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 last week Lesson 5 of Charles Haanel 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 he 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.” He says, “We will be forever busy trying to patch it up and make it appear at least genteel.” Who wants that, right?
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.”
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 every one 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. (12)
When this mental house-cleaning process has been copleted, the material which is left will be suitable for the making of the kind of ideas or mental images which we desire to realize. (13)
Charles Haanel, Lesson 5, Master Key System.
Og Mandino Says Daily Mental House-Cleaning Too
As we moved into a new month, we started Scroll II of THE GREATEST SALESMAN IN THE WORLD. In Scroll I, the author encourages us to read each scroll 3 times a day–once aloud. So he’s into the impact of daily mental house cleaning, too. He 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.”
A Great Tool to Use for Daily Mental House Cleaning
Have you tried the 7-Day Mental Diet? It’s the tool the Master Key Experience introduced me to and I’ve put it on my blog here so you can quickly download it and try it for a week. I wrote about it when I was talking about “cleaning the mental attic” last Spring, too. 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 contine to work this “mental diet”
daily 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 and transforming negative thoughts into positive ones, we’re ready for what we’re working on now: 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 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!

Get the Key Free. Breakthrough, Too!
Through the Master Key Experience 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. So I understand 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. The MKE course and its scholarships happen only once a year, starting the last Sunday of September. But you can get started today by clicking here while you wait: 7 DAY MENTAL DIET. (1) Put your name on the waiting list for the next MASTER KEY EXPERIENCE course. (2) When you’ve clicked to do that, the 7 DAY MENTAL DIET comes up. Download, print, read, and try it! Once you sign up, I’ll keep in touch by email, even sharing tips of what helped me to do the Diet. Sound good? You can opt out at any time. But why not check it out now? Or you can sign up ONLY for the Diet here on my blog.
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!
Mental house cleaning is important. If your house is not empty, how can you fill in anything new!
As always, Ched, such a wise comment. Thank you!