and the people you’ve known. More often than not, hasn’t this been the case? Someone who is known for their bad attitude or disgruntledness has that kind of face. Conversely, people who are generally kind have that look of kindness about them.

This is not to say that this is always the case! Sometimes people someone may look nice but be nothing of the sort. And, of course, there are people who may not look the most pleasing but are genuinely kind and noble. Looks can be deceiving, which is why it is important to look at the whole picture: look at the person’s face, how they hold themselves, the nature of his actions and his character. All these clues add to the sum of the person.

They add to the sum of you as well. As you entertain kind thoughts, powerful thoughts, big thoughts, brave thoughts, noble thoughts, and all other good thoughts, you will become the person about which you consistently think. Your thoughts will lead to actions and those actions will yield results. All of that will be the reality that you live and experience.

As Haanel has noted and as we’ve noted many times during these teleseminars, when you begin changing your thoughts — and your actions — the changes you encounter will not happen over night. This is a process.

Let’s examine how Haanel explained it in points #24-30.

24. Yet there are many who are not ready to enter into the discipline necessary to think correctly, even though it is evident that wrong thinking has brought failure.

25. Thought is the only reality; conditions are but the outward manifestations; as the thought changes, all outward or material conditions must change in order to be in harmony with their creator, which is thought.

26. But the thought must be clear cut, steady, fixed, definite, unchangeable; you cannot take one step forward and two steps backward, neither can you spend twenty or thirty years of your life building up negative conditions as the result of negative thoughts, and then expect to see them all melt away as the result of fifteen or twenty minutes of right thinking.

27. If you enter into the discipline necessary to bring about a radical change in your life, you must do so deliberately, after giving the matter careful thought and full consideration, and then you must allow nothing to interfere with your decision.

28. This discipline, this change of thought, this mental attitude will not only bring you the material things which are necessary for your highest and best welfare, but will bring health and harmonious conditions generally.

29. If you wish harmonious conditions in your life, you must develop a harmonious mental attitude.

30. Your world without will be a reflection of your world within.

Get it? Got it? Good.

The Exercise in Week Fourteen: The Creative Power of Thought

For the exercise this week, Haanel wants us to think about “Harmony.”

31. For your exercise this week, concentrate on Harmony, and when I say concentrate, I mean all that the word implies—concentrate so deeply, so earnestly, that you will be conscious of nothing but Harmony. Remember, we learn by doing. Reading these lessons will get you nowhere. It is in the practical application that the value consists.

Harmony.

That can be a difficult word to define, especially since we all may have different definitions. At the heart of it, though, will be something about which we can all agree: that no matter the exact circumstances of that harmony, we will fell centered, content, in rhythm with things. It is not exactly happiness, but it’s also not that different.

This exercise is taking us in the same direction as the past few exercises. We are moving ourselves from a mental state of discordance and separation into one of beauty and being a part of something larger than ourselves. Instead of seeing the world as a place to be feared and other people as objects in our way, we are learning to see — and feel — that we are a part of things much as they are a part of us.

As we feel ourselves imbued with this state, it will change the way we think about things. It will change the way we act. Thus, it will change many of the results that we get.

As Haanel wrote, concentrate on this idea — harmony — “so deeply, so earnestly, that you will be conscious of nothing but Harmony.” As you do this, you’ll feel it, and, as I’ve noted, it will change you.

Try it and see what happens.

Until next week, please have a Happy Thanksgiving and get for yourself the best of everything.

Since Week Thirteen marks us passing the halfway point, I took the opportunity to deliver a special message. This message will not only help you in your study of The Master Key System, but in everything that you do.

You see, most people don’t make it halfway through The Master Key System.

Frankly, most people don’t even make it this far. Most stop by Week Four.

Of course, there are sundry reasons: life interrupts; people get busy with other things; something new and shiny comes along.

Whatever the reason, it’s sad.

You see, I’ve been studying The Master Key System for about fifteen years. I’ve been publishing it for over ten years. Through all that time, I’ve seen amazing things happen because of an intelligent application of all that the book teaches.

I began with nothing — NOTHING! — and now I not only publish all of the books by Charles F. Haanel, I also publish over a dozen others — with more on the way!

I’ve had book translated and published in so many countries that I can barely count them. China. Japan. India. Russia. Germany.

I’ve been blessed to meet and work with some of the most amazing people you can imagine — from Master Key Coaching clients to fellow publishers like Tracey Jones at Tremendous Life Books.

And more great things are on the way. (Stay tuned!)

I’m not the only one applying Haanel’s ideas and methods, though. Other people are as well — and they are being greatly rewarded.

• One person became debt-free, secured over $100,000 in capital, and opened her own practice. All in under ONE YEAR!
• Another person built her dream business – a beautiful bed & breakfast.
• Yet another person saved their business from collapsing and then went on to double their profits.
• A fellow we coached in Haanel’s methods got his dream job.

The stories I’ve heard and the things I’ve seen would make your head spin.

But they all come down to one thing: Committment.

Are you willing to commit to learning this “stuff”?

More importantly, are you willing to commit to applying it?

Even with all this opportunity — from the free Master Key to free coaching — most people drop out. They don’t commit. They look for something new. They continue on their fool’s quest for the “silver bullet.” Whatever…

This applies to just about everything we do in life! Think about people who hop from one opportunity to the next, never allowing any one thing to have a chance to set roots.

It’s been said that it takes about ten years — ten thousand hours of study — to become excellent at something. From practicing the violin to building a business, it’s all the same. There is no such thing as an “overnight success.” Rather, it’s about practice and work and trial and error … And mastery is the result. The greats didn’t just drop from the sky. Even those born with amazing talent and ability had to train and master their gift. Why is it that we expect things to happen in a fortnight?

A famous saying is

A wise man changes his mind some of the time; a fool changes his mind all of the time.

Sure, it is OK to change your mind every so often, to find that you don’t enjoy something and then move to something else; but when it becomes a way of life, it has a detrimental effect on your life.

Luckily, it’s not too late! You can still commit yourself to attaining your dreams. You can commit to learning this wonderful system of self-mastery.

You can do it.

Start tonight.

I hope that you take this message to heart. It is at the heart of the Master Key System. Haanel espouses this idea at various times and in different ways in the book. Many people — far too many people! — miss it. Please don’t be one of them.

Let’s get into Week Thirteen: The Dreams of the Dreamer.

In the Letter of Transmittal, Haanel quoted Mr. Herbert Kaufman. This is some of the most wonderful and inspiring prose you will read.

“They are the architects of greatness, their vision lies within their souls, they peer beyond the veils and mists of doubt and pierce the walls of unborn Time. The belted wheel, the trail of steel, the churning screw, are shuttles in the loom on which they weave their magic tapestries. Makers of Empire, they have fought for bigger things than crowns and higher seats than thrones. Your homes are set upon the land a dreamer found. The pictures on its walls are visions from a dreamer’s soul.

“They are the chosen few—the blazers of the way. Walls crumble and Empires fall, the tidal wave sweeps from the sea and tears a fortress from its rocks. The rotting nations drop from off Time’s bough, and only things the dreamers make live on.”

Read that and then read it again. Inspiring? Even if just a little?

Some people say that they don’t write things like that any more. I disagree.  To prove my point I humbly submit for your perusal — and inspiration — the famous advertisement for Apple computers aptly called “Here’s to the crazy ones…”

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Whenever you feel down, feel free to bookmark this page and come here to watch and read that.

Let’s move to points #5 to 7.

5. It is more than two hundred years since Lord Bacon recommended this method of study, to which the civilized nations owe the greater part of their prosperity and the more valuable part of their knowledge; purging the mind from narrow prejudices and denominated theories more effectually than by the keenest irony; calling the attention of men from heaven to earth more successfully by surprising ex- periments than by the most forcible demonstrations of their ignorance; educating the inventive faculties more powerfully by the near prospect of useful discoveries thrown open to all, than by talk of bringing to light the innate laws of our mind.

6. The method of Bacon has seized the spirit and aim of the great philosophers of Greece and carried them into effect by the new means of observation which another age offered, thus gradually revealing a wondrous field of knowledge in the infinite space of astronomy, in the microscopic egg of embryology, and the dim age of geology; disclosing an order of the pulse which the logic of Aristotle could never have unveiled and analyzing into formerly unknown elements the material combinations which no dialectic of the scholastics could force apart.

7. It has lengthened life; it has mitigated pain; it has extinguished diseases; it has increased the fertility of the soil; it has given new securities to the mariner; it has spanned great rivers with bridges of form unknown to our fathers; it has guided the thunderbolt from heaven to earth; it has lighted up night with the splendor of day; it has extended the range of human vision; it has multiplied the power of the human muscles; it has accelerated motion; it has annihilated distance; it has facilitated intercourse, correspondence, all friendly offices, all dispatch of business; it has enabled men to descend into the depths of the sea, to soar into the air, to penetrate securely into the noxious recesses of the earth.

This is what Haanel is teaching us in the Master Key System: the power of thought and the power of thinking. As we’ve discussed, this is what The Master Key System is really about. It’s not about “manifesting” something from nothing; it’s not about using the awesome power of the Universe to supply you with trinkets; it’s about learning how to use this awesome power of thought — this ability to think — to solve our problems great and small.

So, how do we get tangible results with all of this? How do we get to the point where we can see and enjoy the fruits of our labours?

22. In the first place, we must put our knowledge into practice. Nothing can be accomplished in any other way. The athlete may read books and lessons on physical training all his life, but unless he begins to give out strength by actual work he will never receive any strength; he will eventually get exactly what he gives; but he will have to give it first. It is exactly the same with us; we will get exactly what we give, but we shall have to give it first. It will then return to us many fold, and the giving is simply a mental process, because thoughts are causes and conditions are effects; therefore in giving thoughts of courage, inspiration, health, or help of any kind we are setting causes in motion which will bring about their effect.

23. Thought is a spiritual activity and is therefore creative. But make no mistake: Thought will create nothing unless it is consciously, systematically, and constructively directed; and herein is the difference between idle thinking, which is simply a dissipation of effort and constructive thinking, which means practically unlimited achievement.

24. We have found that everything we get comes to us by the Law of Attraction. A happy thought cannot exist in an unhappy consciousness; therefore the consciousness must change and, as the consciousness changes, all conditions necessary to meet the changed consciousness must gradually change in order to meet the requirements of the new situation.

It begins with a thought.

We then must put our knowledge into practice.

We must work and probably work hard. Nothing comes for free and we must give before we can get.

Before a book hits the shelves, before one penny is made by me, countless hours and many dollars are invested into a book I publish.

Before you see the band that you love hit the stage at their sold-out stadium convert, that band practiced for hours on end, they played seedy bars where the audience consisted of a few drunks, and they sent countless demos to record companies and agents.

Read Harrison Ford’s story.

How about Lady GaGa?

Use Google to discover the stories about the people you enjoy. See what it took for them to make it to “the top.”

You’ll find the Haanel “formula” within them.

The exercise for Week Thirteen is one in which Haanel gets somewhat “spiritual.”

26. We can best conserve our interests by recognizing the Infinite Power and Infinite Wisdom of the Universal Mind, and in this way become a channel whereby the Infinite can bring about the realization of our desire. This means that recognition brings about realization. Therefore for your exercise this week make use of the principle. Recognize the fact that you are a part of the whole, and that a part must be the same in kind and quality as the whole; the only difference there can possibly be is in degree.

27. When this tremendous fact begins to permeate your consciousness, when you really come into a realization of the fact that you, not your body, but the Ego, the “I,” the spirit which thinks, is an integral part of the great whole, that it is the same in substance, in quality, in kind, that the Creator could create nothing different from Himself, you will also be able to say, “The Father and I are one” and you will come into an understanding of the beauty, the grandeur, the transcendental opportunities which have been placed at your disposal.

As you know, I don’t get into the “spiritual” aspects of this much. I don’t think one needs to . Haanel specifically wrote The Master Key System the way he did so that we can see it from all angles: scientifically, philosophically, and spiritually.

With this exercise, though, just realize — come to your own personal conclusion — in whatever way makes sense to you that you are a part of something bigger, something greater, be it mankind, planet Earth, the Universe, or whatever.

That’s the point in this exercise.

Do it.

Next week, we’ll explore Week Fourteen: The Creative Power of Thought.

Until then, please get for yourself the best of everything.

