Frank Scales

April 30, 2024

David Goggins, a retired Navy Seal, ultra-marathon runner, triathlete, public speaker, and best-selling author, has inspired millions with Can’t Hurt Me.  

Can’t Hurt Me wears many hats. It is part self-help book, instruction manual, and memoir. In Goggin’s words, its objective is to “unshackle your mind. Ditch the victim’s mentality forever. Own all aspects of your life completely. Build an unbreakable foundation.”  

Goggins tells his life story in chronological order. From his early childhood in which he was broken by vicious “beatdowns” his abusive father battered on him, his brother, and his mother. His struggles navigating a racist deep south as an illiterate teen with a learning disability. His bad start ultimately led him to an undesirable life at 24 years old. By that point he was a fumigator for Ecolab, or as Goggins puts it “some janky-ass low-budget stormtrooper”. To becoming a Navy Seal, technical diver, underwater navigator, ultra-marathoner, and pull-up world record holder, or as Goggins puts it the “motherfucking stratosphere”. He discovers life-changing truths which he devised into ten rules.  

From the early chapters where Goggins vividly recounts his upbringing, through the later chapters where Goggins recollects the trials and tribulations of becoming a seal and running ultra-marathon races. They retain a central theme and structure. He gets very specific about the issues and challenges he struggled with in his life and then explains how he overcame those same issues. In doing this he extracts the mental obstacles in those situations that everyone deals with, especially those at Community College of Philadelphia. He formulates challenges that, with “repetition”, will allow the reader to overcome any obstacle whether it be mental, or physical. These challenges range from journaling, and visualization, to pushing oneself harder than ever before. He urges! “accept all ten challenges. Repeat. Repetition will callous the mind”.  

Challenge One 

Write down the reason you shouldn’t succeed. Go into detail. “Give your pain shape. Absorb its power because you are about to flip that shit.” 

Goggins spent his early years in Williamsville, Buffalo, an upper-class neighborhood that was “filled with model citizens. Doctors, attorneys, steel plant executives, dentists, and professional football players”. He described this part of his upbringing with a metaphor, “glossy surfaces reflect much more than they reveal.”. He recounts being a victim of his father’s vicious beatings and watching the same happen to his brother and mother. He also recounts not being able to stay awake in school because his father, Trunis, had him working the night shift at his business, and even sleeping in Trunis’s office at night after every shift. His mother eventually developed the courage to take the boys and make her escape. They landed in Brazil Indiana at his grandparent’s house. He had to repeat 2^nd grade. Luckily, he had a good teacher but this was not the case in third grade. He passed by cheating, a mistake that would catch up to him later. He elaborated, “I thought I’d solved a problem when really I was creating new ones by taking the path of least resistance.”.  

I was taken aback by how much of an impact completing this challenge had. I also had to repeat first grade. I went to a public preschool that did not teach me much and landed in a catholic school with a teacher who expected me to already know a lot of stuff. Although I have amazing parents, and an all-star Grandma who have done nothing but help me. My mom and dad were separating at the time which, looking back, temporarily shattered my attention span. This did not help me catch up with the class.  

I thought that this did not have an impact on me. It was a long time ago, and I was past it. But I’ve come to realize that our brain has a way of numbing us from our most painful experiences as a protection mechanism. After writing about this I opened a doorway that led me to realizing I’ve been insecure about this ever since. This led me to unintentionally put a wall up between teachers and myself. I also made sure that I didn’t truly try at anything because if I tried and failed it would reveal that inadequacy. Community College is an opportunity to rewrite the script my attitude and choices have wrote for me.  

Challenge Two 

Use your mirror as an “accountability mirror”. On small notes write down your insecurities, weaknesses, and ambitions. Bridge that gap with achievable daily, or weekly goals. Look over the mirror each day.  

Goggins high school career up until senior year was defined by his obsession with basketball, cheating to pass, racism, and a “last second turn around”. He recalls an incident in sophomore year when someone wrote “n***** we’re going to kill you” in his textbook, and a time in junior year when someone spraypainted the N-word on his car. This led him to diving into a “well of black nationalism”. He was also cut from the basketball team in junior year because he missed training camp taking away his only incentive to keep his GPA up. A letter from school and a failure of the ASWAB test catalyzed a change of direction. One night while staring in the mirror Goggins shaved his head and listed his issues out. They included not knowing math or barely knowing how to read and the how lifestyle he chose wasn’t going to get him in the military. He put his weaknesses, and goals on notes and studied them every day.  

