Tony Michalski's Master Key Coaching

A good way to really launch 2010 would be with a success story. So, that’s just what I have for you: a story about a person who attained a goal, a dream.

When Lena came to me last year as a Master Key Coaching client, she had one goal: to finish the work on her and her husband’s bed & breakfast.

After a year of hard work — both mental and physical — Lena is proud to open the doors to her newly remodeled and renovated bed & breakfast to the public.

Click here to visit the Nygard Manorhouse web site and see what Lena has accomplished and attained.

If you’re in Europe and you’re looking for a weekend getaway, then this is the place to go. Look at that web site! The work Lena has done is beautiful! From cozy rooms to homemade pastries to horseback riding and golfing, Lena has created for herself and her guests a literal paradise on Earth.

The Nygard Manorhouse in Sweden.

How did she do this?

How silly of you to ask! She did it just the way that Haanel describes in The Master Key System.

She visualized what she wanted. (She set her goal.)

When you set definite goals, it becomes easier to hit a "hole in one."

She made plans to make it happen. (She used inductive reasoning to create action steps for the attainment of her goal.)

When you think correctly, you create beautiful "rooms" in your mind, just like Lena created beautiful rooms in her bed & breakfast. "As within, so without."

She took action! (She worked hard because, as Haanel wrote, the law of success is service.)

You can take possession of that which you deem to be yours. You must take action to make it happen!

She solved problems. (When she hit a bump in the road, she didn’t panic; she allowed the Law of Attraction to guide her to a solution.)

Success comes to those who solve problems. After all, a goal is nothing more than a problem.

The results speak for themselves.

In 2010, make it your mission to select a goal — a big, lofty, worthy, and juicy goal! — and work toward its attainment.

It may not be easy, but the good things in life seldom are easy. You’ll work harder than you ever have before, but all that work is good for the soul. You may have to leave the old behind you, but what’s beyond the horizon may be better than you imagined.

It just may be your little piece of Heaven on Earth.

When you’re in Sweden, pay Lena a visit at Nygard Manorhouse. See what a dream, some right thinking, and some hard work can attain for you.

You’ll be glad that you did.

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© Anthony R. Michalski/Master Key Coaching | Print This Article | (3) Comments

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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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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© Anthony R. Michalski/Master Key Coaching | Print This Article | (2) Comments

Do you know your one thing?

If not, then it’s imperative that you do. Use the Complete Master Key Course to help you find it. Enroll in a good coaching program. Take a few moments a day to enter the silence as Haanel wrote in The Master Key System.

Do whatever you have to do.

Just find your one thing.

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I bet you read that title and said, “What the %@$&?!?”

I understand that. It refers to the title of the book I just published — Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is by David Portney.

So, what is getting your money where your mouth is? Why should you do that in tough economic times? And who is this David Portney?

Let’s start with that last question first. David Portney has been doing trainings, keynote speeches, seminars, and every kind of public speaking you can imagine for over 20 years. David has conducted trainings and talks for major companies such as the National Notary Association, The Learning Annex, and The Los Angeles Times, among numerous others. He’s also the author of 129 Seminar Speaking Success Tips and 129 More Seminar Speaking Success Tips, as well as a few other books.

In other words, in the area of seminars and public speaking, David knows his stuff! I mean, he really knows his stuff.

How to Use Seminars and Public Speaking to Market and Promote Your Business, Profession, or Passion—Profitably!

Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is is David’s book about, as the cover states, “How to Use Seminars and Public Speaking to Market and Promote Your Business, Profession, or Passion — Profitably.”

Once again, in other words, if you’re looking to survive these tough economic times, if you’re looking for a way to cheaply and efficiently market your business, if you’re looking for a good way to make you indispensable in your job, if you’re looking for a way to advance your career, then you need to read David’s book and, more importantly, put what he teaches you into practice.