As if that weren’t enough, the exercise for this week is powerful — and we do our best to explain it on the many various levels that it can be explained. It’s a deep one. I hope that my explanation of it gives you some clarity about it.

In the “Letter of Transmittal” for Week Twelve, Haanel, in the first paragraph, gives us the quote that has become somewhat famous. This one line encapsulates the entire philosophy of The Master Key System. It’s the outline of why we’re studying this book as well as what we’re to do with the knowledge we gain from it.

You must first have the knowledge of your power; second, the courage to dare; third, the faith to do.

That’s everything that we’ve been discussing in a nutshell.

We must have the knowledge of the power that we possess: the power to think, to focus, to mold reality. When we know what we have, we can then use it to our advantage. When we have that, we can then dare to dream — and dream big! We can make big plans and pursue big goals. That’s when we do, because we have faith in out thoughts, our plans, and the actions that we will take.

To me, that’s one of the best lines ever written in the personal development genre. I use it on my emails (you do receive them, yes?) and even on my invoices. Commit it to memory. Reflect on it often. More importantly, out it to use by following what it dictates.

Later in the Letter of Transmittal, Haanel writes that

[T]he time and thought which most persons waste in aimless effort would accomplish wonders if properly directed with some special object in view.

That right there sums what Week Twelve is about. Are you the constant flitterer, jumping from one goal to another? Do you have one plan today then another the next? Do you approach life in a happy-go-lucky kind of way?

If you do, then let’s review points #1-9.

1. There is no purpose in life that cannot be best accomplished through a scientific understanding of the creative power of thought.

2. The power to think is common to all. Man is because he thinks. Man’s power to think is infinite, consequently his creative power is unlimited.

3. We know that thought is building for us the thing we think of and actually bringing it nearer, yet we find it difficult to banish fear, anxiety, or discouragement, all of which are powerful thought forces and which continually send the things we desire further away, so that it is often one step forward and two steps backward.

4. The only way to keep from going backward is to keep going forward. Eternal vigilance is the price of success. There are three steps, and each one is absolutely essential. You must first have the knowledge of your power; second, the courage to dare; third, the faith to do.

5. With this as a basis you can construct an ideal business, an ideal home, ideal friends, ideal environment. You are not restricted as to material or cost. Thought is omnipotent and has the power to draw on the Infinite bank of primary substance for all that it requires. Infinite resources are therefore at your command.

6. But your ideal must be sharp, clear-cut, definite; to have one ideal today, another tomorrow, and a third next week, means to scatter your forces and accomplish nothing; your result will be a meaningless and chaotic combination of wasted material.

7. Unfortunately this is the result which many are securing, and the cause is self evident. If a sculptor started out with a piece of marble and a chisel and changed his ideal every fifteen minutes, what result could he expect? And why should you expect any different result in moulding the greatest and most plastic of all substances—the only real substance?

8. The result of this indecision and negative thought is often found in the loss of material wealth. Supposed independence which required many years of toil and effort suddenly disappears. It is often found then that money and property are not independence at all. On the contrary, the only independence is found to be a practical working knowledge of the creative power of thought.

9. This practical working method cannot come to you until you learn that the only real power which you can have is the power to adjust yourself to Divine and unchangeable principles. You cannot change the Infinite, but you can come into an understanding of Natural laws. The reward of this understanding is a conscious realization of your ability to adjust your thought faculties with the Universal Thought which is Omnipresent. Your ability to cooperate with this Omnipotence will indicate the degree of success with which you meet.

What Haanel writes in these points describes one of the “keys” to success.

It was the “secret” to which Napoleon Hill referred in his incredible book Think & Grow Rich.

It was the main thing that The Master Key Workbook attempts to tackle. (And, I might add, why it is so popular.)

It is one of the main things I reinforce with all of my Master Key Coaching clients.

It’s the “secret to life” that Jack Palance imparted to Billy Crystal in the movie City Slickers.

(If you have trouble viewing this video, please click here.)

Did you watch the video? If you didn’t, here’s what was said.

While on horseback, Jack Palance turned to Billy Crystal and asked, “Do you know what the secret to life is?”

After Billy Crystal shakes his head, Mr. Palance raised his hand and showed one finger.

“This,” said Palance. “One thing. Just one thing.”

What he meant was that you have to find your “one thing,” the one thing that you want to do — your one main, over-riding goal.When you define that, when you make your choice and take a stand, things begin to fall into place and you will start to “activate” the two laws that Haanel describes.

The first law that Haanel mentions is the Law of Love.

18. The principle which gives the thought the dynamic power to correlate with its object, and therefore to master every adverse human experience, is the law of attraction, which is another name for love. This is an eternal and fundamental principle, inherent in all things, in every system of Philosophy, in every Religion, and in every Science. There is no getting away from the law of love. It is feeling that imparts vitality to thought. Feeling is desire, and desire is love. Thought impregnated with love becomes invincible.

This is the feeling we have when we have our goal. It’s our passion, perhaps even our enthusiasm. It’s “the creative force behind every manifestation.”

The second law is the Law of Attraction. You may have heard of it.

20. It is the operation of this marvelous law of attraction which has caused men in all ages and all times to believe that there must be some personal being who responded to their petitions and desires, and manipulated events in order to comply with their requirements.

How do the two work together?

21. It is the combination of Thought and Love which forms the irresistible force, called the law of attraction. All natural laws are irresistible. The law of Gravitation, or Electricity, or any other law operates with mathematical exactitude. There is no variation. It is only the channel of distribution which may be imperfect. If a bridge falls, we do not attribute the collapse to any variation of the law of gravitation. If a light fails us, we do not conclude that the laws governing electricity cannot be depended upon. Thus, if the law of attraction seems to be imperfectly demonstrated by an inexperienced or uninformed person, we are not to conclude that the greatest and most infallible law upon which the entire system of creation depends has been suspended. We should rather conclude that a little more understanding of the law is required, for the same reason that a correct solution of a difficult problem in Mathematics is not always readily and easily obtained.

22. Things are created in the mental or spiritual world before they appear in the outward act or event. By the simple process of governing our thought forces today, we help create the events which will come into our lives in the future, perhaps even tomorrow. Educated desire is the most potent means of bringing into action the law of attraction.

When you define your goal — when you declare your “definitiveness of purpose” — you bring these two laws into operation. As Haanel noted in prior weeks, things won’t drop from the sky nor materialize in your lap, but you will, as you make your plans and take action, encounter the people and find yourself in the circumstances you require to attain your goal.

We first need that goal — that “one thing” because as Haanel wrote in point #25

It is by concentration that deep thoughts, wise speech, and all forces of high potentiality are accomplished.

When you have your one goal, you can focus on it. You will realize the power of concentration and all the good it will bring you.

Business people are quite familiar with this because when they make a strategic plan, they will write a “mission statement,” a focused declaration of what the chief aim of the business is. This statement will guide the business and all the decisions made in the business.

It’s a powerful tool in a business — and it can also be a powerful tool in your life.

Write a personal mission statement. If you need help, use the exercises in The Master Key Workbook to help you. Do it. You’ll be glad that you did.

The exercise for this week is a deep one.

28. This week go to the same room, take the same chair, and the same position as heretofore. Be sure to relax. Let go, both mentally and physically; always do this; never try to do any mental work under pressure; see that there are no tense muscles or nerves, that you are entirely comfortable. Now realize your unity with omnipotence; get into touch with this power, come into a deep and vital understanding, appreciation, and realization of the fact that your ability to think is your ability to act upon the Universal Mind and bring it into manifestation. Realize that it will meet any and every requirement; that you have exactly the same potential ability which any individual ever did have or ever will have, because each is but an expression or manifestation of the One. All are parts of the whole. There is no difference in kind or quality—the only difference being one of degree.

You’re going to have a different view of this than someone else. Every person is going to do this exercise and see and feel something different. It’s a mental exercise the result of which will give you confidence and allow you to see the world in a new way.

During the call, I shared a few different perspectives I have as I do this exercise. A frequent caller also had an interesting view.

Listen to the call and then share your view by commenting here.

That’s all for this week. Join us next time as we explore Week Thirteen.

Until then, get for yourself the best of everything.

We did. A big part of that has to do with what Haanel wrote in Week Four.

12. Unless you do this, you had better not start at all, because modern Psychology tells us that when we start something and do not complete it, or make a resolution and do not keep it, we are forming the habit of failure—absolute, ignominious failure. If you do not intend to do a thing, do not start. If you do start, see it through even if the heavens fall; if you make up your mind to do something, do it; let nothing, no one interfere; the “I” in you has determined, the thing is settled; the die is cast, there is no longer any argument.

‘Nuff said.

On to Week Eleven — “Inductive Reasoning and the Objective Mind.”

At first glance, this seems like a strange week. The ideas seem “out there.” There is no real exercise as we’ve become accustomed to them at the end of he chapter. Haanel seems to go on tangents.

That being said, there is a lot going on here this week, the main thrust of which can be summed in a story I related in The Master Key Workbook.

When President Kennedy decided in 1960 that the United States would put a man on the moon in ten years, most of the technology to accomplish the task was not yet available. The decision to set the goal—the belief in its possibility and the belief that it could be achieved—produced the necessary scientific and technological breakthroughs to make it possible, and the resulting spin-offs of these new technologies altered our lives for the better.

Or as Haanel instructed us so perfunctorily yet eloquently -

We are first to believe that our desire has already been fulfilled. Its accomplishment will then follow.

One question that I get asked a lot, both through www.masterkeycoaching.com and from my private clients, is, What is this inductive reasoning?

In the first three points, Haanel defines inductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning is the process of the objective mind by which we compare a number of separate instances with one another until we see the common factor that gives rise to them all.

Induction proceeds by comparison of facts. It is this method of studying nature which has resulted in the discovery of a reign of law which has marked an epoch in human progress.

It is the dividing line between superstition and intelligence. It has eliminated the elements of uncertainty and caprice from men’s lives and substituted law, reason, and certitude.

We all do this naturally to one degree or another. It’s what we do as human beings with our intelligence, our consciousness, our gift of reason. We look at the things around us and as we “figure them out,” we draw conclusions to tie things together, to make observations that will serve us in future endeavours.

Let’s look at the examples Haanel used.

8. It is our privilege to become conscious of the principle and act in accordance with it. Cuvier sees a tooth belonging to an extinct race of animals. This tooth wants a body for the performance of its function and it defines the peculiar body it stands in need of with such precision that Cuvier is able to reconstruct the frame of this animal.

9. Perturbations are observed in the motions of Uranus. Leverrier needs another star at a certain place to keep the solar system in order and Neptune appears in the place and hour appointed.

When the naturalist Georges Cuvier would find a bone or a fossil, he would use his creative imagination to take the facts he has at his disposal to form an image of what the entire animal would look like. He doesn’t use fantasy or wild guesses, he relies on his knowledge of the subject — zoology — and the facts he has. He uses his reason. He thinks. He thus delivers to us a vision of the world heretofore unknown.

The same process and methods apply to Urbain Le Verrier. From Wikipedia,

Le Verrier’s most famous achievement is his prediction of the existence of the then unknown planet Neptune, using only mathematics and astronomical observations of the known planet Uranus. Encouraged by physicist Arago,[2] Director of the Paris Observatory, Le Verrier was intensely engaged for months in complex calculations to explain small but systematic discrepancies between Uranus’s observed orbit and the one predicted from the laws of gravity of Newton. At the same time, but unknown to Le Verrier, similar calculations were made by John Couch Adams in England. Le Verrier announced his final predicted position for Uranus’s unseen perturbing planet publicly to the French Academy on 31 August 1846, two days before Adams’s final solution, which turned out to be 12° off the mark, was privately mailed to the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Le Verrier transmitted his own prediction by 18 September letter to Johann Galle of the Berlin Observatory. The letter arrived five days later, and the planet was found with the Berlin Fraunhofer refractor that same evening, 23 September 1846, by Galle and Heinrich d’Arrest within 1° of the predicted location near the boundary between Capricorn and Aquarius.

See how that works?

Do you also see how you do that perhaps every day?

You see facts. You see things around you. You then make observations and predictions based on what you see. No matter how base your subject matter is, you do this! The goal is to now do this with a lofty goal in mind.

So, what’s the first step?

Let’s let Haanel provide us with that.

