EXERCISE 1

Exercises
for
The Master Key

By Charles F. Haanel

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
from fifteen 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.
Many will find 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.

EXERCISE 2
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
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thoughts you desire. Continue this exercise until

you gain complete mastery.

absolute necessity in order to allow the mental

faculties to exercise the greatest freedom.

You will not be able to do this for more that 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.

Make this exercise as thorough and complete as

possible, mentally determine that you will relax
every muscle and nerve, until you feel quiet and
restful and at peace with yourself and the world.

In Part Three you will receive instructions for an

exercise which may be a little more interesting,
but it is necessary that you master this one first.

EXERCISE 3
For your next exercise, I will ask you to go one
step further. I want you to not only be perfectly
still, and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but
relax, let go, let the muscles take their normal
condition; this will remove all pressure from the
nerves, and eliminate that tension which so frequently produces physical exhaustion.
Physical relaxation is a voluntary exercise of the
will and the exercise will be found to be of great
value, as it enables the blood to circulate freely
to and from the brain and body.
Tensions leads to mental unrest and abnormal
mental activity of the mind; it produces worry,
care, fear and anxiety. Relaxation is therefore an
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The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function

and you will be surprised at the result.

EXERCISE 4
In Part Three I asked you to relax, to let go
physically. Now I am going to ask you to let go
mentally. If you practiced the exercise given you
last week fifteen or twenty minutes a day in accordance with the instructions, you can no doubt
relax physically; and anyone who cannot consciously do this quickly and completely is not a
master of himself. He has not obtained freedom;
he is still a slave to conditions. But I shall assume
that you have mastered the exercise and are
ready to take the next step, which is mental
freedom.
This week, after taking your usual position, remove all tension by completely relaxing, then
mentally let go of all adverse conditions, such as
hatred, anger, worry, jealousy, envy, sorrow,
trouble or disappointment of any kind.
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You may say that you cannot let go of these

things, but you can; you can do so by mentally determining to do so, by voluntary intention and
persistence.
The reason that some cannot do this is because
they allow themselves to be controlled by the
emotions instead of by their intellect. But those
who will be guided by the intellect will gain the
victory. You will not succeed the first time you
try, but practice makes perfect, in this as in everything else, and you must succeed in dismissing,
eliminating and completely destroying these negative and destructive thoughts; because they are
the seed that is constantly germinating into discordant conditions of every conceivable kind and
description.

EXERCISE 5
Now, go to your room, take the same seat, the
same position as heretofore, and mentally select
a place which has pleasant associations. Make a
complete mental picture of it, see the buildings,
the grounds, the trees, friends, associations, everything complete. At first, you will find yourself
thinking of everything under the sun, except the
ideal upon which you desire to concentrate. But
do not let that discourage you. Persistence will
win, but persistence requires that you practice
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these exercises every day without fail.

EXERCISE 6
In order to cultivate the power of concentration,
bring a photograph with you to the same seat in
the same room in the same position as heretofore. Examine it closely at least ten minutes, note
the expression of the eyes, the form of the features, the clothing, the way the hair is arranged;
in fact, note every detail shown on the photograph carefully. Now cover it and close your eyes
and try to see it mentally; if you can see every
detail perfectly and can form a good mental image
of the photograph, you are to be congratulated; if
not, repeat the process until you can.
This step is simply for the purpose of preparing
the soil; in Part Seven we shall be ready to sow
the seed.
It is by such exercises as these that you will finally be able to control your mental focus, your
attitude, and your consciousness.
EXERCISE 7
For your next exercise, visualize your friend, see
him exactly as you last saw him, see the room, the
furniture, recall the conversation, now see his
face, see it distinctly, now talk to him about some
subject of mutual interest; see his expression
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change, watch him smile. Can you do this? All

right, you can; then arouse his interest, tell him a
story of adventure, see his eyes light up with the
spirit of fun or excitement. Can you do all of this?
If so, your imagination is good, you are making
excellent progress.

EXERCISE 8
In your last exercise you created a mental image,
you brought it from the invisible into the visible;
now I want you to take an object and follow it
back to its origination, see of what it really consists. If you do this you will develop imagination,
insight, perception, and sagacity. These come not
by the superficial observation of the multitude,
but by a keen analytical observation which sees
below the surface.
It is the few who know that the things which
they see are only effects, and understand the
causes by which these effects were brought into
existence.
Take the same position as heretofore and visualize a Battleship; see the grim monster floating on
the surface of the water; there appears to be no
life anywhere about; all is silence; you know that
by far the largest part of the vessel is under water; out of sight; you know that the ship is as
large and as heavy as a twenty-story skyscraper;
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you know that there are hundreds of men ready