After my unsuccessful year in first grade, my test scores did improve, and I later became an avid reader. Instead of using these abilities to better myself and aim up in school, I used them to pass tests and classes by doing as little as possible. This practice made me feel good and helped hide those feelings of inadequacy but did not help me grow. Writing out areas where I need to improve, and choosing specific goals that will allow me to develop myself in those areas has helped. Even in a matter of weeks. The notes allow a for progress in specific areas to be seen. This practice also helps to hold me accountable for when I fall short. 

 Many in Community College share my story of failures during high school and although just going to CCP is progress, old habits die hard. One must have means to hold themselves accountable. The “accountability mirror” is perfect. 

Challenge Three 

Write down all the activities that make you uncomfortable but are beneficial. Do them repetitiously. Goggins stresses that we do not have to do impossible tasks. We must consistently do 5-10% better than we did before. 

Even After Goggin’s metamorphosis in the late stages of his high school career. He wound up a depressed 24-year-old exterminator. How did that happen? He cowered to fear. After high school, he made it into the Air Force and was in training for his dream job, Pararescuemen. He was on track to be the best of his class. But a fear of water led him to take an easy out. He was honorably discharged and given another role but the guilt from this cowardice stopped him from succeeding in the remaining four years of Navel service.  

At 24 he was a fumigator for Ecolab, spraying for cockroaches. He weighed about 300 pounds. He now has this to say about ballooning to 300 pounds during this time, “I was hiding even though I looked intimidating” He describes a monstrous breakfast and a chocolate milkshake as his “tea”. He elaborates on what a dark period feels like saying “There’s light at the end of the tunnel but not when the eyes adjust to the dark.” 

He remembers being inspired by a TV program featuring aspiring Navy Seals saying, “these men were everything I wasn’t.”. In no time he was studying for the ASWAB test again and working out all day. After passing the test by the skin of his teeth and getting in adequate physical shape he recalls “I ran as fast as I could for as long as I could, from the past that no longer defined me, toward a future undetermined. All I knew is that there would be pain and there would be purpose. And that I was ready.” 

From years of doing the minimum in high school, I graduated and focused on my job in the bar industry. I had some success and worked with great people. Clocking in and working your shift can be challenging and I was able to hone my people skills and learn how to advance in a job but I knew I had unfinished business in the academic world. I was given an opportunity to evaluate my path and I realized that I was on the path of least resistance. Deep down I knew I wanted to be in college, but I did not want to face my issues which stopped me from becoming a great student. From the years of focusing my intellectual abilities on protecting myself from insecurities I missed the opportunities to master foundational concepts and skills. I am not proficient in algebra, or writing and have no idea where my potential lies because I have not tested myself in those areas.  

So, what do I hate doing the most but would be most beneficial for me? Practicing Algebra, writing, getting assignments done on time, accepting criticism from my teachers.

Challenge Four 

Take their soul. “No matter how they’re treating you there is one way to not only earn their respect, but turn the table. Excellence. Do whatever task is at hand better than they think is possible for them to have done it.” 

Goggins completed an astounding 3 hell weeks. His first hell week was cut short because of double phenomena, and the third ended early when a student died.  

He focuses on his experience during the second hell week. He learned from his first attempt that it was a mind game and that he must gain the edge. That’s why before hell week started, he and his teammates stole the schedule. Throughout the hell week, Goggins made it a point to “play the mind game and gain the tactical advantage.” At one point he looked at the instructors and realized that they were comfortable. He then rallied his team and they started throwing the boat they were being forced to carry in the air. He recalls the effects being “immediate and undeniable.” From doing that he was able to take the instructor’s energy. This is the essence of taking souls.  

Whether I’m doing push-ups, riding my bike, or studying, I now look to take souls thinking back on past experiences. Recognize when the transfer takes place. It’s easy for the untrained eye to miss it. It isn’t about making people feel inferior, it’s about gaining energy from them to do your best. 

