chapter 4 Think and Grow Rich

CHAPTER 4
AUTO-SUGGESTION
THE MEDIUM FOR INFLUENCING THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
The Third Step toward Riches
AUTO-SUGGESTION is a term which applies to al1 suggestions and all selfadministered
stimuli which reach one’s mind through the five senses. Stated in
another way, autosuggestion is self-suggestion. It is the agency of
communication between that part of the mind where conscious thought takes
place, and that which serves as the seat of action for the subconscious mind.
Through the dominating thoughts which one permits to remain in the
conscious mind, (whether these thoughts be negative or positive, is
immaterial), the principle of auto-suggestion voluntarily reaches the
subconscious mind and influences it with these thoughts.
NO THOUGHT, whether it be negative or positive, CAN ENTER THE
SUBCONSCIOUS MIND WITHOUT THE AID OF THE PRINCIPLE OF
AUTO-SUGGESTION, with the exception of thoughts picked up from the
ether. Stated differently, all sense impressions which are perceived through
the five senses, are stopped by the CONSCIOUS thinking mind, and may be
either passed on to the subconscious mind, or rejected, at will. The conscious
faculty serves, therefore, as an outer-guard to the approach of the
subconscious.
Nature has so built man that he has ABSOLUTE CONTROL over the material
which reaches his subconscious mind, through his five senses, although this is
not meant to be construed as a statement that man always EXERCISES this
control. In the great majority of instances, he does NOT exercise it, which
explains why so many people go through life in poverty.
Recall what has been said about the subconscious mind
resembling a fertile garden spot, in which weeds will grow in
abundance, if the seeds of more desirable crops are not sown therein.
AUTOSUGGESTION is the agency of control through which an individual
may voluntarily feed his subconscious mind on thoughts of a creative nature,
or, by neglect, permit thoughts of a destructive nature to find their way into
this rich garden of the mind.
You were instructed, in the last of the six steps described in the chapter on
Desire, to read ALOUD twice daily the WRITTEN statement of your DESIRE
FOR MONEY, and to SEE AND FEEL yourself ALREADY in possession of
the money! By following these instructions, you communicate the object of
your DESIRE directly to your SUBCONSCIOUS mind in a spirit of absolute
FAITH. Through repetition of this procedure, you voluntarily create thought
habits which are favorable to your efforts to transmute desire into its monetary
equivalent.
Go back to these six steps described in chapter two, and read them again, very
carefully, before you proceed further. Then (when you come to it), read very
carefully the four instructions for the organization of your “Master Mind”
group, described in the chapter on Organized Planning. By comparing these
two sets of instructions with that which has been stated on auto-suggestion,
you, of course, will see that the instructions involve the application of the
principle of auto-suggestion.
Remember, therefore, when reading aloud the statement of your desire
(through which you are endeavoring to develop a “money consciousness”),
that the mere reading of the words is of NO CONSEQUENCE—UNLESS
you mix emotion, or feeling with your words. If you repeat a million times the
famous Emil Coué formula, “Day by day, in every way, I am getting better
and better,” without mixing emotion and FAITH with your words, you will
experience no desirable results. Your subconscious mind recognizes and acts
upon ONLY thoughts which have been well- mixed with emotion or feeling.
This is a fact of such importance as to warrant repetition in practically every
chapter, because the lack of understanding of this is the main reason the
majority of people who try to apply the principle of auto-suggestion get no
desirable results.
Plain, unemotional words do not influence the subconscious mind. You will
get no appreciable results until you learn to reach your subconscious mind
with thoughts, or spoken words which have been well emotionalized with
BELIEF. Do not become discouraged, if you cannot control and direct your
emotions the first time you try to do so. Remember, there is no such
possibility as SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. Ability to reach, and influence
your subconscious mind has its price, and you MUST PAY THAT PRICE.
You cannot cheat, even if you desire to do so. The price of ability to influence
your subconscious mind is everlasting PERSISTENCE in applying the
principles described here. You cannot develop the desired ability for a lower
price. You, and YOU ALONE, must decide whether or not the reward for
which you are striving (the “money consciousness”), is worth the price you
must pay for it in effort.
