Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Goat: Protecting Your Inner Peace

A note to young leaders.

Don’t let anyone steal your goat.

As a teenager, I was lucky enough to be introduced to the works of a Hindu mystic called Yogananda (1880-1950). He is best known for his “Autobiography of a Yogi” (1946). Less known but far more interesting, are his recorded lectures.

As a teenager, I often went to sleep listening to Yoganada’s lectures, so enthralled was I by his teachings.

One of the Yogananda gems was this obscure command: “Don’t let anyone take your goat. No one can steal your goat, you have to be silly enough to let someone take it.”

Your goat is your inner peace.

If someone disturbs your peace, you are in effect allowing them to take your goat for a wander without your consent.

Hold your goat close to you at all times and learn to cherish it. There can be no lasting happiness without it.