Tony Michalski's Master Key Coaching

Personal development is a multi-billion dollar industry. That industry publishes literally thousands of books every year on the topic of success and how to achieve it. From the practical to the new age, there is a different flavor of book for every taste.

So, which books should you read – which books will actually help you on your quest – and which books should you toss to the side? People are busy, so this is a vital question.

This is the list of the only ten books you need to read in order to fully understand the philosophy of success. From positive thinking and the law of attraction to goals and enlightenment, these books hit all the topics.

Get them. Read them. Study them. When you’ve digested the contents of these books, you will be more than ready to get to the important part of your success journey – getting into action.

10. The Magic of Believing – Claude M. Bristol

This book is a classic. Mr. Bristol explains in great detail how to tap into the powers of your subconscious mind. While that may make it sound like it’s new age woo, it’s not. Bristol provides great techniques for auto-suggestion and how to actually think about the problems that may face us. You will get a lot from this book – guaranteed.

9. No-Nonsense Guide to Enlightenment – Blair Warren

Blair Warren is one of the smartest people I know and this book (e-book, actually) showcases that. His premise? That while many of us quest for enlightenment, the fact is that all of us have actually experienced enlightenment at one time or another – and probably even multiple times. I’ve read this book a few times and every time I read it I get something new from it. Want to know the best thing? Mr. Warren provides it as a free download. Get enlightened – get Mr. Warren’s book.

8. Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz

Do you want to know how your brain works? Do you want to improve your golf swing without physically practicing? Do you want to be like a guided missile when it comes to achieving your goals? Then this is the book for you. This is one of the most powerful books you will ever read. This books is such a classic that there is a decent chance that you have read it. If that is the case, then read it again. The concepts in this book bear repeating.

7. Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

What list of books about the philosophy of success would be complete without this book? It’s a classic that deserves repeated readings. I can’t write much that isn’t already written about this book. If you already have it on your shelf, get it and read it again. If you don’t have it, then get it and read it. The proof is in the pudding with Think & Grow Rich: many, many successful people cite this book as a major influence on their success.

6. SHAM – Steve Salerno

The sub-title for this book is How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless. So, what is what one would consider to be an anti-self-help book doing on a list of the best self-help books? In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, not only does one have to know what the wheat looks like, one has to be familiar with what the chaffs looks like as well. Mr. Salerno does an excellent job of illustrating where self-help and personal development have gone awry – and how in some circumstances it is actually hurting people. Like any other human endeavor, the personal development field has its share of charlatans and scammers. The better prepared you are to notice them before they lead you astray, the better are your chances for becoming the success you want to be.

5. How to Get Rich – Felix Dennis

This is not new age fluff. Not at all. This book is not like any book on this list. Mr. Dennis, the multi-millionaire publisher and founder of Maxim Magazine among others, actually calls his little tome an “anti-self-help book”. So, what will you garner from this book? You’ll get Mr. Dennis’ perspective on what it takes to really become rich. And not just six-figures-a-year rich, but multi-millionaire, never-have-to-worry-about-money-ever-again rich. Do you think that you have what it takes to get that far? Read this book and find out. Trust me – it will open your eyes.

4. You Were Born Rich – Bob Proctor

Before he jumped the shark and became “Scientist” Bob the quantum physics “expert”, Bob Proctor actually wrote books and delivered seminars that made sense. As much as I dislike what he’s become, I cannot deny that You Were Born Rich is one of the best personal development books ever written. Not only do I have the book, but I also have the unabridged audio version, which I have played countless times. I know it might be tempting to get some of his other works, but you really don’t need to do that. This is the only book that he’s written that actually has any merit and that will actually help you on your path to success.

3. The Master Key Workbook – Anthony R. Michalski

Yes, I wrote this book. Yes, I really do think that it is that good. And, no, I am not tooting my own horn. As I researched the success philosophy and as I talked with countless people, I discovered one of the main reasons people do not achieve a notable level of success. It is not because they don’t try hard enough; it’s not because they don’t understand the philosophy of success; it’s often not even because they’re not talented or skilled in some way. The main reason many people do not succeed is because they don’t know what they actually want! That’s where the Workbook comes into play. The Workbook is chock full of concepts, mental exercises, and written exercises that will help you hone what your idea of success is. This book will help you to decide what you truly want. Once you have the goal, then attaining it becomes that much easier. You will love this book. And since it’s a workbook and you will be writing in it, you will return to it again and again as you journey toward success.

