The Master Key System Chapter 4 Explained

The Master Key System Chapter 4 begins by explaining the great mystery called ‘I’.

When you say, “I am”, what is this ‘I’ you are referring to?

Charles Haanel explains that the ‘I’ is not the body.

The I is not even the mind.

The body and mind are tools which the I uses to experience life.

“Your personality is made up of countless individual characteristics, peculiarities, habits, and traits of character. These are the result of your former method of thinking, but they have nothing to do with the real “I.””

— Charles Haanel

So if the I is not the body, mind or your personality, what on earth could it be?

The I is consciousness itself.

Your ‘I’ is connected to the Universal ‘I’.

This is the reason for many parapsychological findings.

Phenomena such as remote viewing, astral projection, telepathy and clairvoyance are possible if the individual consciousness is a subset of a greater universal consciousness.

The Master Key System Chapter 4 Big Idea: Remove the idea of competition

“A part cannot antagonize any other part, but, on the contrary, the welfare of each part depends upon a recognition of the interest of the whole.”

— Charles Haanel

This advice echoes that of Wallace D. Wattles, the New Thought author of ‘The Science of Getting Rich’.

“Get rid of the thought of competition. You are to create, not to compete for what is already created. You do not have to take anything away from any one. You do not have to drive sharp bargains. You do not have to cheat, or to take advantage. You do not need to let any man work for you for less than he earns.”

— Wallace Wattles

Many people operate from the paradigm that life is a Zero Sum Game.

A game in which there are a finite number of chips on the board and the only way to be better off is to compete and dominate your opponents.

This idea is false because there is great abundance in the world.

It’s not about competing for what’s already existing but learning to create more abundance from your mind.

In the past cavemen competed for the limited number of apples on a tree.

As mankind progressed and started using their minds, better solutions became apparent.  

Instead of competing for the single apple tree, we learnt to grow orchids.

From one orchid came thousands.

Life is filled with incredible opportunities for abundance, but these options can be accessed only through a change of thinking.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.”

— Albert Einstein

Haanel explains how when you cheat other people you are also cheating yourself.

Since all ‘I’ are connected, you will pay for the damages in one way or another.

We all depend on each other and must work together to create a better world.

This is similar to the advice given by Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

“The universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutual benefit based on true value and never for harm.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Charles Haanel’s Affirmation

Haanel gives us an important affirmation to repeat several times a day.  

This affirmation strengthens the will and acts as a reminder of all the teachings from The Master Key System.

The affirmation is:

“I can be what I will to be.”

Now simply saying it won’t do anything.

You need to contemplate it and act on the affirmation.

Haanel recommends you get in the habit of completing the things your I says.

So when you say something as trivial as,

“I will go for a walk at 5PM”,

you must stick to it.

The more you respect your I, the more potential for creation it has.

If you can keep your word on the small things, it becomes far easier to keep it on the big things.

Going for a walk at 5 and selling your business for $5 million dollars all draw from the same power:

Your individualized ‘I’.

And when you think constructively for the good of other ‘Is’, you can draw power from the Universal and manifest what you want quicker.

Connecting with the Universal ‘I’

The key to connecting with the Universal I comes through silence.

This is why many of the exercises in The Master Key System utilize a meditative state.

“The Universal cannot express through you as long as you are busy with your plans, your own purposes; quiet the senses…”

— Charles Haanel

Have regular breaks where you can calm your mind and get into a more receptive state.

This can be done through going on walks, meditating or any other relaxing activity.

Stop trying to force things into working out exactly the way you want.

Often, things do not go to plan, and new and better opportunities present themselves.

If you are too stuck in your vision of how things should happen you will miss ‘The Bridge of Incidents’.

The Master Key System Chapter 4 Exercise Explained

“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.”

The Master Key System Chapter 4 lesson exercise is about removing negative impressions from the mind.

This is done so the student can have more control of their thought impulses.

As explained throughout the book, thoughts are the cause, and your outer world is the effect.

If you want to see drastic changes in your outer condition, you need to master your mind.

You cannot master your mind if you are constantly reacting to negative emotions which lower your energy.

Haanel explains how this will likely be a difficult task with many struggles.

This I normal because you are exercising something you likely haven’t exercised before – your mind.

“Mental strength is secured in exactly the same way that physical strength is secured, by exercise.”

— Charles Haanel

The more you practice, the easier it will be to control negative impressions.

Once these weeds are cleared, you will have fertile soil to plant the seeds you want.

Do this, and you will be one step closer to living and dying well.