‘Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins

David Goggins' self-help memoir Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds is one of those books that can absolutely change your life. It will utterly shift the way you look at hardships, your relationship to them, and how much control you can actually have over those things, if you will it.

The book tells the story of the hell that was David's own life before he chose, through sheer grit and determination, to push past every obstacle he faced — and there have been many — to transform himself into a Navy SEAL (not to mention Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller), an ultra-endurance athlete, and a motivational speaker.

For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare—poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, David transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside Magazine to name him “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.”

In Can’t Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us only tap into 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this the 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.

This book motivated me to get after it. I feel like it unlocked a part of my brain that won’t settle for less.

David Becerra


In essence, the book shows how you can leverage your mind and body to beat the odds and achieve just about anything. Highly recommended reading right here, especially if you've been feeling in a rut lately (and who hasn't?).

Get the clean (curse-word-free) edition in these formats:

If you want the original unfiltered version (including the audiobook format), you can find that here.