Inspirational books flood bestseller lists. Most are top of mind as we read them but gone the next day. However, “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins will follow you, and fire you up, years from now.
“I noticed this bulky guy sitting on a folding chair, with a water bottle in his hand, eating crackers,” Jesse Itzler, serial entrepreneur and an NBA team co-owner, recalls. What made this observation remarkable was that, at the time, Itzler was participating in a 100-mile ultra-marathon as part of a meticulously trained and resourced relay team of four.
David Goggins, the folding chair guy, was completing the challenge alone, virtually unprepared. Nevertheless, he would finish the ultra-marathon despite stress fractures in his feet and partial kidney failure.
Subsequently, Itzler would put Goggins on the media map, after inviting him to live with his family for a month and writing a book about it.
David Goggins is a former US Air Force Tactical Air Controller who became a US Navy SEAL with multiple tours of duty, and then, as if this were not enough, completed the US Army’s grueling Ranger course. After retiring from active duty, Goggins continued to set records in numerous endurance competitions, raising more than USD 2 million for a foundation supporting the families of his fallen comrades.
Please let us know what you think of this selection, and keep your recommendations coming.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
David Goggins
Goggins’ auto-biography is a brilliant and gripping book that chronicles the transformation of a depressed, overweight young man destined for a troubled adult life, having suffered poverty, prejudice and physical abuse. It is a primer for overcoming one’s fears and limitations through discipline, sheer will, and hard work.
The book shares powerful techniques Goggins acquired during his storied life, military, and running careers. Among them are the 40% rule and how to “eat an elephant”, all of which can help each one of us to push past pain and demolish our fears.
David Goggins’ story inspires all of us at Tramondo to relentlessly pursue our clients’ goals through consistency, mastery of the mind, and passion. After all, successful investing is definitely more of an ultra-marathon than a sprint.
