How The David Goggins Book Changed My Life

It needed some changing

Photo by dylan nolte on Unsplash

If you’ve ever read any of my content, it’s been a lot about me trying to help myself. I have been trying for years to be my own self help book, and genuinely thought I could do it myself. Sure, some people can, but maybe I’m not one of them.

I read David Goggins’ book “Can’t Hurt Me” and things REALLY started happening.

I once was a model with the agency FORD in Manhattan, then with my mental health decline started on a bunch of medications. These medications mixed with my poor self care led me to gain literally 100 pounds. I went from a lean 6’4” and 175 pounds to 286 just a few years later.

I was unhappy, unhealthy, hated myself, and was in a downward spiral. All while trying to put on a brave face and help others feel better.

I had great intentions, but was forgetting to take care of my own needs to be in a position to help. I don’t fault myself, I just thought I could be a mental health advocate about it “being okay to not be okay.”

Fast forward to a few months ago and this book. I yo-yo’d with my weight and was down to 260 pounds at this point (still unhappy) and needed a change mentally and physically. Let me tell you, this book was the wake up call I needed.

After the first few chapters about David’s childhood and knowing the man he became, a Navy SEAL among many more things, I knew I could make a change too. Here are the lessons I learned:

Don’t Coddle Myself

This book was incredibly blunt and had tons of swearing. It didn’t allow for any BS. It also taught me there is no BS I should be telling myself.

Whenever something bad would happen in my life, I would chalk it up to my depression and anxiety. I’ve lost jobs not because I failed, I’ve lost them at the fear of me failing and me eventually quitting.

Those excuses were great for me to stay comfortable and to make me feel better in the moment. However, this constant coddling didn’t let me focus on what was actually happening. I WAS THE PROBLEM. I was quitting these jobs and not facing down my fears. No one else, not the illness, it was me!