(Or, as Haanel wrote in The Master Key System, “In the first place, we must put our knowledge into practice. Nothing can be accomplished in any other way. The athlete may read books and lessons on physical training all his life, but unless he begins to give out strength by actual work he will never receive any strength; he will eventually get exactly what he gives; but he will have to give it first. It is exactly the same with us; we will get exactly what we give, but we shall have to give it first. It will then return to us many fold, and the giving is simply a mental process, because thoughts are causes and conditions are effects; therefore in giving thoughts of courage, inspiration, health, or help of any kind we are setting causes in motion which will bring about their effect.”)

That brings us to what getting your money where your mouth is is. For that, let’s have David explain it himself.

David R. Portney will teach you everything you need to know about seminars and public speaking.

This book is about one thing and one thing only: how you can use seminars and public speaking to  bring in a flood of new business, customers, or interest into your business, profession, or passion all so you can put a ton of money into your bank account and cash into your pocket.

Simple.

Now, if money and attention are not your things, then you might want to stop reading right now because I’m going to be telling you exactly how to bring in that flood of new business and money in the fastest and easiest and most fun way possible — and that is by doing seminars and public speaking.

I know you’ve already heard of seminars and public speaking. You’ve probably already been to some seminars. Maybe you’ve even done a few seminars or some public speaking yourself.

Unfortunately, most people are either not doing seminars and public speaking the right way — or they’re not doing it at all.

By the time you’re done with this book, you’re going to be very excited about doing your own seminars and public speaking, even if right now you think it has nothing to do with you. I’m going to show you seminars and public speaking in a whole different light and I’m going to show you what you’ve been passing up and what’s available for you right now.

I’m going to show you how to do seminars and public speaking that cost you zero money — and I mean that literally. Zero. Zip. Nada. No cost whatsoever.

I’m not exaggerating, either. I’m not saying zero and then saying that there might be some “incidental” costs involved.

Nope. I’m saying zero — not a dime, not a nickel, not a penny is going to come out of your pocket in order for you to get a huge flood of attention and income for your specific venture.

Sometimes when I talk to people about the power of seminars and public speaking they ask, “What’s the big deal about seminars and public speaking? Isn’t that just getting up and telling your story to some group?” Some people even add, “Oh, I’ve done lots of seminars and public speaking before. I’ve done a million seminars!”

That’s when I ask, “Oh, really? Would you mind telling me about your seminar results?”

And that’s when they say, “Well…umm…yeah…uhh…”

Of course, it turns out they actually have no real results.

And that’s what we’re going to talk about here — how you can get a room full of eager, hot prospects who are in your target market and as a result get massive amounts of new customers flooding into your business.

I’m also going to show you how you can turn on that flood of new business and income whenever you want and whenever you decide.

Not only that, I’m going to show you how you can improve almost any area of your personal life when you harness the power of seminars and public speaking.

I’m going to prove all that to you. I’m almost fanatical about giving you proof because I hate it when people start making all kinds of claims and promises that they either can’t or don’t prove. I’m going to give you so much proof you’re going to say “Enough already, I get it!” because you’ll be able to clearly see that what I’m telling you works.

I want to give you all this proof so that you don’t miss out on golden opportunities for your business, profession, or passion. In fact, it’s an opportunity to better your whole life. So I’m going to keep proving everything I say to you over and over again.

With all of that being said, I am going to do three things in this book:

1. I’m going to tell you about the power of seminars and public speaking.
2. I’m going to give you the clearest examples of what the power of seminars and public speaking can do for you.
3. I’m going to show you how you can harness the power of seminars and public speaking for your own business, profession, or passion.

By the end of this book, you will be ready to present your own seminar on whatever topic you choose and you will be set to reap the rewards: new business, increased attention, new customers, fame, and money.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Believe me. It is.

I am extremely excited about this book. In another article, I wrote about “hardcore” self-help books and their importance in your personal development. This is one of those books that you should own, study, and put into practice.

If you don’t believe me (after all, I published it!), then read what these experts have to say about Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Peter Fogel — Speaker, Humorist, Author, Creator of Peter Fogel’s Guide to Effective Public Speaking — says -

Peter "The Humorist" Fogel

“Well, if you are wise enough to absorb David’s knowledge and apply it to your own business, you will come off as an expert in your own field. And it’s a fact: Companies, clients, and customers will pay more for your services and products when you are an expert (and not a generalist) in your particular niche.”

