# Autosuggestion

Coined by Emile Coué, it is, as many things are in meditation, not nearly as flashy as the name implies.

Picture this: you pass by someone in the street, and in your head you say, “I wish them to live a good and healthy life.”

Sounds dumb. It certainly sounded dumb to me. Still, I gave it a try, saying it in my head from occasionally as I came across people, be they friends or unknown. Not being a very smart person, it took me an absurdly long time to realize the point wasn’t to repeat someone else’s phrase, but to find your own, one that you believe in.

Instead of the previous sentence, I ended up with something more akin to “may they live happy and healthy lives, may they live righteous and resilient.”

And written like that, it sounds just as dumb as the previous one. But words matter, and those words are mine. Unlike the previous sentence I believe in them, they give me a little smile when I wish people well.

To put it in the words of the great philosopher that is Winnie the Pooh:

“Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?” Piglet said.

“Supposing it didn’t,” said Pooh after careful thought.

Despite my impotent rage at a bear intellectually one-upping a pig and it not being the other way around, Pooh makes a good point. Bet you didn’t expect to read that sentence when you woke up in the morning.

Making peace is a lot about staying occupied, it is also a lot about perception. Thinking about stuff that makes you happier or content leads to a more enjoyable life. And a jolly life makes it easier to get over the bad parts. Most meditation techniques are about shifting perception, and autosuggestion is one little way to slowly change the perception of yourself and others over time through simple yet efficient sentences. You won’t go from seeing it all as bleak and dark to rosy and shiny, but it does add some nice spots for your mind here and there over time.

On a more personal note, autosuggestion also has the side effect of helping my mind get over some annoying thoughts. Say I'm with friends and there's a couple there and I have one of those bad days when I wonder how it is to have someone at my side and the thoughts go round and round. I wish the couple well, and the sentence helps me “turn the page” and discard the thought. It acts like an end point to these thoughts, makes me smile and I go on to something else. It’s an effect I noticed for myself, I’m not sure if it works the same for you. But I would stick to autosuggestion regardless. Find the phrase that is yours, is positive and makes you smile, something you can repeat in your head here and there to wish people well.

*Relevant goals*:

* Find your phrase. The one that has you wish others good things and that you believe in. It can take a short or long time, depending on your predisposition towards cynicism.
* Use it a couple times a day.

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I heavily recommend *How to think like a roman emperor by Donald Robertson*. Please do power through the introduction, which contains the common trappings of self-help books: the sudden realization of the well of wisdom present in little kids, the parent who knows no bedtime stories except stoic stories and assorted weirdness that will make you fear the rest of the book is on the same level. It isn’t. Once you’re past that, there are very interesting chapters about:

* How to handle anger and anxiety.
* How to put some distance between what you feel and yourself.
* How to master your desires and change unhealthy desires into more healthy ones.
* Exercises and tips you might find both interesting and useful to your situation.
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