Enclosed herewith you will find Part 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. People 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 pre-existing thought.
Thought works natural 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.
The Master Key System
by Charles F. Haanel (1912), revised and made thoroughly positive by Darren J. McLeod in 2012.Part Four - Study Questions with Answers
- What is thought?
Thought is spiritual energy.
- How is it carried?
By the law of vibration.
- How is it given vitality?
By the law of love.
- How does it take form?
By the law of growth.
- What is the secret of its creative power?
It is a spiritual activity.
- How may we develop the faith, courage, and enthusiasm which will result in accomplishment?
By a recognition of our spiritual nature.
- What is the secret of Power?
Service.
- Why is this so?
Because we get what we give.
- What is the Silence?
A physical stillness.
- Of what value is it?
It is the first step to self-control, self-mastery.
Part Four - Page 5
- The reply is, by exercise; mental strength is secured in exactly the same way that physical strength is secured, by exercise. We think something, perhaps with difficulty the first time; we think the same thing again, and it becomes easier this time; we think it again and again; it then becomes a mental habit. We continue to think the same thing; finally it becomes automatic; we are now positive of what we think. We are sure; we know.
- Last week I asked you to relax, to let go physically. This week, I am going to ask you to concentrate mentally. If you practiced the exercise given you last week fifteen or twenty minutes a day in accordance with the instructions, you can now relax physically; and anyone who can consciously do this quickly and completely is a master of their self. They have obtained freedom; they are now a master of conditions. I shall assume that you have mastered the exercise and are ready to take the next step, which is mental freedom.
- This week, after taking your usual position, remove all tension by completely relaxing, then mentally grab onto all favorable conditions, such as love, happiness, serenity, trust, goodwill, joy, ease and satisfaction of any kind.
- You may say that you cannot
grab onto
these things, but you can; you can do so by mentally determining to do so, by voluntary intention and persistence. - The reason that some can do this is because they allow themselves to be controlled by their intellect. Those who will be 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 inviting, retaining and completely creating these positive and constructive thoughts; because they are the seed which is constantly germinating into concordant conditions of every conceivable kind and description.
There is nothing truer than that the quality of thought which we entertain correlates certain externals in the outside world. This is the Law from which there is no escape. And it is this Law, this correlative of the thought with its object, that from time immemorial has led the people to believe in special providence.- Wilmans
Part Four - Page 4
- The Universal can express through you as long as you have plans that help everyone, everyone's purposes; quiet the senses, seek inspiration, focus the mental activity on the within, dwell in the consciousness of your unity with Omnipotence.
Still water runs deep;
contemplate the multitudinous opportunities to which you have spiritual access by the Omnipresence of power. - Visualize the events, circumstances and conditions which these spiritual connections may assist in manifesting. Realize the fact that the essence and soul of all things is spiritual and that the spiritual is the real, because it is the life of all there is; when the spirit is there, the life is there; it is alive; it has started to exist.
- These mental activities pertain to the world within, to the world of cause; and conditions and circumstances which result are the effect. It is thus that you become a creator. This is important work, and the higher, loftier, grander and more noble ideals which you can conceive, the more important the work will become.
- Sufficient work and sufficient play and sufficient bodily activity of any kind produces conditions of mental interest and growth which makes it possible to do the more important work which results in a realization of conscious power. We should, therefore, seek the Silence frequently. Power comes through repose; it is in the Silence that we can be still, and when we are still, we can think, and thought is the secret of all attainment.
- Thought is a mode of motion and is carried by the law of vibration the same as light or electricity. It is given vitality by the emotions through the law of love; it takes form and expression by the law of growth; it is a product of the spiritual
I
, hence its Divine, spiritual, and creative nature. - From this it is evident that in order to express power, abundance or any other constructive purpose, the emotions must be called upon to give feeling to the thought so that it will take form. How may this purpose be accomplished? This is the vital point; how may we develop the faith, the courage, the feeling, which will result in accomplishment?
Part Four - Page 3
- This is normal and possible when you remember that the
World Within
is controlled by theI
and that thisI
is a part or one with the InfiniteI
which is the Universal Energy or Spirit, usually called God. - This is a fact which has been accepted by the best spiritual thought as well as the best scientific thought.
- Herbert Spender said:
Amid all the mysteries by which we are surrounded, nothing is more certain than that we are ever in the presence of an Infinite and Eternal Energy from which all things proceed.
- Lyman Abbott, in an address delivered before the Alumni of Bangor Theological Seminary, said:
We are coming to think of God as dwelling in man rather than as operating on men from without.
- Science goes a little way in its search and stops. Science finds the ever present Eternal Energy, but spirituality finds the Power behind this energy and locates it within people.
- Here is the secret of power, of mastery. To overcome means to have self control along with having hings. Self-affirmation is success. We can give only when we get; we can be helpful only when we are strong. The Infinite is abundant and we who are the representatives of Infinite power should be abundant also, and if we wish to be of service to others we must have power and more power, but to get it we must give it; we must be of service.
- The more we give the more we shall get; we must become a channel whereby the Universal can express activity. The Universal is constantly seeking to express itself, to be of service, and it seeks the channel whereby it can find the greatest activity, where it can do the most good, where it can be of greatest service to everyone.
Part Four - Page 2
- If you can do these things it is because you have thus far made the necessary effort. Now is the time to make the effort. The result will be exactly in proportion to the effort expended. One of the strongest affirmations which you can use for the purpose of strengthening the will and realizing your power to
accomplish, is,
I can be what I will to be.
- Every time you repeat it realize who and what this
I
is; try to come into a thorough understanding of the true nature of theI
; if you do, you will become invincible; that is, provided that your objects and purposes are constructive and are therefore in harmony with the creative principle of the Universe. - Make use of this affirmation, use it continuously, night and morning, and as often during the day as you think of it, and continue to do so until it becomes a part of you; form the habit.
- If you do this, you had better keep doing it, because modern psychology tells us that when we start something and complete it, or make a resolution and keep it, we are forming the habit of success; absolute, honorable success. Only if you do intend to do a thing, then start; if you do start, see it through no matter what; if you make up your mind to do something, do it; let everything and everyone, help you; the
I
in you has determined, the thing is settled; the die is cast, there is only agreement. - If you carry out this idea, beginning with small things which you know you can control and gradually increase the effort, and always under all circumstances allowing your
I
to rule, you will find that you can eventually control yourself, and many people have found to their joy that it is easy to control themselves. - When you have learned to control yourself you will have found the
World Within
which controls the world without; you will have become irresistible; people and things will respond to your every wish with only a small effort on your part.