Instead of trying to get by, it would benefit many at Community College to wage a constructive psychological war on their teachers.  

Challenge Five 

Goggins mentions Shawn Dobs a fellow student at the time who did not make it through hell week. He says “This man had excelled through the first few weeks of BUD/S. He’d come from nothing and was a phenomenal athlete. He had so many experiences along the way he could have leaned on. He’d calloused his mind plenty, but because his foundation was cracked, when shit got real, he lost control of his mindset and became a slave to his doubt.”. He recalls being in the medical center when Dobbs arrived complaining about his foot. When the boot came off “they looked perfectly healthy”. He recalls seeing a “blank stare” on Dobbs face that people make when they “surrender their soul”. He quit later that night. This along with a realization that his own foundation had been broken from the abuse from his father taught him the importance of being secure in one’s identity and being able to answer the simple questions.  

To ensure success at community college I have examined my past. I have accepted my mistakes, my insecurities, and every part of my story. Many people would also be well served to do this at community college considering most of us haven’t had perfect lives. 

Challenge Six 

Create a cookie jar of past achievements. Big or Small. It could include conquering an addiction or an academic or sporting accolade. “Include incidents where you failed multiple times but stayed persistent. These are the biggest wins.” 

Goggin’s, to raise money for the wounded warrior project, wanted to participate in Badwater, the toughest ultra-marathon race in the world. The commissioner of the race told him that it would increase his chances of being accepted into the race if he showed he could run 100 miles. With no preparation, he ran a 100-mile race. He burnt out and had to stop but was able to find the strength to start walking and even start running again by reminding himself of past victories and feeling the emotions attached to them. He finished the race in 19 hours recalling that he even ran an extra mile because he wasn’t sure if he ran 100 or 99 miles. He “shit himself, pissed blood and his toenails were hanging off but he rejected his wife’s demands to go to the ER. He wanted to enjoy the pain of what he just accomplished.” 

I won a writing contest at the end of my senior year which netted me 250 dollars. I told the people at my lunch table that I was going to win before the contest ended. This is one cookie in my jar that has pushed me to start writing again. It can be tempting to quit when things get tough at community college, but pulling on those small wins we all have can give us the strength to study for an extra hour, continue going to the tutor, and even continue to go to class.  

Challenge Seven 

Remove the governor from your mind. We all have an internal governor that stops us from giving 100% as a natural protection mechanism. To become our best selves, we must remove this governor. We do this by giving 5-10% percent more effort than we thought we had to give in every task. Goggins says most people only use 40% of their capacity. We must use 100%. He makes a point to say if we under-perform physically, we are probably under-performing in school or work. 

Goggins was supposed to spectate his mother and wife run a marathon. He was going to walk because he had stress fractures in his shins that were not healed, but when the race started, he took off. “I still don’t know what it was. Perhaps I underestimated my competitive spirit. Maybe it was because I knew Navy SEALs were supposed to be the hardest motherfuckers in the world. We were supposed to run on broken legs and fractured feet. Or so went the legend Id bought into long ago. Whatever it was, something triggered and the last thing I remember seeing as the horn echoed down the street was shock and real concern on the faces of Kate and my mother as I charged down the boulevard and out of sight.”. By the 13^th mile he was in contention to qualify for the Boston marathon, he remembers the moment saying “I laughed in disbelief and slammed a paper cup of Gatorade. In less than two hours the game had flipped, and I might never get this chance again. I’d seen so much death by-in my personal life and on the battlefield-that I knew tomorrow was not guaranteed. Before me was an opportunity, and if you give me an opportunity, I will break that motherfucker off!” After finishing with a qualifying score, he remembers asking himself “what am I capable of?”. He recalls thinking “the cost of missing out on so much excellence in this eternally fucked-up world felt incalculable to me, and it still does. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since”. He also comments “most of us are motivated as hell to do anything to pursue our dreams until those around us remind us of the danger, the downside, our own limitations, and all the people before us that didn’t make it. Sometimes the advice comes from a well-intended place. They really believe they are doing it for our own good but if you let them, these same people will talk you out of your dreams, and your governor will help them do it.” Goggins concept of a “cookie jar” is meant to counteract this. He also crystallized “The Goggin’s Rules of Nature” 

• You will be made fun of. 
• You will feel insecure. 
• You may not be the best all the time. 
• You may be the only black, white, Asian, Latino, female, male, gay, lesbian, or [fill in your identity here] in a given situation.  
• There will be times when you feel alone.  

