As we explore the exercise for Week One of The Master Key System, this marks the first in what will be a series for the next twenty-four weeks as we explore and explain each and every exercise in the book. While in the previous "cycle" we explicated thoroughly the body of the book with only glances at the exercises, for this cycle we will focus solely on the exercises.

As you may know, I've often referred to the exercises in The Master Key System as the "meat and potatoes" of the book. Friedrich Nietzsche once remarked that all books could be reduced to one paragraph without losing any meaning. While I think that might be tough with The Master Key System, I've opined that it could be reduced to maybe five or six pages.

That's because the ideas in the book are presented in many ways. You have the various "laws" (attraction, love, growth), the concepts of the "world without" and the "world within," the ideas of "cause and effect," and other such notions — and each is presented in different forms throughout the work.

The real power of the book resides in the exercises. As Haanel often writes, it is "in the application alone that the value consists." By that he means that we should practice the exercises.

Or, as I often say, it's not good enough to read the book and know the information, one must truly understand the material in order to experience the wonderful effects of this philosophy.

So, for those reasons, for the next twenty-four weeks we will explore, explain, and make clear each and every exercise that Haanel gave us in The Master Key System. I am highly confident that you will benefit greatly from these teleseminars. If what I receive in my email is any indication, the vast amount of questions I receive all revolve around how to master an exercise. So, I hope that I help a lot of people — including you.

To obtain the full benefit from these articles, teleseminars and exercises, I highly recommend that you get for yourself Charles F. Haanel's Complete Master Key Course. You'll not only get the best version of The Master Key System available anywhere, you'll get the entire philosophy of success — plus a whole lot more. Have a look; you'll be glad that you did.

The Exercise44. 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 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.The Exercise ExplainedThe first exercise that Haanel gives us and that we encounter is a seemingly easy one. It's one not to be taken lightly, though. As you'll see as we progress through the exercises week by week, each new exercise builds upon the one prior to it. In other words, by the time we reach Week Twenty-four, we will see a cumulative effect with the exercises.

So, take each exercise seriously — and do master them as best you can, especially with the information you garner from these teleseminars and articles.

For Week One, Haanel instructs us to sit comfortably and be "perfectly still" for fifteen minutes to half an hour. What's the purpose of this? As Haanel wrote, it's to "secure complete control of the body."

This is very important. As we progress through the exercises, we'll be dealing mainly with the mental aspect of ourselves. In order to get to that point, we must first control our body, which may be a distraction from our mental pursuits.

Now, this is a bit of a difference in thought from what we will come to know of Haanel's philosophy. You see, Haanel — and The Master Key System as well as the entire philosop...