to spring to their appointed task instantly; you
know that every department is in charge of able,
trained, skilled officials who have proven themselves competent to take charge of this marvelous piece of mechanism; you know that although it
lies apparently oblivious to everything else, it has
eyes which see everything for miles around, and
nothing is permitted to escape its watchful vision;
you know that while it appears quiet, submissive
and innocent, it is prepared to hurl a steel projectile weighing thousands of pounds at an enemy
many miles away; this and much more you can
bring to mind with comparatively no effort whatever. But how did the battleship come to be
where it is; how did it come into existence in the
first place? All of this you want to know if you
are a careful observer.
Follow the great steel plates through the foundries, see the thousands of men employed in their
production; go still further back, and see the ore
as it comes from the mine, see it loaded on
barges or cars, see it melted and properly
treated; go back still further and see the architect and engineers who planned the vessel; let the
thought carry you back still further in order to
determine why they planned the vessel; you will
see that you are now so far back that the vessel
is something intangible, it no longer exists, it is
now only a thought existing in the brain of the
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architect; but from where did the order come to

plan the vessel? Probably from the Secretary of
Defense; but probably this vessel was planned
long before the war was thought of, and that
Congress had to pass a bill appropriating the money; possibly there was opposition, and speeches
for or against the bill. Whom do these Congressmen represent? They represent you and me, so
that our line of thought begins with the Battleship and ends with ourselves, and we find in the
last analysis that our own thought is responsible
for this and many other things, of which we seldom think, and a little further reflection will develop the most important fact of all and that is, if
someone had not discovered the law by which this
tremendous mass of steel and iron could be made
to float upon the water, instead of immediately
going to the bottom, the battleship could not
have come into existence at all.
This law is that, the specific gravity of any substance is the weight of any volume of it, compared with an equal volume of water. The discovery of this law revolutionized every kind of ocean
travel, commerce and warfare, and made the existence of the battleship, aircraft carriers, and
cruise ships possible.
You will find exercises of this kind invaluable.
When the thought has been trained to look below
the surface everything takes on a different ap8

pearance, the insignificant becomes significant,

the uninteresting interesting; the things which we
supposed to be of no importance are seen to be
the only really vital things in existence.

EXERCISE 9
Your next exercise is to visualize a plant; take a
flower you most admire, bring it from the unseen
into the seen, plant the tiny seed, water it, care
for it, place it where it will get the direct rays of
the morning sun, see the seed burst; it is now a
living thing, something which is alive and beginning
to search for the means of subsistence. See the
roots penetrating the earth, watch them shoot
out in all directions and remember that they are
living cells dividing and subdividing, and that they
will soon number millions, that each cell is intelligent, that it knows what is wants and knows how
to get it. See the stem shoot forward and upward, watch it burst through the surface of the
earth, see it divide and form branches, see how
perfect and symmetrical each branch is formed,
see the leaves begin to form, and then the tiny
stems, each one holding aloft a bud, and as you
watch you see the bud begin to unfold and your
favorite flower comes to view; and now if you will
concentrate intently you will become conscious of
a fragrance; it is the fragrance of the flower as
the breeze gently sways the beautiful creation
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which you have visualized.

When you are enabled to make your vision clear
and complete you will be enabled to enter into the
spirit of a thing; it will become very real to you;
you will be learning to concentrate and the
process is the same, whether you are concentrating on health, a favorite flower, an ideal, a complicated business proposition or any other problem
of life.
Every success has been accomplished by persistent concentration upon the object in view.

EXERCISE 10
This exercise consists in making an application of
your knowledge. Knowledge will not apply itself.
You must make the application. Abundance will not
come to you out of the sky, neither will it drop
into your lap, but a conscious realization of the
Law of Attraction and the intention to bring it
into operation for a certain, definite and specific
purpose, and the will to carry out this purpose will
bring about the materialization of your desire by
a natural Law of Transference. If you are in business, it will increase and develop along regular
channels, possibly new or unusual channels of distribution will be opened and when the law becomes fully operative, you will find that the
things you seek are seeking you.
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For your next exercise select a blank space on

the wall, or any other convenient spot, from
where you usually sit, mentally draw a black horizontal line about six inches long, try to see the
line as plainly as though it were painted on the
wall; now mentally draw two vertical lines connecting with this horizontal line at either end;
now draw another horizontal line connecting with
the two vertical lines; now you have a square. Try
to see the square perfectly; when you can do so
draw a circle within the square; now place a point
in the center of the circle; now draw the point
toward you about 10 inches; now you have a cone
on a square base; you will remember that your
work was all in black; change it to white, to red,
to yellow.
If you can do this, you are making excellent
progress and will soon be enabled to concentrate
on any problem you may have in mind.

EXERCISE 11
For your next exercise, concentrate on the quotation taken from the Bible, Whatsoever things
ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them and ye shall have them; notice that there is
no limitation, Whatsoever things is very definite
and implies that the only limitation which is
placed upon us in our ability to think, to be equal
to the occasion, to rise to the emergency, to re11

member that Faith is not a shadow, but a substance, the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.

