The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel --- 09 CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

In this Part you may learn to fashion the tools by which you may build for
yourself any condition you desire. If you wish to change conditions you must change
yourself. Your whims, your wishes, your fancies, your ambitions may be thwarted at
every step, but your inmost thoughts will find expression just as certainly as the plant
springs from the seed.
Suppose, then, we desire to change conditions, how are we to bring this about?
The reply is simple: By the law of growth. Cause and effect are as absolute and
undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of material things.
Hold in mind the condition desired; affirm it as an already existing fact. This indicates
the value of a powerful affirmation. By constant repetition it becomes a part of
ourselves. We are actually changing ourselves; are making ourselves what we want to
be.
Character is not a thing of chance, but it is the result of continued effort. If you are
timid, vacillating, self-conscious, or if you are over-anxious or harassed by thoughts of
fear or impending danger, remember that is axiomatic that "two things cannot exist in
the same place at the same time."
Exactly the same thing is true in the mental and spiritual world; so that your
remedy is plainly to substitute thoughts of courage, power, self-reliance and confidence,
for those of fear, lack and limitation.
The easiest and most natural way to do this is to select an affirmation which seems to fit
your particular case.
The positive thought will destroy the negative as certainly as light destroys
darkness, and the results will be just as effectual. Act is the blossom of thought, and
conditions are the result of action, so that you constantly have in your possession the
tools by which you will certainly and inevitably make or unmake yourself, and joy or
suffering will be the reward.

