Book Review – Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
Bood Review - Can’t Hurt Me by David Giggins
I have enjoyed listening to all 13 hours and 38 minutes of David Goggins’ story in his book Can’t Hurt Me. It describes how he pulled himself out of what he calls the sewer and becomes a Navy Seal. He describes what he did to acquire the mental toughness to overcome the abuse he suffered from his father, how he overcame poverty and racial prejudice to achieve the goals he set for himself. How he did not accept the victim mentality and let his life be defined by others. He refused to become a statistic.
David Goggins states that most of us live very comfortable lives and operate at only about 40% of our capability. He writes in detail about how he went from weighing 305 pounds working a dead end job setting rat traps and spraying for roaches at night in restaurants for an exterminating company to becoming one of the Navy’s most elite and fit fighters. He also became an elite ultra marathon runner and is now working as a wildfire firefighter in Montana.
While Davis’ book is inspirational, he doesn’t want the reader to simply be inspired by him, he wants the reader to recognize that they are capable of so much more. While his book is a memoir, it is also a self-help book. In it he outlines 10 steps, or challenges, for the reader to take on. One of the reasons I liked this book so much is that it really describes the yogic path. I know that some folks think that the yogic path is supposed to be soft and gentle. I have always felt that the path of yoga always asks us to do the harder thing and not to take the path of least resistance.
Get real with yourself: Name the enemy.
Satya, or truthfulness. In this instance, with yourself.
Check in with your accountability mirror daily.
This is the principle of svadhyaya, or self-study. Are you really walking the talk?
Visualize success.
You have to know what you want in order to work towards it.
Don’t skip out on the last rep when you are training. Finish when you are done, not when you are tired.
This is the yogic practice of abhyasa which means consistent practice over a long period of time. whether you feel like it or not.
Apply progressive overload not just in your workouts, but in your life.
Again, this is abhyasa.
Celebrate your success with work.
Don't fall of the path to celebrate. Celebrate by staying on the path.
Know why you are in the fight to stay in the fight.
The power of setting an intention.
Use your past successes to create your own second winds.
Again, this is part of svadhyaya, or self-study.
You will feel alone. You will feel insecure. Get over it.
Patthabi Jois used to say that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory. Mostly it just consists of you, your mat and your life off of the mat.
The harder you try the harder your life becomes – to your benefit.
This is the principle of tapas, which means to burn with zeal. Medical intuitive and spiritual teacher Caroline Myss says that life is easier with your head in the sand. Walking the spiritual path, with your eyes open is so much harder and so much more rewarding.
Men’s Health magazine did a book review on Can’t Hurt Me and wrote in different detail about these 10 steps. You can read the fleshed out descriptions here and also see some stunning before and after pictures of David Goggins. They also used some great posts from his Instagram account. Of course, you can find David Goggins yourself on Facebook or Instagram yourself.
https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a25429109/david-goggins-cant-hurt-me-book-review/
Note on adult language: My mother couldn’t stand books or movies with curse words in them, maybe that is a different generation, but if that is you then don’t read this book. Mr. Goggins curses like, well, a sailor and the text is filled with F bombs. However, he writes the way that he speaks and he says that he is just keeping it real and raw, the way his life truly was.
Let me know how you enjoyed this book and what your best take away from it was by leaving a comment below.