The MUST READ Book of 2019

Two weeks ago, I retold a story I heard from David Goggins that I called When You Get to Heaven. I did not get much into his personal story in that piece, but I promised a future post on his life and latest book; hence, today’s topic. David Goggins wrote about his incredible life story and overcoming any and all adversities in his book, Can’t Hurt Me.

Can’t Hurt Me is a must-read covering how David went from an illiterate student and overweight pest exterminator to a highly decorated Navy Seal and ultra endurance phenomena.

My book summary in two sentences:

1. David Goggins’ autobiography is raw (expletive heavy) prose that is peppered with deep thoughts on overcoming significant life hurdles by mastering one’s mind to beat the odds.
2. Chances are pretty good that David’s life was far more challenging (and messed up) than yours, but he can still teach you via his life experiences to overcome your personal demons.

Three Action Thursday Takeaways:

1. As an individual, David Goggins is a lesson in how a fundamental shift in someone’s mindset can completely upend their life for the better. David’s transformation during early adulthood is nothing short of miraculous. He did it through callusing his mind and sticking to behaviors that kept him moving towards his goals.
2. David set huge, monumental goals for himself, and experienced huge monumental setbacks in nearly all of them. One prominent example in the book is that due to medical complications and injury, David is one of the few people who have had to endure Navy SEAL training and “Hell Week” three times.
3. The relationships David Goggins leveraged throughout his life had a clear effect on the trajectory his life took. David leaned heavily on his relationships: whether it was his mom, a high school principal, his ex-wife, or a fellow Navy Seal, it was clear that the people in his life supported him no matter how crazy his goals were.

Life Changing “Aha Moment”:

My mind is the most powerful tool in my arsenal, but it is also my absolute weak spot.

In the book, David Goggins shares the premise of “callusing your mind”. Someone who has just started working out with weights or has just started a job doing physical labor must build up a callus of thick skin on their hands to adapt to the new activity and perform at their best. David uses the same idea when it comes to a person’s mind. We have to form a mental thick skin to be able to ultimately live up to our full potential. A callused mind allows us to block out external challenges while also helping us to overcome our own self-limiting beliefs.

**Action:

1. Read my When You Get to Heaven piece.
2. Buy and Read Can’t Hurt Me
3. Watch Joe Rogan’s interview of David Goggins .**