Wisdom and “cleverness” alone, will not attract and retain money except in a
few very rare instances, where the law of averages favors the attraction of
money through these sources. The method of attracting money described here,
does not depend upon the law of averages. Moreover, the method plays no
favorites. It will work for one person as effectively as it will for another.
Where failure is experienced, it is the individual, not the method, which has
failed. If you try and fail, make another effort, and still another, until you
succeed.
Your ability to use the principle of auto-suggestion will depend, very largely,
upon your capacity to CONCENTRATE upon a given DESIRE until that
desire becomes a BURNING OBSESSION. When you begin to carry out the
instructions in connection with the six steps described in the second chapter, it
will be necessary for you to make use of the principle of
CONCENTRATION. Let us here offer suggestions for the effective use of
concentration. When you begin to carry out the first of the six steps, which
instructs you to “fix in your own mind the EXACT amount of money you
desire,” hold your thoughts on that amount of money by CONCENTRATION,
or fixation of attention, with your eyes closed, until you can ACTUALLY
SEE the physical appearance of the money. Do this at least once each day. As
you go through these exercises, follow the instructions given in the chapter on
FAITH, and see yourself actually IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY!
Here is a most significant fact—the subconscious mind takes
any orders given it in a spirit of absolute FAITH, and acts upon
those orders, although the orders often have to be presented over
and over again, through repetition, before they are interpreted by
the subconscious mind. Following the preceding statement, consider the
possibility of playing a perfectly legitimate “trick” on your subconscious
mind, by making it believe, because you believe it, that you must have the
amount of money you are visualizing, that this money is already awaiting your
claim, that the subconscious mind MUST hand over to you practical plans for
acquiring the money which is yours.
Hand over the thought suggested in the preceding paragraph to your
IMAGINATION, and see what your imagination can, or will do, to create
practical plans for the accumulation of money through transmutation of your
desire.
DO NOT WAIT for a definite plan, through which you intend to exchange
services or merchandise in return for the money you are visualizing, but begin
at once to see yourself in possession of the money, DEMANDING and
EXPECTING meanwhile, that your subconscious mind will hand over the
plan, or plans you need. Be on the alert for these plans, and when they appear,
put them into ACTION IMMEDIATELY. When the plans appear, they will
probably “flash” into your mind through the sixth sense, in the form of an
“inspiration.” This inspiration may be considered a direct “telegram,” or
message from Infinite Intelligence. Treat it with respect, and act upon it as
soon as you receive it. Failure to do this will be FATAL to your success.
In the fourth of the six steps, you were instructed to “Create a definite plan for
carrying out your desire, and begin at once to put this plan into action.” You
should follow this instruction in the manner described in the preceding
paragraph. Do not trust to your “reason when creating your pla n for
accumulating money through the transmutation of desire. Your reason is
faulty. Moreover, your reasoning faculty may be lazy, and, if you depend
entirely upon it to serve you, it may disappoint you.
When visualizing the money you intend to accumulate, (with
closed eyes), see yourself rendering the service, or delivering the merchandise
you intend to give in return for this money. This is important!
SUMMARY OF INSTRUCTIONS
The fact that you are reading this book is an indication that
you earnestly seek knowledge. It is also an indication that you are a
student of this subject. If you are only a student, there is a chance that you
may learn much that you did not know, but you will learn only by assuming
an attitude of humility. If you choose to follow some of the instructions but
neglect, or refuse to follow others-you will fail! To get satisfactory results,
you must follow ALL instructions in a spirit of FAITH.
