David Goggins is a being of pure will and inspiration. Just listening to this guy on YouTube or reading his book makes you want to hit the trails. His book, Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, is about pushing things harder and digging deeper in everything we do. This is summed up by his catch-phrase ‘uncommon amongst uncommon people’. This phrase is something we can all use to propel ourselves to fulfill our true potential. I am a better person for reading his book.
I actually listened to the audible book rather than reading the paper back and I recommend you do so too. The audible version has added commentary from Goggins. In this he unpacks extra detail, grit, insight and reflection from the stories told in the book. It really helps give you a sense of the challenge he faced and his journey of self-development.
Key Takeouts
This book has so many key take outs, so many nuggets of wisdom and learnings. I wish I could have them heard earlier in life. If I were to pick my favourite aspect of this book it would be how David’s story makes people feel uncomfortable with themselves. The book was widely acclaimed and as such has been widely read by a range of different people rather than just those interested in self-development, the military or running. I find when discussing this book with others they often criticise the author for being too hard on himself, his body and for living an unhappy life. They criticise his failed relationships and his restlessness.
However, when I peel back the layers, I find the backlash is due to Goggin’s book taking away people’s excuses for mediocracy. For Goggins, childhood was a nightmare – poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse coloured his days and haunted his nights. He has every right to be a statistic, to fail in life and settle for less. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, fat piece of shit with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes.
I think his success bothers a lot of people. It highlights flaws in their chosen way of thinking, the way they life their life and make excuses for their own short comings. For the reader Goggins shows us that despite all the challenges that life throws at you, it is your responsibility to do everything in your power and more to achieve the utmost you can out of life.
Conclusion
Review done and I didn’t even talk about Ultra Running. The Can’t Hurt Me book is featured packed, there is too much to discuss here. But what I can say is that it was the best book I read in 2021 and maybe one of the top ever. Why? I would go as far to say reading Goggin’s story is a life changing experience, highly recommended.
