APPEARANCES...Neville Goddard, Eight

APPEARANCES...Neville Goddard, Eight

That which is confronting you in your world now is the result of your past thoughts, beliefs, feelings and imaginal activity. These appearances will continue in being as long as you give them life through your conscious awareness of them. You must disregard the evidence of your senses as it pertains to any undesirable condition in your life. You must imagine and feel that you have already attained that which you want to experience rather than that which you do not want to continue in being. This may appear difficult, yet you have probably exercised this principle unconsciously to produce negative results. 

When I was in my early twenties, I found myself in a situation that was very unpleasant to me and I wanted to get out of it. After attending a lecture by Neville, I waited to speak to him afterwards. I briefly told him of my unhappy circumstances and was hoping he would offer some advice as to how to change them. He smiled at me and said, “Don’t accept it.” At that time in my life I did not fully grasp what Neville had been teaching. I thought he had misunderstood my question, and I tried to clarify my problem by stating that I had already made the choice to be in the situation I now found so unpleasant. Neville again smiled and said, “Don’t accept it.” I left his presence quite frustrated, thinking he had not understood my problem. I continued to read the two books I had by Neville. I gradually understood that regardless of the circumstances which surrounded me, I did not need to accept them as final. I began to imagine what I wanted rather than focus my thoughts on my negative surroundings. An event took place two weeks after I began my imaginal acts that was instrumental in bringing about my heart’s desire five months later – that of a brand new home. Meanwhile, the situation that had been so depressing to me improved, and I spent the next five months planning what I would do in my new home. 

Think about some past disappointment you may have had. Perhaps you were looking forward to attending a special event with someone. In your anticipation of it, did you think, “This is too good to be true, something will probably happened to spoil it.” Something probably did happen to create conflict or to cause you to miss it entirely. Man finds it relatively simple to disregard the promise of something good by thinking of all the reasons why he cannot achieve it. 

People around you may be quick to point out that you are being unrealistic when you mention a desire that appears difficult or impossible to reach. We should all be unrealistic in the face of the army of doubt if we would experience our wish fulfilled. We are called upon to disregard the “facts” which would deny the achievement of our heart’s desire. Habit is the only thing that keeps our thoughts moving along the old familiar negative ruts. No one can change your thought patterns and, therefore, your life but you. 

It is worth all the effort it may take to center your attention and feel as if you already possess that which you want in place of things as they are. Consciousness is the only cause and the only reality. Every negative experience was produced by first giving attention and feeling to that condition. What consciousness has made, it can unmake. Your responsibility is to impress upon your mind the change you wish to express. Your imagination is the creative power that can and will accomplish the end without effort and in a natural way. 

Appearances confirm our former habitual patterns of thought. That which you imagine yourself to be today will project itself in your world tomorrow. Persistence in assuming that you are the person you wish to be, despite your present circumstances, is the only condition imposed upon you to embody that ideal.