Mars

Mars is the planet of desire and movement. It is constantly stimulating the "Now" and filling it with a vivid sharpness that keeps re-awakening one's consciousness. The most common misuse of the Mars energy is to project one's desires so far into the future that it makes one's actions in the "Now" seem meaningless. This causes discontent, unrest, and a constant state of frustration. The Mars of the "Now" is based on spontaneity. Mars adds movement to what otherwise might seem a reality of no progress. It should not keep projecting the individual beyond whatever he is doing in the present, but rather, it should stimulate his present with the vitality he needs in order to experience it. If a person keeps projecting his hopes and desires long into the future or wourld like to re-enact that which has already ben through then he is constantly losing vitality. He experiences an energy drain and may think it is coming from other people, when it is his own inability to act in his "Now".

Mars is the planet of motivation. It is the mover of ideas in to action. If one carefully observes the stimulation of Mars something very interesting reveals itself. Motivation to act comes quickly, perhaps many times in a single moment. But it also passes just as quickly. Thus, if a person spends his life analyzing his motivations he tends to lose so many of them that, in essence, he loses motivation to do anything at all. The need to do comes quickly. In order to experience the "Now" one must follow one's needs and then, by letting them pass, new ones will arise in their place. In some ways, similar to the function Mercury, the activity of Mars keeps one's vibration that leaves no room for depression, regret, or remorse.

Sometimes, Mars is primitive in it urges and does need some control through the wisdom of Saturn and the reason of Mercury, but never to the point where one inhibits, represses, and sublimates the powerful motivating energy that is stimulating him in th "Now." On it's raw level Mars does not question or analyze - it acts. And, it is through acting that man achieves a state of being. Every moment he is becoming. The joy of Mars is never in the reaching of one's ultimate goals, for when an individual reaches them, he may have long since forgotten the reason why he wanted them. Instead, the joy of Mars is to be found in one's constant state of becoming. This is the true source of motivation. Whatever one may ultimately achieve is far less important than his union with act of becoming, which is the stimulating, moving, vibrant quality of his "Now" experience.

Martin Schulman (Karmic Astrology, The Karma of the Now, pp.83-85)

One Way

Get into the flow... meditative, creative, active, productive, receptive, interactive. Where is the common ground of being for all life experience(s), where one remains consistently and joyfully in the zone?

Seeing = Doing.... where both the logical planning mind and the imaginative wish fulfillment part, the future and past mental orientations respectively, are removed and absent from immediate conscious presence. To SEE is to no longer remain unclear or confused about what action to take next... no thoughts about right or wrong action, a simple choice to DO or not do the right thing.

Confusion exists only where people (like me) become stuck up in their heads. There really is only one way to go, one right answer directly in front of me, and any/all thinking about "what should I do next, later or a year from now" can only lead to further confusion. Either one is present or absent... awake or asleep. It is never a matter of not knowing what to do...

From a broader perspective, it comes down to a simple choice... Uplift and regenerate the psychic mental emotional body through right living OR downgrade and destroy it through destructive wrong living. Acceptance of vast soul potential and the life practice that exercises this to the fullest extent OR seeking immediate escape and gratification from the austerity of the path by giving in to temptations or mistaking these for opportunities. It is the grooves, compulsions, patterns and habits of the mind that one must be mindful of. Will I spend the day in front of the television drinking beer or will I do something creative, productive, meaningful, even inspirational with this day? The choice is mine.

That which I quote as a universal truth should be free of dogma and the "tyranny of absolutes", and conversely individual truth, based on the particular needs for individual fulfillment and interests that develop, must be full of conviction and definite answers involving right or wrong, good or bad, black or white, choice A or choice B... here there is no middle path nor any room for indecision. The Universal and Individual frequently operate on opposite yet co-existing principles, and it is this contrast that adds multi-dimensional depth and meaning to our existence.

JDZ

In the Zone

Astrologically I refer to the spiritual purpose and manifest reality as the Sun - Ascendant (or Earth) respectively, from an individual-personal perspective... the dash connecting polarities of Sun and Earth is Lunar.