The instructions given in connection with the six steps in the second chapter
will now be summarized, and blended with the principles covered by this
chapter, as follows:
First. Go into some quiet spot (preferably in bed at night) where you will not
be disturbed or interrupted, close your eyes, and repeat aloud, (so you may
hear your own words) the written statement of the amount of money you
intend to accumulate, the time limit for its accumulation, and a description of
the service or merchandise you intend to give in return for the money. As you
carry out these instructions, SEE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION
OF THE MONEY. For example :—Suppose that you intend to accumulate
$50,000 by the first of January, five years hence, that you intend to give
personal services in return for the money, in the Capacity of a salesman. Your
written statement of yo ur purpose should be similar to the following:
“By the first day of January, 19.., I will have in my possession $50,000, which
will come to me in various amounts from time to time during the interim.
“In return for this money I will give the most efficient service of which I am
capable, rendering the fullest possible quantity, and the best possible quality
of service in the capacity of salesman of (describe the service or merchandise
you intend to sell).
“I believe that I will have this money in my possession. My faith is so strong
that I can now see this money before my eyes. I can touch it with my hands. It
is now awaiting transfer to me at the time, and in the proportion that I deliver
the service I intend to render in return for it. I am awaiting a plan by which to
accumulate this money, and I will follow that plan, when it is received.”
Second. Repeat this program night and morning until you
can see, (in your imagination) the money you intend to accumulate.
Third. Place a written copy of your statement where you can see it night and
morning, and read it just before retiring, and upon arising until it has been
memorized. Remember, as you carry out these instructions, that you are
applying the principle of auto-suggestion, for the purpose of giving orders to
your subconscious mind. Remember, also, that your subconscious mind will
act ONLY upon instructions which are emotionalized, and handed over to it
with “feeling.” FAITH is the strongest, and most productive of the emotions.
Follow the instructions given in the chapter on FAITH.
These instructions may, at first, seem abstract. Do not let this disturb you.
Follow the instructions, no matter how abstract or impractical they may, at
first, appear to be. The time will soon come, if you do as you have been
instructed, in spirit as well as in act, when a whole new universe of power
will unfold to you. Scepticism, in connection with ALL new ideas, is
characteristic of all human beings. But if you follow the instructions outlined,
your scepticism will soon be replaced by belief, and this, in turn, will soon
become crystallized into ABSOLUTE FAITH. Then you will have arrived at
the point where you may truly say, “I am the master of my fate, I am the
captain of my soul!”
Many philosophers have made the statement, that man is the master of his
own earthly destiny, but most of them have failed to say why he is the master.
The reason that man may be the master of his own earthly status, and
especially his financial status, is thoroughly explained in this chapter. Man
may become the master of himself, and of his environment, because he has the
POWER TO INFLUENCE HIS OWN SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, and through
it, gain the cooperation of Infinite Intelligence.
You are now reading the chapter which represents the keystone to the arch of
this philosophy. The instructions contained in this chapter must be understood
and APPLIED WITH PERSISTENCE, if you succeed in transmuting desire
into money.
The actual performance of transmuting DESIRE into money,
involves the use of auto-suggestion as an agency by which one may
reach, and influence, the subconscious mind. The other principles
are simply tools with which to apply auto-suggestion. Keep this thought in
mind, and you will, at all times, be conscious of the important part the
principle of auto-suggestion is to play in your efforts to accumulate money
through the methods described in this book.
Carry out these instructions as though you were a small child. Inject into your
efforts something of the FAITH of a child. The author has been most careful,
to see that no impractical instructions were included, because of his sincere
desire to be helpful.
After you have read the entire book, come back to this chapter, and follow in
spirit, and in action, this instruction:
READ THE ENTIRE CHAPTER ALOUD ONCE EVERY NIGHT, UNTIL
YOU BECOME THOROUGHLY CONVINCED THAT THE PRINCIPLE
OF AUTO-SUGGESTION IS SOUND, THAT IT WILL ACCOMPLISH
FOR YOU ALL THAT HAS BEEN CLAIMED FOR IT. AS YOU READ,
UNDERSCORE WITH A PENCIL EVERY SENTENCE WHICH
IMPRESSES YOU FAVORABLY.
Follow the foregoing instruction to the letter, and it will open the way for a
complete understanding, and mastery of the principles of success.