PART I
How to Understand Yourself

7.THE SEVEN KEYS TO POWER

By 1955, sleep education via transitional-sleep methods had progressed a long way. No longer was sleep learning a hit-or-miss method benefiting only a few, but a predictable tool for learning languages and other courses of study, yielding benefits up to 85 per cent for all who used it. Our primary interest in developing transitional sleep was for educational purposes, to find a tool for supplementing regular studies, and consequently our first publication Transitional Sleep Education (1957) was directed solely toward the student.

Transitional sleep was next successfully applied to such prob­lems as control of nervous tension, weight, smoking, and other undesirable habits. Each new application, whether in education or the control of habits, was well received, and each established a new milestone in the sleep-learning field.
Recent applications of transitional sleep to the more vital phases of man's well-being, health, personality, and self-attain­ment have met with a success far surpassing anything done pre­viously. Both editions of Transitional Sleep Education (1957 and 1959) dealt with earlier phases of research, but this book is devoted almost entirely to proved self-attainment programs evolved during the past two years.

OUR WORLD OF CAUSES AND EFFECTS

There are reasons for everything. A man does not become sick without reason. There are primary reasons for laziness, un-happiness, and failure, for this is a cause-and-effect universe.

Far too many failures occur in the psychological, social, and medical fields because too much attention is directed toward effects instead of causes. Pills are prescribed for a stomach ache, although the pain is only a reflection of past causes gone un­noticed. Personality weaknesses, like physical ailments, are ef­fects reflecting past causes. When you understand the reasons responsible for a given effect, you are far better equipped to solve the problem than you might be otherwise. When you see a person who is chronically ill, or one who is crushed by a series of defeats, you are viewing the accumulated end-effects produced by certain causes in operation. Strange as it may seem, there are only seven first causes for the untold problems afflicting human beings from the cradle to the grave. While heredity, en­vironment, and sociological differences allow an infinity of frail­ties to develop, these causes are secondary and must be con­sidered first-cause responsibilities.

DEFINING SECONDARY CAUSES

Interview ten men, each of whom has suffered two or more business failures. Each of these men will give you an interesting assortment of reasons for his failures. Bad weather, politics, un fair labor practices, racial discrimination, location, poor health, competition, and other causes will be given. Obviously, these and similar excuses are secondary causes employed to mask deeper first-cause personality flaws. Most of us resort to the practice of passing the buck to explain our defeats. We con­veniently overlook first causes and blame secondary causes for our ill health and bad habits. We blame environment, our work, the boss, doctors, heredity, heat, cold, dust, fate, and so on for our present state, because it is the simplest way to avoid first-cause responsibility for our self-generated physical problems.

The seven keys controlling human destiny are the four basic qualities of human personality: (1) attention, (2) concentra­tion, (3) memory, and (4) visualization; and the three basic attitudes of the human personality, (5) motivation, (6) self-confidence, and (7) will power. These seven factors are the building blocks for human ability. The lack of ability or ability unexpressed indicates weakness in one or more of the seven vital keys. Repair these personality flaws and you erase illness, error, defeat, and frustration.

Is it hard to believe that these seven factors can be responsi­ble for so much misery? Be completely honest with yourself and it should be easy to understand. View your defeats objectively, one by one, and you are bound to agree that first-cause responsi­bility is yours and yours alone. Every defeat traced back to its original cause reveals a flaw in one or more of the seven keys in the human personality!

SEVEN KEYS TO POWER

The four basic qualities and the three basic attitudes are often referred to as the keys to success, or the keys to wisdom. We refer to these seven units as the seven keys to power, because when all are scientifically attuned and operating in harmony the potential power of the individual is dynamic and limitless. Too often these seven units are out of balance, which accounts for much mediocrity, frustration, and failure. The units, or keys, that are weak become flaws in the fabric of the personality and cause power failures unless they are strengthened and repaired. Finan­cial success and happiness are not accidents, neither is magnetic personality, good health, or peace of mind bestowed without rhyme or reason. All result from harmony and balanced action, generated by the seven keys to power.

The seven keys to power are:

Can a structure be stronger than its foundation? Should a man expect to have ability without first laying a foundation for that ability that is both firm and secure? No, abilities require development, and while it is true that some of us have an apti­tude for certain things, the development of talent naturally re­quires effort and study. But, before ability can be properly de­veloped, seven fundamental factors should be present and har­moniously related. True ability is well rounded and its forces may be channeled in any direction toward any goal. True ability is flexible, for, like a powerful automobile, it may be steered along any route toward any destination, and it is yours to direct. Personalities often appear lopsided owing to cultivation along a particular line while other factors lack development and depth.

Man's adjustment, yes, even his very sanity, reflects the har­monious operation of attention, concentration, memory, and visualization. As a person drops in physical and mental tone, efficiency in these respective areas is reduced or impaired. With reduced attention, one is less able to concentrate, his memory suffers, his visualization (creative principle) becomes auto­matically impaired, and he is heading for trouble.