Where purpose is made manifest into a reality this dash or catalyst is a necessary vessel which must remain pure for the will of God to be made manifest. I call this Lunar subjective phenomenon that is instinctive, imaginative and intuitive, the art of flow. Flowing with the downstream movement of the inner and outer life, which truly are one and inseparable. Openness and receptivity to the stream of living as it is happening, here and now, immediate and eternal.

The Moon reflects various human needs, emotions, yearnings and desires which manifest as the experiences and values that make up our overall existence, experience and karmic condition as human beings on this Earth. The way of it is simply "letting go... to just go with the flow", allow the self to be empty and innocent, open to learning whatever the here-now experience is here to show us.

Manifest Reality is the *what-where-how-when* aspect of the individual-personal life path, mission and purpose that originates from Spirit, the Higher Source, Creator of all Creation, individual and universal. It is the form that gives visible, tangible and projected meaning to what it embodies in essence.

Spiritual Purpose transcends the particular mission and experience it has in the manifest world of form, the Earth. It is both Consciousness and Energy, Spirit and Nature... pervading all earthly life, it exists within and without all that we experience as this reality and the world around us.

The key as lunar/human beings is to be aligned within the flow of spirit and then follow through effectively or efficiently in the world of matter... this could be likened to the equalizer, volume and tone controls of a stereo being at just the right balance, taking into account the interests of the individual (spirit) and the sound of the music (matter), thus regulating or harmonizing the inner-outer flow and establishing right interconnection.

All that is required is awareness and attention, in the inner world of mind and the outer world of manifestation. Clear seeing is true being.

JDZ

Just Do It

How things ought to be in the world idealistically holds little interest now... Working pragmatically with what is, the immediately real and the actual, is all that I have time for in this life and on this Earth. When Gandhi said " be the change you wanna see in the world " he was referring to the change that is possible here and now, from deep within ourselves.

I am primarily interested in what is most efficient, effective and proactive, where acting and manifesting in this world is concerned. Regarding all that is really worthwhile, substantial and valuable in life, there is no substitute for actually doing the work. Nothing is meant to come to us easily and nobody is entitled to anything that isn't worked for.

New age philosophies ultimately are for folks who don't bother to read the classics, the real stuff that was written before any of us were even born. The source is where one needs to turn for right answers. People today just wanna cut corners and do it the easy way. There are a few exceptions to this... Dr. Wayne Dyer, for example, and some of the Abraham Hicks teachings.. particularly those about going with the downstream flow.

There is much wisdom here but once they make it sound too easy, like there is something else more central than simply living the moment and doing the work, here is where I grow suspicious.Don't tell me that I can just as easily create a mansion as a button... if you really want it to be that easy for me than provide the tools and the labor and all the work and money that goes into building a mansion!

There is nothing at all empowering in ridiculous broad statements like these... except maybe for those who really have confidence issues. It's not an issue about whether I can or cannot build a mansion or whatever I wish... the obstacle here is that it is a monstrous effort and a huge chunk of time that I don't have to spare.

Work and service are to be used as personal mantras... the reason nobody ever wants to hear the word 'work' when off duty is because society has drilled a very negative experience of it into us all. Rather than do as the new agers and other escape artists do, reacting against the status quo by choosing the opposite approach, I prefer to look at labor and effort in a whole new light, one that brings joy, meaning and personal fulfillment as well as contributing to the common good.

There are ways to align oneself from within so that the work at hand comes easier, more effortless and joyful. Undoubtedly it is most useful and efficient to work from a positive place... even more important to understand however is that without doing the work, the nitty gritty parts especially, there is nothing else.

Anytime I've actually done the work at hand I have been successful... anytime I've looked for an easy way out I have failed. It is as simple and straightforward as that... laziness is never an option for a man or woman of purpose, even if understandably it is a personal reality to struggle with and overcome.

I work today and everyday with the most positive perspective on how function and focus on a task at hand brings clarity to the whole field of responsibilities which make up my daily life. Rather than think about how hard it is, I mentally work on skillful ideas and plans for managing all other areas as well.

JDZ

Manifesting

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

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

How about a million dollars? No problem! Once again, visualize it and feel it, and then ... *POOF* ... Buy that lottery ticket and get to drive to get your winnings.