16. Here we find a method, the spirit of which is to believe that what is sought has been accomplished in order to accomplish it: a method bequeathed upon us by the same Plato who, outside of this sphere, could never find how the ideas became realities.

17. This conception is also elaborated by Swedenborg in his doctrine of correspondences; and a still greater teacher has said, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark XI, 24 R. V.) The difference of the tenses in this passage is remarkable.

18. We are first to believe that our desire has already been fulfilled, its accomplishment will then follow. This is a concise direction for making use of the creative power of thought by impressing on the Universal subjective mind the particular thing which we desire as an already existing fact.

19. We are thus thinking on the plane of the absolute and eliminating all consideration of conditions or limitation and are planting a seed which, if left undisturbed, will finally germinate into existing fact.

We must build our goal mentally. We must build our vision. Remember, not fantasy nor daydreams! We must build a goal that is more than self-serving. Whatever that goal is, though, we must thoroughly build it in our mind.

Once that is accomplished, we are then to believe — to have faith — that it is already fulfilled. Why is that important?

That belief will push us forward. It will give to us the impetus to make our plans and then execute them. That faith in the unknown will transform into faith in yourself — faith in your abilities, your reasoning, your knowledge.

What if you have nothing with which to start or you don’t yet have the knowledge to make what you’ve envisioned.

Well for that, let’s turn from Haanel for a moment and quote Bono and the band U2 in the song “Beautiful Day.”

What you don’t have you don’t need it now
What you don’t know you can feel it somehow

In other words, get started. As you progress towards your goal, as you have faith in its accomplishment, as you work and think, you will find the things, people, and events you require to make your vision possible. Now, it won’t happen overnight! It also won’t necessarily be an easy journey. With faith and persistence as your two best friends by your side, you will get to where you want to go.

Even if you fail to reach your goal, it’s still better than never pursuing it at all! As we said a couple of times on the call this week, “Shoot for the Moon … Even if you miss, you’ll find yourself amongst the stars.”

Let’s look at how Haanel leads to the end of this week.

29. By far the greatest discovery of all the centuries is the power of thought. The importance of this discovery has been a little slow in reaching the general consciousness, but it has arrived, and already in every field of research the importance of this greatest of all great discoveries is being demonstrated.

As we’ve been averring throughout all these teleseminars, this is one of the key points that one should obtain by reading The Master Key System and all of Haanel’s works. In the next point, Haanel will explain it further, but for now let me point out that this does not refer to just thinking about things and having them “manifest.” No, it is much greater and much grander than that!

30. You ask in what does the creative power of thought consist? It consists in creating ideas, and these in turn objectify themselves by appropriating, inventing, observing, discerning, discovering, analyzing, ruling, governing, combining, and applying matter and force. It can do this because it is an intelligent creative power.

Our creative power of thought guides us. It allows us to do the things necessary to bring our visions into reality. We think, we plan, then we do.

31. Thought reaches its loftiest activity when plunged into its own mysterious depth; when it breaks through the narrow compass of self and passes from truth to truth to the region of eternal light, where all which is, was, or ever will be, melt into one grand harmony.

When we take our thought from our “narrow compass of self” and allow it to flow in the world by thinking great thoughts and learning and using great ideas, we touch the infinite — we become more than what we are because we touch all that ever was and all that ever will be. As Isaac Newton wrote to Robert Hooke, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

32. From this process of self contemplation comes inspiration which is creative intelligence, and which is undeniably superior to every element, force, or law of nature, because it can understand, modify, govern, and apply them to its own ends and purposes and therefore possess them.

As we fill ourselves with great thoughts and new ideas, we will become inspired. Our creative intelligence — inspiration — will work with what we have and work with the objective world and allow us to master it.

33. Wisdom begins with the dawn of reason, and reason is but an understanding of the knowledge and principles whereby we may know the true meaning of things. Wisdom, then, is illuminated reason, and this wisdom leads to humility, for humility is a large part of Wisdom.

All of the things that are coming to us and that will come to us do so as we “know the true meaning of things.” Once again, not flights of fancy or day dreams, but true knowledge learned and applied. Then, as we experience and experiment, we gain wisdom, that “illuminated reason” that differentiates the winner form the loser, the great from the banal, the light from the dark.

As we discussed on this call, have a look at what Virgin Galactic is doing. With the vision of one man and the the know-how of another, commercial space flight is soon to be a reality. The stuff of science fiction is about to become the stuff of everyday life.

What grand goals do you have? What is it you want to accomplish?

Let this be your starting bell to get started.

Until next week, get for yourself the best of everything.

If you’ve been into self-help and personal development for a while — and perhaps even if this is your first foray — you probably know what affirmations are. Not only are they a staple of personal development, they are something that even the most casual person will do once in a while.

Whatever the case, let’s define what an affirmation is.

An affirmation is a form of self-talk in which you use your conscience mind to influence and change your subconscious mind. We can look at this as a way of “re-programming” ourselves by changing our negative or debilitating subconscious thoughts.

A classic example of an affirmation is the one Haanel provides for us.

I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, and happy.

The person who wrote this used it to overcome what could have been a most debilitating ailment.

22. But at last the victory came, and I have grown from a little, crooked, twisted, cripple, going about on my hands and knees, to a strong, straight, well formed male.

23. Now, I know you want the formula, and I will give it to you as briefly and quickly as I can.

24.  I built up an affirmation for myself, taking the qualities I most needed, and affirming for myself over and over again, “I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, and happy.” I kept up this affirmation, always the same, never varying, till I could wake up in the night and find myself repeating, “I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, lov- ing, harmonious, and happy.” It was the last thing on my lips at night and the first thing in the morning.

25. Not only did I affirm it for myself, but for others that I knew needed it. I want to emphasize this point. Whatever you desire for yourself, affirm it for others and it will help you both. We reap what we sow. If we send out thoughts of love and health, they return to us like bread cast upon the waters; but if we send out thoughts of fear, worry, jealousy, anger, hate, etc., we will reap the results in our own lives.

By repeating the affirmation in a mantra-like fashion, this man, Frederick Elias Andrews, overcame his sickness.

So, this begs the question, do affirmations work?

Depending on what you mean by “work,” I would say that yes they can. At the very least, they won’t hurt and they can help.

Let’s be clear, one will not have a million dollars appear from nowhere simply through the repetition to oneself of an affirmation. Affirmations are there to correct “bad habits” and unproductive — what I would call “anti-working” — thoughts. They can soothe and relax a person and if done properly, they can impregnate a person with enough spirit and force of will so that he can overcome sickness.

They are not magic spells, though. Let’s just be clear about that.

The best way to utilize affirmations is to use them when one is relaxed and when one is open to “suggestion.” When one begins “chanting” an affirmation from a point of fear in a reactionary manner, one runs the risk of reinforcing the bad habit or thought rather than vanquishing it. That’s why the very first exercises in The Master Key System were geared toward helping you top relax. This is very important!

When you’re using your affirmation, first relax, clear your mind, cast away your thoughts of fear. Then proceed to recite your affirmation to yourself.

You’ll notice I wrote when you’re using “your affirmation.” Yes, of course, you can devise your own. While the one Haanel provides for us is great and useful, we can make our own to correct the thoughts and habits that we have that we wish to change. In The Master Key Workbook I provided a good way to create your own affirmations.

A quick word or two about something I wrote in the Workbook: When writing about affirmations, I wrote about a study that was done of people who had written goals. Some refer to this as the “Harvard study,” others refer to it as the “Yale study.” Whichever the case, I discovered that this study never happened. It’s not true. A fellow named Sid Savara researched it and provided enough proof to me to show that it wasn’t true.

That being said, he provides proof of other research that does indeed show that setting goals and using affirmations works. Have a look at Mr. Savara’s web site and come to your own conclusion.

Got it? Good! Let’s move on to Week Ten …

The Letter of Transmittal to Week Ten is very interesting. Haanel wrote that

…the man who understands that there is no effect without an adequate cause thinks impersonally. He gets down to bedrock facts regardless of consequences. He is free to follow the trail of truth wherever it may lead.

We must be truthful. More to the point, as we embark on this journey of self-improvement, we must be truthful about ourselves. In The Master Key Workbook, I wrote

The great philosopher, Socrates, learned from the oracle at Delphi the motto, “Know thyself.” It means that instead of relying merely on outward appearances, one should know himself in order to know the true good.

MiMi Paris in her book, Size Matters!, says the same thing. She says that we continually lie to ourselves about things so as to remove the responsibility of our actions from our shoulders. Rather than look into the mirror and see the truth, we would rather lie and feel “good” about ourselves. Rather than see a deficiency as an opportunity for improvement, we use a deficiency as a crutch or an appeal to someone’s pity.

Apart from “knowing ourselves,” Haanel uses the curious word “impersonally” to describe the way we approach the quest. I often use the word “dispassionately” to describe this. A listener to these Teleseminars suggested the word “scientific.”

Whatever word you choose to use, the point is the same: we are to look at ourselves and the world around us in as rational a manner as possible, free of judgement and emotional reaction. We’re not to shy away from the things that we don’t necessarily want to see. If we truly wish to change things, then we must above all be truthful and acknowledge both the good and the bad; when we do that, we can better accentuate the good and change the bad.

In Point #2 of this Week, Haanel address something that 99% of the people who email me and speak with me ask about: wealth. Haanel wrote

All wealth is the offspring of power; possessions are of value only as they confer power; events are significant only as they affect power; all things represent certain forms and degrees of power.

This is interesting because it points to us the idea that power, wealth, and possessions are in many ways inter-related. Haanel makes this point because in Point #1 he wrote that “Abundance is a natural law of the Universe” and “that mind is the active principle whereby we are related to the things we desire.”

As we think of our goals, as we plan for our goals, as we work toward our goals, Haanel insists that “the law of growth begins to take effect and we find that conditions and environment are but the objective form of our thought.”

Quoting from the Bible, Haanel wrote in Point #11, “With an understanding of this law you may ‘decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee.’” (Job 22:28)

There are different translations of that verse and of course different interpretations about what it means. For some it will sound “Secret-ish” in the sense that we can “manifest” what we want. A more modern translation of the verse reveals, though, not quite that; it means that whatever it is that we decide on doing — whatever our goal is — we can do and it will be done.

I believe Haanel agrees more with the latter because in Point #23, he wrote

Knowledge will not apply itself. You must make the application. Abundance will not come to you out of the sky, neither will it drop into your lap, but a conscious realization of the law of attraction and the intention to bring it into operation for a certain, definite, and specific purpose and the will to carry out this purpose will bring about the materialization of your desire by a natural law of transference. If you are in business, it will increase and develop along regular channels. Possibly new or unusual channels of distribution will be opened and when the law becomes fully operative you will find that the things you seek are seeking you.

Powerful words! “Abundance will not come to you out of the sky, neither will it drop into your lap.” It’s what we’ve been saying all along in these Teleseminars. Make note of it!

I’ll leave you this week with a brief description of the Exercise for Week Ten and my one and only suggestion for mastering it.

24. This week select a blank space on the wall, or any other convenient spot, from where you usually sit. Mentally draw a black horizontal line about six inches long, try to see the line as plainly as though it were painted on the wall. Now mentally draw two vertical lines connecting with this horizontal line at either end. Now draw another horizontal line connecting with the two vertical lines. Now you have a square. Try to see the square perfectly. When you can do so, draw a circle within the square. Now place a point in the center of the circle. Now draw the point toward you about 10 inches. Now you have a cone on a square base. You will remember that your work was all in black. Change it to white, to red, to yellow.

This is a very tough exercise and has been a bugger for a lot of people according to the number of emails I receive about it.

Is there an easy way to master it?

Much like getting to Carnegie Hall, the only way to master this exercise is to practice, practice, practice. When you do master it — and you will! — you’ll be glad that you did. As Haanel wrote

25. If you can do this, you are making excellent progress and will soon be enabled to concentrate on any problem you may have in mind.

You’re building your mental muscles with this exercise. You’re mastering your own mind. You’re mastering the arts of focusing, concentrating, and truly thinking.

As we’ve discussed, when you master these skills, you will stand head and shoulders above the masses. The world becomes your oyster.

Do your best with this exercise.

Until next week, my friends, when we delve into Week Eleven … Get for yourself the best of everything.