2. The Master Key System – Charles F. Haanel

What more needs to be said? The Master Key System is “the only clear, concise, comprehensive, definitive, distinctive, and scientific presentation of the creative power of thought ever formulated.” As you read though the 24 weeks of the book and as you practice the exercises, you will be training your brain to focus and to visualize. You will learn how to look at a problem or situation or opportunity and to solve it or see it for what it really is or take advantage of it. This is truly a powerful book and the people who study it get a lot from it.

1. Prometheus Rising – Robert Anton Wilson

If you read only one book on this list, then make it this one. I read it at least once per year – and every time that I do I get something new out of it. In Prometheus Rising, Mr. Wilson takes the reader on a journey through the eight “circuits” of consciousness as delineated by Timothy Leary. What will you learn? A lot. Too much to get into here. I can only say that I have found this book to be one of the most important books that I’ve ever read. I am highly confident that you will agree with me once you’ve read it.

And there you have it. The only ten books you need to read to succeed.

You may be asking, Why only ten?

I know that it is a common claim in the personal development arena that you should be constantly reading every personal development book that you can get your hands on. Some seminar speakers say that you are “investing in your education” while others claim that reading all the books should be like “combing your hair” – you do that every day, so you should read personal development books everyday, lest you backslide into your unsuccessful ways.

I don’t agree with that line of reasoning. In my experience, one of two things happens if a person reads too many personal development books.

1. The person becomes confused because they are exposed to far too many ideas and techniques, thus they never tap into their ultimate potential.
2. The person becomes a “self-help junkie” looking for the “silver bullet” that will make them successful.

Both are equally debilitating and both are only caused by reading too many of what I refer to as softcore self-help books.

There are two classifications of self-help/personal development books: softcore and hardcore.

Softcore books refer to those books that espouse ideas and techniques related to the philosophy of success. They are books that are about the Law of Attraction, how to make friends, how your mind works. Things of that nature. This list is a collection of softcore self-help books.

Hardcore books are those books that actually tell you how to do something, such as how to start a business, step-by-step guides to learning a skill, how to invest your money. A good example of a hardcore self-help book is David Portney‘s 129 Seminar Speaking Success Tips.

Once you have read and studied the books on this list, you should be good to go with regards to softcore self-help books. Sure, you can read a new one once in a while, but you should be quite familiar with the philosophy, if not practicing it somewhat fluently. If you don’t understand something, re-read one or all of these books. In most cases, it’s not a matter of requiring another book; it’s just a matter of understanding what you already have!

When you understand the philosophy, that is when you move to the hardcore self-help books so that you can learn the actual skills you need to learn in order to become competent at whatever you aim to do.

You see, it is important that you learn that you can do it; then it is important to learn how to do it; and then you must go out and actually do it.

With these ten books, you will learn everything you need to know about the philosophy of success. You will learn that you can do just about anything to which you set your mind. Speaking of your mind, you will learn how to properly use it.

Read these books and succeed. Or, as Haanel would say -

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

These ten book will give you that knowledge of your power. By honing your skills, you will develop the courage to dare. After that, it’s all up to you. And I have faith that you can do it!

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Visualization, the process of seeing in your mind a vivid picture of what you want or what you would like to accomplish, is an important step in problem solving, attaining what you want, and improving yourself.

People often ask how they can improve this skill. Here are a few ways.

1. Do the exercises that are in The Master Key System regularly and diligently. 

One of the main goals of reading The Master Key System is to develop the mental focus that allows one to clearly visualize things. Doing and mastering the exercises that Haanel provided is one of the best ways. Work with the exercises and practice each one until you truly master it. There are no magic formulas or silver bullets to help you with this. Just persistent and diligent work.

2. Exercise your brain.

Get a math book and do some math problems. Complete a few crossword puzzles. Get a pad and pencil and learn how to draw.

These activities may seem trivial, but they all exercise the brain in different ways – just like the equipment in a gym work and exercise different muscles.

Math problems will help you to visualize numbers and logic and relations.

Crossword puzzles will help you to see words and connections.

Drawing will exercise your whole brain and help you to see things more clearly.

The brain is a muscle and if you don’t exercise it, then you are letting it atrophy. As the old saying goes, “Use it or lose it.”

3. Relax.

As you are visualizing, be sure to allow yourself to relax. As you relax, you allow things to flow better and you allow the pictures in your mind to become clearer and clearer.

This is why the first few exercises in The Master Key System are so important. Relaxation is very much a key in getting clear mental pictures. As your mental pictures become clearer and clearer, you can better develop solutions to attaining what is in those pictures or translating those pictures into reality.

Visualization is a key skill to master if you want to succeed in almost any facet of your life. It will help you to solve problems, it will help you to define the things that you truly want, and it will assist you in putting your plans into action.