Does that sound silly? I hope that it does. Unfortunately, that is what is being taught as personal development nowadays.

I hate the word "manifest" or "manifesting" - at least the way it is used in today's personal development lexicon. Instead of working for something or earning something, many people today are being tricked into thinking that they can "manifest" anything merely by thinking about it. Unfortunately, it's not merely a silly notion, it is one that is seriously ruining many peoples' chances at a successful and happy life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Week Seven, Haanel wrote this -

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

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

Here's how Haanel describes "manifesting" in no uncertain terms -

You must see the picture more and more complete, see the detail, and, as the details begin to unfold the ways and means for bringing it into manifestation will develop. One thing will lead to another. Thought will lead to action, action will develop methods, methods will develop friends, and friends will bring about circumstances, and finally, the third step, or Materialization, will have been accomplished.

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

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

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

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

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

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

To labor is to serve and all service is honorable. But a "hewer of wood" contemplates blind service instead of intelligent service. Labor is the creative instinct in manifestation. Owing to the changes which have taken place in the industrial world, the creative instinct no longer finds expression. A man cannot build his own house, he cannot even make his own garden, he can by no means direct his own labor. He is therefore deprived of the greatest joy which can come to man, the joy of achieving, of creating, of accomplishing, and so this great power is perverted and turned into destructive channels. He can construct nothing for himself so he begins to destroy the works of his more fortunate fellows. Labor is however, finding that the Universe is not a chaos but a cosmos, that it is governed by immutable laws, that every condition is the result of a cause and that the same cause invariably produces the same effect. It is finding that these causes are mental, that thought predetermines action. It is finding that constructive thought brings about constructive conditions and destructive thought brings about destructive conditions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Author: Tony Michalski is the founder and owner of Kallisti Publishing, Inc. - "The Books You Need to Read to Succeed" -

** Another great piece by this author which reflects my thoughts exactly on manifesting... that hard work is essential.

JDZ

The Art of War

Quotations from Sun Tzu's the Art of War, also found at www.military-quotes.com/Sun-Tzu.htm:

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

"The art of using troops is this:
......When ten to the enemy's one, surround him;
......When five times his strength, attack him;
......If double his strength, divide him;
......If equally matched you may engage him;
......If weaker numerically, be capable of withdrawing;
......And if in all respects unequal, be capable of eluding him,
..........for a small force is but booty for one more powerful."
- Sun Tzu, the Art Of War

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys.
Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death!"
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to w in or lose.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be dampened. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor dampened, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue... In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

Though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy... use the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans, the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces, the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field, and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

There are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army: By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey; This is called hobbling the army. By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army; This causes restlessness in the soldier's minds. By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.
-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
- Sun Tzu

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
- Sun Tzu

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
- Sun Tzu

The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
- Sun Tzu

Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.
- Sun Tzu

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack - the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers. The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle - you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?
- Sun Tzu

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.
- Sun Tzu

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
- Sun Tzu

An army may march great distances without distress, if it marches through country where the enemy is not. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.
- Sun Tzu

Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
- Sun Tzu

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.
- Sun Tzu

Should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.
- Sun Tzu

In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them.
- Sun Tzu

Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.
- Sun Tzu

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
- Sun Tzu

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.
- Sun Tzu

Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.
- Sun Tzu

We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.
- Sun Tzu

Do not interfere with an army that is returning home. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
- Sun Tzu

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.
- Sun Tzu

When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is INSUBORDINATION. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is RUIN.
- Sun Tzu

The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
- Sun Tzu

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.
- Sun Tzu

If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.
- Sun Tzu

If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.
- Sun Tzu

On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.
- Sun Tzu

If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.
- Sun Tzu

Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve.
- Sun Tzu

If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity.
- Sun Tzu

Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.
- Sun Tzu

Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation. Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.
- Sun Tzu

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical. If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content.
- Sun Tzu

No leader should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no leader should fight a battle simply out of pique. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life. Hence the enlightened leader is heedful, and the good leader full of caution.
- Sun Tzu quotes

Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity; (2) They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straight forwardness; (3) Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports; (4) Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of warfare; (5) If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together with the man to whom the secret was told.
- Sun Tzu quotes

