Persisting In Your Assumption With Neville Goddard
The field of New Thought has seen a plethora of extraordinary thinkers who have shaped and reshaped the metaphysical landscape of the West.
If I had to choose one thinker, in particular, whose work I believe to be the most powerful, emotionally affecting, and transformative, I would choose Neville Goddard.
The essence of Neville’s work is simple: your Imagination is God and, as such, that which you Imagine is that which you experience.
Naturally, that is a tremendous simplification, and Neville’s work is far more complex and elaborate than that single sentence. But, that single sentence captures what I believe to be the essence of Neville’s philosophy, for it is this single idea that influenced and affected every single one of his teachings.
Within the various concepts and themes found within Neville’s work, there is one concept, in particular, that I keep coming back to. This concept is, essentially, that which we assume to be true is that which becomes true. Assumptions, as Neville would say, come from the Imagination, and they are solidified through persistent Imagining.
Many of us may read and engage with that concept and think nothing of it. Just about everything it implies and allows for aligns with various other New Thought teachings, so there is nothing particularly special about this teaching.
While that may be true, I believe there is a deeper truth to this concept, a truth that allows us to walk with greater confidence, poise, and assurance, in the knowing that we are all beings of infinite creative power.
To illustrate this, I would like to share one of my favorite Neville quotes with you. Please, read this quote, and then think about what it means and how it makes you feel.
“Daring To Assume That All Things Are Possible To Imagine, Put This One Reality To The Extreme Test By Assuming You Are The Person You Would Like To Be. Your Reasonable Mind And Outer Senses May Deny It; But I Promise You: If You Will Persist, You Will Receive Your Assumption.
Dare To Assume
Look at those first three words, “Dare to assume”. Many of us — and, by “many of us”, I am only referring to myself, since that is the only person I can speak for — have become stuck in habits, routines, and assumptions that are removed from the desires and ambitions within our hearts. We, on some level, know that this is not all there is and that there is something so much more out there. And yet, we feel trapped in a prison of our own making, too afraid and uncertain to step away from our illusory shackles, towards a new way of living.
The first step to changing our lives and allowing for our own greatness — and “greatness” means what is most authentic to you, no one can define who you are or what it is that makes you great; just know, though, that you are great no matter what anyone says — is daring to assume that there is more than what is immediately in front of us and that we can, in fact, transform our lives and ourselves.
Assume You Are The Person You Wish To Be
Through the act of daring to assume that there are infinite possibilities and that we possess creative powers beyond limitations, we can then dare to assume that we are the person we wish to be.
The word “dare” evokes a strong sense of courage, inspiring one to go beyond fear and anxiety, and as such, it is certainly appropriate.
Assuming that we are the person we wish to be is an act of great courage. Rather than consigning ourselves to the assumptions, habits, and routines that we have been repeating and engaging with for far too long, while knowing that there is something much more, we must dare to assume that we are the person we wish to be and then we must dare to move past those assumptions, habits, and routines towards new assumptions, habits, and routines that allow for our greatness to come forth.
One of the most important aspects of this part of the quote, though, is what it doesn’t say. Rather than asking us to assume that we have the things we desire, Neville asks us to assume that we are the person we wish to be.
The reason for this is, I believe, twofold.
Things are, in and of themselves, very nice and lovely. There is nothing wrong with wanting things. But, by focusing only on having things, we often ignore the greater possibilities and potentials that exist within ourselves, as well as what it is that we truly desire. Money, for example, is often a means to a particular end, rather than our sole desire in and of itself.
Concentrating on being the person we wish to be is often far more effective than focusing on things, because by being the person we wish to be, we often receive the things we desire and far more than that. As an example, a person who desires wealth will, by assuming that they are wealthy, bring into their lives more than just money or symbols of wealth, but a consciousness of wealth that allows for perpetual and omnipresent wealth no matter the circumstances or situation that they are facing.
Your Reasonable Mind And Outer Senses May Deny It
When we dare to assume that we are the person we wish to be, it is not uncommon for our reasonable mind and outer senses to deny what we are assuming.
If we wish to be a great writer, for example, but find that we are having trouble writing and that what we are writing just isn’t very good, then we may assume and affirm the opposite: that we are a bad writer.
Moving beyond the reasonable mind and outer senses is not always easy, especially when it comes to changes of any great significance. But, if we continue to do so with regularity, planting the seeds of new assumptions regularly and allowing them to sprout, then it becomes easier and easier, for we know the truth of all situations,
If You Will Persist, Then You Will Receive Your Assumption
The truth of all situations is that, no matter the assumption or desire, if you will persist, then you will receive your assumption. Persistence, then, is the key to all of this. For if we persist in our assumption, it will harden into fact.
Even if the sensory world that we exist within does not align with our assumptions, we must continue to assume and think from our newfound assumption. Through the act of doing so, and doing so with persistence and intention, our assumption will harden into fact and the world will transform itself in alignment with our new assumption.
Just because all we must do is transform our assumptions, though, does not mean that we shouldn’t take any action or move forward in a way that involves actions and reactions on our part. But, it’s important to understand that it isn’t the actions that lead to the fulfillment but, rather, our change in assumption, for it is Imagination that creates, above all other forces.
You Can Begin Right Now
For those who are weary or uncertain, yet curious and excited, it is absolutely vital that you play with this yourself! You do not need to take Neville at his work, and you certainly don’t need to take me at my word. Rather, you can begin creating and persisting in new assumptions of yourself right this moment!
All you must do, to accomplish this, is to think of a new assumption that you would like to take on. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. But, make sure that it’s something meaningful to you, even if it isn’t too meaningful.
Once you know the assumption you will be daring to assume, you can do just that: dare to assume. Daring to assume, though, is an act that often works best when accompanied with some form of Imaginal action.
The most effective Imaginal actions, in my experience, are the ones that I am linking to in these four individual links. Each one of these links will teach you a way of feeling your assumption as a reality and, if you persist in using the techniques outlined, you will persist in your assumption, allowing it to transform into a fact of your world.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading this essay! I hope that you enjoyed reading it, and that you found the content and ideas inspiring and useful! If you want to reach me, for any reason at all, you can do so at “maxwellcakin@gmail.com”, and I will get back to you as soon as I can!
Best Wishes & Have A Fantastic Day!
