Review "Can't hurt me"
I recently read David Goggin's "Can't Hurt Me" and am impressed by his approach and ability to motivate and excel. The book contains valuable lessons and raises the critical question: What if?
About the authors
David Goggins is a former track and field athlete, ultramarathon runner, and nutritionist. He grew up in terrible conditions in a low-income family. Early on, he learned that his limits existed only in his head and that he could break through them with an iron will. A motivator and entrepreneur specializing in self-improvement, he is known for his autobiographical books reflecting his experiences and life lessons.
What is the book about?
In this book, David shares his incredible life story that made him the remarkable man he is. The different sections in the book explain how he grew through overcoming challenges. His recommendations have matured under extreme conditions and were applied by himself to achieve maximum success. Failure was never an option, but failure was a constant companion in finding and overcoming new limits.
What's great about it?
Goggins motivated me by encouraging me to do one more repetition in the gym, not accept easy excuses because they make me uncomfortable, and set and accept my goals more confidently. The “challenges” at the end of each chapter are a good summary, but they only appealed to me in the case of the Accountability Mirror.
The approach of looking yourself in the eye and not lying to yourself sounds simple, yet it is so difficult. The goals are stuck to the mirror as post-it notes and daily reminders when this hurdle is overcome. I modified this method and added the goals and post-its as entries in my bullet journal.
What's annoying about it?
The martial writing style, combined with the ruthless abuse of his body, makes me shake my head in incomprehension. His willingness to push the boundaries of the supposedly impossible inspires me with respect on the one hand and makes me wonder what recovery was like afterward. I can't afford to miss days or weeks because I've overcome an enormous challenge without training, and then I'm destroyed. This is certainly also why I experience certain limits.
The best quote
"You're stopping you!" is, in my opinion, the book's central message. We set our limits with our doubts and our comfort. The necessary confidence to grow beyond ourselves comes from knowledge, self-respect, and personal responsibility. This has to be laboriously worked out!
Why everyone should read the book
The book opens your eyes to an essential question, without which many “doors” might remain closed: What if? I will use the potential of this question in the future when assessing my goals and wishes. And I'm sure - after reading this book, the answer to this question will differ for you. And the difference in the answer is the magic of this book.