The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they will become double agents and available for our service. It is through the information brought by the double agent that we are able to acquire and employ local and inward spies. It is owing to his information, again, that we can cause the doomed spy to carry false tidings to the enemy.
- Sun Tzu quotes

"To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the supreme of excellence. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence."
- Sun Tzu quotes

A more modern day "Art of War" agenda:

The 48 Laws of Power

by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers

Law 1

Never Outshine the Master

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Law 2

Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies

Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

Law 3

Conceal your Intentions

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

Law 4

Always Say Less than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Law 5

So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

Law 6

Court Attention at all Cost

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.

Law 7

Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

Law 8

Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.

Law 9

Win through your Actions, Never through Argument

Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Law 10

Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

Law 11

Learn to Keep People Dependent on You

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.

Law 12

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

Law 13

When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest,

Never to their Mercy or Gratitude

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

Law 14

Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy

Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.

Law 15

Crush your Enemy Totally

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

Law 16

Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

Law 17

Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability

Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off-balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

Law 18

Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous

The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

Law 19

Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person

There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

Law 20

Do Not Commit to Anyone

It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, making them pursue you.

Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons. The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

Law 22

Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

Law 23

Concentrate Your Forces

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

Law 24

Play the Perfect Courtier

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the mot oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

Law 25

Re-Create Yourself

Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define if for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

Law 26

Keep Your Hands Clean

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.

Law 27

Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

Law 28

Enter Action with Boldness

If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.

Law 29

Plan All the Way to the End

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

Law 30

Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless

Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.

Law 31

Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal

The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

Law 32

Play to People’s Fantasies

The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes for disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.

Law 33

Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew

Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usual y an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.

Law 34

Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one

The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated; In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.

Law 35

Master the Art of Timing

Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

Law 36

Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge

By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

Law 37

Create Compelling Spectacles

Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.

Law 38

Think as you like but Behave like others

If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

Law 39

Stir up Waters to Catch Fish

Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.

Law 40

Despise the Free Lunch

What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.

Law 41

Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes

What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.

Law 42

Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter

Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual – the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoned of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.

Law 43

Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others

Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

Law 44

Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect

The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of Mirror Effect.

Law 45

Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

Law 46

Never appear too Perfect

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

Law 47

Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop

The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.

Law 48

Assume Formlessness

By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.

The Solar Plexus

From Part Three (#'s 5-19) of "The Master Key System", by Charles Haanel

5. The Solar Plexus has been likened to the sum of the body, because it is a central point of distribution for the energy which the body is constantly generating. This energy is very real energy, and this sun is a very real sun, and the energy is being distributed by very real nerves to all parts of the body, and is thrown off in an atmosphere which envelopes the body.

6. If this radiation is sufficiently strong the person is called magnetic; he is said to be filled with personal magnetism. Such a person may wield an immense power for good. His presence alone will often bring comfort to the troubled minds with which he comes in contact.

7. When the Solar Plexus is in active operation and is radiating life, energy and vitality to every part of the body, and to every one whom he meets, the sensations are pleasant, the body is filled with health and all with whom he comes in contact experience a pleasant sensation.

8. If there is any interruption of this radiation the sensations are unpleasant, the flow of life and energy to some part of the body is stopped, and this is the cause of every ill to the human race, physical, mental or environmental.

9. Physical because the sun of the body is no longer generating sufficient energy to vitalize some part of the body; mental because the conscious mind is dependent upon the subconscious mind for the vitality necessary to support its thought, and environmental, because the connection between the subconscious mind and the Universal mind, is being interrupted.

10. The Solar Plexus is the point at which the part meets with the whole, where the finite becomes Infinite, where the Uncreate becomes create, the Universal becomes individualized, the Invisible becomes visible. It is the point at which life appears and there is no limit to the amount of life an individual may generate from this Solar centre.

11. This centre of energy is Omnipotent because it is the point of contact with all life and all intelligence. It can therefore accomplish whatever it is directed to accomplish, and herein lies the power of the conscious mind; the subconscious can and will carry out such plans and ideas as may be suggested to it by the conscious mind.