ATTENTION, THE KEY TO ENERGY

Volumes have been written about the power of the human mind. No one denies that all accomplishment flows from this one source, for without the individual and collective influence of mind power over the physical universe, human progress could not occur. What is this power that elevates man above other creatures of earth? Why do some appear to possess a super­abundance of this subtle force, while others are able to command so little? In times past, little was understood regarding the na­ture of this power. Phenomenal human success was attributed solely to luck or coincidence. Today, we know this is not true, for modern psychology has tested and analyzed the factors in­fluencing the lives of men. Mental power is no longer a mystery, neither is success, failure, good health, or peace of mind at­tributed to the hand of fate, for achievement factors are now understood and can be controlled. Mental strength demonstrates its force as a unit, but like many units of force it is composed in essence of many integrating factors contributing to its whole. Like the links of a chain, they must be strong to assure uniform strength. The rays of the sun do not warm the skin on a winter day, but they will burn in an instant when directed through a magnifying glass. It is the same with the power of mind. Scatter your attention and you accomplish little, but focus your attention and things begin to happen. What you give your attention to be­comes influenced by you, for attention is energy, alive, active, and very potent!

CONCENTRATION, THE KEY TO MIND POWER

Patterns of human accomplishment fluctuate from the highest levels of attainment to the depths of misery and frustration. It has been written that all men of sound mind and body are ade­quately equipped to cope with the problems of the physical universe, so why does this vast chasm in the achievements of men exist? What qualities does one possess that sets one apart from his fellow man, bringing success to his efforts, while others flit from one thing to another and fail consistently? Everyone who falls short of his expectations has within his being all of the elements that breed success, and he fails only through an in­ability to perceive them and to direct their use. The power of mind is infinite, and through concentration of this power one may convert illness into health and change mediocrity and failure into glowing success. Attention, the key to energy, is the "fuel for accomplishment. The art of concentration is the ability not only to direct your attention toward what captures your interest, but to retain upon the canvas of your mind every detail of those im­pressions. The law of concentration, then, demands that you apply attention, or life energy, with force and persistence, main­taining a steadfast course without interruption until your ob­jective is reached.

MEMORY, THE KEY TO SURVIVAL

Memory is the key to conscious survival and rational thought, a complete record of accumulated knowledge stored in the sub­conscious for use throughout life. It is well to know that nothing of a mental nature is ever lost. Memories cannot escape. For­gotten memories have merely slipped quietly from the area of conscious recall into the deep recesses of the unconscious. Im­perfect memories are the result of inattention and poor concen­tration at the time the original impressions were received. When we cannot recall a mental picture or a name or a piece of infor­mation, we are unconscious of that material due to mental blocks between the conscious and subconscious areas of the mind. The obstructions are ordinarily psychological and result from postu­lates, fear, defeat, and other negative attitudes. How sad it is that such a trifling amount of our vast lifetime accumulation of memory data is available to us on command. All of us have literally an unlimited wealth of knowledge buried deep within the mind, just beyond our conscious reach. Your mind has made a perfect record of every page you have ever read, every lesson you have ever learned, and every experience you have ever had and filed it away in your subconscious for future reference.

Can you imagine the tremendous upsurge in power that would be yours should this storehouse of wisdom suddenly be thrown open to you? The knowledge is there, it is yours, you have earned it through a lifetime of effort and experience. Should you be de­prived of its use? Is it possible to cultivate a good memory after your ability to recall has waned from abuse, careless habits, mis­use, and poor attention? Of course it is. Change the habits that produced the forgetfulness and the memory improves immedi­ately. Learn to direct your attention, master the art of concen­tration, and you harness the twin powers of energy and mind power! Then, through deep relaxation of mind and body, the tensions, the restrictions, and the accumulated mental blocks that have denied free access to your subconscious can be erased, releasing memories that are sharp and clear.

VISUALIZATION, THE KEY TO CREATIVITY

Imagination applied constructively is your greatest tool. When you learn to harness the force of your creative intellect, you can direct the powers of imagination into constructive chan­nels. Creative visualization is a form of mental picture-making employing the imagination as a dynamic tool with which to achieve cherished ambitions. The third law of achievement states: You cannot achieve what you are unable to perceive. In other words, you must be able to visualize in complete detail that finished product, that goal, to be able to see it in your mind's eye as yours, as something already accomplished, before you can be certain of achievement. Every successful scientist employs this technique. Inventors create visual models and then proceed toward the material duplication. Does the financial wizard ac­cidentally make money? No, he, too, must follow the law of achievement. He visualizes his financial success. Before him he constantly maintains his visualized goals. In the dynamics of visualization, or the ability to employ mental creations to im­prove one's life, we find perhaps the most gratifying single tech­nique available to us.

