We are living in a world where anyone and everyone has a suggestion to offer us to make our lives better. From what to wear for a function to what to study to whom to get married to, society has a suggestion to offer. Even when we say, “This is my life and I live it on my terms", are we true to ourselves? Are you sure all the suggestions, advice and opinions from society doesn't alter or influence the choices you make? Let us take a look into how suggestions play roles in our life. 

What do you mean by suggestions?

A suggestion is an idea or concept we put forward for the consideration of others. For example, when a cousin who has just completed his/her twelfth board exam come to you asking for good graduate courses and you tell a few course name for them. Here what you do is called a suggestion. 

What are the various kinds of suggestions? 

There are mainly two kinds of suggestions, one is suggestions that we give to ourselves and the other is the suggestions we get from the outside world. 

1. Self-suggestions.
   We have already discussed the power of the subconscious mind and the way we become the creators of our own destiny in the previous blog. (click here to read the previous blog) What we suggest to ourselves become our reality. Imagine you suggest to yourself that you cannot become successful doing this job, your mind accepts it and what follows will be the reaction to your suggestion. 
    
2. Heterosuggestion 
   Suggestions from other people are known as heterosuggestions. We are all brought up in a particular manner. We are taught to do some things while not to do some other things. The best example of this kind of suggestion is that the Maruthi Omni ( the one with sliding doors) are only used to kidnap kids. Even now when I see an Omni my heart skips a beat.

Both the suggestions has both constructive or destructive effect in our life. When we take these suggestions too seriously we become the victim of them. When an astrologer predicts that you will die at the starting of next year, that is a suggestion he puts forth. Now if you really take this suggestion into your head and start suggesting yourself this many times to yourself, there are chances that you die. That is how it works. This is an example of a destructive suggestion. Now if someone constantly motivates you saying you can do it, eventually you will believe them and the chances of your success are high. 

When we are fully in control of what we suggest to ourselves, we can definitely control the effect of heterosuggestions. The key is to understand what you need and what you are capable of. When you believe in your power to subjugate the external influences, you can say with pride that “This is my life and I live it in my terms.”

Ganga Ambily Gopi