Tony Michalski's Master Key Coaching

In The Master Key System, Haanel tells us to dream and act on big, worthy dreams.

One of Donald Trump’s rules from his book The Art of the Deal is to “Think big!”

My new friend “Fireball” Tim Lawrence on his blog has as his mantra to THINK BIG.

And so should you.

Should you ever forget to think big, should you ever feel that you are thinking too big, it will do you well to remember this poem from 1918 by Jessie B. Rittenhouse.

You will get that for which you ask. So why are you only asking for “a penny”?

“My Wage”

I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;

For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.

—Jessie B. Rittenhouse (1918)

Always remember to get for yourself the best of everything!

Have fun … Tony.

PS – The best way to “ask for a raise”—to get the best of everything—is to tune in, unlock, and attain.

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You can visit the Self Improvement Association at www.sia-hq.com.

I am very pleased and very honored to announce that an article that I wrote — and that you probably already read here — “The Master Key Is You,” has been published by the Self Improvement Association on their web site.

Please visit their site, read my article, and let me know what you think.

If you’ve already read that piece, then please read it again. I think that it bears repeating and re-reading.

As I speak with clients who are enrolled in the Master Key Coaching Program, as I email with people who have purchased the Complete Master Key Course, and even as I just speak with people in my day-to-day life, one thing that comes into the conversation all too often is the fear — or worry — they are feeling about the economic times in which we live.

Some people are fearful about losing their job. Some are facing having to deal with having their work hours cut. Many businesses are scrambling to find the credit they need in order to stay afloat.

You too have probably heard all of that — and more!

While what we are going through is bad enough —and perhaps even too much for some people — some people are even predicting that things will get worse.

So what’s one to do?

That’s the question I tackle in this article, “The Master Key Is You.” So please read it — again, if that is the case.

Other than that, while there is no one set answer to the question about what you can do since everyone’s situation is different in some respect, there are things you can do to prepare yourself.

One is that you can learn how to tune in, unlock, and attain by using what you learn in The Master Key System.

There’s a reason why Haanel’s book has been around for almost one hundred years. The reason is that when you put into practice the philosophy that Haanel espouses, you significantly improve your chances at succeeding massively!

You can also read the other books on my list of the only ten books you need to read to succeed. I limit my list to only ten because I want to see people take what they learn and spring into action rather than immerse themselves in countless books. Take the time to learn and once you have learned, then take the time to act!

It is only through your actions that you will yield results.

One other great way to prepare yourself is to work with a good coach or an able consigliere.

A good coaching relationship will not only help you stay positive or teach you about concepts, it will — it should! — be a relationship in which you are pushed, prodded, and expected to do better than you are. You will have a person who can look at your situation objectively and who will help you formulate the best “plan of attack” for overcoming any problems you are encountering.

In other words, your coach should help you to think differently so that you can attain what you want.

This can be a very powerful relationship, so I highly recommend that you explore the possibility of one.

Other than those things, I can only reiterate what I wrote in this article: don’t worry irrationally, be prepared, and do what you must do.

As Haanel wrote in The Master Key System,

Life is an unfoldment, not an accretion. What comes to us in the world without is what we already possess in the world within.

Be prepared. Be vigilant. Be ready to act. You will succeed.

In other words, tune in, unlock, and attain!

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Please watch this video of Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame. In it, he talks about hard work, success, the old (and played) adage “Follow your passion and the money will follow,” and much more.

If you have trouble viewing the video, please click here: Mike Rowe Video.

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As some may know, back in 2003, I began a Group on Yahoo!: The Master Key Group. It now has over 600 members and is quite active.

Recently, a discussion developed regarding how things “manifest.” As you may or may not know, I am not a fan of the modern idea of manifestation, especially as presented by many of the “new wage” gurus and “husteldorks” out there. [For my view of manifesting, please see this article that I wrote: "How the Idea of “Manifesting” Is Ruining Your Chances of Success."]

The debate was raging when a member of the Group wrote what I am about to post here. What he wrote was so well-written and eloquent—and in my view spot on accurate—that I wanted to share it with you here. I even sent the fellow a book of his choice free of charge. (He chose The Master Key Workbook, just so you know.)

Please enjoy!

The way I see this, there are two opposing camps, two polar opposite schools of thought regarding how to accomplish things.

The purists of the materialist school would say that “manifesting” as spirit is a bunch of superstitious, new-age gobbledegook; it sees the idea of trying to visualize things into existence as naive in the extreme. There is no free lunch. Whatever you accomplish you achieve through your own efforts.

The purists of the mentalist school of thought would say that the “All is Mind“ and what we consider to be physical, objective reality is the mental activity of the All, of which we are a part, and of which Mind—our minds—are parts. Consequently by changing the inner we can change the outer; no specific activity is required on our part, whatever we desire to manifest will simply come to be through diligent visualization.