12. Conscious thought, then, is master of this sun centre from which the life and energy of the entire body flows and the quality of the thought which we entertain determines the quality of the thought which this sun will radiate, and the character of the thought which our conscious mind entertains will determine the character of the thought which this sun will radiate, and the nature of the thought which our conscious mind entertains will determine the nature of thought which this sun will radiate, and consequently will determine the nature of the experience which will result.

13. It is evident, therefore, that all we have to do is let our light shine; the more energy we can radiate, the more rapidly shall we be enabled to transmute undesirable conditions into sources of pleasure and profit. The important question, then, is how to let this light shine; how to generate this energy.

14. Non-resistant thought expands the Solar Plexus; resistant thought contracts it. Pleasant thought expands it; unpleasant thought contracts it. Thoughts of courage, power, confidence and hope all produce a corresponding state, but the one arch enemy of the Solar Plexus which must be absolutely destroyed before there is any possibility of letting any light shine is fear. This enemy must be completely destroyed; he must be eliminated; he must be expelled forever; he is the cloud which hides the sun; which causes a perpetual gloom.

15. It is this personal devil which makes men fear the past, the present and the future; fear themselves, their friends and their enemies; fear everything and everybody. When fear is effectually and completely destroyed, your light will shine, the clouds will disperse and you will have found the source of power, energy and life.

16. When you find that you are really one with the Infinite power, and when you can consciously realize this power by a practical demonstration of your ability to overcome any adverse condition by the power of your thought, you will have nothing to fear; fear will have been destroyed and you will have come into possession of your birthright.

17. It is our attitude of mind toward life which determines the experiences with which we are to meet; if we expect nothing, we shall have nothing; if we demand much, we shall receive the greater portion. The world is harsh only as we fail to assert ourselves. The criticism of the world is bitter only to those who cannot compel room for their ideas. It is fear of this criticism that causes many ideas to fail to see the light of day.

18. But the man who knows that he has a Solar Plexus will not fear criticism or anything else; he will be too busy radiating courage, confidence, and power; he will anticipate success by his mental attitude; he will pound barriers to pieces, and leap over the chasm of doubt and hesitation which fear places in his path.

19. A knowledge of our ability to consciously radiate health, strength and harmony will bring us into a realization that there is nothing to fear because we are in touch with Infinite Strength.

Master Key System

Part One of The Master Key System, written in 1909 by Charles Haanal. Would you bring into your life more power, get the power consciousness, more health, get the health consciousness, more happiness, get the happiness consciousness. Live the spirit of these things until they become yours by right. It will then become impossible to keep them from you. The things of the world are fluid to a power within man by which he rules them.

You need not acquire this power. You already have it. But you want to understand it; you want to use it; you want to control it; you want to impregnate yourself with it, so that you can go forward and carry the world before you.

Day by day as you go on and on, as you gain momentum, as your inspiration deepens, as your plans crystallize, as you gain understanding, you will come to realize that this world is no dead pile of stones and timber, but that it is a living thing! It is made up of the beating hearts of humanity. It is a thing of life and beauty.

It is evident that it requires understanding to work with material of this description, but those who come into this understanding, are inspired by a new light, a new force, they gain confidence and greater power each day, they realize their hopes and their dreams come true, life has a deeper, fuller, clearer meaning than before.

And, now, Part One....

Part One

1. That much gathers more is true on every plane of existence and that loss leads to greater loss is equally true.

2. Mind is creative, and conditions, environment and all experiences in life are the result of our habitual or predominant mental attitude.

3. The attitude of mind necessarily depends upon what we think. Therefore, the secret of all power, all achievement and all possession depends upon our method of thinking.

4. This is true because we must "be" before we can "do," and we can "do" only to the extent which we "are," and what we "are" depends upon what we "think."

5. We cannot express powers that we do not possess. The only way by which we may secure possession of power is to become conscious of power, and we can never become conscious of power until we learn that all power is from within.

6. There is a world within – a world of thought and feeling and power; of light and life and beauty and, although invisible, its forces are mighty.

7. The world within is governed by mind. When we discover this world we shall find the solution for every problem, the cause for every effect; and since the world within is subject to our control, all laws of power and possession are also within our control.