As you get better at visualizing, you will also begin to see the bigger picture – how not only things are related on the micro (small) level, but how they relate on the macro (large) level. As you make those connections, life will take on a much grander meaning for you.

Master the skill (and art) of visualizing. It is one of the first steps to becoming who and/or what you desire to be.

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I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

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Manifesting.

It’s one of those words that people are using a lot thanks to the slew of new books, infomercials, and movies that proclaim that nothing is earned and nothing is worked for, rather things “manifest” in one’s life – as long as they “ask” or “think” the right things.

Want a car? Visualize it. Think about it. Feel it. And then … *BAM* … It will “manifest” in your life.

I surprise a lot of people when I say that I don’t read many self-help books. When I do read one, I tend to stick with the old ones – the classics. Of course Haanel is at the top of the list, but so are Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone, Claude M. Bristol, and a few others.

When you read the classics, you’ll find that work and service are integral parts of being successful. Yes, having a positive mindset and thinking good thoughts are important, but not nearly as important as getting out there and doing it. It is only in the doing and the serving of others that one can achieve any kind of success, be it in business, a career, or a relationship.

In The Master Key System, Haanel used the word “manifest” (and its derivatives) 111 times. Does he mean that you will materialize your wants and desires out of thin air like the modern day dreck-slingers profess?

The short answer is no, he doesn’t. The first instance of the word “manifest” in The Master Key System appears in Week One -

13. If we find wisdom in the world within, we shall have the understanding to discern the marvelous possibilities that are latent in this world within, and we shall be given the power to make these possibilities manifest in the world without.

Basically, Haanel writes that what we dream about, we can make in the world. We all have within us more potential than what we give ourselves credit for. For one reason or another, we sometimes think that we cannot do something. “I’m not good at math.” “I’ll never get that promotion because I don’t know how to do what my boss does.” “She’s too good for me.” Whatever. When we overcome those shibboleths and begin to instead strive for our goals, then we become somewhat like an Edison, who with barely a grammar school education proceeded to change the world with his inventions and discoveries, the light bulb being but one of the many hundreds of inventions that came from his mind.

Work is involved, though. Edison, even though he visualized and planned and believed that he could do it, did not await the Universe to answer his beck and call for a light bulb. Hell, no! He performed over 12,000 (that’s twelve thousand!) experiments until he hit upon the one that worked. He “manifested” what was in his mind; but that “manifestation” only came about because of his actions. It wasn’t a “gift” from the Universe; it was a reward for his years of toil. He earned it.

(Just so you know, the whole concept of the Universe giving “gifts” is a pretty dumb one, too. It’s another word in the new self-help lexicon that really needs to be flushed.)

According to the definition of manifest, manifest means “to display or show or to be evidence of something.” For example, when you have too much of a virus in your body, they will manifest themselves as you having a cold – stuffy nose, fever, aches and pains. A person with generally nice thoughts will more than likely manifest those thoughts by doing nice things, such as holding doors open for others.

Let’s get back to Edison. He was a smart person. How do we know that? His inventions and discoveries made manifest his intelligent thinking.

Along the same lines, a courageous person is known to be courageous because he does courageous things – his courage becomes manifest in his actions.

In Week Seven, Haanel wrote this -

4. This is another psychological fact which is well known, but unfortunately reading about it will not bring about any result which you may have in mind; it will not even help you to form the mental image, much less bring it into manifestation. Work is necessary – labor, hard mental labor, the kind of effort which so few are willing to put forth.

I’ve been veritably flogged at the stake for using the term “hard work.” Of course, those verbal barbs come from the wealth-without-work crowd. But here is Haanel saying exactly what I say – hard work is necessary, otherwise, don’t even try it!

Here’s how Haanel describes “manifesting” in no uncertain terms -

You must see the picture more and more complete, see the detail, and, as the details begin to unfold the ways and means for bringing it into manifestation will develop. One thing will lead to another. 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.

Note that Haanel wrote that thought will lead to action. That methods will be developed. That friends will bring about circumstances.

Does this sound like the Universe bestowing a gift? Does this sound like something materializing out of thin air? Does this sound anything like the drivel espoused in the latest books and movies?

Perhaps some confusion develops when people read lines like this in The Master Key System -

27. If our thought is constructive and harmonious we manifest good; if it is destructive and discordant we manifest evil.

What this actually means is that means that if we are “at heart” a good person, we’ll do good things. Likewise, a bad person will probably do not good things, such as Charlie Manson, Osama bin Laden, or the schizophrenic who mutilated his family while they slept. Once again, we see thoughts leading action – not thoughts creating a rip in the fabric of the Universe to bring into reality that which you thought.

