David Goggins’ book, ‘Can’t Hurt Me’, will make you reevaluate everything.
This is not only a motivational book; it is also his autobiography, which describes his early days filled with abuse and discrimination until his numerous achievements in the army and sports.
We will share David Goggins’s story in this summary, Can’t Hurt Me.
WHO, He became one of America’s best athletes by being disciplined, mentally strong, and working hard.
So, let’s begin the journey.
About The Author: Tough Time
Goggins was born on February 17, 1975, to Trunnis and Jackie Goggins. He was raised in Williamsville, New York, on a street called Paradise Road, with his parents and brother, Trunnis Jr. His father, Trunnis Goggins, is a roller disco owner. In the name of employment, there was only his family. David, His mother, and his brother all three have to work. Eight-year-old David cleans his father’s shoes.
His mother cooks food for everyone, and after midnight, she lets him sleep in the disco office. The disco has loud music, and he cannot sleep. That’s why he could not do proper studies and sleep at school. His father beat David and torched his mother, and once he even beat her just because his mother took him to the hospital for an ear checkup.
These actions reflect his father’s carelessness. Finally, David’s mom dared to take his son and ran far away from the place. Finally, they got freedom but faced the bitter side of life.
His childhood was miserable. He faced a very difficult life, But today, he is the only member of the African American Navy SEAL.
He is thought to be a top-level fighting force in the world. And a prolific ultra runner.
Today is hard, tomorrow will be harder, and the day after tomorrow, everything will be fine.
Mental Health Is Important
Taking care of your mental health is real self-love. David and his mother chose freedom, but it does not mean that David’s childhood would be better or that his life would be easy.
Very soon, they forget about freedom and have to face the thought situation of life. Due to a lack of money, David, and his mother, live in public housing. The rent is 60 dollars monthly, and his father refuses to help him. He only sends the money they need for their daily expenses.
They became poor. They spend their life with his mother’s part-time job and 123 monthly welfare checks. The poorness is not only the change; whatever he faced as a child, this thing shows up now. When he entered the third grade, he began to lose his hair. His face becomes dull, and side by, he is facing mental issues.
David understood when he became a little elder that he was suffering from a mental issue named toxic stress. That child who faced torture in their childhood had brain chemistry totally changed when they became grown up. David faced so much in his childhood that now his body and brain are always on high alert.
Toxic streets have a big side effect: They limit the child’s memory, whether he is brilliant in his studies or not. He cannot remember his learned things. David is also facing the same. In David’s case, his teacher did not understand his mental health, but he thought that he was a fool boy.
As he is also the only black child in his class, he must listen to scolding and taunting. He took the help of cheating to clear his exam because he feared being kicked out of school and losing social facilities. Just because of this, his studies were affected a lot.
He couldn’t read properly when he was a teenager.
Quitting Is Not A Solution
David had a hard time in school and was poor. When he was a teenager, he finally had a dream: to join the United States Air Force.
To complete his military man dream, David started to study, and after doing lots of hard work, he entered Air Force training.
The next step would be ten times more difficult. David wants to become an Air Force Pararescue. These soldiers are special. Who fought in wartime and shot and rescued the injured pilot.
To complete his dream, he has to face the most difficult exam of swimming. Due to poverty, her mother does not have enough money to send her son to summing classes. Even David sees a swimming pool after the age of twelve.
It’s clear that, because of that tough military training, his swimming ability was lessened. As the swimming challenge became more difficult during training, David became more and more fearful.
At last, David decides to leave the Air Force because of great fear. His blood tests revealed a symptom of cell anemia, which was a great clue for David to leave the military. 1999, 24 years after David’s dream for Millitray vanished. Now, for his livelihood, he had joined a company.
He wants to hide his failed grief by consuming too much food. When he returns from his office daily, he purchases a one-box donut and a chocolate milkshake. After reaching home, he eats six eggs and sugary candies.
David weighs 300 pounds (0.14 t). David made excuses to run from life’s truths. He knew that he was not highly educated and did not have good qualities, and his future became dark gradually.
Failure pain is difficult to bear. That’s why David chose a way to forget his failure; today, most people choose the same.
According to the World Health Organization, many depression patients want to keep away from the social environment, and they eat too much food or eat very less. It is called brain zinging.
Became A Diamond Under Pressure
If hard work is your weapon, then success will be your slave.
Motivation is important for good starts in life. David also gets his motivation back when he has breakfast and watches TV.
