Today, we look at Napoleon Hill's third principle: autosuggestion. It’s not a new concept, but it is one of the 13 principles addressed in Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich.Hill is not the only one to examine the idea of autosuggestion. In 2006, people went crazy over the book, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne because it championed the idea of autosuggestion or the Law of Attraction. The law says thoughts manifest themselves in people’s lives and urges them to think positive thoughts so positive things enter their lives.While Hill and Byrne may have brought the concept of autosuggestion into our time, neither of them introduced the idea. It’s actually hundreds of years old, and it originated with the French pharmacist, Émile Coué.

Coué's Conscious Autosuggestion

Coué discovered that even if people wanted to change a behavior by hypnotism, they couldn’t be hypnotized if they personally didn’t think it was real or would help. For those who did believe, they’d often see positive results like what happens in a placebo effect: they believed they could change, so they did.As a pharmacist, Coué recognized the power of the placebo effect. He wondered if those immune to hypnosis could consciously cure themselves by repeating a phrase that he would give them. In almost all the cases Coué tracked using this technique, he found the subject had improved. As a result, he labeled his technique Conscious Autosuggestion and published the findings he tracked in his first book, Self-Mastery Through Conscious Autosuggestion.

Planting the Seeds of Autosuggestion

The “auto” in autosuggestion stands for "automatic," and it is an important word to focus on. Autosuggestion is a lot like planting seeds in a garden. To make those seeds grow, we need to plant them in quality soil and make sure they have enough food and water from infancy through maturity. Why does that work? We don’t know. It’s just automatic.When we begin the process of autosuggestion, we’re planting the seeds of positive thoughts in our minds. We intentionally think about, repeat, and affirm those positive thoughts — it's like we’re tending to the gardens of our minds. The old saying, “We are the stories we tell ourselves,” is a perfect example of what auto-suggestion means. We truly are what we think, but we don't know why; it just happens — automatically.

Two Opposing Ways Autosuggestion Works

Consider a college student who is having some trouble but trying to make their way through four years of school so they can become an elementary school teacher. While it is natural to have some self-doubt in the face of a tall task, those who succeed are the ones who think about those children they’ll teach and the difference they’ll make in those kids’ lives. They think about getting their college degree and landing that first job — and they picture their hard work leading to success.Those that picture failure and believe the work is too hard don’t finish. Instead, they autosuggest themselves to failure; thus, failure unsurprisingly manifests itself "automatically."

How to Start Autosuggestion

Pick a handful of ideas, goals, or affirmations. Choose the ones you think will help you see things happen the way you want them to in your life. Too many affirmations can dilute the process, and you shouldn’t be seeking material things. As an alternative, seek positive situations and describe them. Try not to create affirmations like, "I want a red sports car," and write, "I will create the means to become wealthy" instead.

• Write these affirmations on separate 3" by 5" note cards or Post-It Notes. Create a couple for each affirmation and place them on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or table next to your bed — or wherever you will see them several times a day.

• Over the next several days, repeat the affirmations out loud any time you see them. Really try to internalize what they mean. After several days you should have the affirmations memorized.

• Try to carve out time every day where you can be in a quiet place and repeat the affirmations, that are much like mantras, to yourself. Doing this right before falling asleep is a good time.

• If you find your mind is hurried and busy, do not practice the affirmations, as you will be distracted — and they deserve your full attention to work well.

• Also, do not practice the affirmations if your mind is in a negative thinking pattern. You should be at peace and open to positive change when you repeat them.

If you need help creating these affirmations or want me to help you specifically tailor how you practice them in your life, please contact me. I’d be happy to coach you through your life-changing process.

To catch up on my series about how Napoleon Hill's 13 principles help you live the life you desire, start here: "Fuel Your Desire and Live Your Dream."