Idle dreams are products of the imagination but they lack force and permanence. Mental creations become realities when fortified by attention, concentration, memory, and persistent application. Through the process visualization becomes the key to creativity. Attention, concentration, memory, and visualiza­tion, the life units, are pro-survival, and weaknesses in these areas are reflected immediately on the tone scale. When one has little attention left, one is unable to concentrate, his memory suffers, he cannot recall memory pictures, therefore visualization is reduced, precipitating a drop in general tone. When the first four keys to power are functioning at optimum level, it is not difficult to employ the unified forces to turn on the next three keys, motivation, self-confidence, and will power. An attitude does not require time in which to develop or to change. Skills and abilities do. An attitude can be reversed or changed, often in a few moments. That is why we prefer the term "turning on" to "developing" when we refer to a change of attitude. An atti­tude is a state of mind, a feeling, or a conviction about a thing or an idea. True, you may change your mind slowly, and say the new attitude developed with time, but, again, you could have arrived at the same conclusion within minutes, obviating the necessity for either time or development. It has been demon­strated over and over that when the four life units (Keys 1, 2, 3, and 4) have been fully activated, it becomes a fairly simple process to "turn on" the next three keys. The accumulated power of the life units may then be channeled evenly to round out the harmony and rhythm of the entire seven keys to power.

MOTIVATION, THE KEY TO AMBITION

Motivation is the key to ambition, and since ambition is synonymous with desire, motivation and desire are close indeed. Achievement must be prefaced by intense desire, since it is rare for a person to succeed at anything when interest and desire are lacking. What is the spark that leads to ambition? Why are some ambitious while others are content to slide through life, giving little thought to the present and even less to the future?

We cannot attribute a thirst for achievement to either en­vironment or heredity, or even to a combination of both, for ambition is an attitude of mind and may occur without rhyme or reason. In a broad sense, motivation embraces the reasons why we desire certain things. Motivation can come from many sources —a keen sense of responsibility, a desire to help others, social position, or financial security, to cite but a few. Those with drive and strong ambition possess a burning desire for achievement. Desire that is weak may be classified as mere hope. Desire ac­companied by belief becomes a conviction, and strong desire, fortified by belief, without doubt, becomes certainty.

Man often limits his potential by selling himself short and expecting too little. Nothing is in short supply. The universe abounds with an almost inexhaustible supply of everything that contributes to our well-being and happiness. Expect little and we attract little. Enlarge our expectancy and we open the door­way to abundance.

SELF-CONFIDENCE, THE KEY TO ATTAINMENT

Self-confidence is one of the most desired attributes. Those with abundant confidence in themselves and their abilities are the architects of our social structure; they will shape the future of the world just as they have influenced its past. Self-confidence is an attitude, a state of mind. It is not a skill; it is not an ability. It cannot be inherited, purchased, or borrowed. Confidence dwells within. It is an inner knowingness, a belief in oneself that denies fear, doubt, and failure. When a man looks and feels and thinks positively he is self-confident. He knows he is going to succeed, for he visualizes success and he sees himself as successful.

Through self-confidence empires are built, wars are won, and fortunes made. The feeling of self-confidence is a force that permeates the entire being; it floods the mind with assurance, the body with health and energy, and lends to man's actions a dynamic force and strength that cannot be denied. The one who possesses it becomes a leader of men because his very being projects truth and forcefulness.

Self-confidence is not strange, but it is an invisible and in­tangible thing; either you feel it or you don't, depending upon your past experiences and the impressions those experiences have suggested and left on the canvas of your subconscious mind. If your early training led you to accept defeat as inevitable or even probable, your present degree of self-confidence will in all likeli­hood reflect those experiences. If, on the other hand, your en­vironment and early training furnished experiences that bol­stered your self-esteem, those impressions will have contributed to a greater measure of self-confidence. Self-confidence is one of the most important attitudes. Those who enjoy buoyant con­fidence in themselves often may succeed with little else to qualify them, whereas thousands of able people, with other excellent qualifications, accept defeat daily because they lack self-confidence.

WILL POWER, THE KEY TO ACTION

Will power is the tenacious pursuit of an idea or goal. Seldom are worth-while achievements accomplished without persistent effort. Directed toward a specified purpose, this forceful appli­cation of effort is best described as motivated by a mental force or the power of will. By controlling destiny and turning seeming defeat into success, a man becomes identified with courage and will power. Often we describe such a person as lucky, but is it luck? Logic makes us recognize that he succeeds because his persistent efforts, fortified by the power of will, did not admit failure. Will power is the most powerful force there is, yet with­out motivation it has no strength. Undirected will power is like a driverless car; it is incapable of reaching its goal without guidance. Will power is a power to achieve; it becomes a way of life. Will power is the key to force and action!

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