When I first got into manifestation, most of my focus was on the thing I wanted. If I wanted a specific outcome, I would affirm for that outcome. If I wanted something to change, I would find an affirmation about it, repeat it, script about it or try another technique.
But something I didn’t really pay attention to in the beginning was how I saw myself. And honestly, I think this is one of the easiest parts of manifestation to overlook.
You Can Affirm for Something and Still Tell Yourself a Completely Different Story
You can spend twenty minutes repeating: “Everything always works out for me.” Then spend the rest of the day thinking: “Of course this would happen to me.” “Nothing ever works out properly.” “Why is it so easy for everyone else?”
I’ve definitely caught myself doing this. It made me realise that sometimes the affirmation itself isn’t the problem. The bigger issue is the story we keep returning to about ourselves. That is where self-concept started making much more sense to me.
What I Mean by Self-Concept
I don’t think self-concept needs to be complicated. For me, it’s basically the collection of assumptions I have about myself and my life.
Am I someone who gets chosen? Do things normally work out for me? Do I expect people to treat me well? Do I believe I deserve the things I want? Do I see myself as lucky, loved, confident and capable - or am I constantly expecting rejection, disappointment or struggle?
And I don’t mean pretending to be confident every second of the day. We’re human. We have bad days. I’m talking about the story we automatically return to.
This Changed How I Look at Affirmations
This is another reason I like robotic affirmations. I don’t need to sit down and force myself to feel like the most confident woman in the world before I can say something positive about myself. I can simply repeat it.
- I am always chosen.
- Things work out in my favour.
- I am worthy of the life I want.
- I am confident in who I am.
- I deserve good things.
And over time, those thoughts start becoming much more familiar. For me, that feels far easier than trying to constantly monitor every thought or force myself into a particular emotional state.
Sometimes the Manifestation Isn’t What Needs All Your Attention
This is probably the biggest shift for me. Instead of obsessively affirming about one specific thing, sometimes I would rather work on me.
Because if I genuinely start seeing myself as someone who is loved, valued, successful and capable of getting what she wants, that affects much more than one manifestation. It changes the way I think. It changes what I tolerate. It changes the way I respond to situations. And it changes the expectations I carry into different areas of my life.
That feels much more powerful to me than chasing one manifestation after another.
Start With the Story You Tell About Yourself
If manifestation has started feeling exhausting, maybe you don’t need another complicated technique. Pay attention to the way you describe yourself when nobody else is listening.
What do you automatically assume when something goes wrong? What do you expect from relationships? What do you believe about money? What do you believe happens to people like you? Those little thoughts can tell you a lot about your current self-concept.
You don’t have to change everything overnight. Choose a few simple thoughts about the version of yourself you want to become and start making those thoughts familiar.
That’s what I’m doing. Not trying to become a completely different person overnight. Just slowly changing the story I keep telling myself. And seeing what happens from there.
Rachel
Glow Babe Go
Save this for a little self-concept reminder