When it comes to writing and studying, my governor is most active. In the past few years, I’ve made progress in breaking physical limitations, but not intellectual limitations.  

Challenge Eight 

Compartmentalize the day. Do not multitask. Decide what task you must do and solely pursue that. “Build a schedule and lock everything in time clocks. Make sure breaks are adequate but not open-ended. For the first weeks take meticulous notes on what you do during the week. Then figure out where you can do better. Most people waste five to four hours on a given day”. “It’s up to you to find ways to eviscerate your bullshit.” 

Goggin’s was asked by Admiral Winters, a two star admiral, to recruit people of color into the Navy. They made their first appearance at Howard University. Goggins says “I knew almost nothing about historically black colleges and universities, I knew that students who attended them were not typically the type to think of the military as an optimal career choice.”. After giving a stellar speech, he was given autonomy to create his schedule, and a budget as long as he hit performance markers. He remembers his job saying, “From 2007-2009, I was on the road for 250 days a year and spoke to 500,000 people at high schools and universities.”.  

During this time Goggin’s was still competing in Ultra-Races. He worked as a Navy Seal recruiter from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm and trained after or before his shifts. He remembers the “after-action reports (AAR)” he had to file saying “I had to file an After Action Report (AAR), detailing how many separate events (an auditorium speech, a workout, etc.) I organized, how many kids I spoke to, and how many of those were actually interested.”. When students asked him about whether they could do what he does, he said “Our culture has become hooked on the quick fix, the life hack, efficiency. Everyone is on the hunt for that simple action algorithm that nets maximum profit with the least amount of effort. There’s no denying this attitude may get you some of the trappings of success, if you’re lucky, but it will not lead to a calloused mind or self-mastery. If you want to master the mind and remove your governor, you’ll have to become addicted to hard work.” Goggins goes on to explain that even though we all have work commitments, and a lot of us have family that require time, it still is not an excuse to not get other things done by saying “there are 168 hours in a week! That means you have the hours to put in that extra time at work without skimping on your exercise. It means streamlining your nutrition, spending quality with your wife and kids. It means scheduling your life like you’re on a twenty-four-hour mission every single day.”.  

While training for the Race Across America, a seven-day bike race, his heart gave out on him. The doctors found an Arterial Septal Defect, ASD, or a hole in his heart. The doctor explained that he was only getting about half the necessary oxygen supply he needed and that it was remarkable that he was able to achieve everything he did. Goggin’s explained “To me, it was further evidence that I didn’t owe my accomplishments to God-given talent or great genetics.” He required 2 heart surgeries. 

Like most, I struggle with time management. Social media and my phone in general tend to distract me. After deleting social media and using Goggin’s method of building a routine and having time blocks of time designated to complete certain tasks, I have become more efficient.  

Challenge Nine 

Be uncommon amongst the uncommon. Do not become complacent with any amount of success. Continue to put challenges in front of yourself because you are not competing with anyone except yourself. “Greatness does not permanently stay with you it disappears like oil in a hot pan.” 

Goggin’s talks about his first two platoons as a Navy Seal after graduating BUD/S. He talks about the pressure placed on him to party like the rest of the guys. He did not fold. His goal was to be the best he could, which required rest and studying during the night. He was invited to Army Ranger school and found himself First Sargent of his class, or “part boss, part big brother, and full-time quasi-instructor.” He recalls army ranger school being brutal saying “We slept very little, ate even less.” Goggins lost 56 pounds and “looked like death” by the time he graduated. He then looked for even more challenges and found himself competing for a spot on the Delta squad, the army’s premier force. He was doing great until he rolled his ankle and could not continue in a timely manner. He recalls the guy in charge saying that they looked forward to seeing him again when his ankle healed.  

