If you’ve never worked on your self-concept before, get ready. Shifting your self-concept will change the way you manifest forever.
But what is self-concept, really?
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Neville Goddard’s self-concept philosophy (comingled with my experience) and how to use it to influence your world.
What is Self-Concept?
Simply put, self-concept is who you believe that you are. It is your identity and collection of your beliefs. Self-concept is the story you tell yourself about yourself. It’s how you perceive the world and how you perceive yourself in relation to the world.
Your entire being is a library of memories and a collection of beliefs. Your beliefs are the same as assumptions, which form the core of who you are.
From this core (your self-concept)—your behaviors, personality, habits, thoughts, and feelings manifest. Your self-concept projects out and gets reflected back to you in your external world.
You can even believe that your self-concept is fixed. This is just the way I am. But this is false. So, the first belief we need to take on about self-concept is that it is not fixed or set in stone. Self-concept is malleable, changeable, and ever-evolving.
Here is Goddard’s example of a tree’s self-concept:
- I am a tree.
- I am an apple tree.
- I am a fruitful apple tree.
Self-Concept Questions
- Who am I?
- How do I feel about who I am?
- What do I think about who I am?
- Who am I in relation to the world?
- What is my worldview?
- What do I believe about who I am?
- What do I think others think, feel, and believe about me?
Why is Self-Concept Important When Manifesting?
Self-concept is important when manifesting because your self-concept is what manifests in your external world. Self-concept is the foundation of your life.
You can see it as the core, roots, ground zero, or going back to the basics of your being. Changing your self-concept is the deepest change you can make.
Goddard describes changing your self-concept as rearranging the words in a book. It’s the same words, but the rearrangement of the words changes your story.
Another way to visualize working on your self-concept is to see it as a blank canvas from which you paint your new life. Or blank pages from which you write your new story. Or wiping out old, outdated stored data and reprogramming yourself.
Self-concept is the cause. Manifestations, habits, and behavioral patterns are the effect.
If you’ve ever found yourself in unwanted cycles, you can bet it’s because your self-concept didn’t change. For instance, let’s say debt.
You’ve worked on your money habits, you are hitting goals, and then you find yourself derailed, exhausted, and repeating old patterns. This is because you’ve used willpower to change your behaviors, which is changing the effect and not the cause.
How is Self-Concept Developed?
Your self-concept is developed through interactions with others throughout your life.
Generally, early childhood experiences play an important role for most people, but your self-concept can also change or diminish in adulthood because of hardship or traumatic situations.
For example, if you heard “NO” too much growing up, you could have developed a deeply ingrained belief that you cannot have what you want in life.
Neville Goddard’s “Everyone is You Pushed Out” Concept
Everyone is You Pushed Out is one of Neville Goddard’s most famous concepts based on the 12 Universal Laws—the Law of Correspondance. It’s an important concept to know when manifesting.
It is often talked about by people who want to manifest love.
The Law of Correspondence states that the external world mirrors your internal experience. Everything and everyone is your mirror.
When embarking on this deep inner work, get to know your triggers and what you draw into your world.
Observe your interactions with others, not from a place of judgment but to understand yourself and recognize what could be happening deep inside you.
Related: 17 POWERFUL Neville Goddard Manifestation Techniques
How to Shift Your Self-Concept in 3 Steps
Step 1: Become Aware of Your Current Self-Concept
Observe what you instinctively say to others about yourself in your day-to-day interactions.
In conversations, you’ll most likely say statements like I am [fill in the blank]. This can give you clues on what you think and how you feel about yourself.
For instance, at a low point in my life after a breakup, I would tell others, “I’m hard to be with.”
But is this really true and factual?
Was I hard to be with, or did neither of us work well together? Keep the I am statements you like, but challenge the unhelpful ones.
To know your current self-concept, start by answering these self-concept journal prompts.
- Who am I?
- How do I feel about who I am?
- What do I think about who I am?
- Who am I in relation to the world?
- What is my worldview?
- What do I believe about who I am?
- What do I think others think, feel, and believe about me?
Step 2: Claim Your New Self-Concept
Decide on the dream version of yourself and imagine what this new version of self would be like.
If that seems too daunting, choose a material desire you want to manifest.
Use the power of imagination to think from the end state of already having your desire. Visualize what this version of self would be thinking and feeling.
Example: I am working in sales for a fresh and thriving startup, or I am in a loving relationship with the person of my dreams
What would the version of myself doing sales at my dream company feel like?
- What would I be doing?
- What beliefs would I have?