8. The world without is a reflection of the world within. What appears without is what has been found within. In the world within may be found infinite Wisdom, infinite Power, infinite Supply of all that is necessary, waiting for unfoldment, development and expression. If we recognize these potentialities in the world within they will take form in the world without.

9. Harmony in the world within will be reflected in the world without by harmonious conditions, agreeable surroundings, the best of everything. It is the foundation of health and a necessary essential to all greatness, all power, all attainment, all achievement and all success.

10. Harmony in the world within means the ability to control our thoughts, and to determine for ourselves how any experience is to affect us.

11. Harmony in the world within results in optimism and affluence; affluence within results in affluence without.

12. The world without reflects the circumstances and the conditions of the consciousness within.

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

14. As we become conscious of the wisdom in the world within, we mentally take possession of this wisdom, and by taking mental possession we come into actual possession of the power and wisdom necessary to bring into manifestation the essentials necessary for our most complete and harmonious development.

15. The world within is the practical world in which the men and women of power generate courage, hope, enthusiasm, confidence, trust and faith, by which they are given the fine intelligence to see the vision and the practical skill to make the vision real.

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

17. All possession is based on consciousness. All gain is the result of an accumulative consciousness. All loss is the result of a scattering consciousness.

18. Mental efficiency is contingent upon harmony; discord means confusion; therefore, he who would acquire power must be in harmony with Natural Law.

19. We are related to the world without by the objective mind. The brain is the organ of this mind and the cerebro-spinal system of nerves puts us in conscious communication with every part of the body. This system of
nerves responds to every sensation of light, heat, odor, sound and taste.

20. When this mind thinks correctly, when it understands the truth, when the thoughts sent through the cerebro-spinal nervous system to the body are constructive, these sensations are pleasant, harmonious.

21. The result is that we build strength, vitality and all constructive forces into our body, but it is through this same objective mind that all distress, sickness, lack, limitation and every form of discord and inharmony is admitted to our lives. It is therefore through the objective mind, by wrong thinking, that we are related to all destructive forces.

22. We are related to the world within by the subconscious mind. The solar plexus is the organ of this mind; the sympathetic system of nerves presides over all subjective sensations, such as joy, fear, love, emotion, respiration, imagination and all other subconscious phenomena. It is through the subconscious that we are connected with the Universal Mind and brought into relation with the Infinite constructive forces of the Universe.

23. It is the coordination of these two centers of our being, and the understanding of their functions, which is the great secret of life. With this knowledge we can bring the objective and subjective minds into conscious cooperation and thus coordinate the finite and the infinite. Our future is entirely within our own control. It is not at the mercy of any capricious or uncertain external power.

24. All agree that there is but one Principle or Consciousness pervading the entire Universe, occupying all space, and being essentially the same in kind at every point of its presence. It is all powerful, all wisdom and always present. All thoughts and things are within Itself. It is all in all.

25. There is but one consciousness in the universe able to think; and when it thinks, its thoughts become objective things to it. As this Consciousness is omnipresent, it must be present within every individual; each individual must be a manifestation of that Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Consciousness.

26. As there is only one Consciousness in the Universe that is able to think it necessarily follows that your consciousness is identical with the Universal Consciousness, or, in other words, all mind is one mind. There is no dodging this conclusion.

27. The consciousness that focuses in your brain cells is the same consciousness which focuses in the brain cells of every other individual. Each individual is but the individualization of the Universal, the Cosmic Mind.

28. The Universal Mind is static or potential energy; it simply is; it can manifest only through the individual, and the individual can manifest only through the Universal. They are one.

29. The ability of the individual to think is his ability to act on the Universal and bring it into manifestation. Human consciousness consists only in the ability of man to think. Mind in itself is believed to be a subtle form of static energy, from which arises the activities called 'thought, ' which is the dynamic phase of mind. Mind is static energy, thought is dynamic energy -the two phases of the same thing. Thought is therefore the vibratory force formed by converting static mind into dynamic mind.

30. As the sum of all attributes are contained in the Universal Mind, which is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, these attributes must be present at all times in their potential form in every individual. Therefore, when the individual thinks, the thought is compelled by its nature to embody itself in an objectivity or condition which will correspond with its origin.

