#84: The State of Love

The State of Love

A Lecture in the Voice and Spirit of Neville Goddard

You have gone through your days feeling that love is something you must find, something that must be given to you by another person, something that depends on circumstances or the goodwill of others. You have felt the ache of loneliness, the disappointment of unreturned affection, the quiet despair that perhaps you are not meant to be loved as you long to be loved. But this night I tell you a truth that changes everything. Being loved begins with occupying the state of belovedness. There is no other way under heaven by which love can come to you.

Consciousness is the only reality. Everything that appears in your world first existed in your consciousness as a state. You are always assuming a state, whether you know it or not. You are always out-picturing that which you are conscious of being. If the state you occupy is one of feeling unloved, then the world will faithfully reflect that state. People will seem to withhold love, situations will seem to deny it, and you will continue to move through life as one who is not loved. But if you change the state, if you assume the state of belovedness, if you feel yourself to be the one who is loved and cherished, then that state will harden into fact. The world will rearrange itself to reflect your new assumption.

CAN you occupy the state of belovedness? Most decidedly you can. The state is not reserved for the fortunate or the specially chosen. It is your own awareness assuming a new nature, and awareness is God. When you assume the nature of the beloved, you are assuming the nature of God, for God is love. And God is not a being apart from you. God is your own wonderful human imagination, your awareness of being. Therefore, to occupy the state of belovedness is to rise to the awareness that you are loved, and in that rising the whole world is transformed.

The state of belovedness is not a matter of thinking positive thoughts or repeating affirmations. It is a deep, inner feeling. It is the feeling that you are wanted, that you are cherished, that you are the object of love's attention. It is the feeling of being embraced by love, of being seen and known and accepted completely. When you occupy this state, you do not look outward for proof. You rest in the feeling itself. The feeling is the proof. The feeling is the reality. And from this reality, all proofs must come. You may say that you have no reason to feel loved. But I tell you, the reason is not in the outer world. The reason is in your assumption. You assume the state because you have discovered that consciousness is creative. You assume it because you have found that what you feel yourself to be, you must express. You do not wait for the world to give you a reason. You give yourself the reason by assuming the state. And the world, in time, gives you the confirmation.

This assumption is not difficult. It is the most natural thing in the world. The child feels loved without effort. The lover feels loved in the presence of the beloved. But you can feel it without the presence of any person. You can feel it in the silence of your own soul. You can feel it by simply turning your attention to the feeling of being loved and dwelling there. The more you dwell in it, the more natural it becomes. And when it becomes natural, it is no longer an assumption; it is your consciousness. And your consciousness is your world. The world is yourself pushed out. This is not a figure of speech. It is the literal truth. Every person you meet is a personification of some state in your consciousness. If you are in the state of belovedness, you will meet people who express love to you. They cannot help it. They are compelled by the law to reflect what you have assumed. If you are in the state of feeling unloved, you will meet people who seem indifferent or rejecting. They too are compelled. There is no injustice in this. It is perfect justice. You are always receiving what you are conscious of being.

Therefore, if you would be loved, occupy the state of belovedness. Do not try to change the people in your world. Do not try to make someone love you. Simply change the state from which you view the world. Rise in consciousness to the feeling that you are loved. Feel it as vividly as you can. Feel the joy of it. Feel the security of it. Feel the peace of it. And as you feel it, you are changing the state. And as the state changes, the world changes. This is the only work you have to do. There is no other labor. The labor is the assumption of the state. And this labor is light. It is not a struggle. It is a gentle turning of attention. It is a resting in the feeling. When old feelings of being unloved arise, you do not fight them. You simply return to the feeling of belovedness. You do not argue with the old state. You ignore it by occupying the new. For what you ignore in consciousness disappears, and what you occupy in consciousness appears.

You will find that as you persist in this, something shifts within you. You no longer feel the need to seek love. The hunger is gone. The desperation is gone. You move through life with a quiet confidence, a knowing that you are loved. This confidence is not arrogance. It is the natural expression of the state. And this naturalness draws love to you. For love is attracted to the consciousness that knows it is loved. In your interactions with others, you will notice a change. You no longer approach with anxiety or need. You approach from the fullness of being loved. And because you are full, you have something to give. You give love freely because you know you are loved. And in giving, you do not deplete yourself. You increase the feeling. For the state of belovedness is creative. It multiplies itself.

The Bible speaks of love in many places. It tells us that love never fails. But this love is not an emotion directed toward another. This love is the state of consciousness that you occupy. When you occupy the state of belovedness, you are in the state of love. And love never fails to express itself. It never fails to draw to itself its own. For like attracts like, and the consciousness of belovedness attracts the expressions of love. You do not have to wait for some future time to occupy this state. You can occupy it now. In this moment, you can feel yourself loved. You can feel the presence of love surrounding you, embracing you, cherishing you. You can feel that you are the beloved of life itself. And as you feel it, it is so. For feeling is the secret. Feeling is the assumption made real in consciousness. And what is real in consciousness must become real in your world.

As you go about your day, carry this feeling with you. Let it be the background of your mind. Whatever you do, do it from the consciousness of being loved. Whatever you say, say it from this state. Whatever you think, think it from this state. The state colors everything. It transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. It turns the mundane into the meaningful. For when you are conscious of being loved, all things take on a new light. At night, when you lie down to sleep, assume the state once more. Feel yourself loved as you close your eyes. Let this be the feeling that accompanies you into sleep. For sleep is the period in which the subconscious is most receptive. What you feel as you fall asleep is accepted by the subconscious as true. And what the subconscious accepts as true, it expresses in waking life. So fall asleep in the state of belovedness, and you will awake in it. And the day will be the expression of this state.

