Auto-Suggestion
YOU will have noticed that in the preceding chapters
I have begun a serious campaign in the direction
of having you "make yourself over" mentally, in
order to bring you under the operation of the Law of
Financial Success. You will remember that first I tried
to get you to regard Money in a new light — as a
natural supply akin to the nourishment of the plant,
and coming under the same general law of Natural
Supply and Demand.
Second — I urged upon you to build up the proper
Mental Attitude, showing you how by so doing you
would cultivate in yourself the faculties, qualities and
powers conducive to success; the qualities likely to attract
and influence people with whom you come in contact;
and the mental state which would set into operation
the beneficent phases of the Law of Attraction.
Third — I proceeded to get Fear and Worry out
of your mental system.
Fourth — I went on to cultivate the quality of Faith
in you.
Fifth — came the consideration of the Latent Powers
and the rules for their unfoldment.
Sixth — came the explanation of the nature of Ambition,
and the urge to cultivate and develop it.
Seventh — came the explanation of the wonderful
effect and office of Desire, and the advice to cultivate
Desire as a means of cultivating Will.
PAGE 61
THE LAW OF FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Eighth — I gave you instruction for the development
of a powerful Will, the acquirement of which means
so much to you.
Now, if you will stop a moment, you will see that
the practical application of the instruction given and
the precepts laid down for your guidance require a
certain "making over" of yourself, on your part.
This being so the question arises: "How may I
best accomplish the 'making-over' process?" And to
answer this question, I shall now devote several chapters,
for in the answering lies much of the essence of
this instruction that I am desirous of imparting to you.
And so this is the reason that we now take up the
subject of "Auto-Suggestion," a subject of the greatest
importance to you, and which has engaged the minds
of scientific men for the past few years. Let us
hasten to a consideration of the subject.
In the first place the term "Suggestion," as used
by psychologists means "an impression made upon the
mind of another." And an "auto-suggestion" is an impression
made upon one*s own mind in a manner
similar
to that used in impressing the mind of another. You
will see this a little clearer in a moment. The whole
essence of Suggestion lies in the idea of " impression."
Think of the mind as a wax substance, and the Suggestion
as a die making an impression on the wax,
and there you have it.
If you can manage to get in a strong Suggestion on
the mind of a person, you really impress your notion
or idea upon his mental wax, so to speak. Suggestion
is not a matter of argumentative effort, but a process
of saying a thing so positively, earnestly and convinc62
AUTO-SUGGESTION
ingly that the other person takes up the idea without
argument. We may be impressed by a man's earnestness,
his manner, his attitude, his dress, and in many
other ways, but the principle is the same — if we are
impressed by something about him, we have taken the
Suggestion. Do you see what I mean?
Well, one may turn this Suggestive die upon the
wax of his own mind and by repeated impressions may
fix certain ideas, qualities, and characteristics upon it
so that he will have really made himself over to that
extent. It is a case of "sez I to myself, sez I” —
often repeated until "I" believes what "I sez." You
know how a man may get to actually believe some old
lie that he has been telling for some time. A man may
act out a certain assumed character, until he actually
becomes like the character. There are plenty of old
chaps strutting around to-day with these assumed
characters, which not only fool the people with whom
they come in contact, but also actually fool the men
themselves. Now if this be true about things of this
kind, how important does the principle become when
applied to the creation of new characteristics and
qualities in oneself that are conducive to success. You
all know just about what you need, and now here is
the way to go about getting them.
To many people Auto-Suggestion means simply the
repeating of certain words to themselves, like "I am
Energetic — I am Ambitious" etc., etc. Now this
plan is all very well, for a constant impression of this
kind will undoubtedly tend to develop the suggested
qualities in one. But there is a far more scientific
plan known to psychologists, and that is the one I am
PAGE 63
THE LAW OF FINANCIAL SUCCESS
going to urge upon your consideration. It is that not
only should one "say" things to himself, but that he
should also create Mental Images of the desired thing,
and should also act out the part he wishes to play,
in a sort of extended preliminary rehearsal.
