“Pursuit of specialness is always at the cost of peace”

This is an interesting teaching from A Course in Miracles. This line resonated very strongly with me. I have always been a very goal-oriented person, and often this aspect of myself has caused me a great deal of stress. What is the purpose of goals? Many of them revolve around personal aspirations and achievements, and therefore are ego-based, hence there is a desire for a person to be “special”. This type of thinking separates us from other people. I am certainly not suggesting that people need to give up their goals, but this is a personal reminder to myself that having loftier and more altruistic goals may make me happier in life.

One the biggest challenges in yoga for me has been taming my ego. I’m one of those stubborn souls that stretches a bit too far, or attempts to hold a pose too long – rather than honouring my body, I “honour” my ego. Thus, if the main goal of yoga is “union”, I’m certainly missing the boat by allowing my ego – and therefore my desire for specialness – get in the way.