Liz Lynch – Speaker, Coach, and Author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person & Online — wrote -

Liz Lynch

“I was well into my professional career before I even considered speaking in public voluntarily. Now I can’t think of anything more rewarding than sharing my knowledge with an audience and seeing how they can instantly apply it to their own situations. But there’s more to becoming a successful speaker than knowing what to say. If you actually want to make money, why take the long and windy road when David can show you all the shortcuts? Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is will cut miles off your journey.”

Tom Antion, the President and CEO of Antion & Associates said -

Tom Antion

“I’m a veteran of over 2,500 paid presentations worldwide and have presented to both small and large groups in over 87 industries, and I can tell you that David Portney’s book, Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, is a comprehensive guide to using speaking and seminars as the most effective way to generate leads and convert prospects in the smartest, most effective, and most fun way I know of. This book will get you going in the right direction when it comes to marketing your business quickly and cost-efficiently.”

Dr. Myra S, White – Ph.D., J.D., and author of Follow the Yellow Brick Road: A Harvard Psychologist’s Guide to Becoming a Superstar said -

Dr. Myra S. White

“David Portney’s book makes you want to immediately run out and start giving talks and seminars. He provides a practical easy-to-read guide which provides all the details on what you need to do to succeed in this arena. Even more importantly he helps you overcome those secret fears that keep you hiding in your office and shows you how to use seminars and public speaking to let the world know about the valuable talents you have to offer.”

From Australia, Dr. Jennifer Jianjun Wang – Ph.D., Wellness & Success Coach, speaker, and author — wrote -

Dr. Jennifer Jianjun Wang

“David Portney gives winning advice on how to do seminars and public speaking easily and correctly. Recommended reading for anyone wishing to take their business and/or passion to the next level.”

I urge you to get David’s new book. Even if you don’t plan on giving seminars or speaking in public, there is still a lot of information in there that is applicable to your everyday business and professional life.

Check out David. Get his books. If you want a speaking coach, hire him. (Tell him I sent you and he may give you a discount!) If you need someone to speak to your team or workgroup, then he’s the man. Need someone to deliver a keynote? You got him in David.

You may be saying to yourself, “You know, this all sounds well and good, but you’re only writing this about David because you’re his publisher.”

To that, I say to you that I am not writing this because I am his publisher; rather, I am David’s publisher because I am proud to write this about him.

If you have any questions or comments about David Portney, his book Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, his other books, public speaking, or anything else, then please leave a comment. I’m sure that David will take the time to respond.

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I received this email from a fellow who is studying The Master Key System. I actually receive quite a few emails asking very similar questions about the exercises in Week One and Week Two. Here is his email to me -

I came across your website and had a question if you have the time. For exercise #1 you are to stay still for 15 minutes and let your mind wonder. Do you keep your eyes closed or does that not make a difference?

For exercise #2, you are to not allow any thoughts into your mind. The book mentioned this would be difficult and most would only be able to do this for a few moments. But how long should each exercise session be? Should I try to do this over and over again for 15 mins to a half hour or literally just try it for a moment? This one is going to be tough for me (lol).

For those who don’t know (or who don’t remember), here are what Haanel provides as exercises for Week One and Week Two.

Week One Exercise
44. Now make the application: Select a room where you can be alone and undisturbed. Sit erect, comfortably, but do not lounge. Let your thoughts roam where they will but be perfectly still for ?fteen minutes to half an hour. Continue this for three or four days or for a week until you secure full control of your physical being.
45. Many will ?nd this extremely difficult; others will conquer with ease, but it is absolutely essential to secure complete control of the body before you are ready to progress. Next week you will receive instructions for the next step. In the meantime, you must have mastered this one.