David saw a Navy SEAL training documentary on TV. Navy SEALs were a top-level fighting force worldwide; their training was the toughest. SEAL takes only the best. The soldiers were fighting in dusty soil, full of preparation and to fight back, as seen in the documentary. David became aware of the mental capacity and desire of soldiers.
While watching the Documentary about Navy SEALs, David strongly desired to join them. He called all Navy recruitment offices and requested training. After a week of hard work, he learned about the training program open for former military recruits joining the Navy.
David learned that he could take the entry in Seal By this training program. After this information, he has two big challenges.
- First, this training program entry will be closed within three months.
- Second, David was overweight for the Navy. David had very little time to reduce his weight.
David took it as a challenge and created a tough routine to reduce his weight. He woke up early, at 4:30 a.m. He cycled for two hours, and thereafter, he went swimming near his home. Subsequently, he went to the gym, where he did an intense workout and did a minimum of 200 reps.
After dinner again, he cycled for two hours. Through his diligent efforts, David reduced his weight by approximately 25 pounds (ca. 11 kg).
He was happy with his performance and added four miles of running within a month when the recruitment deadline approached. David was completely fit. Subsequently, he had to train continuously for five days without sleep.
This training was difficult at the end of the day, as David was getting tired and wet with mud and sand. He finally fulfilled his dream.
Take Challenges In Life
- If you really want to achieve success in life, what is the key?
Accepting challenges is the best way to succeed. To achieve success, you must continue to pursue your goals.
David has achieved his goal of becoming a Navy SEAL, but he hopes to have more adventures after working there for a few years. He would rather not stay in the same places he has been before. He is looking for more challenges that challenge his physical ability once again.
Furthermore, in 2005, he got a new challenge: long-distance running (ultra-running). David started running this distance because he could help the Navy SEALs martyrs. He thinks he can do charity with this money and fulfill his dream.
The race’s name is Bad Water 135, and David wants to participate. This 135-mile (ca. 217 km) race is the toughest race in the world. It starts from the Death Valley of California, which is below sea level. This happens when summer is at its peak and becomes more difficult. Top-level competitors also take 48 hours to complete this race.
David has to complete a 100-mile race before entering Bad Water 135. He did not take any training for a 100-mile race.
His Navy training worked miracles for him. David completed this race easily, in one go, which was organized in Santiago. He practiced a lot before taking part in Badwater135. David understood his way and practiced rigorously during the hot summer.
Finally, the race time came, and David completed his race in 30 hours and achieved fifth position. David is not the only person in life who left everything old to achieve new goals and dreams.
India’s famous Olympic runner, Mr. Milkha Singh, is known as the flying Shikha. Milkha Singh also put everything at risk and won many international awards, providing dignity and fame to India for many years.
Hard Work Wins
Do you know what is the solution to the problem?
Yes, there is only one solution: hard work. Many people are anxious and want to know the secret of David’s success.
It’s because David is the only United States African who has done work for SEALs and is also an ultra-runner.
David answers this question in one word: Work Ethic.
Today, society wants to achieve everything quickly, but from David’s perspective, if anyone would like to make his name famous and wants to know about his /her potential, then there is no easy way. Only hard work will give you the destination and fulfill your dreams.
Although you don’t need to have many talents, the only thing that is needed is your intention and action.
If you do not intend to do work, you are like a bird without wings.
According to David’s success, the real secret is his waking up early in the morning.
David woke up early in the morning and ran four miles. He returned from running around 5:30 after taking a bath and breakfast. He then went to the office by bicycle. During work, when he had lunch, he either went to the gym or ran to the nearby beach. After finishing his work, he returned from cycling and ran around 50 miles (ca. 80 km).
Anyone who wants to develop a strong personality must wake up early.
David also has a forty-percent rule.
When someone puts forty percent of their energy into work, their brain immediately goes into quitting mode. The brain never wants the body to face too much trouble and pain.
It depends on us not listening to the brain and understanding that our body still has 60 percent of its capacity to do work.
We have to face the challenge of avoiding the negative thoughts of the brain. So that we can give the best of the best.
Takeaway
Finally, as we read the summary of the Can’t Hurt book by David Goggins, I would like to say.
It depicts David’s pathetic upbringing, his trials, and his achievements.
We can say that everything depends on your determination, dedication, and love for your work (dream).
Everything is a mindset and a positive attitude toward doing work.