You may encounter resistance. The old state may seem more real. The evidence of your senses may contradict the assumption. But you must persist. Persistence is faith in action. You persist in the feeling despite the senses. And the senses, being only the shadow of consciousness, must eventually conform. They have no choice. For consciousness is the substance, and the senses are the form it takes. This persistence is not stubbornness. It is loyalty to the truth you have discovered. The truth is that being loved begins with occupying the state of belovedness. This truth is eternal. It does not change with circumstances. It does not depend on what others do or do not do. It is your truth, and when you live by it, it proves itself.

You will find that love comes in unexpected ways. Not always from the person you thought it would come from. Not always in the form you imagined. But it comes. For the state is creative, and it creates its own forms. The bridge of incidents is built between the state and its manifestation. You do not see the bridge. You only see the end result. But the end is assured when the state is occupied. This is the freedom that comes with this truth. You are free from the tyranny of circumstances. You are free from the need for approval. You are free to love without fear of loss. For you know that love is not lost when it is felt within. It is only increased. The more you feel loved, the more love you have to give. And the more you give, the more you receive. For the state is a circle of love that has no end.

Being loved begins with occupying the state of belovedness. Say this to yourself often. Feel it often. Live it always. And you will discover that love is not something you find in the world. Love is something you bring to the world from within yourself. And when you bring it from the state of belovedness, the world receives it and returns it multiplied. The state of belovedness transforms your entire sense of self. You no longer see yourself as one who must earn love or deserve love. You see yourself as one who is love's own. This shift in self-concept is the key. For your concept of self determines your expression in life. When your concept is that of the beloved, your expression is loving and loved. When your concept is that of the unloved, your expression is seeking and lacking. Change the concept, and you change the expression.

You do not have to analyze why you felt unloved in the past. You do not have to dig into old wounds. You simply assume the new state and live from it. The past loses its power when you no longer feed it with your attention. The attention you give to the state of belovedness starves the old state. And what is starved disappears. What is fed grows. Feed the feeling of being loved, and it will grow until it fills your consciousness and your world. In every area of life, this state brings its blessing. In your work, you feel supported and appreciated. In your friendships, you feel valued and cherished. In your family, you feel connected and loved. For the state is universal. It does not limit itself to one relationship. It permeates all. The consciousness of belovedness makes you beloved in every sphere.

You may wonder if this is selfish, to assume love for yourself. But I tell you, it is the most unselfish thing you can do. For when you are filled with the feeling of being loved, you overflow with love for others. You do not take from others; you give to them from your fullness. The one who feels unloved takes from others, hoping to fill his void. The one who feels loved gives freely, for he has no void. He is full. This is the secret of natural love. It is not strained or forced. It flows from the state. And when it flows from the state of belovedness, it is pure and without demand. It asks nothing in return because it knows it is already loved. It gives because giving is the nature of the state. And in giving, it receives, but receiving is not the motive. The motive is the feeling itself.

As you live in this state, you will notice that your desires for love change. You no longer desire love from a particular person or in a particular way. You desire only to remain in the state. For the state fulfills all desires for love. It is the fulfillment. And from this fulfillment, all particular expressions come as added things. Seek first the state of belovedness, and all these things shall be added unto you. The kingdom of heaven is within you. And the kingdom is the state of consciousness. When you occupy the state of belovedness, you are in the kingdom. And in the kingdom, all things are possible. Love is possible. Being loved is possible. It is not only possible; it is inevitable. For the kingdom is the state, and the state is creative.

You have the power to occupy this state. It is your power, the power of your awareness. You are not a victim of circumstances. You are the creator of circumstances through the state you assume. Assume the state of belovedness, and you create a world in which you are loved. Assume any other state, and you create accordingly. The choice is always yours. And the choice is simple. Choose to feel loved. Choose to occupy the state. And the choice is made. This choice is made in the present moment. It is not a decision for the future. It is a decision for now. In this moment, you can feel loved. In this moment, you can assume the state. And in this moment, the reality begins. The manifestation may take time to appear in the outer world, but the reality is already here in consciousness. And the outer must follow the inner. It has no choice.

So tonight, make the choice. Feel yourself the beloved. Dwell in the feeling. Let it fill you. Let it change you. Let it become your natural state. And when it is natural, you will walk as one who is loved. You will speak as one who is loved. You will live as one who is loved. And the world will confirm it at every turn. Being loved begins with occupying the state of belovedness. This is the truth that sets you free. This is the truth that brings love into your life. This is the truth that transforms your world. Accept it. Live it. And know that it is so.

The feeling of belovedness is like coming home after a long and weary journey. It is the feeling of being welcomed, of being expected, of being wanted. It is the feeling that someone has been waiting for you, that your presence completes something. It is the feeling of warmth in the chest, of ease in the breath, of peace in the mind. It is the feeling that all is well because you are loved. When you touch this feeling, you touch the heart of life itself. For life is love, and to feel loved is to feel life loving you. This feeling does not depend on any person or situation. It is independent. It is self-sustaining. It is the feeling that life itself loves you, that the universe holds you in its heart, that you are the apple of God's eye. When you feel this, you feel immortal in a way. You feel that no matter what happens, you are loved. This feeling gives you courage. It gives you peace. It gives you the power to love others without fear. For you know that even if love seems to leave one form, it remains in the state. The state is eternal. The forms change, but the state remains.

You are the beloved. Tonight you occupy the state. Feel it. Rest in it. And know that in this feeling the reality of love is already yours. The world must conform. It cannot resist the creative power of your assumption. For you are God in the state of belovedness, and God is love. Being loved begins with occupying the state of belovedness. It is done.