Finally, to quote Haanel one more time, this time from the “Questions & Answers” of The Master Key System -

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.

Haanel finds labor (read that as work) to be of the highest and most noble nature. He finds that as men do less work, they turn their thoughts to bringing down the work of great men. One only needs to read Haanel’s biography to know that he worked – and worked hard – to accomplish what he did. He didn’t materialize it from the sky. His thoughts lead to plans that lead to actions that lead to his success.

The point I am trying to make with this article is that the self-help world has become infected with a plethora of terms that promise much but deliver little – the main term being “manifest” or “manifesting.” I believe that these words were manufactured and/or perverted by a new generation of snake oil salesmen to attract the wealth-without-work crowd or to play on the hopes of people who are weak but want more. That is their business – and their business has always been good and booming. And that has never been more evident than it is now.

But when these authors and “teachers” delude people into thinking that the life of their dreams is but a thought away because the Universe wants nothing more than to bestow gifts upon us, that enters into an almost diabolical arena. While the wealth-without-work crowd will fall prey to these “ideas” as they usually do to anything or anyone that promises something for nothing, it’s the people whose hopes are played and eventually dashed that get hurt the worst. Instead of giving the hungry man a fishing pole or even a fish, they are telling him that his hunger can be assuaged permanently – merely by wishing for it.

The end result is that he starves when he could be thriving were it not for the bad information he was taught.

So, I propose an end to the vapid and inane use of the word “manifesting.” In its place, let’s bring back some terms that make sense – and really work.

How about bringing back “work” and “service”? Those are two words that have been forgotten for far too long. I say a return to “goals” would be most healthy. Along with goals, “plan” should be revived. No more of this letting the Universe take care of a person shlock. And the word “earn.” There’s a word one seldom hears anymore. People feel “entitled”; they also believe that they receive “gifts”; but oh so few people actually go out and earn anything. Let’s let them know that they can!

I think that would be a good start. If you don’t know those words now, then get familiar with them. I can guarantee that once you do, you will be more successful than you ever imagined because you’ll discover that work yields results while wishing and “manifesting” yields … nothing.

Remember, that while Rome wasn’t built in a day – it was built, and not manifested.

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I received an email from a reader named Derek L. in which he wrote -

Thanks for your great posts/blog. It’s refreshing to see someone telling the truth and not selling more snake oil. 

I do have a question…

I’m intrigued by the lineage of thoughts relating to this subject.  Since you have a lot of exposure to this material I’m wondering if you have any ideas about where Haanel got his original concepts?

I am often asked that question because there is a lot of mystery surrounding Haanel and his perennial work, The Master Key System. Was he a part of a Masonic conspiracy? Did he receive his knowledge through arcane means? Someone even theorized about some Russian wizard of sorts who shared his knowledge with Haanel.

The history is quite interesting, but more blase than some of the stories would lead you to believe. The Master Key System must be looked at within the context of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The New Thought philosophy was in full swing with many books and magazines publishing the new beliefs for a seemingly ravenous audience. Based on Christian Science as espoused by Mary Baker Eddy, the Christian Scientists and many New Thought-ers held firmly to the belief about what Jesus Christ said about the powers available to each and every person.

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. (John 14:11-13)

Thus, with enough faith and belief, one could perform miracles as Christ did. Even a cursory reading of The Master Key System would reveal to someone that this was something in which Haanel believed deeply. That being said, the monotheistic ideas that Haanel espouses is more than likely derived from his participation in Freemasonry – while the Masons do not define their God, their only prerequisite is a belief in one God. It is then through this God that miracles and extreme human potential can occur.

Isis Unveiled by Madame Blavatsky

Before going further into this, it is worth pointing out that there were at least two other publications that emphasize the words “The Master Key” prior to the Twentieth Century. The actual phrase has been used since the 17th Century by the Freemasons and for a publication in the 18th century – Hiram, or the Master Key to the Door of Freemasonry, published in 1760. Another use of the phrase can be found in Madame Helena Blavatsky’s famous (or should that be infamous) 600-page Isis Unveiled, with its sub-title A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology, published in 1877. One shouldn’t underestimate the popularity and influence of Blavatsky and those who followed her teachings – the Theosophists.

The Master Key by L. Frank Baum

In the Twentieth Century, two authors released books with “Master Key” in the title. The first comes from L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz fame, and is an early science fiction novel. It was called The Master Key and subtitled An Electrical Fairy Tale. It told of the adventures Rob and the Demon of Electricity. This was published in 1901.