Notice I said above the purists of both schools think along those lines. And like most purists, I think they’re both extremely naive, simplistic, and completely wrong. In short, they’re full of it.

As with many, many, many things in life, the answer lies squarely in the middle. [Tony: I have often found this to be true as well, especially in philosophical debates.]

To the pure materialists, I say that you can work as diligently and as relentlessly and as hard as possible for decades and you will never reach your goal without a plan and the ability to evaluate and change that plan in favor of new approaches based on your result—both of these activities have absolutely nothing to do with work and everything to do with mental activity.

To the pure mentalists, I say that unless you are some kind of magician as powerful as King Solomon, you can’t just think things into existence. If that were possible then none of you would have any of the myriad problems you’re in this program to overcome. Remember that old Chinese proberb: “A man who waits for a roast duck to fly into his mouth must wait a very, very long time.” [Tony: This is why I am fond of saying that I'd rather hire or work with a person who is ready, willing, and able to take action rather than a "self-helper" who would sit around and "visualize" all day trying to "use" the Law of Attraction.]

My personal belief is that we should do the mental work as prescribed by Haanel: not just plan-laying, but visualization of the “emotionalized thought” variety, diligently. [Tony: In later articles that will appear on this blog, I will be detailing what you should be getting from reading and studying The Master Key System. Here's a hint: It's not learning about how to use the Law of Attraction.] And then we need to get out into the real world, start pushing buttons, meeting people, inquiring, making contacts, trying new approaches, etc., all with the end in mind of reaching that goal, bearing ever in mind that it may come to us through avenues completely unanticipated, seeming to have little or nothing to do with our efforts. We need to do the mental work and then put ourselves in the places we need to be in order for it to give us what we need to bring our intention about.

I’m reminded of another old quote I heard years ago. “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” (St. Augustine, I believe.) [Tony: Yes, it was St. Augustine who said that.]

So, form your plan, build your mental images, and then get out there and make it happen!

As always, I hope that you leave a comment. In my view, it’s discussion about these concepts and ideas that help each of us to grow and, hopefully, to excel.

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A friend of mine — actually, he’s a member of the Master Key Coaching Program — forwarded an email to me today. Usually, I don’t open emails that people are forwarding. I think that many of us are all too familiar with how that works out. Against my “better judgement,” I opened it anyway.

It was an email about a dog. A two-legged dog. You see, this dog, Faith, was born with only two legs. What a way to start life! Nobody wanted him, not even his mother.

This is his story.

I am going to include the entire story here, pictures and all. Before I do that, though, I want to point out that this story is 100% true!

As with many emails that people forward, such as the sundry political diatribes that make the rounds and are purported to be written by someone famous or even the ‘Bill Gates read the Master Key System‘ rumor, they are often proven to be false, or at the very least mostly factually inaccurate.

A good place to check the veracity of stories that you hear online or via email is Snopes.com. And that’s what I did: I checked Snopes.

Yup! This story about Faith is true!

Thus, without further ado, here is a story that will make you smile a little, make you cry a lot, and give you inspiration by the ton. Enjoy!

This is ‘Faith’

This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with three  legs — two healthy hind legs and one abnormal front leg, which needed to be  amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive. Therefore, he was thinking of “putting him to  sleep.”

By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted  to take care of him.

She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself.  Therefore she named him Faith.

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surf board to let him feel the movements. Later, she used peanut  butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him to stand up and jump around. Even the other dog at home helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly, after only six months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his two hind legs and jump to move forward. After further training in the snow, he now can walk like a human being.

Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him.

He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared in various newspapers and on TV shows.

There is even one book entitled With a Little Faith being published  about him. He was even considered to appear  in one of the Harry Potter movies.

His present owner Jude Stringfellew has  given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to teach that even without a perfect body, one can have a “perfect soul.”

In life there are always undesirable things. Perhaps one will feel better if one changes the point of view from another direction.

And that, my friends, is Faith. Faith the dog.

Take from that story what you will. Perhaps you’ll take from it the idea that you have to use mind over matter. Others will say that with adversity comes opportunity or the seeds of greatness.

What I saw was this: We are all dealt certain cards in life, both good and bad, and our aim should be to use what we got to get what we want.

If Faith did, don’t you think that you can, too?

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As you may know, I recently began a Master Key Coaching Program with my head coach, James Spooner. Things have been going very well–people are experiencing great results and good things are happening in their lives.

One person in particular, who we will call Mike (not his real name), had a very interesting experience.

Mike is a young fellow in his mid-twenties. He does somewhat OK in life, but he wasn’t hitting any high notes. He’s a fitness trainer, but what he really wants to do is get into TV production.

