Why Daily Mental House Cleaning?

Wouldn’t you agree that some of us are better at house cleaning than others? Throw in the word DAILY and some of us run like crazy! But a lesson by Charles Haanel in the Master Key System stopped me cold when he talked about the need for daily MENTAL house cleaning. He made the case that someone serious about taking advantage of all the riches of life would want to do that.

Haanel Contrasted Two Minds

The one mind Haanel said was full of accumulated fear, worry, care, anxiety–and when the person has been “despondent, negative, doubtful, then the texture” of the materials used to build today’s thought “instead of being of any value… will be mildewed and rotten and will bring …only more toil and care and anxiety.”

Haanel continued: “We will be forever busy trying to patch it up and make it appear at least genteel.” Who wants that, right?

Haanel then compares to the other “optimistic, positive” mind that has for the the most part rejected negative thought and has “refused to associate with it or become identified with it in any way…has mental material…of the best kind.”

He points out that with that kind of mind, we can think any kind of thought we want. “We can use any color we wish; we know that the texture is firm, that the material is solid, that it will not fade, and we have no fear, no anxiety concerning the future; there is nothing to cover, there are no patches to hide.”

The full passage goes on:

These are psychological facts; there is no theory or guesswork about these thinking processes; there is nothing secret about them; in fact, they are so plain that everyone can understand them. The thing to do is to have a mental house-cleaning, and to have this house-cleaning every day, and keep the house clean. Mental, moral and physical cleanliness are absolutely indispensable if we are to make progress of any kind.

Haanel, Lesson 5, Section 12, Master Key System

Then the reward of one’s effort is plain. Haanel writes:

When this mental house cleaning process has been completed, the material which is left will be suitable for the making of the kind of ideas or mental images which we desire to realize.

Haanel, Lesson 5, Section 13, Master Key System

Haanel’s work is a cornerstone of the Master Key Experience (MKE) program which changed my life (more on how you can sign up below!). Another key book in the MKE is Og Mandino’s Greatest Salesman in the World.

Og Advises Daily Mental House Cleaning Too

Each scroll in Og’s treatise builds on the last. In Scroll One, Mandino encourages us to read each scroll 3 times a day–once aloud. So he’s advising the impact of daily mental house cleaning, too!

Og frames it as true self love, pointing out that if I truly love myself:

I zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul, and my heart. Never will I overindulge the requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation. Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair, rather I uplift it with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth.

Og Mandino, Greatest Salesman in the World

The 7-Day Mental Diet

The 7-Day Mental Diet is a great tool in the MKE which neatly ties together Haanel and Og’s wisdom. 

It’s not an easy tool to use! But wow, is it powerful as it helps us become AWARE of negative thoughts that flood through our days, especially negative thoughts about ourselves and our performance. 

In the MKE course we continue to work this “mental diet” as part of our daily mental house cleaning. 

We’ve learned that the mind cannot hold a negative thought and a positive thought –well, any two thoughts!– at the same time. So when the negative thought comes up, we simply and immediately replace it with one of our prepared positive thoughts. Some turn their minds with a prayer. Some repeat phrases like “Every day in every way I’m getting better and better.” Others focus on their Definite Major Purpose (DMP) and plan of action.

Then when we’re more aware of transforming negative thoughts into positive ones, we’re ready for the next step: having no opinions.

We do that by becoming the OBSERVER even more. When we’re asked our opinion or tempted to voice it, we instead reply with a fact or ask a question instead. More about that in another blog!

Practitioners of the 7-Day Mental Diet report amazing results: relationships improving, experiencing deep peacefulness, freeing the mind to focus on other productive things.

It’s all daily mental house cleaning and oh so worth the effort!

Daily Mental House Cleaning is recommended by the Masters if we want to achieve all the riches of a life well-lived.

Get the Key Free. Breakthrough, Too!

Through the MKE I finally have a MasterMind group that supports me powerfully as I faithfully do my DAILY MENTAL HOUSE CLEANING. Finally I’m able to create breakthroughs I’ve longed for. I understand that if up till now you’ve not had a MasterMind and have been missing out. I skimmed life, too.

If you’re ready to stop skimming and to start doing the deep work that creates breakthroughs in the context of a true MasterMind, I can help. I’ve been given the privilege of offering a very special free tool to help you start training your brain to think the right way. Click here to get your name on the list for next year’s class and get the 7-Day Mental Diet to get going on your continued journey of self discovery.

You know what they say–if not now, when? If not you, who? No one can get the key to YOUR breakthroughs but YOU. No one can get through what’s locking that door but YOU–it’s a YOU-shaped key. No one can make it work except YOU. I wish you a powerful MasterMind in your future and excellent DAILY MENTAL HOUSE CLEANING. And all the best!