Another book came out at around the same time Haanel was working on his correspondence school. Its advertisement showed a book and a man reading a book inside an hour glass. The advertisement read:

The Master Key ~ Reveals Things You Never Thought Possible. The Hour Glass of Success. You Will Never get Another Book Like “The Master key”.

It was written by L. W. de Laurence and published by The de Laurence Company of Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1914. To quote a few lines from it will show obvious similarities with Haanel’s The Master Key System.

“THE MASTER KEY is divided into Six parts: contains Thirty-seven full Chapters embracing Thirty-five Lessons of graduated difficulty covering Forty individual numbered Exercises in which the fundamental principles of Concentration and Mental Discipline are fully explained.”

L. W. de Laurence, whose full name was Lauron William de Laurence, was an American author, publisher, and owner of a supply mail order house in Chicago. He has been accused of plagiarism and the illegal publication of various occult works. The number of publications by this man seems to be considerable.

The Master Key by L.W. de Laurence

De Laurence was active at the same time as Haanel and was in fact only two years younger than him. De Laurence, who was born in 1868 and died in 1936, had connections with AMORC. It is unclear whether there was any connection between the two authors.

This then brings us to the main influence of Charles F. Haanel’s: the New Thought Movement.

When you read Haanel’s The Master Key System, it isn’t long before he starts to use terms that can be cross-referenced. To be fair to Haanel, many quotes he uses have nothing to do with the New Thought Movement. He was a man of his time and a well-read one. He used references from eminent people of the 19th Century and talks about the inventions of that time and the early years of the 20th Century. Other quotes come from the Bible but all are rather enigmatic and symbolic which could point to being influenced by New Thought writers, the Christian Scientists, the Freemasons, or the Rosicrucians. There are several hints of a possible knowledge of Hinduism, but it is unclear of Haanel’s exact knowledge of that subject as references like Pranic Energy or Pranic Ether may be from the Rosicrucian teachings or possibly, and more likely, Theosophy.

There are several words and phrases that may be of interest:

• “The Great Architect of the Universe”
• “Secret Place of the Most High”
• “Universal Mind”
• the “I”
• “The Law of Attraction”

The “Great Architect of the Universe” is a phrase often used to represent God or Supreme Being by Christians, Freemasons, and Rosicrucians. It may go back to the Middle Ages or beyond. Thomas Aquinas used a similar phrase but with “Grand” instead of “Great”.

“Secret Place of the Most High” can be found in the Bible in Psalm 91:1 -

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

The “Universal Mind” would seem to come from Friedrich Von Schelling and was expanded on by Georg W. F. Hegel. Ralph Waldo Emerson also made use of this term.

The concept of the “I” also seems to have its origins in the works of early German philosophers. It would seem that “I” was the first principle of Johann Gottlieb Fichte’s Wissenschaftslehre  – “Doctrine of Science”.

The phrase that is on the tip of the tongues of many today is “The Law of Attraction”. Like the other terms used by Haanel, this was probably not of his own inventing. It seems to have come to light first in the works of William Walker Atkinson (1862 – 1932) and particularly in Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World published by The New Thought Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1906. Though the phrase itself is much older, its meaning became somewhat different with Atkinson and Haanel.

The Law of Attraction also appears in the syllabus of the S.R.I.A. – The Society of Rosicrucians. However, it is not known how old this syllabus is and it is likely that it is quite modern. The S.R.I.A. was formed in 1909 with the idea of teaching to the general public rather than Masons as with previous Rosicrucian groups. Some other aspects of the S.R.I.A. syllabus bears similarities to Haanel’s works. However, it may be that both this syllabus and Haanel’s ideas are from an older source – or a just coincidence. It is unknown which came first.

Ultimately it may be possible to trace the idea of the Law of Attraction back to certain phrases that were put into the mouth of Jesus Christ in the New Testament of the Bible. 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8, King James Version)

The Kybalion by the Three Initiates

Another book that cannot be ignored was published in 1908 and was called The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy by Three Initiates and published by The Yogi Publication Society, Masonic Temple, Chicago, Illinois, USA. It cannot be ignored that this book may have played a part in the development of Haanel’s The Master Key System. It certainly wasn’t a collection of lessons and exercises, but the wording throughout this book is remarkably similar to Hannel’s publications. At one point the phrase “Mental Chemistry” is used. And though there is nothing in the title remotely similar to Haanel’s work, the phrase “Master Key” is used in the Introduction and several times in the body of the book. The Kybalion also delves into the power of thought.