Week Two Exercise
30. Last week I gave you an exercise for the purpose of securing control of the physical body. If you have accomplished this you are ready to advance. This time you will begin to control your thought. Always take the same room, the same chair, and the same position, if possible. In some cases it is not convenient to take the same room. In this case simply make the best use of such conditions as may be available. Now be perfectly still as before, but inhibit all thought. This will give you control over all thoughts of care, worry, and fear, and will enable you to entertain only the kind of thoughts you desire. Continue this exercise until you gain complete mastery.
31. You will not be able to do this for more than a few moments at a time, but the exercise is valuable because it will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.

Regarding the first exercise, it is probably easier to do it with eyes closed, since you won’t have to worry about blinking, which I would consider movement and you are supposed to keep perfectly still. So just sit, relax, and not move a muscle for as long as possible.

This exercise should illustrate to you a couple of things.

First, it will show you how many of your body’s movements happen practically subconsciously (or unconsciously). In other words, it will show just how little control we truly have at times over our own body! And if we can’t control ourselves to any significant degree, how can we control anything else?

To illustrate this point, think of a time when you witnessed a person who just could not control them self. They fidgeted, they fiddled with their hair, they kicked their feet, they swayed, they rocked back and forth. Whatever they did, you could just tell that they were a mess. They were not composed.

Just by looking at them we could tell something was … not quite right with them.

Don’t let that be you! We can tell a lot about a person (and we usually do tell ourselves a lot about a person!) by the way that person handles them self. So, on a very practical level this exercise has an application.

Second, since ALL of our actions begins with a thought, either conscious or subconscious, these unconscious movements indicate that there are unbidden and unknown thoughts occurring in our heads. Thus, by keeping ourselves still, we are limiting those thoughts, perhaps acknowledging that they are there, and setting the way for us to truly control our “inner world.”

There is no need to become a monk while doing the exercises in The Master Key System!

Just to make things clear, while it is important to master this exercise as much as possible, as I like to tell people, there is no need for you to become a monk! Do your best. Make sure that you can still your self, but by no means do you have to work to the “Zen monk” level of sitting still.

For the Week Two exercise, yes, you are supposed to quell all of your thoughts. Frankly, it is doubtful that you will reach fifteen minutes. Even five minutes may be pushing it! I think it is optimal to go for as long as you can, be that five seconds or five minutes.

While it would be nice to quell your thoughts for as long as you like in the “Zen monk” fashion, I think the main point of the exercise is to show you that you can notice when errant thoughts are there and that you can quell them at will. For me, the bigger point is when you put it into action in everyday life.

For example, we all run into those situations where we get into a mental log jam because too many thoughts are hitting us at the same time, thus causing our actions to be erratic or clumsy. That is when this exercise comes into play. You should be able to quell those thoughts, clear your head, and choose the best action for the situation–all at the flick of a switch. A mental switch, of course.

So, for the Week Two exercise, it’s not so important that you can quiet your thoughts indefinitely. The important thing to take away from this is that you can quiet those unbidden thoughts at will. That, my friend, is the key point you should take away from this exercise.

I hope this helps. Over time, I will write about the other exercises in The Master Key System. For now, just work with these. As always, feel free to email me your questions. If you really want to get into learning how to apply these exercises in your life, consider joining the Master Key Coaching Program.

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I read a very good article written by Kimberly Palmer on Yahoo! Finance entitled “10 Secrets of Millionaires’ Money Management.” Here is the link to the article, which I strongly encourage you to read -

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-Secrets-of-Millionaires-usnews-14921158.html

A couple of the “secrets” that stand out are

1. Believe that you can do it.
2. Articulate your vision for success.
3. Work hard–and you’ll get lucky.
4. Live below your means.

In the article, the author wrote that Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, did something that I often tell people to do: read all the biographies and autobiographies of millionaires that you can. When you do, you’ll see that what they achieved was the result of a (sometimes) good idea, thorough planning, and hard work, as well as a belief that they can do it.

Or, to paraphrase Haanel in The Master Key System,

First, they had knowledge of their power; second, they had the courage to dare; and third, they had the faith to do.

When you read biographies and autobiographies, you will see beyond the trite anecdotes that you often hear. You’ll see them in all their naked, sometimes unflattering, glory–warts and all.