PART NINE

1. There are only three things which can possibly be desired in the "world without"
and each of them can be found in the "world within." The secret of finding them is
simply to apply the proper "mechanism" of attachment to the omnipotent power to
which each individual has access.
2. The three things which all mankind desires and which are necessary for his
highest expression and complete development are Health, Wealth and Love. All will
admit that Health is absolutely essential; no one can be happy if the physical body is in pain. All will not so readily admit that Wealth is necessary, but all must admit that a
sufficient supply at least is necessary, and what would be considered sufficient for one,
would be considered absolute and painful lack for another; and as Nature provides not
only enough but abundantly, wastefully, lavishly, we realize that any lack or limitation is
only the limitation which has been made by an artificial method of distribution.
3. All will probably admit that Love is the third, or maybe some will say the first
essential necessary to the happiness of mankind; at any rate, those who possess all three,
Health, Wealth, and Love, find nothing else which can be added to their cup of
happiness.
4. We have found that the Universal substance is "All Health," "All Substance" and
"All Love" and that the mechanism of attachment whereby we can consciously connect
with this Infinite supply is in our method of thinking. To think correctly is therefore to
enter into the "Secret Place of the Most High."
5. What shall we think? If we know this we shall have found the proper mechanism
of attachment which will relate us to "Whatsoever things we desire." This mechanism
may seem very simple when I give it to you, but read on; you will find that it is in reality
the "Master Key," the "Aladdin's lamp," if you please; you will find that it is the
foundation, the imperative condition, the absolute law of well-doing, which means, wellbeing.
6. To think correctly, accurately, we must know the "Truth." The truth then is the
underlying principle in every business or social relation. It is a condition precedent to
every right action. To know the truth, to be sure, to be confident, affords a satisfaction
beside which no other is at all comparable; it is the only solid ground in a world of
doubt, conflict and danger.
7. To know the Truth is to be in harmony with the Infinite and Omnipotent power. To
know the truth is, therefore, to connect yourself with a power which is irresistible and
which will sweep away every kind of discord, in harmony, doubt or error of any kind,
because the "Truth is mighty and will prevail."
8. The humblest intellect can readily foretell the result of any action when he knows
that it is based on truth, but the mightiest intellect, the most profound and penetrating
mind loses its way hopelessly and can form no conception of the results which may
ensue when his hopes are based on a premise which he knows to be false.
9. Every action which is not in harmony with Truth, whether through ignorance or
design, will result in discord, and eventual loss in proportion to its extent and character.
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10. How then are we to know the truth in order to attach this mechanism which will
relate us to the Infinite?
11. We can make no mistake about this if we realize that truth is the vital principle of
the Universal Mind and is Omnipresent. For instance, if you require health, a realization
of the fact that the "I" in you is spiritual and that all spirit is one; that wherever a part is
the whole must be, will bring about a condition of health, because every cell in the body
must manifest the truth as you see it. If you see sickness; they will manifest sickness; if
you see perfection they must manifest perfection. The affirmation, "I am whole, perfect,
strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy", will bring about harmonious
conditions. The reason for this is because the affirmation is in strict accordance with the
Truth, and when truth appears every form of error or discord must necessarily disappear.
12. You have found that the "I" is spiritual, it must necessarily then always be no less
than perfect, the affirmation. "I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious
and happy" is therefore an exact scientific statement.
13. Thought is a spiritual activity and spirit is creative, therefore the result of holding
this thought in mind, must necessarily bring about conditions in harmony with the
thought.
14. If you require Wealth a realization of the fact that the "I" in you is one with the
Universal mind which is all substance, and is Omnipotent, will assist you in bringing
into operation the law of attraction which will bring you into vibration with those forces
which make for success and bring about conditions of power and affluence in direct
proportion with the character and purpose of your affirmation.
15. Visualization is the mechanism of the attachment which you require. Visualization
is a very different process from seeing; seeing is physical, and is therefore related to the
objective world, the "world without," but Visualization is a product of the imagination,
and is therefore a product of the subjective mind, the "world within." It therefore
possesses vitality; it will grow. The thing visualized will manifest itself in form. The
mechanism is perfect; it was created by the Master Architect who "doeth all things
well," but unfortunately sometimes the operator is inexperienced or inefficient, but
practice and determination will overcome this defect.
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.
17. He who has learned to bring the greatest spiritual truths into touch with the socalled lesser things of life has discovered the secret of the solution of his problem. One
is always quickened, made more thoughtful, by his nearness of approach to great ideas,
great events, great natural objects, and great men. Lincoln is said to have begotten in all
who came near him the feeling awakened when one approaches a mountain, and this
sense asserts itself most keenly when one comes to realize that he has laid hold upon
things that are eternal, the power of Truth.
18. It is sometimes an inspiration to hear from someone who has actually put these
principles to the test, someone who has demonstrated them in their own life. A letter
from Frederick Andrews offers the following insight:
19. I was about thirteen years old when Dr. T. W. Marsee, since passed over, said to
my mother: "There is no possible chance, Mrs. Andrews. I lost my little boy the same
way, after doing everything for him that it was possible to do. I have made a special
study of these cases, and I know there is no possible chance for him to get well."
20. She turned to him and said: "Doctor, what would you do if he were your boy?"
and he answered, "I would fight, fight, as long as there is a breath of life to fight for."
21. That was the beginning of a long drawn-out battle, with many ups and downs, the
doctors all agreeing that there was no chance for a cure, though they encouraged and
cheered us the best they could.
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 man.
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, loving, 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.
26. It used to be said that man is completely built over every seven years, but some
scientists now declare that we build ourselves over entirely every eleven months; so we
are really only eleven months old. If we build the defects back into our bodies year after
year, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
27. Man is the sum total of his own thoughts; so the question is, how are we going to
entertain only the good thoughts and reject the evil ones? At first we can't keep the evil
thoughts from coming, but we can keep from entertaining them. The only way to do this
is to forget them -- which means, get something for them. This is where the ready-made
affirmation comes into play.
28. When a thought of anger, jealousy, fear or worry creeps in, just start your
affirmation going. The way to fight darkness is with light -- the way to fight cold is with
heat -- the way to overcome evils is with good. For myself, I never could find any help
in denials. Affirm the good, and the bad will vanish. - Frederick Elias Andrews
29. If there is anything you require, it will be well for you to make use of this
affirmation; it cannot be improved upon. Use it just as it is; take it into the silence with
you, until it sinks into your subconsciousness, so that you can use it anywhere, in your
car, in the office, at home; this is the advantage of spiritual methods; they are always
available. Spirit is omnipresent, every ready; all that is required is a proper recognition
of its omnipotence, and a willingness or desire to become the recipient of its beneficent
effects.
30. If our predominant mental attitude is one of power, courage, kindliness and
sympathy, we shall find that our environment will reject conditions in correspondence
with these thoughts; if it is weak, critical, envious and destructive, we shall find our
environment reflecting conditions corresponding to these thoughts.
31. Thoughts are causes and conditions are effects. Herein is the explanation of the
origin of both good and evil. Thought is creative and will automatically correlate with its
object. This is a Cosmological law (a universal law), the law of Attraction, the law of
Cause and Effect; the recognition and application of this law will determine both
beginning and end; it is the law by which in all ages and in all times the people were led
to believe in the power of prayer. "As thy faith is, so be it unto thee," is simply another, shorter and a better way of stating it.
32. This week visualize a plant; take a flower, the one you most admire, 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 is 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.
33. 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.
34. Every success has been accomplished by persistent concentration upon the object
in view.

Part Nine - Study Questions

81. What is the imperative condition of all well-being?
82. What is the condition precedent to every right action?
83. What is the underlying condition necessary in every business transaction or social
relation?
84. What is the result of a knowledge of the Truth?
85. What is the result of any action based upon a false premise?
86. How may we know the Truth?
87. What is the nature of Truth?
88. What is the secret of the solution to every problem?
89. What is the advantage of spiritual methods?
90. What are the necessary requirements?