…(T)he Hermetic Philosophy is the only Master-Key which will open all the doors of Occult teachings…. One of the old Hermetic Masters wrote, long ages ago: ‘He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on the Path to mastery.’ These words are as true today as at the time first written. Without this Master-Key, Mastery is impossible, and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of the Temple…. The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open.

It is believed that The Kybalion is not some ancient document but was written by William W. Atkinson and the other “Initiates” have been guessed at as Paul Foster Case and Mabel Collins. Atkinson was certainly active in the years leading up to the publication of The Master Key System and it is hard to believe that Haanel would not have known of either the man or his works. Master Key Arcana includes short pieces from the writings of several members of the New Thought Movement, including William W. Atkinson, James Allen, Florence Scovel Shinn, Henry Drummond and Phineas P. Quimby.

Whether Haanel was influenced by Atkinson, or any other members of this Movement, though, is another thing all together and it is difficult to be sure what his sources were.

Much of Haanel’s life is a mystery. Not many records were kept or preserved and the lack of many living descendants who knew him add to us not knowing much about him. C. W. Evans-Gunther researched and examined Haanel’s life as much as possible. His thorough biography can be found at www.haanel.com.

Researching Haanel’s influences and their play on his works is somewhat easier. As was noted at the beginning of this article, when the times in which Haanel lived are examined, you can see the influences and how Haanel used those influences to shape his thoughts and his works.

In the time period in which Haanel lived, the self-help/personal development movement (although not called by those terms) was quite large and actually very similar to today’s scene. As the saying goes, the times may have changed but things remain the same. By some counts, Haanel was a somewhat important player, although he never had the infamy of Blavatsky or a few others of the time.

It was all of these elements (at least) that came together in Haanel’s mind to form one of the greatest books about personal development. 

[Please note: This article was researched by C.W. Evans-Gunther. He is also responsible for writing the majority of it. Additional information was added by me. I am also responsible for additional editing and any mistakes that one might find. More information can be found at www.haanel.com.]

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The Law of Attraction.

You’ve heard about it. Probably read about it. Maybe you’ve seen an infomercial or movie about it.

What is it?

Is it the secret to life, the universe, and everything? Is it the source of unlimited health, wealth, and happiness? Is it something that you should practice? Does it work as it’s been advertised?

In the past, I’ve been critical of the slew of movies and books that proclaim that the Law of Attraction is the secret to “life, the universe, and everything,” to borrow a line from Douglas Adams. I still am critical. I don’t buy – nor have I experienced or seen any positive evidence – that the Law of Attraction is the secret nor that the universe as we know it works in the way that many modern “gurus” and “teachers” describe.

That being said, though, the Law of Attraction is an important part of achieving what you want, especially if used properly and not in some pray-to-the-great-spaghetti-spirit-in-the-sky kind of fashion. When you understand what is truly going on with this idea that people have been calling the Law of Attraction, then you can really begin to utilize it without frustration or doubt.

This is how the Law of Attraction is presented and taught today by the various gurus, mystics, and movies. The movie and book The Secret set the formula as “Ask – Believe – Receive.” In other words, you pray, believe that what you want to happen will happen, then you get what you want. If what you are asking for is agreeable and your intentions are in “alignment,” then the Universe will bestow a “gift” upon you. “Like attracts like,” they say, “and as you think about what you want you will emit subatomic messengers that will attract to you what you desire.”

Any action on your part other than thinking is either optional or not necessary at all. While the old mantra used to be “Build it and they will come,” the new mantra is “Think it and it shall manifest.”

The gurus explain this process as scientifically sound because quantum physics proves it. What follows in their explanation is a somewhat brief and very incomplete – and more often than not inaccurate – presentation of quantum theory. Aspects of quantum theory are cherry-picked and misrepresented in order to back up what is taught. In short, they don’t present science; they present pseudoscience.

Luckily, most scientists who see movies such as The Secret and What the Bleep? agree and simply laugh at many of the preposterous notions. Even the quantum physicist who was highlighted in both films, Fred Alan Wolfe, disagrees in how his ideas were butchered and presented. From his blog -

There is a big difference between just thinking 1) “I want a big car” 2) “I am not good enough” or 3) “I am good” or 4) “I am ugly” or 5) “I am happy” and taking an appropriate action to do something about them. The LOA (Law of Attraction) seems to imply that merely thinking such thoughts will attract the object of those thoughts to you. I don’t think the universe works this way. When you think those thoughts you tend to act according to them and those actions will attract you to those objects and modify your behavior accordingly. There is no magic field “out there” or magic genii “out there” that will answer those thoughts by granting your wishes as the film seems to imply. That magic field or genii is yourself.