EXERCISE 12
Now go to the same room, take the same chair,
the same position as previously; be sure to relax,
let go, both mentally and physically; always do
this; never try to do any mental work under pressure; see that there are no tense muscles or
nerves, that you are entirely comfortable. Now
realize your unity with omnipotence; get into
touch with this power, come into a deep and vital
understanding, appreciation, and realization of
the fact that your ability to think is your ability
to act upon the Universal Mind, and bring it into
manifestation, realize that it will meet any and
every requirement; that you have exactly the
same potential ability which any individual ever
did have or ever will have, because each is but an
expression or manifestation of the One, all are
parts of the whole, there is no difference in kind
or quality, the only difference being one of degree.

word implies; concentrate so deeply, so earnestly,

that you will be conscious of nothing but harmony.
Remember, we learn by doing. Reading these lessons will get you nowhere. It is in the practical
application that the value consists.

EXERCISE 14
For your next exercise, concentrate on Insight;
take your accustomed position and focus the
thought on the fact that to have a knowledge of
the creative power of thought does not mean to
possess the art of thinking. Let the thought dwell
on the fact that knowledge does not apply itself.
That our actions are not governed by knowledge,
but by custom, precedent and habit. That the only way we can get ourselves to apply knowledge is
by a determined conscious effort. Call to mind
the fact that knowledge unused passes from the
mind, that the value of the information is in the
application of the principle; continue this line of
thought until you gain sufficient insight to formulate a definite program for applying this principle
to your own particular problem.

EXERCISE 13
For your next exercise concentrate on Harmony,
and when I say concentrate, I mean all that the
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EXERCISE 15
For your next exercise, try to bring yourself to a
realization of the important fact that harmony
and happiness are states of consciousness and do
not depend upon the possession of things. That
things are effects and come as a consequence of
correct mental states. So that if we desire material possession of any kind our chief concern
should be to acquire the mental attitude which
will bring about the result desired. This mental
attitude is brought about by a realization of our
spiritual nature and our unity with the Universal
Mind which is the substance of all things. This
realization will bring about everything which is
necessary for our complete enjoyment. This is
scientific or correct thinking. When we succeed
in bringing about this mental attitude it is comparatively easy to realize our desire as an already
accomplished fact; when we can do this we shall
have found the Truth which makes us free
from every lack or limitation of any kind.

EXERCISE 16
For your next exercise concentrate as nearly as
possible in accordance with the method outlined
in this Part; let there be no conscious effort or
activity associated with your purpose. Relax completely; avoid any thought of anxiety as to results. Remember that power comes through re14

pose. Let the thought dwell upon your object, until it is completely identified with it, until you are
conscious of nothing else.
If you wish to eliminate fear, concentrate on courage.
If you wish to eliminate lack, concentrate on abundance.
If you wish to eliminate disease, concentrate on
health.
Always concentrate on the ideal as an already existing fact; this is the germ cell, the life principle
which goes forth and sets in motion those causes
which guide, direct and bring about the necessary
relations, which eventually manifest in form.

EXERCISE 17
For your next exercise, concentrate, and when I
use the word concentrate, I mean all that the
word implies; become so absorbed in the object
of your thought that you are conscious of nothing
else, and do this a few minutes every day. You
take the necessary time to eat in order that the
body may be nourished, why not take the time to
assimilate your mental food?
Let the thought rest on the fact that appearances are deceptive. The earth is not flat, neither is it stationary; the sky is not a dome, the
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sun does not move, the stars are not small specks
of light, and matter which was once supposed to
be fixed has been found to be in a state of perpetual flux.
Try to realize that the day is fast approaching its dawn is now at hand - when modes of thought
and action must be adjusted to rapidly increasing
knowledge of the operation of eternal principles.

EXERCISE 18
For your next exercise, go into the Silence and
concentrate on the fact that in Him we live and
move and have our being is literally and scientifically exact! That you ARE because He IS, that if
He is Omnipresent He must be in you. That if He
is all in all you must be in Him! That He is Spirit
and you are made in His image and likeness and
that the only difference between His spirit and
your spirit is one of degree, that a part must be
the same in kind and quality as the whole. When
you can realize this clearly you will have found the
secret of the creative power of thought, you will
have found the origin of both good and evil, you
will have found the secret of the wonderful power
of concentration, you will have found the key to
the solution of every problem whether physical,
financial, or environmental.

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EXERCISE 19
For your next exercise concentrate on the Truth.
Try to realize that the Truth shall make you free,
that is, nothing can permanently stand in the way
of your perfect success when you learn to apply
the scientifically correct thought methods and
principles. Realize that you are externalizing in
your environment your inherent soul potencies.
Realize that the Silence offers an ever available
and almost unlimited opportunity for awakening
the highest conception of Truth. Try to comprehend that Omnipotence itself is absolute silence,
all else is change, activity, limitation. Silent
thought concentration is therefore the true method of reaching, awakening, and then expressing
the wonderful potential power of the world within.

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