Quick answer
States and self concept are closely linked. A state is the place in your mind you think from, like the state of being loved. Self concept is the steady story of who you are. When you live in a state long enough, it becomes part of your self concept. They are two views of the same thing.
People talk about states and self concept as if they are two different tools. They are more like two sides of one coin, and once you see that, a lot of things click.
This post explains both in plain words, how they fit together, and how to step into a new state today.
What a state is
A state is the place in your mind you are thinking from. It is not a mood. It is more like an address.
Picture an elevator in a tall building. Each floor is a state. On one floor you are the person who is always broke. On another floor you are the person who is always paid. On another you are loved, chosen, lucky. Same you, different floor.
You can ride that elevator any time you like. Nobody checks your ticket. Nobody asks if you have earned the top floor. You just press the button in your mind.
You have been in hundreds of states already. When you feel like the odd one out, that is a state. When you feel like everything goes your way, that is a state too. The trick is that you get to choose which floor you live on.
What self concept is
Self concept is how you see yourself. It is the background story that runs all the time, even when you are not thinking about it.
If states are floors, your self concept is the floor you live on most of the time. It is the one you go back to when you stop paying attention. It is your home floor.
That is why self concept is so powerful. It decides what feels normal to you. For more on this, see self concept in the law of assumption.
Visit a state often enough and you move in.
How states and self concept fit together
Here is the simple way to hold it:
- A state is where you are right now in your mind.
- Self concept is where you usually are.
- When you visit a new state often enough, it becomes your usual.
So working on your self concept is really just living in a new state again and again until it becomes home. Each time you think from being loved, you visit that floor. Visit enough, and you move in.
This is also what the community means by living in the end. You think from the wish already done. You stay on that floor. You can read more in this post about living in the end.
If some of these words are new to you, the law of assumption words quiz is a fun way to learn them.
How to step into a new state
Stepping into a state is simpler than it sounds.
- Pick the state. I am loved. I am wealthy. I am confident.
- Ask yourself one question: if this were true, how would I think right now?
- Answer it in your head. Maybe you would feel calm. Maybe you would smile at your phone. Maybe you would stop checking things.
- Think from that place for a minute. Let one small scene play.
- Come back to it often, especially before sleep.
You do not need to dismiss the 3D, the world you can see right now, with force. You just stop giving it the final say. It is old news. The state you choose is the new story.
If you want to keep going, read how to change your self concept, which builds on this step by step.
Which one to start with
You can start with either. They lead to the same place.
If you like big picture work, start with self concept. Write a few I am lines and repeat them.
If you like moment to moment work, start with states. Pick one feeling, like being chosen, and step into it a few times a day.
Either way, you are changing what you assume about yourself. That is the whole game. For a calm walk through, the Self concept 101 course is a gentle place to begin.
Try this today
- Pick one state you want, like I am loved.
- Ask: if this were true, how would I think right now? Answer in your head.
- Stay in that answer for one minute before you sleep.
Questions people ask
Can I be in many states at once?
You usually live in one at a time for each area of life. You can be in a loved state and a wealthy state on the same day. They do not compete with each other.
How do I know I am in a new state?
It feels normal. The wish stops feeling like a wish and starts feeling like a fact. You think from it instead of about it. Even a few seconds of that counts.
Is a state the same as a mood?
No. A mood comes and goes on its own. A state is a place you choose to think from. You can be in a calm state on a cranky day, and that still counts.
Do I need to feel the state strongly?
No. A quiet sense of it is enough. Some days it will be faint, and that is fine. Coming back to it is what matters.
What if I keep slipping back to my old state?
That is normal and it does not undo anything. The old floor is just familiar. Each time you notice, press the button for the new floor again. Over time, the new one becomes where you wake up.
Keep reading
What is self concept in the law of assumption?
In the law of assumption, self concept is how you see yourself, the quiet story you hold about who you are. It sets what you accept as normal, so it shapes everything you manifest. When you see yourself as loved, lucky and chosen, your life starts to match. You change it by repeating a new story.
What is living in the end and how do you do it?
Living in the end means thinking from your wish as already done, not hoping it will happen. You picture life after it arrived, speak to yourself as if it is normal, and let that become your mood. Living in the end is a way of being, not a task. You come back to it whenever you drift.
How to change your self concept
To change self concept, decide who you are now, write a few I am lines that describe that person, and repeat them until they feel normal. Notice old thoughts about yourself and swap them for the new lines. You do not have to feel it first. Repetition makes the new you the default.