Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

"For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare. Poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him 'The Fittest (Real) Man in America.'. In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential"--Publisher's description.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I chose to read it mostly out of curiosity and slightly because I knew I needed a kick in the pants for a few things in my life. I really don't respond to blunt, tough-love advice to basically just suck it up, so I wasn't expecting to benefit much from the mentality. However, it came across as inspiring, overall.

There were many moments where I rolled my eyes or shook my head at how much unnecessary damage he did to his body by lack of preparation (as he even mocks the “nerds” who reasonably plan for the ultras) and how his support people have to handle the consequences - rushing to provide medical assistance and likely being concerned for his wellbeing the whole time. Even with all this, though, the advice doesn't seem to be, “Do what I did,” but rather, “You can do more than you think you can.” You can see this in the challenges, where you're asked to be better than you were before - not necessarily to conquer the world. Additionally, he does come around in the end, literally taking up stretching and mobility work for the first time nearing forty.

There IS some problematic stuff, though - misogynistic military language, the fact that this dude would've benefitted from therapy but likely felt it wasn't an option to keep being tough, and the consideration that most of us value our family/relationship obligations enough to prevent us from chasing our goals this hard.

That being said, It was casual enough to move quickly, which I enjoy. It approached the threshold of feeling unprofessional sometimes but didn't quite hit it. Luckily, he cools it on the f-bombs a bit as the book goes on. Cursing is great and all, but when it gets excessive it comes across poorly.

Definitely gonna take some notes before returning this one to keep in my back pocket.

While Goggins does not always seem to plan everything and think things through in advance, his dedication and brute force is admirable and immensely inspirational. Don't let your pain restrict your mind from dreaming and attaining the unimaginable!

DG is the embodiment of the potential we all have to use our will to go through discomfort to levels we never knew were possible. I wouldn't want to be this man but he has inspired me to question my own perceived limits. Recommend this book