Now, does all this mean that the Law of Attraction doesn’t exist? That it doesn’t work? That it is a myth?

In my view, the Law of Attraction exists, but not in any way, shape, or form that it is currently being presented. I believe that it is being presented in a very poor and misleading way, either purposely or by folks who are innocently mistaken. On the one hand I see people who wish to sell to others a bill of goods rather than any goods themselves and they prey on peoples’ greed and gullibility. On the other hand, you have the people who take what they were taught about this “Law” on faith and simply repeat it because it has become part of their belief system.

To quote Fred Alan Wolfe again -

I give a lot of seminars, and I personally don’t teach people techniques for realizing their potentials and other such ideas as I have found that they simply don’t work and are in their own way spiritual “diet books” which may work for a while but in the end fail. Spiritual techniques advocated by people who have never made a serious study of spiritual teaching or base their books on quantum physics principles without studying the subject at length and who really don’t know enough to teach others techniques based upon these deeper “secrets” make me really wonder why such people write such books other than the obvious one to make some money.

With all that being said, on a psychological level – that level where your thoughts guide and influence your actions that then yield consequences – the Law of Attraction works perfectly and is of immense help to anyone with a goal to achieve or a dream to attain.

On a psychological level, rather than you attracting things into your life or altering reality to conform to your wishes, what happens is that as you imbue your subconscious mind with your goal and what you want, your subconscious guides your thoughts and actions in such a way that you move toward what you desire. Thus, you call people with whom you haven’t spoken in a while and end up making a good contact; you find yourself in different situations that benefit you; or you begin seeing opportunities where before you saw nothing.

That is why I refer to the Law of Attraction as the Law of Moving Toward.

Instead of you attracting things into your life, you are moving toward them. Instead of some cosmic genii or the Universe bestowing “gifts” upon you or you altering the cosmic fabric of reality in order to “manifest” what you desire, you are moving and working toward what you want and when you get it, you’ve earned it.

When you begin using the Law of Attraction this way rather than relying on the methods being espoused today, you will see yourself achieving your wants and goals. It will take persistence, determination, and knowing exactly what you want, but it does work and it will help you.

When you begin to look at the psychological aspects of this mind stuff and remove from it the dogmatic, pseudo-religious aspect, you will find yourself achieving, succeeding, and attaining more than you ever thought that you could. You will remove from your life the specter of cosmic chance and instead replace it with the certainty of cause and effect. You will take action and move forward. You will be more able to do what needs to be done because you will truly realize that nothing comes without cost. In other words, you will be more connected with the workings of life, your place in it, and how to achieve and attain.

When a person sees the basic psychology behind the Law of Attraction and has a realistic interpretation of how it works, then he is practically guaranteed to become a better, more positive, and action-oriented person. Gone will be faith in shibboleths and shadows and in their place will be reason and reality – a reality constantly being manipulated and molded by you because you are moving toward your goals rather than expecting them to materialize (or “manifest”) for you.

In other words, when you achieve something, you will know that your thoughts and actions yielded your results and that you earned what you attained. Likewise, if something bad should befall you, you won’t necessarily pummel yourself with useless questions about what thoughts of yours lead to such horrible results; you will realize that sometimes in the workings of life shit happens.

Now, imagine what you would like to accomplish. Think big! Think grand! Visualize it in all its glory.

With that image in mind, set yourself to work. It will take hard work, effort, time, and persistence to attain what you desire, but rest assured that you can do it. You can do it because the power that you may be seeking is not “out there,” it’s not a cosmic consciousness capriciously granting gifts.

The power is within you awaiting you to use it.

Yes, it all does begin with a thought. Without taking that thought further, though, you will be left with nothing. The real secret is to take that thought and act upon it. When you do, even if you do not ultimately get what you were after, you will be far richer than you could have ever imagined.

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© Anthony R. Michalski/Master Key Coaching | Print This Article | (7) Comments

In my area, there is a Japanese restaurant that I like a lot named Mira Kuya. (If you live is NEPA, then I highly recommend that you check it out. Let’s face it: There is nothing like an evening of sushi and saki!) This restaurant, even though specializing in Japanese food, is owned and operated by Chinese folks. We’ve become friendly over the years and along the way, I’ve been learning bits and pieces of the Chinese language.

You see, I love to learn new things and am always trying to pick up a language here and there. The difficult thing about learning a language is not so much the learning of the words, but the practicing of them with someone else who speaks the language. Even if one took the time and money to take a course or two in a community college, if one doesn’t have anyone with whom to speak it, then … Well, we all know how the things we learn get rusty when we don’t use them.

