❓ What is it

David Goggins, a former Navy Seal and ultra-marathon runner, details his life’s story.

He shares how he grew up in an abusive home to then becoming one of the best athletes in the world.

How?

Through grit, hard work, determination, and callousing his mind.

A “take no prisoner” mindset but for himself.

? Key message

Callous your mind, harden and sharpen it through grit.

Overcome every challenge through persistence, determination, and with a “no bullshit” approach.

? Why you should read it

Learn how you can overcome your own personal demons and obstacles by hardening and callousing your mind.

Mindset is everything.

Be determined to take action. Don’t allow yourself to be comfortable.

Take the hard road.

? Memorable quotes

Very few people know how the bottom feels, but I do. It’s like quicksand. It grabs you, sucks you under, and won’t let go

The bad hand that was my life was mine, and mine alone to fix.

“What you said is true for most people, but not 100 percent. There will always be the 1 percent of us who are willing to put in the work to defy the odds.”

Only you can master your mind, which is what it takes to live a bold life filled with accomplishments most people consider beyond their capability.

She smiled, but I noticed the tears in her eyes and remember smelling the scotch on her breath when she scooped me up in her arms as tenderly as she could.

You will use your story, this list of excuses, these very good reasons why you shouldn’t amount to a damn thing, to fuel your ultimate success.

If you have worked for thirty years doing the same shit you’ve hated day in and day out because you were afraid to quit and take a risk, you’ve been living like a pussy. Period, point blank. Tell yourself the truth!

But facing that mirror, facing myself, motivated me to fight through uncomfortable experiences, and, as a result, I became tougher. And being tough and resilient helped me meet my goals.

How much longer would I wait, how many more years would I burn, wondering if there was some greater purpose out there waiting for me? I knew right then that if I didn’t make a stand and start walking the path of most resistance, I would end up in this mental hell forever.

The first step on the journey toward a calloused mind is stepping outside your comfort zone on a regular basis.

Remembering that you’ve been through difficulties before and have always survived to fight again shifts the conversation in your head.

Most of us sweep our failures and evil secrets under the rug, but when we run into problems, that rug gets lifted up, and our darkness re-emerges, floods our soul, and influences the decisions which determine our character.

I remembered as a kid, no matter how fucked up our life was, my mother always figured out a way to stock our damn cookie jar.

The reason I embrace my own obsessions and demand and desire more of myself is because I’ve learned that it’s 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.

The only person you are playing against is yourself. Stick with this process and soon what you thought was impossible will be something you do every fucking day of your life.

If you want to master the mind and remove your governor, you’ll have to become addicted to hard work. Because passion and obsession, even talent, are only useful tools if you have the work ethic to back them up.

Life will always be the most grueling endurance sport, and when you train hard, get uncomfortable, and callous your mind, you will become a more versatile competitor, trained to find a way forward no matter what.

Whatever failures and accomplishments pile up in the years to come, and there will be plenty of both I’m sure, I know I’ll continue to give it my all and set goals that seem impossible to most. And when those motherfuckers say so, I’ll look them dead in the eye and respond with one simple question.

What if?

Stay hard; love you, Mom.