31. Every thought therefore is a cause and every condition an effect; for this reason it is absolutely essential that you control your thoughts so as to bring forth only desirable conditions.

32. All power is from within, and is absolutely under your control; it comes through exact knowledge and by the voluntary exercises of exact principles.

33. It should be plain that when you acquire a thorough understanding of this law, and are able to control your thought processes, you can apply it to any condition; in other words, you will have come into conscious cooperation with Omnipotent law which is the fundamental basis of all things.

34. The Universal Mind is the life principle of every atom which is in existence; every atom is continually striving to manifest more life; all are intelligent, and all are seeking to carry out the purpose for which they were created.

35. A majority of mankind lives in the world without; few have found the world within, and yet it is the world within that makes the world without; it is therefore creative and everything which you find in your world without has been created by you in the world within.

36. This system will bring you into a realization of power which will be yours when you understand this relation between the world without and the world within. The world within is the cause, the world without the effect; to change the effect you must change the cause.

37. You will at once see that this is a radically new and different idea; most men try to change effects by working with effects. They fail to see that this is simply changing one form of distress for another. To remove discord, we must remove the cause, and this cause can be found only in the world within.

38. All growth is from within. This is evident in all nature. Every plant, every animal, every human is a living testimony to this great law, and the error of the ages is in looking for strength or power from without.

39. The world within is the Universal fountain of supply, and the world without is the outlet to the stream. Our ability to receive depends upon our recognition of this Universal Fountain, this Infinite Energy of which each individual is an outlet, and so is one with every other individual.

40. Recognition is a mental process, mental action is therefore the interaction of the individual upon the Universal Mind, and as the Universal Mind is the intelligence which pervades all space and animates all living things, this mental action and reaction is the law of causation, but the principle of causation does not obtain in the individual but in the Universal Mind. It is not an objective faculty but a subjective process, and the results are seen in an infinite variety of conditions and experiences.

41. In order to express life there must be mind; nothing can exist without mind. Everything which exists is some manifestation of this one basic substance from which and by which all things have been created and are continually being recreated.

42. We live in a fathomless sea of plastic mind substance. This substance is ever alive and active. It is sensitive to the highest degree. It takes form according to the mental demand. Thought forms the mold or matrix from which the substance expresses.

43. Remember that it is in the application alone that the value consists, and that a practical understanding of this law will substitute abundance for poverty, wisdom for ignorance, harmony for discord and freedom for tyranny, and certainly there can be no greater blessing than these from a material and social standpoint.

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 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.

45. 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.

Study Questions with Answers

1. What is the world without in its relation to the world within?

The world without is a reflection of the world within.

2. Upon what does all possession depend?

All possession is based on consciousness.

3. How is the individual related to the objective world?

The individual is related to the objective world by the objective mind;
the brain is the organ of this mind.

4. How is he related to the Universal Mind?
He is related to the Universal Mind by the subconscious mind;
the Solar Plexus is the organ of this mind.

5. What is the Universal Mind?
The Universal Mind is the life principle of every atom which is in existence.

6. How can the Individual act on the Universal?
The ability of the individual to think is his ability to act upon
the Universal and bring it into manifestation.

7. What is the result of this action and interaction?
The result of this action and interaction is cause and effect; every thought is a cause and every condition an effect.

8. How are harmonious and desirable conditions secured?
Harmonious and desirable conditions are obtained by right thinking.

9. What is the cause of all discord, inharmony, lack and limitation?
Discord, inharmony, lack and limitation are the result of wrong thinking.

10. What is the source of all powers?
The source of all power is the world within, the Universal Fountain of Supply, the Infinite Energy of which each individual is an outlet.

The Master Key is You

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' 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.
About the Author

Tony Michalski is the founder and owner of Kallisti Publishing, Inc. - "The Books You Need to Read to Succeed" - http://www.kallistipublishing.com. Kallisti Publishing, Inc. has been publishing books since 2000 and has successfully published the entire Charles F. Haanel library, Steven "Rusty" Johnson's book Walk, Don't Run, the US National Security Commission report Road Map For National Security, and others. Tony is also the author of the Master Key Workbook.