I’m glad you asked because yes, there is. In order to encourage participation in the live call — which occurs every Monday evening beginning at 8:05 pm EST — I decided to delay uploading the audio of the call for one week. hence, the people who listen and participate live are rewarded and those who don’t … Well, I can’t say that they’re being punished, because they — or possible you — are not. I don’t want anyone to think or feel that way. I understand that many have busy schedules or live in different time zones. We all have to make commitments, though, and we all have to sometimes “do what we gotta do.” The live call is important not only because it provides the source for this podcast/recording, but because it allows people to interact and ask questions or make comments. As I’ve said quite a few times, that is the really fun part of the call and more often than not provides the greater food for thought.

Additionally, the time delay allows me time to write these summaries without the feeling of being rushed.

Make sense? I hope so. Please email me if you have any questions or comments.

Now, let’s get into this week’s call.

I often receive emails about what I say on the calls. Mostly good; sometimes not so good. Generally, it never fails that when I say something that I think is controversial and that I think I’ll receive massive emails about, the emails never come. On the other hand, when I say something that I think is innocuous, I become deluged with emails — some calling for my head on a platter! That’s what happened after last week’s call.

I made the comment about someone making toilets for a living and made the comment asking if anyone really thinks someone could be “passionate” about producing “porcelain potentates.” I thought it was funny and said that merely to show a point about how by merely following one’s passion, the money doesn’t always follow; sometimes we don’t necessarily follow our passions to earn money. It helps, sometimes; and if we can arrange so that our source of income is tightly tied with something we love doing, then we are very fortunate. It doesn’t always work that way, though. I posted a video at www.masterkeycoaching.com in which Mike Rowe, the “Dirty Jobs” guy, delivered a speech on just this topic. Have a look at it, if you will. It contains much food for thought.

That being said, the person who emailed me wrote asking how did I know that the person who manufactured toilets wasn’t passionate about them? Maybe they were! Just because I think it’s silly — or dirty or whatever — doesn’t mean everyone feels the same way.

Well, you know what? The person who emailed me is absolutely correct! I don’t know how that person thinks or feels. As I wrote, though, I was merely illustrating a point. All of our passions are different — and they are all focused on different things. While the person manufacturing toilets may not be passionate about toilets, he may be passionate about making money or building a business or … Any of a thousand possible reasons.

The greater point that I’d like to address here is that when you listen to me speak, I generally avoid any “jingo-ism.” I don’t spout Hallmark-ian one-liners and aver that that that is the way to live. Trite tropes have their place, but I want to impart something deeper to you. That why I carefully choose many of my words. (I try for all, but language … It sometimes gets in the way.) When you hear me speak, you hear me qualify statements I make with the words “sometimes” or “generally” or more often than not.” I do that purposefully because there are no one hundred percent methods and philosophies. Most that we study only increases the chance (possibilities) of becoming “successful.” It’s up to us to find the time and place in which something works for us. Sometimes we “turn the other cheek” while at other times we “fight back.” Sometimes it’s difficult to discern when to do what, but that’s where wisdom comes into play — and we only attain that as we move along, experience, and learn.

One thing that I have found to be true almost axiomatically is that success always comes from people doing what other people are either unwilling or unable to do — or both! We hit on that tangentially on our first few episodes here. I’ll be posting more about that at www.theaxioms.com. Stay tuned!

I hope this helps you to understand the conversation we had last week. If not, zap me an email or ask a question during one of the calls. That’s why I’m here.

Let’s get into Week Nine.

Week Nine is an interesting week because Haanel brings a lot of disparate thoughts and ideas together here. As we progress further into the book, we’ll see more and more how some things that seem not to belong actually do. We’ll also see how the exercises are coming to a “head.” You may have been getting that impression already. If so, then good; you’re ahead of the curve. If not, keep working with the process and the exercises. You’ll get it.

In the Letter of Transmittal, Haanel once again reminds us of the “formula” for getting what we want.

Action is the blossom of thought, and conditions are the result of action.

I don’t want to beat a dead horse — or even a living one! — but I’ve been saying that for just about every episode of these teleseminars. I keep repeating it because of all the “disinformation” being touted about “manifesting” and the “law of attraction.” Yes, everything we have and everything that is around us began with a thought — the process doesn’t stop there, though, with merely thinking. There is the planning and the action that is required to bring us “our own.” A person thinking about writing a book will never “manifest” a book until he takes the time and expends the effort in doing what needs to be done to write a book: the planning, the outlining, the rough draft, the editing, letting other people see and criticize it, re-drafting, re-writing, fixing errors, making passages more clear, hunting and citing sources … Get it?

Action is part of the process that Haanel espouses. Haanel’s writing in The Master Key System teach us how to think — properly, correctly, and with taking action in mind. As I said in our very first episode, when you realize this and really study this book with that in mind, you will become a very powerful and potent person.

Following from that, Haanel then implores us to go further.

To know the Truth is the underlying condition necessary in every business transaction or social relation.

This is a funny statement. Not funny as in “ha-ha,” but funny as in peculiar and something that causes many people much puzzlement.

I think that there are two ways to look at that statement. One is mostly of my own making; the other is more in line with the gist of Haanel’s background — that being Christian Science and the Unitarian philosophy.

My view is that the “Truth” to which Haanel is referring (and please note that “Truth” is spelled with a capital “T”) is the intrinsic meaning or value of something or what we’re doing. If we embark on something without the knowledge of what it is we’re really doing — or why we’re doing it — then we are more apt to make mistakes or overlook opportunities.

This quest for seeing the thing as it really is — for seeing the “soul” of something, for lack of a better word — is what all of the exercises in The Master Key System are building within us. Instead of seeing or being fooled by appearances or ornament, we are seeing the thing (or event or experience) as it really is. Look back to the exercise in Week Eight (the one with the battleship) to see it in action. We’re not just disassembling the ship, we are taking it back to its root cause — its core — its soul. As we do that with everything that we experience, we gain a greater understanding of what something is. It’s very powerful and holds the potential to open many doors for you.

I call the process of breaking something down to its core “distillation.” Exactly like taking water and converting it to steam to rid it of impurities, that is, in many respects, the same thing we are doing with the exercises that Haanel provided for us. We are “distilling” reality to see past the shibboleths of our mind and to see reality free of preconception, ornament, and impurities.

For example, many people are befuddled by business, but each and every business can be reduced to merely the buying and selling of a good or service. You have something people want and you sell it to them at a price that is greater than (hopefully!) than what it costs you to produce or provide it. Most of the things over and above that are just ornament: a clown as your mascot to help you sell hamburgers; the beautiful design of your computer that “just works”; the uniforms of the junk haulers.

Below the surface of what we see is the root of what is actually happening. It is an idea come to life. It is the flower sprouting petals and the bird spreading its wings.

As we’ll see later in the upcoming weeks, beyond (or underneath) that core are the things that add to our “power.”

For now, just look for the core — the intrinsic value or meaning of what it is.

The other view, the view that is possibly more in line with Haanel’s background, is that we are seeking “spiritual Truths.” Frankly, I think that what I described and what Haanel describes reach for the same goal: understanding. Haanel couches his view, though, in his idea that we are all working as part of the “Universal Mind” or “Consciousness.” I think that’s fine and when you listen to this episode, it’s up to you to choose which you think serves you better — or you can, of course, appreciate and use both. That’s what makes all these ideas so much fun.

For the exercise in Week Nine, Haanel instructs us to visualize a flower growing from seed.

This week visualize a plant. Take a flower, the one you most admire, and bring it from the unseen into the seen. Plant the tiny seed, water it, care for it, place it where it will get the direct rays of the morning sun. See the seed burst; it is now a living thing, something which is alive and beginning to search for the means of subsistence. See the roots penetrating the earth, watch them shoot out in all directions and remember that they are living cells dividing and subdividing and that they will soon number millions, that each cell is intelligent, that it knows what it wants and knows how to get it. See the stem shoot forward and upward, watch it burst through the surface of the earth, see it divide and form branches, see how perfect and symmetrical each branch is formed, see the leaves begin to form, and then the tiny stems, each one holding aloft a bud, and as you watch you see the bud begin to unfold and your favorite flower comes to view; and now if you will concentrate intently you will become conscious of a fragrance. It is the fragrance of the flower as the breeze gently sways the beautiful creation which you have visualized.

When you are enabled to make your vision clear and complete you will be enabled to enter into the spirit of a thing; it will become very real to you; you will be learning to concentrate and the process is the same, whether you are concentrating on health, a favorite flower, an ideal, a complicated business proposition, or any other problem of life.

This is an extension of what we did last week with the battleship. It’s an example of a “thought experiment” and something that when you master it will help you in many aspects of your life.

We had an interesting Question & Answer session this week with us once again delving into the idea of healing ourselves with our minds. I won’t write anything about it here so you can listen for yourself what ideas were discussed. I think you’ll enjoy it. If you agree or disagree, let me know.

Until next week, when we may revisit Week Nine for a few moments to hit a couple of ideas that I missed and perhaps venture into Week Ten.

I will “see” you next week. Please let me know if I can be of service to you. I wish you and yours the best of everything.

Before we get into the exercise, let’s review some of the point that Haanel put forth this week. We are now one-third of the way through the book and things are really beginning to “heat up.” Many of Haanel‘s points are coming together and by now you should have a clear idea of what Haanel is instructing.

I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but I think by now it should be obvious that the items I averred in the first episode of this Teleseminar series — focus, thinking correctly, solving problems, seeing things as they really are – to be the real points of The Master Key System rather than it being a manual or how-to primer on the Law of Attraction. Frankly, if you had any doubts about my views, what is contained in this week — both the points Haanel makes and the exercise — should put them to rest.

In Week Eight, Haanel continues to work with cultivating our imagination. In doing so, Haanel explained the difference between using one’s imagination and day dreaming. He wrote

Day dreaming is a form of mental dissipation, while imagination is a form of constructive thought that must precede every constructive action.

In building our mental images — visualization or using the “constructive imagination” — we are seeing the things we want: how we want our business to look, the end result toward which we are working, the solution to a problem, the effect we ultimately want.

Day dreaming entails none of that. It is entering a fantasy world that, for all practical purposes, cannot be. While sometimes the difference between the two are slight, they are differences based on the facts that one will eventually provide a blueprint for its attainment whilst the other will not.

That being said, I made a point during the call about day dreaming that I’d like to impart to you. To one degree or another, Haanel implied that day dreaming is bad: it’s wasteful, indulgent, and not a good thing to do.

I agree, but not totally. While working with some Master Key Coaching clients, I have found that a little daydreaming can be an effective way for a person to discover what it is they want to do as well as to put them in a “state” that encourages them to pursue a course of action (or stay on a course of action).

Regarding the latter, day dreaming, as we all well know, is relaxing and sometimes uplifting. Who doesn’t listen to a Rolling Stones‘ song and imagine themselves as Mick Jagger gyrating on the stage? (OK … Perhaps I’m the only one … ) Who doesn’t imagine themselves at times doing something ridiculously amazing — discovering the cure for cancer, being the ultimate titan of business, presenting a multi-million gift to the world — and receiving the adulations and praise that comes from it?

We all do at one time or another. It’s a human thing to do. It’s fun, relaxing, and at times it is energizing. It “pumps us up.”

It’s also dangerous. It is far too easy to get “trapped” in that fantasy world. Thus, instead of utilizing our constructive imagination — that “hard mental labor” to which Haanel often refers — we get seduced by the immediate gratification of our fantasy world. That is not a good thing. So we must note and know the difference and realize that day dreaming can be “addictive” to one degree or another and we must entertain those thoughts sparingly.

I’ve also used day dreaming to help Master Key Coaching clients discover their “passions” and help devise some courses of action they should follow. It works like this: When you day dream, in what fantasies do you often find yourself? Perhaps you can take those fantasies and with a little mental work, begin using your constructive imagination to bring perhaps an aspect of them into reality. You may not be a world-class singer or musician, but you can explore that path doing everything from local theater to management (working with the acts) to teaching. You might not become the titan of industry that you see yourself as in your day dream, but you can start a business — and it might even become a big one!

Use this method sparingly, though. If at all possible, use it only with the guidance of a Master Key Coach.

Now, why do we use the creative imagination? We’ve answered this in many ways before this, but Haanel wrote this week

The cultivation of the imagination leads to the development of the ideal out of which your future will emerge.

In other words, we’re seeing the end we want in order to make the plans to accomplish and attain it.