All this may seem odd to you unless you have
studied the psychological principles underlying it,
which I have not time to go into here. The thing
to remember is that constant thinking of a desired
quality of mind, accompanied with the indulgence in
the Mental Picture of yourself as actually possessed
of the quality itself; and also accompanied by an
"acting out" of the part you would like to play will
in due time so impress and mould your mind that you
will actually possess the quality itself. Here is a
great psychological law I have expressed. Read it
again, study it, and make it your own.
For instance, let us suppose that you lack Ambition.
Well, the first thing is to rouse the Desire to become
Ambitious. Then start in the plan of "sez I to myself,
sez I," and make constant affirmation of the fact that:
"I am Ambitious — very Ambitious — my Ambition
grows every day," and so on. Then picture yourself
in your imagination as being Ambitious — see yourself
as moving around in the world possessed of an insatiable
Ambition which is leading you to strenuous
action and wonderful accomplishments. Then begin
to act out the part of the Ambitious man — study some
Ambitious man until you catch his feelings and then
begin to look Ambitious; talk in the tones of a man
possessing Ambition; walk like an Ambitious man —
in short act out the part to the smallest details. Now
PAGE 64
AUTO-SUGGESTION
remember I do not mean to copy the mannerisms of
the man you have taken for your model — this is not
the thing at all. Simply study him until you can get
his feelings — until you can recognize the Ambitious
emotion and Mental Attitude animating him, and then
go to work to feel the same inward feeling yourself,
and to act out the feeling. If you can once get the
feeling, then all you've got to do is to act it out right.
You will find that this plan of mental discipline and
exercise may be used for the acquirement of any and
every one of the positive qualities you may desire to
acquire and possess. This is no mere theory, but is
a scientific fact known to and taught by some of the
leading authorities on the subject in the world. It
has been the basis of the making over of thousands of
people, some oF whom have paid enormous fees to
teachers for just this plain advice, elaborated and
padded out into long series of personal lectures and
lessons. I offer you something here that is well
"worth while." Now it is for you to take it and use it.
YOU will have noticed that in the preceding chapters
I have begun a serious campaign in the direction
of having you "make yourself over" mentally, in
order to bring you under the operation of the Law of
Financial Success. You will remember that first I tried
to get you to regard Money in a new light — as a
natural supply akin to the nourishment of the plant,
and coming under the same general law of Natural
Supply and Demand.
Second — I urged upon you to build up the proper
Mental Attitude, showing you how by so doing you
would cultivate in yourself the faculties, qualities and
powers conducive to success; the qualities likely to attract
and influence people with whom you come in contact;
and the mental state which would set into operation
the beneficent phases of the Law of Attraction.
Third — I proceeded to get Fear and Worry out
of your mental system.
Fourth — I went on to cultivate the quality of Faith
in you.
Fifth — came the consideration of the Latent Powers
and the rules for their unfoldment.
Sixth — came the explanation of the nature of Ambition,
and the urge to cultivate and develop it.
Seventh — came the explanation of the wonderful
effect and office of Desire, and the advice to cultivate
Desire as a means of cultivating Will.
PAGE 61
THE LAW OF FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Eighth — I gave you instruction for the development
of a powerful Will, the acquirement of which means
so much to you.
Now, if you will stop a moment, you will see that
the practical application of the instruction given and
the precepts laid down for your guidance require a
certain "making over" of yourself, on your part.
This being so the question arises: "How may I
best accomplish the 'making-over' process?" And to
answer this question, I shall now devote several chapters,
for in the answering lies much of the essence of
this instruction that I am desirous of imparting to you.
And so this is the reason that we now take up the
subject of "Auto-Suggestion," a subject of the greatest
importance to you, and which has engaged the minds
of scientific men for the past few years. Let us
hasten to a consideration of the subject.
In the first place the term "Suggestion," as used
by psychologists means "an impression made upon the
mind of another." And an "auto-suggestion" is an impression
made upon one*s own mind in a manner
similar
to that used in impressing the mind of another. You
will see this a little clearer in a moment. The whole
essence of Suggestion lies in the idea of " impression."