- What thoughts would I be thinking?
- How would I feel?
- What do I think others think, feel, and believe about me?
- How do I go about my day-to-day in my world?
- What do I believe about myself now that I already have my desire?
Step 3: Assume Your New Self Concept
Neville Goddard’s Law of Assumption states that “your assumptions will harden into fact.”
He teaches us to persist in the state of the wish fulfilled with conviction, and the world will have no choice but to conform to our beliefs.
You can build a bridge between your old self and new self by practicing affirmations, doing small imaginal acts, and embodying the new version of self.
How Self-Concept Relates to Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, and Self-Love
Self-concept encompasses self-esteem, self-worth, and self-love. I see the three intertwined like a braid; they help one another.
You can form a new self-concept without needing to work on these areas, but generally, questions of self-esteem, self-love, and self-worth will come up.
One person may struggle in one area and not another.
We need all three to operate well. They help shape a healthy sense of self to attract our desires and, more importantly, maintain them.
What is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself, your abilities, talents, traits, and skills.
Self-Esteem Example:
Self-concept: I am an introvert
Self-esteem: Different feelings one could have about being an introvert.
“I don’t like that I am an introvert. I’m boring.” or “I enjoy being an introvert. I love listening and observing people.”
In reality, being an introvert is neutral, but your judgment (reaction) on that particular trait causes a higher or lower experience of self.
You can heal self-esteem by working on that particular area of your life.
Or you can accept and love it and focus on the qualities in your life that you do like. You can also go deeper to understand why you may like or dislike that particular area.
In closing this part, self-esteem is how you feel about who you are. It is the emotional reaction to yourself or a particular area in your life.
Related: 57 Affirmations to Build True Confidence and Overcome Self-Doubt
What is Self-worth?
Self-worth is one level deeper than self-esteem.
Feelings that accompany self-worth:
- Being good enough
- Believing we can have what we want
- Deserving of the things we want
Worth is the value you put on something; there’s an element of measure. So, self-worth is the perceived value you put on yourself.
In terms of manifesting, self-worth is how deserving you feel relative to the perceived value of your desires. It’s how you measure yourself against that thing you want on the outside.
Often, we put the things we want above us on a pedestal or consider it a pipe dream. This is when we have to heal and increase our self-worth, and raise our vibration to align with the vibration of the manifestation.
Self-worth plays a vital role in the Law of Assumption and manifesting your desires.
Because first, you have to value (love) yourself to believe in yourself. And if you don’t yet value yourself, you can start by assuming you value yourself. So, actually, it’s all one thing.
Example of 2 people struggling with self-esteem vs. self-worth
Fifteen people are at a work meeting in a conference room. Two people have input to add to the discussion.
Person A – Person A speaks up. She stammers, fumbles through her words, and second-guesses herself.
She later goes home, runs the meeting in her mind, and she feels inferior to another coworker who seems to communicate intelligently and appears organized.
Person A is struggling with her self-esteem regarding her communication skills.
Person B – Person B has something to say but doesn’t speak up to add her input.
Person B is struggling with self-worth. She doesn’t value her voice enough to believe that her voice and contribution matter.
So typically, low self-worth shows up as the things we don’t do for ourselves that we really want to or know that we should.
Related: 50 Empowering Affirmations for Self-Worth (+3 Self-Worth Exercises)
What is Self-love?
Self-love is your ability to give yourself unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance. Self-love is the remedy for low self-esteem and self-worth.
Related: 99 Self-Love Affirmations for Healing and Confidence
What are Self-Concept Affirmations?
- I am worthy of my desires. I am my desire.
- I am the same vibrational match to my desire.
- I see myself in a positive and loving light.
- I forgive, let go of my past, and embrace my newest and highest version of self.
- The Universe supports and protects me.
- I am calm; my desires are on their way to me.
- I create the life I want.
- My dreams are mine and are meant for me.
- My dreams are desires to be fulfilled, lived out, experienced, and enjoyed
- I deserve happiness and my best possible life.
- I am one with my desire.
- I believe in myself.
- I am limitless and can have whatever I want.
- I give my inner child love and work to make her dreams a reality.
Closing Thoughts on Self-Concept and the Law of Assumption
Now you know how to change your self-concept using Neville Goddard’s The Law of Assumption. Please let me know if you have any questions about manifesting. I would love to hear how your new self-concept goes.
I wish you many blessings and so much love and joy!
You might also enjoy: 49 Full Moon Affirmations to Manifest Your Best Life in 2024
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Happy manifesting!