Hopefully, you’ll see a little of yourself in them and you’ll be convinced on a very deep level that you can achieve the success you want.

Another point on which the author of the article touched was an idea with which you are probably familiar. That idea is that vague and general goals are of not great value; rather, you should be somewhat specific about your goals. From the article,

Jen Smith, author of the Millionaire Mommy Next Door blog, says that the saying, “I want to be rich,” is too vague. Instead, she recommends imagining what your ideal life as a millionaire will look like. Smith offers this example: “I want to have $2,000,000 invested so that I can live off of the interest. Then I will quit my job so that I can volunteer, travel, learn to play tennis and watercolor, and enjoy picnics at the beach with my family.”

One of the best books that you can read to hone your vision of success is The Master Key Workbook. Get it, read it, do the exercises, and you will have a very clear picture of what you want–and a plan to achieve it.

There are two words that have earned me the ire of some devotees of The Master Key System. Those words are “hard work.”

I have always encouraged people to embrace hard work, as that is the true “secret” of any success, regardless of what some infomercials and “gurus” will tell you. As my proof, I cite every successful person with whom I’ve spoken or whose biography I’ve read.

I also cite Mr. Haanel. From Week Seven of The Master Key System -

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.

28. Thought force is the most powerful means of obtaining knowledge, and if concentrated on any subject will solve the problem. Nothing is beyond the power of human comprehension, but in order to harness thought force and make it do your bidding, work is required.

Now, I can cite this article, which quotes Donald Trump -

Donald Trump attributes his success to his hard work, which to outsiders often appears to be luck. But Trump says luck only comes from working hard. “If your work pays off, which it most likely will, people might say you’re just lucky. Maybe so, because you’re lucky enough to have the brains to work hard!” he says.

One last point from the article that I want to address is that many successful people (millionaires) live below there means. Frankly, many that I have met are down-right cheap! Two highly successful people that I know have a friendly competition about who got the better deal on their purchases. (For example, one will point to his shoes and say, “Target. Fifteen bucks.” The other will smirk and reply, “I used a coupon and got these for twelve.” Yes, they are that cheap.)

This is not to say that you should be misery with your money, but to quote Haanel from Week Four of The Master Key System -

8. Those who recognize this principle have a great advantage in the affairs of life. They do not wear themselves out. They can eliminate vagrant thoughts with facility. They can readily concentrate to the highest possible degree on any subject. They do not waste time or money upon objects which can be of no possible benefit to them.

Far too many “gurus” are out there today selling a lifestyle for my taste. They brag about their car collections or their huge mansions. They also say silly (if not outright stupid) things such as if you want to make money, then give away money.

As an insider in the self-help industry, I know that many of these “gurus” are playing smoke and mirror games. They brag about cars they don’t actually own (or if they do own them, they go into massive debt for them) or they film themselves in homes they rented for a video shoot. Read this article about the MTV show “Cribs” to see what often happens in the name of promoting an image -

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.2683

Don’t base your lifestyle on what you see these “gurus” promoting on their blogs and videos. Instead, live life on your terms–and below your means. You will find yourself happier–and wealthier–in the long run.

Take these ideas to heart.

More importantly, put them into daily practice.

Attaining a million dollars is very doable as long as you go about it intelligently. Of course, you can purchase lottery tickets and wish and pray for your one-in-a-billion chance to win the money.

Or you can plan your work and work your plan and practically guarantee your success.

One path is more difficult than the other. One path is also more rewarding. Not just on a materialistic level, but on also on any scale you can think of–mental, spiritual, and moral.

Listen to what real millionaires and successes say about becoming a millionaire. Put their words of wisdom into practice. It may be difficult in the beginning, but you’ll be glad that you did.

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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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With all of the talk on the news and just about anywhere one goes, one would swear that a collapse of some kind–economic, political, whatever–was not only immanent, but happening at this very moment!

For a while now I have been receiving calls and emails asking about these ”tough economic times.” Some folks are worried. Some are down-right scared.

