The underlying idea of Auto-suggestion is the “willing” of the individual that the changes take place in his mind, the willing being aided by intelligent and tried methods of creating the new ideal or thought-form.  The first requisite for the changed condition must be “desire” for the change.  Unless one really desires that the change take place, he is unable to bring his Will to bear on the task.  There is a very close connection between Desire and Will.  Will is not usually brought to bear upon anything unless it is inspired by Desire.  Some people connect the word Desire with the lower inclinations, but it is equally applicable to the higher.  If one fights off a low inclination or Desire, it is because he is possessed of a higher inclination or Desire.  Many Desires are really compromises between two or more conflicting Desires—­a sort of average Desire, as it were.

Unless one desires to change his character he will not make any move toward it.  And in proportion to the strength of the desire, so will be the amount of will-power that is put in the task.  The first thing for one to do in character building is to “want to do it.”  And if he finds that the “want” is not sufficiently strong to enable him to manifest the perseverance and effort necessary to bring it to a successful conclusion, then he should deliberately proceed to “build up the desire.”

Desire may be built up by allowing the mind to dwell upon the subject until a desire is created.  This rule works both ways, as many people have found out to their sorrow and misery.  Not only may one build up a commendable desire in this way, but he may also build up a reprehensible one.  A little thought will show you the truth of this statement.  A young man has no desire to indulge in the excesses of a “fast” life.  But after a while he hears, or reads something about others leading that sort of life, and he begins to allow his mind to dwell upon the subject, turning it around and examining it mentally, and going over it in his imagination.  After a time he begins to find a desire gradually sending forth roots and branches, and if he continues to water the thing in his imagination, before long he will find within himself a blossoming inclination, which will try to insist upon expression in action.  There is a great truth behind the words of the poet: 

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
That to be hated needs but to be seen. 
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, and then embrace.”

And the follies and crimes of many a man have been due to the growing of desire within his mind, through this plan of planting the seed, and then carefully watering and tending to it—­this cultivation of the growing desire.  We have thought it well to give this word of warning because it will throw light upon many things that may have perplexed you, and because it may serve to call your attention to certain growing weeds of the mind that you have been nourishing.