We do this because

The ideal held steadily in mind attracts the necessary conditions for its fulfillment.

As Haanel has written, our thoughts lead to actions that attract the people and circumstances that lead to the attainment of our goal — our vision.

We feed our constructive imagination with knowledge. We must be continually growing and learning. This is important because

Keen analytical observation leads to the development of imagination, insight, perception, and sagacity.

“Keen analytical observation” is looking at things logically, soundly, and with an eye to learning from them. That is what the exercise for this week is about. I am going to put here the exercise in full.

Last week you created a mental image—you brought it from the invisible into the visible. This week I want you to take an object and follow it back to its origination, see of what it really consists. If you do this you will develop imagination, insight, perception, and sagacity. These come not by the superficial observation of the multitude, but by a keen analytical observation which sees below the surface.

Take the same position as heretofore and visualize a Battleship. See the grim monster floating on the surface of the water; there appears to be no life anywhere about; all is silence; you know that by far the largest part of the vessel is under water; out of sight; you know that the ship is as large and as heavy as a twenty-story skyscraper; you know that there are hundreds of men ready to spring to their appointed task instantly; you know that every department is in charge of able, trained, skilled officials who have proven themselves competent to take charge of this marvelous piece of mechanism; you know that although it lies apparently oblivious to everything else, it has eyes which see everything for miles around, and nothing is permitted to escape its watchful vision; you know that while it appears quiet, submissive and innocent, it is prepared to hurl a steel projectile weighing thousands of pounds at an enemy many miles away; this and much more you can bring to mind with comparatively no effort whatever. But how did the battleship come to be where it is; how did it come into existence in the first place? All of this you want to know if you are a careful observer.

Follow the great steel plates through the foundries and see the thousands of men employed in their production. Go still further back and see the ore as it comes from the mine, see it loaded on barges or cars, see it melted and properly treated. Go back still further and see the architect and engineers who planned the vessel; let the thought carry you back still further in order to determine why they planned the vessel; you will see that you are now so far back that the vessel is something intangible, it no longer exists, it is now only a thought existing in the brain of the architect; but from where did the order come to plan the vessel? Probably from the Secretary of War; but probably this vessel was planned long before the war was thought of, and that Congress had to pass a bill appropriating the money; possibly there was opposition, and speeches for or against the bill. Whom do these Congressmen represent? They represent you and me, so that our line of thought begins with the Battleship and ends with ourselves, and we find in the last analysis that our own thought is responsible for this and many other things, of which we seldom think, and a little further reflection will develop the most important fact of all and that is, if someone had not discovered the law by which this tremendous mass of steel and iron could be made to float upon the water, instead of immediately going to the bottom, the battleship could not have come into existence at all.

This law is that, “the specific gravity of any substance is the weight of any volume of it, compared with an equal volume of water.” The discovery of this law revolutionized every kind of ocean travel, commerce, and warfare, and made the existence of the battleship possible.

You will find exercises of this kind invaluable. When the thought has been trained to look below the surface everything takes on a different appearance, the insignificant becomes significant, the uninteresting interesting; the things which we supposed to be of no importance are seen to be the only really vital things in existence.

Do you see what Haanel is doing here? Do you understand the significance? Do you see how powerful this exercise can be in your daily life? Do you see how it will open the doors of knowledge and understanding? Do you see how when done thoroughly and properly you will be able to see the world as it really is rather than seeing its shadow?

You can — and should! — use this exercise on everything that you see. Imagine the process by which your computer came into existence. How about your car? A book on your shelf? The pen you may be holding?

When you do this exercise, you are exploring the process of creation: from thought to form.

You can even do this on intangible things such as ideas and philosophies and mores.

This exercise is the reason why I often implore people to read more history books and biographies. One sees beyond the personas and rumors and sees the actual mechanisms and methods that brought the people, things, and events of history into existence.

When you listen to this week’s episode, you’ll have the opportunity to do an exercise I put forth in The Master Key Workbook that will help you to put to use this exercise immediately. Have your pen and paper ready!

You will gain knowledge from doing this exercise — real knowledge that you can put to work for you. Then, instead of walking through life relying on chance and happenstance, you’ll have “insight, perception, and sagacity.”

And those are powerful allies indeed.

Until next week, get for yourself the best of everything.

In reading this section, you’ll also notice that this is the section that served as the source material for many of the movies about the Law of Attraction that have been released over the past few years. As you listen to this episode, you’ll also see how they completely missed the point.

While I like to keep my monologues short, I couldn’t help but going a little over time. Even with all of that, we still had time for a most enlightening Question & Answer session.

In this section of The Master Key System, Haanel outlines the method we use for visualization. As I’ve stated countless times over the course of these calls, this is one of the main points that one should learn from reading and studying this book.

How does Haanel define visualization?

Visualization is the process of making mental images.

Simple.

There are three steps to making (and using) these mental images.

1. Idealization
This is where you picture in your mind exactly what you want. It must be complete and unwavering, like a blueprint, which is an example that Haanel uses a couple of times in this section. I use the example of a business plan, which is an idealized plan for how a business will use the money it is requesting and the outline for its growth.

2. Visualization
Here you will see your picture completely. As you use your creative imagination to create your image, these thoughts will lead to actions and those actions will lead to results.

3. Materialization
In this step, you get what you want. It may take time, depending on the size and scope of the goal to which you’re aspiring. With persistence, daring, and work, it will happen.

In point #4, Haanel wrote

Work is necessary — labor, hard mental labor, the kind of effort which so few are willing to put forth.

Is Haanel stating that work is necessary and that things will not magically manifest for us?

In a word, yes!

In point #7, Haanel expands on the process he delineated fills in the blanks (that the movies, infomercials, and books left empty).

Thought will lead to action, action will develop methods, methods will develop friends, and friends will bring about circumstances, and finally, the third step, or Materialization, will have been accomplished.

Not only is this the process of visualization and attainment of our goals, it is also how faith is developed.

As we build our ideals and think on them, as we build our mental pictures and take actions to gather the means to attain our goals, we will experience our faith growing stronger. As our mental pictures become clearer and as we build and process the means for actualizing them, we experience a swelling of seeing how things are possible because we begin to understand more and more about how the world — and the process — works.

This is faith growing. It continues to grow as we take action and experience victories and successes.

This brings us to what has become the biggest topic in personal development — and the most misunderstood. It’s a concept that has been bastardized in so many ways that it’s become a quasi-religious concept to some.

It is, of course, the Law of Attraction.

Haanel wrote that the Law of Attraction is brought into operation by a three-step process.

1. Earnest Desire
2. Confident Expectation
3. Firm Demand

Sound familiar? It should. You may have heard this stated as “Ask – Believe – Receive.”

Is that all there is, though? If we simply ask for something, believe that we’ll receive it, will we get it? Will we be like the young boy in the one infomercial who wants a bike and merely looks longingly at pictures of the bike he wants and receives the bike because it is bought for him by a creepy-looking guy? Do we have to do nothing and we’ll get what we want from some Universal genii?

Let’s see what Haanel wrote in point #27.

This does not mean that we are to sit down and do nothing; we will do more and better work than we have ever done before.

That’s a powerful statement! Review this section one more time. Re-read the points where Haanel says that “work is necessary.” Re-read where Haanel wrote that “thought will lead to action.” Finally, re-read point #27 in which Haanel states that “we will do more and better work than we have ever done before.”

We will take action, we will work hard, and we will work more.

That’s why if you even casually peruse the Forbes 400 and read the stories of the richest people in the world, you’ll quickly find that without exception the one thing they claim as the “secret” to their successes is hard work.

That brings us to a question that many people ask me: Why did (and still do) many of the books and movies and “gurus” continue to deny that action — “work … the kind of effort so few are willing to put forth” — is necessary?

Simply put, because it sells — and hard work doesn’t. I’ve been in the business of personal development for about ten years. One of the main things I’ve learned over the years is that this is, indeed, a business. Make no mistake about it. When it comes to business, people like to sell the things that, well, sell. What sells better than the concept of wealth without working?

The answer is not much.

So, that’s what gets peddled and that’s what people buy.

You’re not like that, though. That’s why you’re listening to these teleseminars. That’s why you made it this far — to Week Seven. Most people never make it this far. Most stop reading The Master Key System by Week Three. The vast majority of people never make it to the end. Even fewer than that truly acquire a deep understanding of it like the one you’re getting here.

Persist to the end, gain the understanding that only very few have, and you’ll experience success as few do.

That’s not only what I promise. It’s what I know.

That brings us to the exercise for this week: imagine a friend the last time you saw him or her. Imagine a conversation with your friend and in vivid and complete detail, imagine your friend’s reactions.

It’s a pretty straight-forward exercise.

In The Master Key Workbook, I wrote a method to help you in this exercise and in all the visualizing exercises in The Master Key System.

In order to visualize, you will be using mental muscles that you may have never used before this time, or the muscles may have been used incorrectly or only in a limited capacity. Some people find visualization easy, while others have some difficulty with it. In general, left-handed people tend to have an easier time visualizing. Why is that? It is because of the different parts of the brain that are being put to use on a daily basis.

Those who are left-handed use the right side of their brain more. The right side of the brain is the seat of creativity and mental pictures and feelings. Those who are right-handed use the left side of their brain more. The left side of the brain is the seat of logic and deduction and language.

To help you visualize your friend as you are asked to do in this Week’s exercise, write a description of him here, but use your opposite hand to write it. In other words, if you are right-handed (as most people are), then write with your left hand. If you are left-handed, then write the description with your right hand. This will serve to jump start the side of the brain that we do not exercise enough. It would be the ultimate goal to become ambidextrous, but that is not necessary. If you can, though, write with your opposite hand a couple of times per month so that you attain a decent level of competance at writing with that hand.

I learned this technique from a couple of art teachers that I had. It’s a powerful way for one to jump-start the side of the brain that they use less.

Try it. You just might like it — and get something good from it.

One question that we had during the Question & Answer session is something that I get asked a lot. It’s also something that gets bandied about the personal development field like an old toy.

Should we follow our passion as we choose what we are going to do?

It’s not an easy question to answer no matter how many “gurus” tell us that we have to follow our passions or that when we follow our passions the money will follow.

The latter is definitely not always the case and the former is nebulous at best.

Listen to our discussion on this. Let me know what you get from it. As I stated, choosing what we want to do is a more complex equation than merely following our passions. There are more things to consider.

Thank you for joining me on this week’s teleseminar. It is an honor and a pleasure to make them available to you.

Until next week when we discuss my favorite exercise in Haanel’s The Master Key System, please get for yourself the best of everything.

The power of concentration is the very highest personal accomplishment that can be acquired. It is the distinguishing characteristic of every successful man or woman.

We know this to be true from personal experience.

How do we refer to those people we know (or knew) in life who were what we would call “unsuccessful”? We often referred to them as “flighty” or “ditzy” because we were noting their inability to concentrate or clear their minds for even the shortest amount of tie. We noted how they flittered from one thing to the next in reckless ways.

Contrast that with how we often refer to those people we consider “successful.” We call them “single-minded.” We note how they are “focused” and “bright.” They know how to form a plan and stick to it. They know how to follow through.

In Master Key Arcana, Haanel wrote

Man has accomplished the seemingly impossible because he has refused to consider it impossible. By concentration, men have made the connection between the finite and the Infinite, the limited and the Unlimited, the visible and the Invisible, the personal and the Impersonal.

When faced with a tough problem, the successful don’t give up and flitter to the next thing. They stay on task. They concentrate on the solution to the problem at hand and stay with it until they find a solution. Sometimes, the solutions come easily; other times, it takes years or decades until any advance is made.

What else did Haanel write about this power of concentration?

21. So with the power of thought: Let power be dissipated by scattering the thought from one object to another, and no result is apparent; but focus this power through attention or concentration on any single purpose for any length of time and noth- ing becomes impossible.

22. A very simple remedy for a very complex situation, some will say. All right, try it, you who have had no experience in concentrating the thought on a definite purpose or object. Choose any single object and concentrate your attention on it for a definite purpose for even ten minutes. You cannot do it—the mind will wander a dozen times and it will be necessary to bring it back to the original purpose, and each time the effect will have been lost and at the end of the ten minutes nothing will have been gained, because you have not been able to hold your thought steadily to the purpose.

