By I’m not normally much of an audio-book person. I love the feeling of holding a book in my hand, and highlighting the crap out of it. If you ever borrow a book from me, I can almost guarantee it will be filled with yellow highlighter. I vacillate between tangible books and my Kindle; and recently discovered the beauty of printing all the highlights from my Kindle books. However, audio books are great for when you’re on the go. And they are a great way to make use of NET time (No Extra Time). But for someone like me who likes to take notes and highlight, they aren’t my first choice.
I had Can’t Hurt Me, Master Your Mind and Defy The Odds on my reading list when my Aunt shared the Audible version with me. The audio version of this book is unlike any other book I have listened to. Anyone interested in reading this book, the audio version is the way to go. Listening to this book is like if a podcast and audio-book had a baby. Periodically throughout the listen, David Goggins and the narrator, Adam Skolnick take breaks to discuss in more detail events in the book and also stories which had to be cut due to length. Listening to this book and hearing Goggins elaborate on the stories and challenges of this book make it worth the listen, instead of the read.
Goggins writes of the adversity he faced throughout his life from childhood into adulthood. His father was terribly abusive. The abuse he suffered as a young child influenced him in ways beyond his initial comprehension. Goggins faced seemingly insurmountable odds, and yet defied them at every corner. For years, Goggin’s own mind was his greatest enemy, and eventually he learned that through controlling his mind he could defy all odds.
Throughout the book, Goggins presents the reader (listener) with challenges to help put the book into action. I previously mentioned the “Accountability Mirror,” and my mirror and my husband’s continue to be filled with post-it of goals. He also has some other great tools to use to help you maintain your drive to reach your goals, despite any suffering or pain you may face.
The techniques Goggins used in his life and passes along, are tools that can help anyone overcome pain and hardship. You may be thinking, ‘what do I have in common with a Navy Seal? What do we have in common that could be applied to my life?’ Honestly, although he reflects on his military past, he uses the experiences he had in the military as teachable moments. And these moments aren’t only within the military. Goggins discusses his abuse as a child, racism, and his time as an ultra-marathon athlete to give examples of how you can allow adversity to break you or shape you.
After finishing this book I find myself asking “What would David Goggins do? Would he quit or would he power through?” When I question myself in this context, I’m learning what inspires and motivates me to keep pushing, and how I can foster that momentum. This book is worth the listen.