Others don’t know what to make of it and are wondering how they “attracted” these “hard times” into their life.

Just so you know, this isn’t one of those articles telling you to ignore reality and ”not take part in the recession.”

Frankly, that’s stupid. Events are happening and people are being affected. That’s a fact.

Hiding your head in the sand and ignoring reality is not the thing to do. It’s not a matter of thinking positive and wishing things away. That’s not what Haanel wrote about in The Master Key System.

Haanel wrote about facing problems and solving them–overcoming them–not hiding from them. And definitely not living in a fantasy world.

So, what did you do to attract this chaos in your life? That’s the question I am being asked the most.

The answer is: probably nothing. To quote Forrest Gump, sometimes “shit happens.”

As many of you know (and as some of you are soon to discover), I am not one of those people who believes that we “attract” EVERYTHING into our life. Some things, yes, yes we do; other things just happen.

It’s life. Sometimes it’s sweet; sometimes it’s sour; sometimes it sucks. We hope that it is sweet more than the other two–and it generally is. But there will always be times that try us, that test us, and that, if we allow them, break us.

While we don’t attract everything into our lives, what we can control is how we respond to them and how well we are prepared for them.

When the proverbial shit happens, are you going to be the person who loses it and runs about like a chicken with its head chopped off? Are you going to sulk and shiver in a corner?

Or are you going to look at the situation with a calm and collected eye and make your plans for what you have to do to get yourself from the situation.

That, my friend, is what Haanel writes about in The Master Key System.

Haanel wrote about a man who had a child that was born deaf and about whom the doctors said there was no hope. Did the man curl into a ball and give in? Did he acquiesce?

No. He looked at the situation and formulated a plan. He kept the faith and followed through with his plan.

And his plan worked. His son lived a normal life.

The man did not ignore the situation. He did not merely wish and hope that all would be well. He saw what he had to do and he got to doing it.

He succeeded.

And you will, too.

With all of the fear and worry being bandied about by the news and talk shows, you may have some doubts, but if history is any indicator, you will be fine, just as long as you are prepared, willing to do what needs to be done, and are wiling to look at what is and work to make things how you want them to be.

You may be worried, though, or even scared.

Sometimes you fear something for a very good reason. If you are walking alone in a parking garage and you suddenly feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, it just may behoove you to take a very good look at your situation as you may be in very real danger.

Fear can be a tool that we use to warn us of something bad that may befall us!

Think about that for a moment.

Fear (or worry) can be a warning mechanism.

Now, I am not saying that you should succumb to the fear and let it overtake you and your actions. What I am saying is that you should listen to it and investigate if it has any validity or not.

If you are afraid of what may happen to you economically during these times, then you should take stock of what you have and what you can do if the worst happens.

In other words, you should make sure that you are prepared!

Do you have money saved? Do you have a skills that you can use to move to a new position or business? Have you networked so that you have people you can contact to help with a new position? Are you willing to do what you need to do so that if need be you can get through a “tough time”?

If your answers to any of those questions worries you, then do what you have to do to make yourself “bulletproof.” Start setting some money aside. Get your résumé polished. Start connecting with friends and associates about possible job openings.

And the big one: Do what you need to do to get yourself through the tough times.

You might have to take a job that you’d rather not take. Do it anyway until something better comes along.

The only thing constant in life is change. The only thing that helps a person succeed in life is adapting to that change. In other words, you don’t wear your summer clothes outside when it’s winter!

The point I want you to understand is this: Any economic stimulus begins (and in many cases ends) with you.

As a corollary to that, it must also be said that if the worst happens to you, if the shit does indeed hit the fan, then the only person who can help you rise above the fray is YOU.

There is one point about The Master Key System that most people fail to grasp. That point is this:

When Haanel talks about a “master key,” he is not talking about something outside of you, something separate from you. He is talking about YOU.

The Master Key is YOU.

You have the power. You have the ability. You have the will.

It is your duty to use it.

You are the only one who can open the doors put before you.

Be proud, be fearless, and be bold–and take advantage of that.

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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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