If you take a magnifying glass and focus the rays of the sun, then you can start a fire. When the sunlight is scattered, nothing will happen. Focus those rays and watch out! The same goes for the mind. If you allow power to be dissipated by jumping from one thought to the next, no result will be apparent; but if you focus and concentrate on a single purpose for a length of time, then nothing is impossible.

The exercises in The Master Key System are helping us to become thinking and focusing dynamos! Keep in mind, though,  that these are just exercises and not the real thing. They are essential to do and master, though! While in and of themselves they do have practical merit (such as the exercise we are about to study here), the real use will come when we begin to solve our own problems.

Look at it this way: these exercises are akin to the exercises one does when studying a musical instrument. You’ll learn scales, finger exercises, and such, but merely by mastering them does not mean you are playing music! They will prepare you to do so.

In Week Six, the exercise is

In order to cultivate the power of attention, bring a photograph with you to the same seat in the same room in the same position as heretofore. Examine it closely at least ten minutes: Note the expression of the eyes, the form of the features, the clothing, the way the hair is arranged—in fact, note every detail shown on the photograph carefully. Now cover it and close your eyes and try to see it mentally. If you can see every detail perfectly and can form a good mental image of the photograph, you are to be congratulated; if not repeat the process until you can.

This step is simply for the purpose of preparing the soil; next week we shall be ready to sow the seed.

It is by such exercises as these that you will finally be able to control your mental moods, your attitude, your consciousness.

That’s pretty straight forward. In any event, in The Master Key Workbook, I gave a few tips to help you as you practice — and perfect — this task.

This exercise is key to strengthening our powers of concentration and also recollection. As we improve this, we enable ourselves to become more receptive to the thoughts and ideas that bombard us each and every day.

Why is it, though, that a youth has no problem memorizing the lyrics to his or her favourite song, yet they can remember a poem or historical passage only with great difficulty?

The answer lies with what we have learned earlier: relaxation. When the youth is listening to music that he enjoys, his body and mind are relaxed, thus making him receptive to the input he receives. When he is asked to memorize a poem or something of similar nature, his tension rises, making his mind hard to penetrate and then only with great effort.

We should have learned by now to relax the body and mind and to let things flow from the Universal. Thus, when doing this exercise, relax.

Get it? Good.

Once again, the Question & Answers session was exceptional. I am not going to explicate much of it here as I would rather you listen to it. The question posed was

Can we heal or cure ourselves of all diseases with the power of our mind?

I’ll say two things here and then let you listen to my entire answer in full.

First, no, I don’t think that we can. Although we can influence certain aspects because of our mental and attitudinal disposition, the idea of curing oneself of life-threatening diseases is quite far-fetched.

Second, since the call, some have emailed me about my response not only to say that I was wrong, but that what I said was diametrically opposed to what Haanel wrote and taught.

I won’t disagree too much with the latter point. Haanel‘s teachings are steeped in Christian Science (Mary Baker Eddy and others). To that extent, yes, I am going against what Haanel wrote and, perhaps, believed.

On the other hand, if you’ve been listening to these Teleseminars and reading what I’ve been writing, then you’ll notice that my view is exactly what Haanel explored and taught. When one has a problem, one defines the problem and then looks for a solution to said problem. In this case, if one is very ill, then one finds the people who can best overcome his illness using methods that have been proven (to one degree or another) to help.

Much like the idea of “manifestation,” the idea of healing ourselves solely with the powers of the mind is reckless.

Listen to what we’ve been discussing on these calls. Keep in mind how things have been presented. Read what Haanel wrote. Look at it from different perspectives.

If you observed a bird and thought to yourself that you wished you could fly, would you flap your arms as fast you could whilst thinking positively? Or would you look at the problem (the goal) like the Wright brothers did and build a plane?

In all my years publishing the works of Haanel and coaching people in this philosophy, far too many face life with the former in mind. They reject the work of the doctors, researchers, scientists, and many others who have cured diseases, developed methods for treatment, and did many other things that have increased the average life span to double what it once was while making many diseases that were once death warrants obsolete.

That, I think, is foolish. That, I think, is what goes against what Haanel wrote more than anything.

Think about it before you blast me with an email.

Listen to this episode through to the end. I think you’ll get a lot from it. Even if you disagree, you’ll learn another perspective — another point of view — and that never hurt anybody.

Until next week, be well and get for yourself the best of everything.

We completed Week Five of Charles F. Haanel‘s The Master Key System this week after beginning it last week. There was quite a bit to cover, but it was well worth it. You see, in this Week, Haanel in just one sentence summarized the entire philosophy and how it should — and will! — work.

Yes, there is a lot in this section of the book, but by listening to this episode and carefully reading (and re-reading, if needed) this Week, you’ll come to a very clear understanding of how you’re “made” and how things — such as “life, the universe, and everything” — work.

When all is said and done, Week Five and Haanel’s entire philosophy can be summarized by point 28.

28. All possession is the result of the accumulative attitude of mind, or the money consciousness; this is the magic wand which will enable you to receive the idea and it will formulate plans for you to execute, and you will find as much pleasure in the execution as in the satisfaction of attainment and achievement.

Read that. Learn it. Understand it. That single sentence is the reason why this wonderful book is not, as far too many people say, about the “Law of Attraction” and “manifesting.” This sentence makes clear that this book is about what we’ve been discussing from Day One of these teleseminars: brain change and learning to think correctly.

The “money consciousness” to which Haanel refers is the way we look at the world. You can substitute here just about anything depending on your goal. If you’re main goal deals with health, then you’d want to cultivate your “health consciousness”; if love, then you’d want to work on your “relationship consciousness.” You get the idea.

This consciousness refers to a mental shift that you’ll undergo, just as we’ve been discussing. You’ll “see” things differently. After that, you’ll approach things differently. And, if you continue, you’ll achieve different — better — results.

In this sentence, Haanel also described the process thought which these changes will happen. Is it the “Ask-Believe-Recieve” line we’ve all been sold? No, it is not; rather, it is that we will get new ideas, we will formulate plans, we will take action, we will work hard, and eventually we will attain our goals.

It’s powerful stuff — and it all begins with thinking. Thinking properly and clearly.

Th exercise for Week Five is where things begin to get very interesting. In the first four weeks of The Master Key System, the exercises have been quite unexciting, to put it mildly. Yes, we’ve cleared the air about them in the past teleseminars and I think we’ve come to terms with their usefulness. This week though is when we begin our journey into visualizing and training our brains to think clearly.

Now, go to your room, take the same seat, the same position as heretofore, and mentally select a place which has pleasant associations. Make a complete mental picture of it—see the buildings, the grounds, the trees, friends, associations, everything complete. At first, you will find yourself thinking of everything under the sun, except the ideal upon which you desire to concentrate. But do not let that discourage you. Persistence will win, but persistence requires that you practice these exercises every day without fail.

This exercise is pretty straight forward and easy to do. There is no guesswork to it like a couple of the previous weeks. It is mighty important, though.

Here are a couple of points about it that I’ve had to make clear with some Master Key Coaching clients.

The first is that the place you select to envision should be a place with which you are familiar. Now, it does not have to be, but selecting a real place makes it easier. With a known place, you have a point of reference for your visualizations. You can, if you like, also visit that place or look at pictures of it to make sure that you are imagining all of the details. You want to make your imaginings as vivid and as real as you can. You want to feel yourself there.

The other point is that it is important to perfect this as much as possible. As Haanel wrote, don’t let the times you fail discourage you. Keep at it and you will get it.

There. That’s easy, isn’t it?

During the Question & Answer session, a frequent participant in the Teleseminars, “John in Orlando,” asked an excellent question regarding what is commonly referred to as the “attitude of gratitude.” He asked if it was important to have this and if it helped to foster a positive state of mind.

In the past, I’ve called the “attitude of gratitude,” at least the way it has often been taught, kind of silly. In some ways it is. What I mean by that is that there are a couple of things that made it somewhat unpalatable for me.

On the one hand, a lot of people have been lead to believe that simply by being continually thankful for everything in their life it will somehow “attract” to them the life that they truly want. As you know, I don’t see that happening — and, more poignantly, I’ve never seen it happen. The idea of gratitude has been packaged and bundled as a “magic bullet” cure, which it isn’t.

So, that has left a bad taste in my mouth.

On the other hand, because of that first point, people have a tendency to be so fake about having that “gratitude attitude.” Yes, sometimes faking it until it becomes real does happen, but not all that often. More than likely, people put on the false smiles and offer their “gratitude” in a plastic and smarmy way. While I do believe that generally it is “better to say thank you and not mean it than to mean it and not say it” (I got that from a placemat in an Amish restaurant), some people are so over-the-top with it that it becomes saccharin.

Like many things in life, though, I see it a little bit differently now. When used properly, we can all benefit from looking at the things in our lives and being grateful for them, especially when placed in perspective.

On the call, I spoke about how many people literally give themselves some sort of psychic damage because of the things they experience in life — things that when put into perspective make their discomfort seem silly. For example, you have people who become depressed (in the literal definition of the word) because they didn’t receive a promotion or they don’t have a new car like their neighbor.

Think about that. Then look at it this way: In some parts of the world, people are living in hell, for lack of a better word. We live in a world where we have access to food twenty-four-seven. We have houses that are heated and air conditioned. We have television, computers, cars, clothes … Things that a mere fifty years ago were meant only for the elites of society.

Not only that, but we live in a society in which we have seemingly unlimited opportunities.

And here we are, getting bent out of shape because of what are actually ridiculous things.

That’s where that notion of feeling gratitude comes into play. That’s where it can be used effectively. By looking at the things that we have or, at the very least, the things to which we have access, we can assuage a lot of that mental anguish that is caused by those shibboleths in our mind.

This attitude of gratitude does serve the purpose of putting things into perspective — and sometimes that’s all we need.

Play with it. I don’t think it’s necessary to wander around being thankful for every single thing in your life. Quite frankly, there are instances where it’s OK to get angry. In general, though, when we feel ourselves down about the things we don’t have or the things we haven’t accomplished, by looking at the things and people we do have and feeling a certain amount of gratitude for them, we’ll find ourselves on stronger ground and in a better state of mind.

Thank you for joining me this week. I look forward to the next time. Until then, I wish you and yours all the best!

Have fun … Tony.

Before we get into Haanel‘s Letter of Transmittal for Week Five, please take note that these teleseminars are available on iTunes. If you click that link, you’ll be able to add them to your podcasts and they’ll update automatically every week. Also, if you can do me a solid, please leave a review (hopefully a good one!) and give it as many stars as you think it deserves. Thank you in advance. I appreciate it.

Now, Haanel‘s Week Five Letter of Transmittal.

Enclosed herewith you will find Week Five. After studying this part carefully, you will see that every conceivable force or object or fact is the result of mind in action.

Mind in action is thought, and thought is creative. Men are thinking now as they never thought before. Therefore, this is a creative age, and the world is awarding its richest prizes to the thinkers.

Matter is powerless, passive, inert. Mind is force, energy, power. Mind shapes and controls matter. Every form which matter takes is but the expression of some preexisting thought.

But thought works no magic transformations; it obeys natural laws; it sets in motion natural forces; it releases natural energies; it manifests in your conduct and actions, and these in turn react upon your friends and acquaintances, and eventually upon the whole of your environment.

You can originate thought and, since thoughts are creative, you can create for yourself the things you desire.

If you’re like me — and because you’re listening to and participating in these Master Key Coaching Teleseminars you probably are! — then the first thing that strikes you is in the first paragraph: “the world is awarding its richest prizes to the thinkers.”

One needs to only scan the financial news for a few seconds to realize that that is true. The people who think — the people who solve problems or entertain or inform — in a creative fashion are the ones who reap the greatest rewards. In an article that I wrote, I quoted an advertisement that Apple made: “Here’s to the crazy ones.” That jibes perfectly with what we see here. Because you see things differently, you may be considered a little bit crazy — for a little while. As time passes and you are proved correct, then what was once crazy will be the norm — commonplace.

If someone told you a few years ago you would be connecting with “friends” on a web site called Facebook, would you have believed them or would you have thought them nuts?

How about “micro-blogging” on a tool called “Twitter“?

People created those things for various and sundry reasons at the base of which was their desire to solve a problem.

That’s what we’re learning here and by reading The Master Key System: to see the world in that slightly different way so that we see solutions to the problems that are around us.