James had been speaking to him for a couple of weeks when that last part came into the open.

You see, with Master Key Coaching, a big part of it is getting into what you really want. Sure, we all want more money, more stuff, more this and more that; but one of the keys of success is to whittle that list down to what a person really wants to do.

As the old saying goes, do what you love and the money will follow.

I’ve found that to be true many times.

So James is talking with this fellow and since the Master Key Coaching Program is unlimited coaching, they are speaking twice, sometimes three times, per week.

It is during one of these sessions that Mike reveals to James that he really sees himself in TV production. The problem is that he doesn’t know where to start. He has no experience with production, nor does he have any training. He told James that he frankly didn’t even know if he would like it. But he wanted to give it a shot. If for any other reason, he just wanted to see what it was like and if he could make a living from it.

James took this information and it sat with him for a few hours. Then he thought about a friend he has who lives in the same area Mike does.

Can you guess what James’ friend does?

Exactly! He’s a guy who makes TV commercials for businesses in the area. He’s a guy in the TV production business.

James calls his friend and tells him about Mike. He tells it like it is: that Mike has no experience, no training, but that he wants to get a feel for it.

“Send him over. I’ll give him a shot,” replies James’ friend.

Actually, James gave to Mike his friend’s phone number so that he could contact him. They set up a meeting and the guy is on his way.

To somewhere, at least.

I’d like to write that Mike is now the head of a major television studio, but it is far too early for that. It’s enough for now that Mike has his foot in the door. Where he takes the opportunity is up to him.

My question to you is this:

What do you think was at work here?

Would you say it was the Law of Attraction? Coincidence? Or something else?

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment. In a few days I will let you know what I think was at work. For now, though, let’s hear your thoughts!

Remember, it’s by talking and sharing that we learn, grow, and, hopefully, succeed.

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I received an email from a fellow who wanted some techniques on maintaining focus, especially the conscious focus that Haanel describes in Week Fourteen in The Master Key System.

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.

I have three ways or techniques you can use to maintain focus. They are pretty self-evident, but I hope that when you read them here, you’ll see them in a different light.

More importantly, I hope that you will put these techniques into practice.

(1) Practice, man. Practice!

You must be consciously aware of your mental state at all times. Take stock of why you’re feeling the way you are when/if you get down.

Get to the root of things.

It takes serious practice to do that.

The Master Key System is not a pop psych book. It’s a serious philosophy that demands some serious effort. There are no shortcuts in this. Practice is the key way to achieve this success.

(2) Get a better goal (or why)!

If you tend to lose focus, then maybe your goal isn’t a true goal–a goal that you really want. Use The Master Key Workbook to hone your goals so that they are what you really want. It’s funny how when you really want something, many distractions just fade away.

Think of things this way: If you were submerged under water and held there, you would struggle with all your might to get to the surface so that you could breath again.

That’s a goal! That impels you to keep reaching!

That’s focus: when you can think of nothing else but that which you desire.

As long as you truly desire the  goals you set for yourself–and you have compelling reasons why you want them–then the focus you need will be easy to attain–and maintain.

(3) Live up to it!

I’ve found that many folks don’t live up to anything. They don’t have a compelling reason to want to be better.

Think of any bachelor that you know. Their house (or apartment) is a mess, they’re slovenly, unkempt, unshaven. I think you get the picture.

Once they meet a girl they want to impress, though … Wow! Don’t they do a complete 180?

They clean themselves up, get their act together, and try to win the girl.

Why?

They’ve found something they want to live up to.

A leader wants to be the best leader so that he/she can gain the respect of their group. A father wants to live up to being a hero in his son’s eyes. A mother will do what she can to retain custody of her children so that they can stay together as a family.

That is what living up to something means.

To maintain a focus, find or realize all the ways you can live up to things–and then become that person. Maintaining that image will help you to maintain that focus.

I hope that this helps and that it provides a few insights to keeping yourself on track. Focus is something with which most people struggle. As I like to say, all too often life interruptus rears its ugly head.

Life interruptus … That destroyer of time and waster of energy.

Ask yourself how much of your time is interrupted by phone calls, people stopping by, or even yourself getting involved in one distraction or another. If you make your plan and then stick to it, then you are increasing the chances of maintaining your desired focus and therefore achieving your goals.

David Rockefeller would maintain his schedule no matter what. If he scheduled that a meeting would last for one hour, then it would last for one hour. When that hour was up, the meeting was over.

Eliminating life interruptus is often times difficult to do, but it must be done. If you constantly find yourself depleting your energy on useless, unfocused tasks and endeavors, then you will find yourself adrift, not getting to where you want to be.