Anyway, I’ve learned a few basic words and phrases and I even went so far as to download a bunch of podcasts to help me learn. Now, even with all of this knowledge being thrown at me – the fine people at the restaurant, the podcasts, the written pages I’ve printed from the Internet – I am only able to speak the bare basics, such as hello and goodbye - and maybe a dirty word or two that were taught to me.

Why is that?

I answered that question one night when I was speaking with a waitress at the restaurant. This is what I said:

I should know more than I know now, but I haven’t made a commitment to sit down every night for a little while and study the language.

For every thing in life, the main thing one has to do in order to succeed is to make the commitment to do something. One has to say, “If I am going to do this, then this is what I need to do.” Once that die is cast, then one must follow through and do what must be done.

Haanel says the same thing, but in different words, in Week Four of The Master Key System.

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.

That, my friends, is what commitment is – and it really is the defining line betwixt success of any kind and absolute failure.

So, commit yourself to something and then follow through. Start small. Build up to the big things, because, as you’ll see, the big things are always composed of little things that work together in one amazing whole.

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I’ve been publishing, coaching, and writing about The Master Key System and Haanel’s philosophy of success for quite a while now. I’ve been reading and researching much, much longer. One thing I’ve noticed  is that when I say the words ‘hard work’, a veritable shit storm ensues. People fight me (and those words) with all of their being. Here are a few examples that you may have heard once or twice in the past.

“If you’re doing it right,” they say, “then you won’t need to work hard.” (In the meantime, this rocket scientist doesn’t have two nickels to rub together. I guess he’s not “doing it right”, whatever “it” is.)

“The only thing hard work ever got for my father was a sore back!” (And his pension. And the money for your college education. It probably got you and your family an annual vacation and a new car every few years. It put clothes on your back and an allowance into your pocket. In other words, if YOU would just STFU, then maybe – just maybe! – you’ll become half as successful as your father.)

“I don’t work hard … I work smart!” (So says the people who generally don’t work hard ever. And they really aren’t all that smart either.)

Now, when I say ‘hard work’, I’m not necessarily talking about digging ditches. (Although, if you need a ditch dug, then I guess it would apply.) I’m talking about the work and effort needed when accomplishing anything worth getting, such as starting a business, attaining a high degree of education, raising a family, learning a new skill, and other such tasks. 

In The Master Key System, Haanel asked a successful business man of his generation named James J. Hill what the ‘secret’ to his success was. Hill’s response was

“Work. Hard work. And more work.”

He is talking about all of the time, effort, thought, and skill he used to create his empire. Not to mention the physical aspect as well.

Even today, when you research the successful of whatever field, you will find that every one of them credits their success to hard work. 

Now, why do so many who read Haanel and other personal development books recoil from those words? 

Haanel’s philosophy in an nutshell is that all things come from first a thought of an individual, which when imbued with feeling compels the individual to action that manifests that thought (idea) into reality. I use the word ‘manifest’ here not in the bastardized sense it is used today by many gurus, the sense of something falling into reality through some sort of spontaneous genesis. I use it the way Haanel and other like minds use it: to bring one’s thoughts and ideas into reality – a form of expression much like if a person loves someone they might bring them flowers to show their feelings. 

In Haanel’s philosophy, though, there is a call to action – to take the plunge and perform hard work. In Week 23, Haanel asks

What is the first law of success?

His answer

Service.

Service is an action and usually entails hard work, whether that be mental or physical. Haanel makes the point that it’s the man who thinks the most and biggest and grandest thoughts and who takes the biggest and most onerous responsibilities that will reap the biggest rewards. You can read into that that the business of thinking is indeed hard work. 

So now I ask you, if you are one who recoils from those words ‘hard work’, then why is that? What leads you to believe that you can get what you desire by doing nothing other than reciting affirmations or something of the kind?

Having a positive mental attitude and a good mindset are important to have. What is more important, though, is your ability – your motivation – to get up and get the job done.

Now, I don’t know if we’re heading into tough economic times. I don’t pay much mind to things like that. I do what I gotta do – and it really is as simple as that. What I do know is that whether the times are tough or the living is easy, three things have never failed to make fortunes:

1. Hard work done intelligently
2. Getting the job done well
3. Serving the greatest number in whatever you do

By living those three basic tenets every day, you can for all intents and purposes recession-proof your life. The world always has room for people who aren’t afraid of rolling up their shirt sleeves and putting in a solid eight. And in every economy, good or bad, those people not only survive – they thrive!

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