If autosuggestion worked we would all be Kings and Queens of the Castle; we'd all be happy, healthy, successful, rich, and long-lived, but, we're not. Shakespeare recognised this human frailty in the 16c, when he wrote, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings".

The French psychologist Emile Coue (1857-1926) is probably nearest to the truth. Recall that he coined the saying, "Every day in every way I am getting better and better" and it works, but, it only does so on the emotional level and not with what's between your ears. It is what we believe to be true and not what we think is true.

The emotions have an intelligence of their own but few recognise this. In most people the emotions are like an untamed animal that can take charge of one; like the proverbial 'tail wagging the dog' concept. The analogy is a useful one as the emotions are, indeed, like this untamed animal and our task in life is to train and tame it. Few are able to perceive this and fewer still are able to do it successfully.

I am not religious in the orthodox sense so my recollection of the bible is poor, but, recall when the good Lord was passing through the crowd and a woman touched his robe and cried out that she was cured? Didn't the good Lord say something like, "Thy faith is within you"? It was not the intellectual level that brought about her faith; remember the Nazerites recognised the Lord as just being the carpenter's son and she too must have known this, yet apparently, she was cured. Her faith could only have arisen from her belief, which is an emotional feature.

You all know the truism which says, "We are our own executioners" and how true it is. We crucify ourselves by how we feel and not by how we think. Thoughts reflect feelings; feelings do not reflect thoughts.

Additionally, if your emotions are out of whack so too will be your bodily chemistry, and if your bodily chemistry is out of whack, guess what? You're not going to 'feel' like positive thinking!

You can spend your life dreaming but unless you are going to get into the world's rink and start boxing you are not about to get far in this society of ours. It is action that succeeds and dreams will always be where they've always been; in fairy tales.

To try to provide a topical example of the application of effort with regard to relationships; in my own life I am into my second successful marriage. The success did not stem from my wishes or dreams but came from effort. The effort to recognise my 'needs' (emotions) and to do something practical like always courting my wife and filling her life with surprises. Guess what? In return I have a happy, contented, and loving wife whom I care deeply about and that provides me with the feeling that my 'cup is running over'. What else do, or can, I possibly need?

To feel good about ourselves we have to believe in ourselves. This cannot be achieved by the use of the 'will' or the words, 'I will'! It can only be achieved by allowing ourselves to 'try' to believe which is done through our feelings about ourselves. There is no gimmickry involved. It can be done anytime, anywhere, and is achievable without effort. Okay, so there exists some correlation between the mind and the emotions but, guess which rules, giving the opportunity to do so?

Taming and training our emotions is what is required, but, this option is of our own choosing. We need to cease projecting blame outwardly for our own inadequacies. When we do this, our circumstances will improve.