Think of the mind as a wax substance, and the Suggestion
as a die making an impression on the wax,
and there you have it.
If you can manage to get in a strong Suggestion on
the mind of a person, you really impress your notion
or idea upon his mental wax, so to speak. Suggestion
is not a matter of argumentative effort, but a process
of saying a thing so positively, earnestly and convinc62
AUTO-SUGGESTION
ingly that the other person takes up the idea without
argument. We may be impressed by a man's earnestness,
his manner, his attitude, his dress, and in many
other ways, but the principle is the same — if we are
impressed by something about him, we have taken the
Suggestion. Do you see what I mean?
Well, one may turn this Suggestive die upon the
wax of his own mind and by repeated impressions may
fix certain ideas, qualities, and characteristics upon it
so that he will have really made himself over to that
extent. It is a case of "sez I to myself, sez I” —
often repeated until "I" believes what "I sez." You
know how a man may get to actually believe some old
lie that he has been telling for some time. A man may
act out a certain assumed character, until he actually
becomes like the character. There are plenty of old
chaps strutting around to-day with these assumed
characters, which not only fool the people with whom
they come in contact, but also actually fool the men
themselves. Now if this be true about things of this
kind, how important does the principle become when
applied to the creation of new characteristics and
qualities in oneself that are conducive to success. You
all know just about what you need, and now here is
the way to go about getting them.
To many people Auto-Suggestion means simply the
repeating of certain words to themselves, like "I am
Energetic — I am Ambitious" etc., etc. Now this
plan is all very well, for a constant impression of this
kind will undoubtedly tend to develop the suggested
qualities in one. But there is a far more scientific
plan known to psychologists, and that is the one I am
PAGE 63
THE LAW OF FINANCIAL SUCCESS
going to urge upon your consideration. It is that not
only should one "say" things to himself, but that he
should also create Mental Images of the desired thing,
and should also act out the part he wishes to play,
in a sort of extended preliminary rehearsal.
All this may seem odd to you unless you have
studied the psychological principles underlying it,
which I have not time to go into here. The thing
to remember is that constant thinking of a desired
quality of mind, accompanied with the indulgence in
the Mental Picture of yourself as actually possessed
of the quality itself; and also accompanied by an
"acting out" of the part you would like to play will
in due time so impress and mould your mind that you
will actually possess the quality itself. Here is a
great psychological law I have expressed. Read it
again, study it, and make it your own.
For instance, let us suppose that you lack Ambition.
Well, the first thing is to rouse the Desire to become
Ambitious. Then start in the plan of "sez I to myself,
sez I," and make constant affirmation of the fact that:
"I am Ambitious — very Ambitious — my Ambition
grows every day," and so on. Then picture yourself
in your imagination as being Ambitious — see yourself
as moving around in the world possessed of an insatiable
Ambition which is leading you to strenuous
action and wonderful accomplishments. Then begin
to act out the part of the Ambitious man — study some
Ambitious man until you catch his feelings and then
begin to look Ambitious; talk in the tones of a man
possessing Ambition; walk like an Ambitious man —
in short act out the part to the smallest details. Now
PAGE 64
AUTO-SUGGESTION
remember I do not mean to copy the mannerisms of
the man you have taken for your model — this is not
the thing at all. Simply study him until you can get
his feelings — until you can recognize the Ambitious
emotion and Mental Attitude animating him, and then
go to work to feel the same inward feeling yourself,
and to act out the feeling. If you can once get the
feeling, then all you've got to do is to act it out right.
You will find that this plan of mental discipline and
exercise may be used for the acquirement of any and
every one of the positive qualities you may desire to
acquire and possess. This is no mere theory, but is
a scientific fact known to and taught by some of the
leading authorities on the subject in the world. It
has been the basis of the making over of thousands of
people, some oF whom have paid enormous fees to
teachers for just this plain advice, elaborated and
padded out into long series of personal lectures and
lessons. I offer you something here that is well
"worth while." Now it is for you to take it and use it.