Use these techniques to maintain your focus. When it all comes down to it, your life becomes what you focus on. Focus on the good things and the good things will come to you.

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When I speak with people, they often ask me if I read this or that self-help book. When I respond that I didn’t and that I have no intention to, they are quite shocked.

It surprises many people to know that I do not read many self-help books.

I understand their reaction. After all, I publish personal development books!

So, why don’t I read more of them?

One of the reasons is that I’ve already read plenty! I have shelves of books that I’ve read, from Napoleon Hill to Tony Robbins to authors you’ve never heard of.

That being said, I believe that there comes a time when one must put the books away and get into action.

And that’s what I’ve done.

While I crack the occasional self-help book – for either personal or professional reasons – I don’t make it a habit to read a lot of them.

I know the philosophy. I teach the philosophy. I make it a habit to put it into action.

Another reason why I don’t read many self-help books is that I publish the best personal development books ever written: The Complete Master Key Course. So, why should I bother reading more and more self-help books written by questionable authors when they are going to basically relate the same thing and yet still not be as good as the books by Haanel?

Once again, I’d rather let my actions do the talking.

So what do I read that inspires me and teaches me about the philosophy of success?

I read a lot of biographies and history.

I find great inspiration in books of that nature.

Whereas self-hep books only give brief anecdotes of historical figures to highlight a point (and often the anecdotes are apocryphal or incorrect in some way), a good biography thoroughly delves into the mind and character of the subject. As a reader, you not only get to see them as a human with all of the flaws and quirks, but you also see how they allowed their greatness to shine and how they really came to be what they became.

If you read about the great scientists of history, you see how their inquisitiveness drove them to make observations and then theories that rocked the world.

You see how businesses were often built by chance on a wing and a prayer, and with conviction and perseverance they grew into the mega-corporations we have today.

You see how the great athletes were often times not so great when they began the pursuit of their sport.

You see how some of the most successful people got where they are by a quirk of fate.

You see how some of the people we all know (and sometimes love) started life on a different path, but because of circumstances they had to switch to something new – something that lead to success beyond their wildest imaginings.

In Think & Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill outlined some of the traits that many successful people have.

In my research, research done by reading biographies and autobiographies, I found that Mr. Hill forgot one trait: 

All successful people are a little crazy – sometimes a lot!

I’m not saying that they were certifiable lunatics that should be locked into asylums. I am saying that they looked at the world differently and expected different things than the multitude.

I am a fan of Apple computers. Other than making fine computers, Apple also has a penchant for making some damn good commercials. One of them illustrates perfectly what I am trying to convey to you about being a little crazy. It is Apple’s famous “Crazy Ones” advertisement.

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?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

 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.

You can watch the advertisement here.

I printed the words of this advertisement and have it hanging on my wall. Some people have vision boards, I prefer this. It reminds me that as I press forward with my vision, it’s OK to be a little “out there.”

I recommend that you do the same: Print this, read it a few times, and really think about it.

Frankly, I think it’s kind of funny that true words of wisdom came from an advertisement.

Well, maybe it’s not that funny; perhaps it’s just a little … crazy.

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Luck is something that many people who get involved with self-help and personal development shun. Most shun it with good reason, as the people who say that others are “lucky” tend to do so out of a sense of helplessness or hopelessness. Other people who shun the idea of luck do so without acknowledging that something like luck exists at all.

A classic – and quite poignant – definition of luck is

Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.

When you prepare yourself for anything, the time will arise when you will have to use your skill or knowledge. And when you succeed, you’ll be called “lucky” because you knew what you needed to know.

For example, let’s say a person studied computers in school. When he went to get a job, chances are pretty good that he got a very decent paying job. People will say he was “lucky” because he prepared for when an opportunity would arise.

Likewise, a person who didn’t even graduate high school, doesn’t practice any trade or skill, will continually decry his “bad luck” as he looks in envy at those who succeed around him – those he calls “lucky”.

As you prepare yourself to handle different situations and events, as you continue learning and meeting new people, you’ll be ready for those times when opportunity presents itself.

Why is it that the people who win massive lotteries eventually return to the same dire financial straits they had before they won?

Not only because of their mental attitude (or lack mentality), but because they were not prepared to deal with wealth of that magnitude. Hence …

Not only is a fool and his money soon parted, they were lucky to ever get together in the first place!

Keep yourself prepared and ready for the opportunities that life presents. Plan your goals and prepare for them well before you reach them.

A writer is a person who writes daily; he will have a portfolio ready for when an editor needs a sample.

A singer will be ready to audition at the drop of the hat.

A salesman is always on and knows how and when to close the deal.

Opportunities present themselves all the time.

The only thing that isn’t always there is one’s preparedness for those opportunities.

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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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