David Goggins, the toughest man on the planet!
Retired Navy SEAL, former Guinness World record holder for most pull-ups doing 4030 pull-ups in 24 hours, a former bodyguard of the Iraqi Prime Minister, a man who completed over 60 endurance and ultra-endurance races setting some insane records along the way, and the author of the book “Can’t Hurt Me”, that changed and continues to change the lives of thousands of people around the world by bringing perspective to the simple question “What am I capable of?”
“If you want to be one of the few to defy those trends in our ever-softening society, you will have to be willing to go to war with yourself and create a whole new identity.” — David Goggins
Who is David Goggins?
He is not a sports icon! He is not a multi-billionaire! He is not all over the television! He is not even part of advertisements trying to sell this brand or that shoe! He is just living his life, the only way he knows “how to?”, and probably the only way we humans were designed to live: by going after life as a new opportunity to do something epic every single day, over and over again so that he is always better today, than what he was yesterday!
“Fear is one of the best motivators. Anger is the other.” — David Goggins
Was he born with Superman DNA?
It’s easy for most to read the list of all that he has achieved and dismiss him as exceptionally gifted or believe that he is a result of being professionally trained in his formative years to be a Navy SEAL. But the truth is the exact opposite. David Goggins was mentally and physically abused in his own house, had to flee from his father at a young age, was discriminated way too many times for being the ‘only one’ because of the color of his skin almost everywhere he went as a boy, was fat and highly insecure almost all of his life until he decided to change at the age of 24. He knew he had the Sickle Cell Trait from a young age, was negative buoyant and was later in life, even diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect, which meant that he had lived all of his life until then with a hole in his heart limiting the amount of oxygen available for his body! So no, he wasn’t born being the man he is today. He had among the worst hands ever dealt, but he realized that what he was then did not define who he could be. He took action, beat all odds, worked harder than anybody ever had and made himself a force who is now always ready for any challenge life brings along.
“I don’t think about yesterday. I think about today and getting better.” — David Goggins
I first heard about David Goggins, when a friend at work told me about David’s book “Can’t Hurt Me”. I immediately looked it up on Amazon. The book had a perfect 5 on 5 rating. I was shocked by the nature of the reviews too, with no negativity or hate towards him and the words used by each reviewer being so powerful and filled with gratitude to David Goggins that I just had to immediately order the book.
“If you don’t challenge yourself, you don’t know yourself.” — David Goggins
What’s his story?
I loved the book so much that, for me, it’s easily the best book ever published and I’d assume, the best book I’ll ever read! He is writing a new book as I write this, so maybe that new book will change my opinion, because David Goggins always keeps getting better, irrespective of what the challenge is! I’ve read “Can’t Hurt Me” 4 times already and is now again re-reading the book, and will continue to do so every single day. If you were to see the number of highlights, underlines, scribbles and bookmarks on my copy of “Can’t Hurt Me”, you’d think that I’ve had this book for over a couple of decades and was studying for some sort of exam with it. But the messages, stories, pain and challenges in the book are so powerful and extremely untold in today’s modern world, that I’m always learning from the book a little more of how to approach life. Across the book, he shares the tools, rules and perspectives he developed all across his journey to take any suffering, any setback or any impossibility and channel all of it, to make him stronger physically and mentally and strongly urges us to practice his way of life, to always stay ahead of the mediocrity encompassing our world.
“This mission is not about making yourself feel better. This mission is about being better and having a greater impact on the world.” — David Goggins
Did he write a book?
David being the man he is, self-published his book after multiple publishers told him that nobody will relate to his story! But in David’s head, anybody alive has suffered at some point in their life and David’s story and life, not just resonates but imbibes a deep sense of conviction in every reader that when you put in work and chase whatever you have your heart on, you will soar and destroy every demon outside and more importantly within you.
“Each insult or dismissive gesture became more fuel for the engine revving inside me.” — David Goggins
Why his book is important for you?
If you haven’t read his book “Can’t Hurt Me”, do yourself a favor and get his book. I promise you, it’ll be worth every penny and every second of your time. If you’re not into reading, look him up on YouTube and be blown away by his story and his presence in every interview he has ever given. I’ve spend hours on multiple days trying to keep up with at least half of what he does in guided workout sessions that he has posted online to do his bit in keeping the fight alive in people, especially in this difficult time where so many around the world are indoors because of the threat of the pandemic. He is always so raw and real that it’s almost impossible to believe that he is not a Marvel superhero. Believe me when I say that if he indeed was, Thanos would have never won the Infinity War, not even once in 14,000,605 times!
“If you get injured, you’ll recover. What’s your problem?” — David Goggins
I am forever grateful that I’m alive in this time and age when David Goggins, a once 297 pound heavy man, spraying cockroaches at the age of 24 used all of his sufferings, abuses, failures and shortcomings to change his life so much, by pushing himself to the ends of his abilities and breaking all preconceived norms of barriers and limitations to become the toughest man on the planet!
The next time you find yourself procrastinating and finding a reason to not do what you know you need to do, ask yourself this:
“What would Goggins do?”
“Give every day everything you have to give and then some.” — David Goggins