Problems … That brought me to another topic, which was something about which I heard. As I was surfing the World Wide Web, I saw mention of something called a “complaint free week.” While this sounds all nice and dandy on the surface, when one looks closer, especially in light of what we’re discussing here, the realization will strike that this is pretty dumb.

You see, when we complain, that shows that there exists a problem. When a problem exists, that is an area in which we can provide a solution! These solutions are what make life better — and what can make for a person the “richest prizes.”

While I agree that complaining for complaining’s sake is stupid (not to mention annoying to those around one, a waste of time, and a waste of energy), complaining in and of itself isn’t that horrible a thing that we should cease doing it altogether. We should make note of our complaints and find solutions to those complaints.

In the course of my monologue, I mentioned the book The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol. Please take the time and get the audio book using the banner here. It’s a book that should be in everyone’s personal development library. It even made #10 on my list of the “Only Ten Books You Need to Read to Succeed.”



Let’s get on with Haanel’s “LoT” for Week Five.

Haanel wrote that matter is

Matter is powerless, passive, inert. Mind is force, energy, power. Mind shapes and controls matter. Every form which matter takes is but the expression of some preexisting thought.

The things around us — the things we see and touch and feel — are nothing until our minds takes them and plays with them and creates a use for them. The iron in the ground was but wasting there until it was discovered by Man and his mind learned — through the use of his creative imagination and experimentation — to smelt it and make use of it.

Computers were of very little use to us until many intrepid programmers came along the way and created programs the we could find useful to us. They took “inert” potential and converted it into powerful “kinetic” for all of us to use to our advantage, whether that advantage be for work or for play.

In a sense, the mind of the thinker takes nothing and makes of it something.

Thusly, we can make by use of our thoughts and the things around us what we desire. As Haanel wrote, though, “thought works no magic transformation.”

This small snippet — and what follows — flies in the face of how much of this philosophy is presented today and shows how much it has been bastardized. Does Haanel write that if we think it then it will “manifest” for us, seemingly out of the void, produced merely by the power of our thoughts?

No. He writes that “it manifests in your conduct and actions, and these in turn react upon your friends and acquaintances, and eventually upon the whole of your environment.” In other words, thought(s) lead(s) to actions that lead to the results we see and receive.

Thought is but a foreshadowing of the things to come. That is why it is important we take care of what we think. Our thoughts guide our actions and, in a way, configure us to what we will see, how we will act, what we will be.

That is why thinking — and thinking properly — is hard and difficult work.

That is why we look for the solution to our problems rather than centering on the problems themselves.

As you better yourself with this mode of thinking — as you master it! — “you can create for yourself the things you desire.”

See you next week! I wish you and yours the best of everything!

That being said, this chapter and what Haanel wrote is the most often confused and bastardized of the book — all because of one phrase. That phrase is

“We get what we give.”

Haanel wrote that in relation to what he termed “the secret of Power.” (The capitalization of the word “Power” is Haanel‘s in the original.) What is this secret to Power? According to Haanel it is “service.”

That means that in order to increase our power — our ability to influence the world around us — we must be of service. To be of service, we must first give and in return we will receive.

In The Master Key Workbook, I wrote:

In order to be able to do things, we must have power. Being spiritual or attaining mastery does not mean to go without things or to become self- denying, as an ascetic. How can one help others if one is not sufficiently powerful? Only a person with wealth can donate to a charity; only a person with strength can defend the little man; only a person with knowledge can give advice to the unexperienced.

The way we get this power is to be of service. The more we give, the more we get. For example, suppose two people invested in a stock and the stock over time doubled in value. The first person invested $1,000, thus he increased his wealth to $2,000, a profit of $1,000. The second person invested $10,000. His wealth increased to $20,000 and he profited $10,000!

The same holds true for all aspects of life: relationships, learning, work, and play. If one wishes to learn mathematics, the person who does more exercises or practice problems (gives more) will be the one who learns more. The person who invests more of himself at work will be the person who is promoted more often. A musician cannot play at Carnegie Hall unless he “practices, practices, practices” (gives, gives, gives).

The only time this will fail is if we pursue selfish ends that hurt others or bring deficits to others. It is not wrong to profit, but it is wrong to profit unjustly by cheating or deceiving others. When you allow the Universal to work through you, then you will be able to attain all that you desire; when you are busy with your own selfish plans and schemes, you will fail.

Do you see how that works? Our “giving” is an investment of sorts. A person who attends school until he earns a doctorate has “given” more (more time, energy, work) than another who merely graduates from high school. Thus, the person who earned the doctorate will more than likely earn more and be of more value (in an economic sense) than the person who does not pursue a college or advanced degree.

Unfortunately, many people (“gurus” and “teachers”) have taken this concept that makes sense and turned it into something it is not. Instead of giving in the sense as it is explained here, they use it to mean that one should give in the charitable sense. “Give and grow rich!” they exclaim. And give some people do, expecting that they will be rewarded for giving by the “Universe” or whatever. Are they?

Generally, no.

If you give away what you have in a frivolous fashion, then chances are likely that you will be left with nothing.

No, when Haanel wrote that we “get what we give,” he meant in the investing in ourselves, in our business, in our profession, in the pursuit of bettering ourselves sense. Re-read Week Four with this view in mind and you’ll see it practically jump out the page to you.

This concept should not be foreign to anyone, especially those who read my articles at www.MasterKeyCoaching.com. This concept also dovetails with my second Axiom of Success, which states that

Successful people do the things other people are either unwilling or unable to do — or both.

How many people are willing (or able) to study for twelve years in school, work a low-paying residency, suffer with the burden of bureaucracy, deal with insurance companies, unruly patients, an unkind media, and more all to become a doctor?

That’s why doctors are generally well-paid. That’s why they obtain Power.

Will you study what interests you so much that you will become a master of it? Will you do the things that other people are unwilling or unable to do? Will you work longer and harder? Will you take the risk of averring your perhaps unpopular views, opinions, and findings? Will you do what it takes to learn everything there is to know about your field?

Or will you just wish upon a star and await the “Universe” to “manifest” your desires?

One path will earn you Power and the attainment of your dreams and goals. The other … Not so much.

I leave you this week with something I wrote in The Master Key Workbook.

Thought is the secret to all attainment. This is because when we think, we set into motion the law of vibration, which carries our thoughts so that they can become reality. The law of love, which works through the emotions, gives these thoughts vitality.

Your level of belief will influence how quickly your dreams become reality. Look at it this way: When you believe that something is easily attainable, then you step quickly to attain that desire. On the other hand, when you believe that what you want is “out of your reach” or a “pipe dream”, then you stall and stutter on your way, which either drastically slows your journey or impedes it completely.

We set our thoughts into motion by seeking the Silence. It is in the Silence that we can be still, and when we are still, we can think, and thought is the secret to all attainment.

As we think something more and more and see it clearer and clearer, it finally becomes automatic in our mind. We really know what we think. It moves from being a mere thought to a fact. “We are sure; we know.”

Please join us next week for another episode of the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars. I wish you and yours the best of everything!

Many people believe that the goal for one should be to eliminate all fear. I believe this to be incorrect. Not only do I view it as something impossible to do, but I think it to be, for the most part, undesirable.

In The Master Key System, Haanel repeatedly wrote about fear. In Week Three we find

14. Nonresistant thought expands the Solar Plexus; resistant thought contracts it. Pleasant thought expands it; unpleasant thought contracts it. Thoughts of cour- age, power, confidence, and hope all produce a corresponding state, but the one arch enemy of the Solar Plexus which must be absolutely destroyed before there is any possibility of letting any light shine is fear. This enemy must be completely destroyed; he must be eliminated; he must be expelled forever; he is the cloud which hides the sun which causes a perpetual gloom.

15. It is this personal devil which makes men fear the past, the present, and the future; fear themselves, their friends, and their enemies; fear everything and everybody. When fear is effectually and completely destroyed, your light will shine, the clouds will disperse, and you will have found the source of power, energy, and life.

It is my contention that there are two types of fear: irrational and rational. (This differentiation also applies to all of the emotions that we feel from happiness to sadness, confidence to doubt.)

Irrational fear is the kind of fear about which Haanel writes. It is the deep-seated, unthinking, non-reflective fear that takes hold of us, that tries to dissuade us from our goals and plans, that paralyzes us. In the extreme form they are often referred to as phobias. In the forms in which we are most familiar, they manifest as nagging, unconscious doubts that keep us in a place of inaction.

These are the fears that Haanel implores us to “destroy.”

More often than not, these fears can be assuaged just by doing the activity or facing the thing that we fear. Sometimes, other methods are necessary, especially in the case if the fear has developed into a phobia.

Rational fears are those fears that we face every day and they are, in most cases, perfectly fine and normal. Sometimes they are an alert or warning mechanism, as in when we sense that something isn’t right, either with a person or a place. Other times they are useful if we are making plans for something: the fear of things going awry will impel us to check and double-check, to rehearse, to practice, to pay attention.

As we used to say when I was in Toastmasters before giving a speech, the goal isn’t to get rid of the butterflies in one’s stomach, it is to make them fly in formation!

There is a very good reason why I make this important differentiation regarding fear. I have found with myself and with my Master Key Coaching clients that far too often, we use not only the fear, but the quest to eliminate all fear as a crutch, which stalls us from taking the action necessary to attain our goals. They want to wait until they are comfortable before they begin taking action, not knowing that chances are very likely that they will only feel comfortable once they get into play.

Stop questing for “perfection.” It’s not there. As you do, as you face your fears, as you plow through them, then and only then will you conquer them.

We all worry. We all doubt. We all harbor fears. Sometimes they help us. They should never stop us, though — either by themselves or by us wasting our time trying to eliminate them completely.

Until next week, I wish you all the best!

In the “Letter of Transmittal” for Week Three, Haanel wrote that “there can be no failure in the accomplishment of any proper object in life if you but understand your power and persist in your object, because the mind forces are ever ready to lend themselves to a purposeful will in the effort to crystallize thought and desire into actions, events, and conditions.”

Our thoughts on the solution to a problem will lead to actions, to events, and to conditions in which we can solve the problem. And, as we’ve discussed in the previous teleseminars, a problem is nothing more than a goal.

As we practice this, we will see life differently — in a new way. Whereas once we focused on the problem, we will now focus on the solution, merely referencing the problem in order to make necessary adjustments to our plans or to see if we actually solved the problem.

This course of thought and action will become second nature to us. As Haanel wrote,

Whereas in the beginning each function of life and each action is the result of conscious thought, the habitual actions become automatic and the thought that controls them passes into the realm of the subconscious; yet it is just as intelligent as before. It is necessary that it become automatic, or subconscious, in order that the subconscious mind may attend to other things. The new actions will, however, in their turn, become habitual, then automatic, then subconscious in order that the mind again may be freed from this detail and advanced to still other activities.

For now, it will take our full conscious attention. Once we master this way of thinking, it will become automatic, or subconscious.

It takes time, though, not to mention practice.

The exercise in Week Three will assist us in mastering this. This is a great exercise and can be done where ever and whenever one has the time and opportunity. Sitting in a waiting room? Have at it! During a lunch break? You bet! Have a lull in your work day? Spend a few moments doing this exercise.

For your exercise this week, I will ask you to go one step further. I want you to not only be perfectly still and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but relax. Let go. Let the muscles take their normal condition; this will remove all pressure from the nerves and eliminate that tension which so frequently produces physical exhaustion.

What Haanel is asking you to do is take the exercise from Week Two one step further and add to it the element of relaxing — letting go.

You’ll find this practice invaluable to you not only from a Master Key System perspective, but in the application to just about any endeavor you are about to undertake. I use it when I sit to write and I find myself with a case of “writer’s block.” You can use it before you give a speech, work out, make a sales call, or any of a million things that we undertake on a daily basis.

This is an exercise that will get us in what many call “the zone.”

This exercise will help to let what’s in you “flow” in a natural and easy way.

Please enjoy listening to this week’s episode. We had an excellent question during the Question & Answer session that dealt with fear, embarking on a new endeavor, and how to deal with the sundry feelings we all have. I think that the answer I gave will help you in many different situations.

Should you have any questions about this week’s Master Key Coaching Teleseminar, please contact me at tony@masterkeycoaching.com.

Before I began my monologue, I mentioned that I was interviewed by Deborah Hill on her Internet radio show. You can find the interview at www.blogtalkradio.com/intuitivecoach. It was a fun and interesting interview. I hope that you enjoy it as well.

