The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel --- 04 CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER  FOUR

Enclosed herewith I hand you Part Four. This part will show you why what you
think, or do, or feel, is an indication of what you are.
Thought is energy and energy is power, and it is because all the religions, sciences and
philosophies with which the world has heretofore been familiar have been based upon
the manifestation of this energy instead of the energy itself, that the world has been
limited to effects, while causes have been ignored or misunderstood.
For this reason we have God and the Devil in religion, positive and negative in science,
and good and bad in philosophy.
The Master Key reverses the process; it is interested only in cause, and the letters
received from students tell a marvelous story; they indicate conclusively that students
are finding the cause whereby they may secure for themselves health, harmony,
abundance, and whatever else may be necessary for their welfare and happiness.
Life is expressive and it is our business to express ourselves harmoniously and
constructively. Sorrow, misery, unhappiness, disease and poverty are not necessities and
we are constantly eliminating them.
But this process of eliminating consists in rising above and beyond limitation of
any kind. He who has strengthened and purified his thought need not concern himself
about microbes, and he who has come into an understanding of the law of abundance
will go at once to the source of supply.
It is thus that fate, fortune, and destiny will be controlled as readily as a captain controls
his ship, or an engineer, his train.

PART FOUR

1. The "I" of you is not the physical body; that is simply an instrument which the "I"
uses to carry out its purposes; the "I" cannot be the Mind, for the mind is simply another
instrument which the "I" uses with which to think, reason, and plan.
2. The "I" must be something which controls and directs both the body and the mind;
something which determines what they shall do and how they shall act. When you come
into a realization of the true nature of this "I", you will enjoy a sense of power which
you have never before known.
3. Your personality is made up of countless individual characteristics, peculiarities,
habits, and traits of character; these are the result of your former method of thinking, but
they have nothing to do with the real "I."
4. When you say "I think" the "I" tells the mind what it shall think; when you say "I
go" the "I" tells the physical body where it shall go; the real nature of this "I" is spiritual,
and is the source of the real power which comes to men and women when they come
into a realization of their true nature.
5. The greatest and most marvelous power which this "I" has been given is the
power to think, but few people know how to think constructively, or correctly,
consequently they achieve only indifferent results. Most people allow their thoughts to
dwell on selfish purposes, the inevitable result of an infantile mind. When a mind
becomes mature, it understands that the germ of defeat is in every selfish thought.
6. The trained mind knows that every transaction must benefit every person who is
in any way connected with the transaction, and any attempt to profit by the weakness,
ignorance or necessity of another will inevitably operate to his disadvantage.
7. This is because the individual is a part of the Universal. A part cannot antagonize
any other part, but, on the contrary, the welfare of each part depends upon a recognition
of the interest of the whole.
8. Those who recognize this principle have a great advantage in the affairs of life.
They do not wear themselves out. They can eliminate vagrant thoughts with facility.
They can readily concentrate to the highest possible degree on any subject. They do not
waste time or money upon objects which can be of no possible benefit to them.
9. If you cannot do these things it is because you have thus far not 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."
10. Every time you repeat it realize who and what this "I" is; try to come into a
thorough understanding of the true nature of the "I"; 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.
11. If you 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.
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.
13. If you carry out this idea, beginning with small things which you know you can
control and gradually increase the effort, but never under any circumstances allowing
your "I" to be overruled, you will find that you can eventually control yourself, and
many men and women have found to their sorrow that it is easier to control a kingdom
that to control themselves.
14. But when you have learned to control yourself you will have found the "World
Within" which controls the world without; you will have become irresistible; men and
things will respond to your every wish without any apparent effort on your part.
15. This is not so strange or impossible as it may appear when you remember that the
"World Within" is controlled by the "I" and that this "I" is a part or one with the Infinite
"I" which is the Universal Energy or Spirit, usually called God.
16. This is not a mere statement or theory made for the purpose of confirming or
establishing an idea, but it is a fact which has been accepted by the best religious
thought as well as the best scientific thought.
17. 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."
18. 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."
19. Science goes a little way in its search and stops. Science finds the ever-present
Eternal Energy, but Religion finds the Power behind this energy and locates it within
man. But this is by no means a new discovery; the Bible says exactly the same thing,
and the language is just as plain and convincing: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of
the living God?" Here, then, is the secret of the wonderful creative power of the "World
Within."
20. Here is the secret of power, of mastery. To overcome does not mean to go without
things. Self-denial is not success. We cannot give unless we get; we cannot be helpful
unless we are strong. The Infinite is not a bankrupt and we who are the representatives
of Infinite power should not be bankrupts either, 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.
21. 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 mankind.
22. The Universal cannot express through you as long as you are busy with your
plans, your own 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.
23. 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 gone, the life is gone; it is dead; it has ceased to exist.
24. 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.
25. Over-work or over-play or over-bodily activity of any kind produces conditions of
mental apathy and stagnation which makes it impossible 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.
26. 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.
27. 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?
28. 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 can no longer help thinking this thing; we are now
positive of what we think; there is no longer any doubt about it. We are sure; we know.
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 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 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.

Part Four - Study Questions

31. True or false: Thought is spiritual energy.
32. How is it carried?
33. How is it given vitality?
34. How does it take form?
35. What is the secret of its creative power?
36. How may we develop the faith, courage, and enthusiasm which will result in
accomplishment?
37. What is the secret of Power?
38. Why is this so?
39. What is the Silence?
40. Of what value is it?