I have been trying to find people who are better than me at the things I enjoy doing at CCP. This is why I formed the chess club. It’s easy to beat an untrained person in chess but beating a ranked player is another story.  

Challenge Ten 

“File an after-action report after evry failure.” When you fail or for past failures write a report in this order; 

• What are good things that came from this failure? How has it affected those close to you and your relationships? 
• How did you think throughout the preparation for and during the execution stage of failure? What was your mindset?  
• Go back and make a list of the things you can fix.  
• Schedule another attempt!!! 

If a failure has happened long ago the report will still be useful because it will allow you to learn lessons from the past.  

After Goggin’s heart surgery, he was in recruitment for two years then was finally cleared for combat and tried Delta Selection again. All was going well when he ran to the next checkpoint, he thought he had it in the bag and his mind wandered. He paid for his overconfidence with a lack of focus that ultimately led to him getting lost and failing the evolution. He was sent home but he was not bitter, he said “Delta brass weren’t looking for men who could pass a class with a C, B+, or even an A- effort. They only accepted A+ students, and if you fucked up and delivered a performance that was below your capability they sent you packing.”. He goes on to elaborate on his experience breaking the pull-up record. He failed twice and learned from each attempt. On the third attempt he completed 4,020 pull-ups in a day and the record was his.  

My failure to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to me during high school allowed me to develop wisdom at a young age. Although there were rough points, my mistakes have made me humble, and that humility has led to very strong relationships with my parents and friends.  

During my high school career, my mind was focused on hiding inadequacies rather than welcoming failure, and criticism as opportunities to improve. To fix this I am developing the habit of embracing the areas I struggle in and welcome criticism at CCP. My second attempt is underway!

Goggin’s ends the book with a question. “What If?” What if it’s possible to get into that school? What if it’s possible to run that race? What if you can achieve that grade? What if you could get that promotion? What if you overcame that fear? What if you can change the world? This question is the weapon one can use to defend one’s aspirations from thy doubter, and most importantly thy self. Although asking “What if” may make one uncomfortable “I could’ve” evokes worse feelings. Leave it on the table.

Although some criticize Goggin’s strenuous workout routines as dangerous and useless to regular people like college students his thoughts contradict this notion when he says “Some criticize my level of passion, but I’m not down with the prevailing mentalities that tend to dominate American society these days; the ones that tell us to go with the flow or invite us to learn how to get more with less effort. Fuck that shortcut bullshit. The reason I embrace my own obsessions and demand and desire more of myself is because I’ve learned that its only when I push beyond pain and suffering, past my perceived limitations, that I’m capable of accomplishing more, physically and mentally – in endurance races but also in life as a whole. And I believe the same is true for you.”. Some get the idea that Goggin’s is all about carrying boats and running but the essence of his message is missed in this conclusion. Goggin’s message is not even about exercise. It’s about extracting the most from oneself regardless of the subject. This will to be ones best self is innate in us and has driven the development of every great society.

Although the declaration of independence was a physical document declaring man’s freedom, the individuals who wrote it first declared themselves free. Just like African American slaves who fought in the Civil War, and women who fought for suffrage declared themselves free and decided it was a cause worth their life before the 13^th and 19^th amendments were ever imagined.  

Our society is in decline because corporate America, in pursuit of profit through marketing, has distracted us from this universal truth. Since there are no profits to be made from an individual seeking to actually better themselves the corporations continually try to sell us on the next thing we need that will fix all our issues. The truth is none of these things can because freedom, pride, and joy are found internally through hard work.  

Communists have long criticized the tendency of capitalistic society to turn in this direction, but communism gets a few things wrong. Communism assumes that we do not act in self-interest and that we have no desire to be individuals. This is not true. It is our nature to seek liberty and make our own choices. Uprooting our economic and political systems will not fix the issue. The only way to turn things around is if enough individuals decide to take the path of least resistance and follow their dreams. This means the most one can do is inspire others doing it themselves.  

Can’t Hurt Me has helped me detach myself from results and has ingrained a habit of working as hard as possible and continuing, even when I want to quit. A notion has developed in my mind after reading this book is to be greedy about how much work you put in, not about the results you get. This notion will be a driving force in my life as I continue further on the path of most resistance.