At this early stage in our exploration of The Master Key System, we can already see how things are being tied together. It is about thinking — thinking properly!

From Haanel‘s Letter of Transmittal for Week Two we find

The keener the sensibilities, the more acute the judgment, the more delicate the taste, the more refined the moral feelings, the more subtle the intelligence, the loftier the aspiration—the purer and more intense are the gratifications which existence yields. Hence, it is that the study of the best that has been thought in the world gives supreme pleasure.

Thinking is not merely visualizing. It is not taking what someone else says as gospel. It is not merely “allowing” things to happen.

Thinking — true, vigorous thinking — is that “missing link” between visualizing what we want and actually receiving it. It is the making of plans, it is the compilation of data, it is the learning of knowledge. As we study, as we grow, as we experience, we have a greater pool from which to form and collect ideas.

In the words of Haanel, this is the “hard work.”

It is also the reason those who cultivate the ability to think make the “big bucks.”

A doctor will study for ten plus years, do low-paying residencies, and accumulate mountains of school debt. When all is said and done, though, he will be able to veritably write his own pay check.

The same holds true for anyone who accumulates rarified knowledge or cultivates a unique talent in a field: lawyers, engineers, scientists, athletes, investors, writers. Need I continue?

Think of the people to whom you pay money on a regular basis. In general, you will find that they are the people who perform a task or have a skill that you need. It is a task or skill in which the person became educated.

In other words, the person truly learned how to think.

They then saw a problem and created a solution for it.

You can do this, too.

Please enjoy this episode of the Master Key Coaching Teleseminars. Pay special attention to the Question & Answer session. The questions were great.

How do we train the subconscious mind to overcome fear?

How do we use our feelings to help us make decisions?

Why didn’t Haanel mention the usefulness or importance of dreams and dreaming in Week Two?

Is one’s ego the same as his conscious mind?

Until next week, I wish you all the best!

The third Master Key Coaching Teleseminar: The World Within and the World Without.

Tony’s Monologue

In the first Week of The Master Key System, Haanel describes what he calls the “world within” and the “world without.” What did Haanel mean by these terms?

Of course, we don’t have Haanel here as a reference. We can take the message of the book as a whole as clues to what he meant exactly, though.

The world within is one’s mind. It’s one’s thoughts. It’s one’s feelings. As Haanel wrote, it’s forces are mighty — mightier than we think.

The world without, on the other hand, Haanel described as a “reflection of the world within.”

I would make a slight change to that. I would say that the world without is or can be jaded or slanted or skewed by the world within.

The difference is small, but it is significant as we progress in our studies of this philosophy.

The world within can — and often does — alter the world without. Actually, it happens all the time. It’s part of the interplay that happens betwixt the two. It’s what I like to call the “Dance.”

There are many examples of the Dance all about us. Sociologists have been investigating it for quite some time, an example being Phillip Zimbardo‘s Stanford Prison Experiment.

Investor George Soros used Karl Popper‘s theory of “Reflexivity” to make more than a billion dollars trading currency. Popper’s reflexivity is an example of the Dance — the world within influencing the world without and vice versa.

The influence of the world without and the world within (and vice versa) is possible because, as Haanel wrote, we “live in a fathomless sea of plastic mind substance.”

I want to state here that this “plastic mind substance” is not and is not anything related to quantum theory, subatomic particles, or man’s mental influence on said particles as has been portrayed in various movies and books. Personal Development (the attainment of goals within our society) and quantum physics go together much like fish and bicycles. They don’t.

That being said, everything that we see and have and that moves us and influences us are ideas.

This world of ideas — this world in which we swim and which in turn moves us — is what Haanel meant when he wrote “plastic mind substance.” Think how often the world is changed by an idea — an idea that is brought to fruition by one’s actions and daring.

The car, the light bulb, the indoor toilet, the computer, the cellular phone: All ideas that in turn changed us and changed the world in which we “swim.”

Let’s get on to how you can change the world with your idea by delving into the exercise Haanel gave us in Week Two: to quell our thoughts. I don’t believe that Haanel meant for us to actually try to — or achieve — mental “blankness” for any great period of time. Rather, Haanel meant to show us how easily and often thoughts unrelated to what we’re doing can slip into our mind unbidden. The point of this exercise is to notice this happening and to stop it. That’s all.

So, if you’ve ever felt frustrated by this exercise, fret no longer. As long as you get that the point is to notice your thoughts and to stop them at will, then you’re doing fine.

The Question & Answer Session

Should a person think positively all the time?

How does one stop negative thoughts?

Do the breathing methods in Haanel’s other book The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi help with controlling thoughts and clearing negative thoughts?

Join the conversation and ask questions here…

Do you have a question about this week’s teleseminar? A comment?

Then please leave a comment! Remember, ask and you will receive, give and it shall be given.

Please let me know if I can be of service to you. All the best!

Have fun … Tony.

Before the call began, I was chatting with an attendee. When the time hit 8:05, I started the teleseminar.

I forgot to do one very important thing, though.

I forgot to hit the record button to record my monologue. I only remembered to hit record when I began the questions and answers session.

As they say … My bad.

So, what you’re going to hear here is my second take. After the call ended, I read from my noted and tried as best I could to reproduce the original monologue. Luckily, I make notes.

Let this be a lesson to all of us: We all make mistakes, but usually there are ways to recover from those mistakes.

Tony’s Monologue

In my monologue this week, I hit four topics.

The first was to announce this very web site: www.tuneinunlockattain.com. I hope everybody is enjoying it. Please leave comments to continue the discussions.

The “meat” of my monologue was about one very important item that Haanel mentioned in his “Letter of Transmittal” for Week One.

“You need not acquire this power. You have it already.”

I wrote more about this in an article that has been circulating about the web entitled “The Master Key Is You.”

There is one point about The Master Key System that most people fail to grasp. That point is this:

When Haanel talks about a “master key,” he is not talking about something outside of you, something separate from you. He is talking about YOU.

The Master Key is YOU.

You have the power. You have the ability. You have the will.

It is your duty to use it.

You are the only one who can open the doors put before you.

Be proud, be fearless, and be bold–and take advantage of that.

After studying personal development for about twenty years and publishing The Master Key System for about ten years and coaching/consulting with people for quite a few years, I’ve got one main thing to say: There are no “silver bullets.” What I mean by that is that there is no one thing that will propel you from failure to success. What we must do is practice an entire philosophy rather than focus on one aspect or one small list of aspects. It’s easier to do than it sounds. Believe me.

I aver, though, and will continue to do so that that for which we are looking is not outside of us, it is not something “out there” granting wishes and bestowing gifts on us.

No. The key — the Master Key — is you.

The last part of my monologue dealt with the exercise in Week One.

Week One Exercise

44. Now make the application: Select a room where you can be alone and undisturbed. Sit erect, comfortably, but do not lounge. Let your thoughts roam where they will but be perfectly still for fifteen minutes to half an hour. Continue this for three or four days or for a week until you secure full control of your physical being.

45. Many will find this extremely difficult; others will conquer with ease, but it is absolutely essential to secure complete control of the body before you are ready to progress. Next week you will receive instructions for the next step. In the meantime, you must have mastered this one.

While many — if not all — of the exercises in The Master Key System were probably derived from some meditation practice or philosophy, they are not quite meditation training. The goal of the exercises as you practice them is not to become a Zen monk.

As I said last week, the goal of these exercises is to train your brain.

In this, the first exercise, it is vitally important to stay still. No, you cannot blink your eyes. No, you cannot scratch those itches that will arise. No, you cannot wipe your nose.

Yes, it’s OK if your chest or abdomen moves as you breath. We are all hopelessly addicted to oxygen after all.

One more thing: By far I’ve received the most emails asking about how to master the first exercise. I fewer and fewer as the book progresses. I cannot honestly say that I’ve received next to none about the last few Weeks of the book.

Why is that?

From my experience and from what I’ve heard from many people is that most people just do not make it that far. When they begin the book, they’re excited. They want to do everything correctly. As time passes, they either lose interest, get bored, or life interruptus comes into play.

I implore you to not let that happen to you. Haanel writes that if we are to undertake something, we should see it through to the end. It’s about commitment. It’s about finishing. It’s about completion.

If you are to see success, you must form the habit of completing that which you begin.

Begin with The Master Key System. Begin with these teleseminars. See them through to the end.

After that, the road is wide open.

Questions & Answer Session

Should a person read each chapter every day and write the questions and answers every day as they are studying for the week?

Is meditation the best way to attain a “brain change”?

How does one deal with “toxic” people? How about people who are just “downers”?

Tony’s Monologue

My monologue for this first Master Key Coaching Teleseminar was in two parts. The first part dealt with introducing myself and going over how these calls will be run; in the second part, I described the five main things one should get from reading and studying The Master Key System.

To learn who I am, please visit my blog and click on “Tony Michalski.”

During these calls, you can expect a few things.

• I tend to stay away from what I call “trite tropes,” those superficial sayings that are common in personal development but upon closer examination really mean nothing. You’ll get the real deal with me. I won’t cut corners nor will I rely on the common notions that have been “sold” to you far too much.
• These calls will not be spiritually based. What I deliver will generally be practical and based on my observations and experiences. I won’t wax on idea that cannot be proven.
• There will be plenty of times where you will disagree with me. That’s fine! That’s why there’s a “Questions & Answer” portion of the call as well as the comments section on this blog. Let’s talk!
• These calls will be rated “PG-13.” We’re all adults. We’ve all heard the “dirty words.” Every so often, no other word will fit. I’m not saying this will be a cuss-fest, but don’t be shocked if you should hear an expletive now and then.

Why these calls now?

Since I’ve been publishing The Master Key System and the Complete Master Key Course, I’ve received (and answered!) literally thousands of calls and emails about Haanel‘s philosophy of success. From speaking with so many people, I noticed that the vast majority completely miss the point of The Master Key System, thus they’re not getting results.

Most of the observations I make on these calls come from the work I’ve done with my Master Key Coaching clients.

What Should You Be Learning As You Study the Master Key System?

Since 2000, when I began publishing The Master Key System, I’ve observed how other people, coaches, and publishers advertise or talk about the book. The most common description is that it is the “handbook about the Law of Attraction.”

Surprisingly, I think just the opposite. While the law of attraction is discussed in The Master Key System, it’s not the book’s (or, I dare say, Haanel‘s) main talking point.

From my years of study and coaching, I’ve found five main things you should learn from this philosophy. As you now read and study the book, keep these points in mind — you’ll see the book from a totally different perspective and you’ll reap great rewards from it.

1. You will learn how to focus.
   To be able to focus is the ability to dedicate your mind (your thoughts) to one problem (or goal) for an extended period of time. By mastering this skill, you’ll far outreach most people, who flitter from one thing to the other without result.
2. You will learn how to achieve mental clarity.
   Instead of a brain and thoughts beset with “noise,” you’ll see things clearly — rationally. You will rid yourself of the “shibboleths” of your mind.
3. You will se the things in the world for what they are rather than what they appear to be.
   Instead of seeing symbols and perceptions, you will see things truly — objectively.
4. You will learn the greatest skill of all: how to THINK.
5. You will learn that the Master Key System is really about solving problems.

The Master Key System is not a “magic” book. Merely by reading it will you attain anything. You must put this philosophy into action. You must use it!

If you’re looking to learn how to “manifest,” you will not get that here. Fortunately (or unfortunately), there are plenty of “teachers” that teach that. If you want to learn how to really attain and achieve, then stay here. You’ll be glad that you did!

The Questions & Answers

The questions posed during this teleseminar were:

What is the number one book on my list of the only ten books you need to read to succeed?

Was The Master Key System a part of the New Thought movement?

What do I get from doing these teleseminars? Am I an altruist?

A caller expands on the beginnings of and the main movers in the New Thought movement.

What did I mean by “mental clarity”?

How can one overcome paralyzing fear?

Why don’t they teach this stuff in school/college?

Please note: I made one major error during this call. I forgot to disable the new attendee tone. Thus, whilst you’re listening, you will occasionally hear a tone. I apologise for that.

Update: I know on the call I said that I planned to split the audio into two parts: the monologue and the question and answer session. Obviously, I didn’t. When I listened to it here, it just didn’t “work.” So, I made it as one convenient, downloadable file. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.