--- ## Highlights There are two levels to belief. There’s the surface level, which our coaches, teachers, therapists, and parents love to preach. “Believe in yourself,” ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnknqp5apvwtev00zrspkfb)) Then there’s the belief born in resilience. It comes from working your way through layers of pain, fatigue, and reason, and ignoring the ever-present temptation to quit until you strike a source of fuel you didn’t even know existed. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnkp0hqhm6qzr2bhv1prs3r)) Social media has compounded and spread this virus of dissatisfaction, which is why the world is now populated by damaged people consuming airy gratification, hunting an immediate dopamine fix with no substance at all behind it. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnktahb5krsgax77m3gs2fk)) I’m haunted by my future goals, not my past failures. I’m haunted by what I may still become. I’m haunted by my own continued thirst for evolution. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnkw1dqhtrr1p62meax1hjz)) 1. Maximize Minimal Potential ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnkxp33ax75090sm7y3m5yj)) Once I’d liberated myself and begun to evolve, I learned that it is the rare warrior who embraces the adversity of being born into hell and then, with their own free will, chooses to add as much suck as they can find to turn each day into a boot camp of resiliency. Those are the ones who don’t stop at good enough. They aren’t satisfied with just being better than they used to be. They are forever evolving and striving for the highest level of self. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnmgac41an80zt0rg4628d5)) if I had succumbed to the “I’m only human” mentality, I never would have dug myself out of the deep hole I was in at twenty-four years old. Because the second you utter those words, the white towel is fluttering in the air, and your mind stops looking for more fuel. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnmq9jn1y14jd604esftx0x)) 2. Merry Fucking Christmas ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnnmqx5ysrbbyedxv071rgp3)) Everything must be utilized. Especially the energy in volatile, potentially damaging emotions like fear and hate. You have to learn how to handle them—how to mine them—and once you master that craft, any negative emotion or event that bubbles up in your brain or gets lobbed your way, like a grenade, can be used as fuel to make you better. But to get there, you must literally listen to yourself. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1db5eymm33a1jade3480ay)) kept a journal for years, but there are levels to this shit, and a written archive is the entry level. Audio recordings are more interactive and accessible and have a more profound effect on the mind. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1ddqqnhyy6ah2ys32wm0w3)) If you were bullied, abused, or sexually assaulted and are willing to speak the unfiltered truth into the microphone and listen to it over and over, after a period of time, it will become just another story ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1de349b9sy9z242q937sp4)) Most people rise up eventually, but they remain in a daze for hours because they aren’t fully engaged with their lives. Their self-talk has made them numb to the moment, and they sleepwalk through half the day before they finally perk the fuck up. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dg5jymsvctzhzwc58awdg)) The way we speak to ourselves in moments of doubt is crucial, whether or not the stakes are high. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dgcj1m0ahn6pvj2wsjg0t)) . If any of this sounds familiar, grab your phone and record your inner dialogue as soon as you wake up. Don’t hold back. Spill all your dread, laziness, and stress into the mic. Now listen to it. Nine times out of ten, you won’t like what you hear ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dh3jq9zkqrcv17jasnvj1)) use it to remind yourself that changes must be made. Listening might inspire you to commit to your life in a deeper way, to be your best at work, at school, or in the gym. It can challenge you to rewrite the narrative so that when you bed down, you won’t feel like you wasted another valuable day ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dhe85fw6bnv1m008198ta)) sit up in bed and lay down a second take ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dj40mg7ec81f5dcyw1yq5)) Some people go to sleep with a meditation app. Others open the windows to the night sounds or stream white noise, whale songs, or the lullaby of the sea lapping some lonely shore. When I bed down at night, I listen to my haters. And it’s obvious those punk-ass bitches don’t have the slightest idea who they are dealing with. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dn8eks16x7ja9m7tppbz0)) 3. The Mental Lab ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dnq6bvjbw3hxh344rhr9j)) If you don’t feel like you’re good enough, if your life lacks meaning and time feels like it’s slipping through your fingers, there is only one option. Recreate yourself in your own Mental Lab. Somewhere you can be alone with your thoughts and wrestle with the substance of what and who you want to be in your one short life on earth. If it feels right, create an alter ego to access some of that dark matter in your own mind. That’s what I did. In my mind, David Goggins wasn’t the savage motherfucker who accomplished all the hard shit. It was Goggins who did that ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1dtxvzy4q36n22gyzdja3q)) The more I heard about my own success, the more tempting it became to coast, as if I’d finally arrived. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1e455s15rpybjjgh7mtnca)) The world needs doctors, lawyers, and teachers, but we also need savages to prove that we are all capable of so much more ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1f93kzwrkevy0c3py6eaqk)) I don’t have any respect for people who live this luxe life 24/7. If I said no to Babbitt, I wouldn’t be quitting on him. I would be quitting on myself. I would be making a fear-based choice to no longer be the very person who I became so proud of. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1fyjq5xrbqpsww6x21e40a)) Respect is earned every day by waking up early, challenging yourself with new dreams or digging up old nightmares, and embracing the suck like you have nothing and have never done a damn thing in your life. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1fyzwmxx473zszhn126wrf)) There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Losing just one of those seconds can change the outcome of your day and, potentially, your life. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1fzn9jsjcpph53kye0wz8e)) 4. A Savage Reborn ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gp1g05de6d9wkbhf2de367g1)) We can make any obstacle as big or small as we like. It’s all in the way we frame it. Going into Leadville, I expected one long, hard motherfucking day. But how many inconsequential days had I lived by then? Why not spend one single day doing something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my life? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpe8d3tvs2925ydsbwy05tq5)) The savage is not a socialized beast, and an imbalanced lifestyle often appears selfish from the outside. But the reason I’ve been able to help so many people with my life story is precisely because I embraced being that imbalanced while I pursued the impossible dream of becoming the hardest motherfucker ever. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpe8tkkf4d8f99rm0qxkw48b)) Evolution No. 4 ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpe8wgr52xjsh6rf46kjck5x)) 5. Disciple of Discipline ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpe963104bmqqe56wywzwjs9)) He never sat back and said, “I’m teaching you how to be a responsible young man.” Yet, I learned valuable life lessons. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpf8btd93g0azcw71q3vxmex)) When the day’s job was done, Bill slammed the steel hood down without realizing Sgt. Jack’s hands were still resting on the rim. The hood shattered fingers on both of his hands, but he didn’t make a sound. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpf88sm7fdmk8ghmchtj4hhb)) Our generation is training kids to become full-fledged members of Entitlement Nation, which ultimately makes them easy prey for the lions among us. Our ever-softening society doesn’t just affect children. Adults fall into the same trap. Even those of us who have achieved great things. Every single one of us is just another frog in the soon-to-be-boiling water that is our soft-ass culture. We take unforeseen obstacles personally. We are ready to be outraged at all times by the evil bullshit of the world. Believe me, I know all about evil and have dealt with more bullshit than most, but if you catalog your scars to use them as excuses or a bargaining chip to make life easier for yourself, you’ve missed an opportunity to become better and grow stronger. Sgt. Jack knew what awaited me as an adult. He was preparing me for the grip of life. Whether he knew it or not, the man was training me to be a savage. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpf8cq9m9fxp5mdzq4r21mge)) First, you must recognize that you have fallen off or are perpetually falling short. Next, accept that you are on your own. Nobody will come save you. They may show you an example, like Sgt. Jack did for me and I’m doing for you right now, but it will be up to you to do the work. Then, you must become a disciple of discipline. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpf8d6342knkpby9tvqsm5hz)) I am proof that rebirth is possible through discipline, which is the only thing capable of altering your DNA. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gpf8fgjrwfch0ztfkann6x3n)) efficiency: getting the most for themselves with the least amount of time and effort. Let all of them leave the gym early, skip school, take sick days. Commit to becoming the motherfucker with a never-ending task list. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3hwsepsctfay7cmgfws4qf)) With discipline as your medium, your life will become a work of art. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j05ayrq6v8hr6qwbx1gna)) Discipline builds mental endurance because when effort is your main priority, you stop looking for everything to be enjoyable. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j0myfa710y4h91vm1yn1t)) When you become disciplined, you don’t have time for that bullshit. Your insecurities become alarm bells reminding you that doing your chores or homework to the utmost of your ability and putting in extra time on the job or in the gym are requirements for a life well-lived. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j0zg6z7ejrd8jq5bw1da1)) I am at my best when I am a disciple of discipline. The further I got away from it, and from Sgt. Jack, the worse I became. While I still didn’t like waking up early or most of the chores I had to do, those were the very things that turned me into someone I could be proud of. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j4pjd05mskaxg2mfv5tr4)) whenever I had a purpose or a task in front of me, I didn’t consider it done until I’d completed it to the best of my ability. When that’s the way you live your life, you no longer need a task list or an Accountability Mirror because when you see the grass is high, you cut the grass right then. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j5zsweb9mmv73n887s24z)) Once, those task lists were a burden. Today, I burn with an inner drive shaped by doing the shit I didn’t want to do over and over again. And it won’t let me relax until I’ve done what needs to be done every damn day. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j6zew64cmtwgsbqncry1d)) Evolution No. 5 ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3j8nca4fb3rt9dj6n0j83g)) the more comfort pity brings you, the more external validation you’ll crave and the less independent you will become. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3ja1x4hvz5vj69hvvge9zs)) Every minute you spend feeling sorry for yourself is another minute not getting better ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jbexs1e50ysph0vmzet7s)) The only thing that ever matters is the present moment. Yet too many people let their depression or regret hijack their day. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jczy3m976rdxj30kham53)) People who feel sorry for themselves are obsessed with their own problems and their own fate. Is that really much different than the greedy and egotistical people who want to feel better than everybody else? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jj3b1zggyqd79456mt0h0)) Once you make it in this world, you have to freefall back to the bottom in some way to keep learning and growing. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jj7k9p80r1f41xxj9zjen)) I call this “trained humility.” It’s a shedding of your skin that allows you to take on a mission that no one else can see and do whatever needs to be done next. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jjgmr9mq3sbgknpps5871)) Chapter Six ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jjkj5ggnyyf5m6egvssy9)) We all have our reasons for remaining in the shallow end, but we must make our shallow end a training ground. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3jp7tyt0yb8zqgkpp53ppy)) You never want to rely on someone else to lead you in your race. I should have used my pacer as a backstop navigator and kept my eyes on my own GPS the entire time. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3kg878nw2w5pj5v36k6md2)) - 💭 Understanding the personal things you could have done for precautions, calling himself lazy for not being responsible himself In order to execute on your willingness to succeed, you will need to be able to perform without purpose. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3kqsyj4t93jp3w5vsbre2t)) All I know is this: I am David Fucking Goggins. I exist; therefore, I complete what I start. I take pride in my effort and in my performance in all phases of life. Just because I am here! ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3krsdyekrtvcb93hp599tj)) I’m often mistaken for a masochist. Some people think I push past pain and take unreasonable risks for sport or spectacle, but that’s not true. I push a lot harder than most, but I don’t do it to injure myself or impress others, and I sure as hell don’t want to die. I do it because the body and mind never fail to amaze me. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3m12znphkjkmkwmvamt67d)) Evolution No. 6 ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3m9evgyxpjz9wbhpn80zpd)) In military speak, the foxhole is a fighting position. In life, it’s your inner circle. These are the people you surround yourself with. They know your history and are aware of your future goals and past limitations. But because it’s a fighting position, a foxhole can just as easily become your grave. Therefore, it is crucial that you be careful about who you invite in. Whether you are at war, competing in a game, or striving in life, you never want someone in your foxhole who lacks faith or will try to steer you away from your full potential by giving you permission to pack it in or wave the white flag when shit looks bleak. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3m8xzv4cb6qppvx1ac94f0)) You want the husband or wife who, when you snooze that alarm on a freezing mid-winter morning before dawn, shakes you the fuck awake so you don’t miss your training run. When you’re dieting and whine about being bored of eating the same bland foods every day, they remind you of all the progress you have made, of all the hard work you have put in, and happily eat the same bland foods alongside you. When you say you’re tired from all the late-night studying, they stay up late with you to help you study. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3m966f60mjzzjc2255amaj)) In order to populate your foxhole with the right people, you must first know who you are as an individual. That means shaking off old belief systems—creaky concepts of the world and your place in it—that no longer serve you and the habits and lifestyle that you’ve outgrown. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3mccva0qwed3vrcbr6g86d)) Fast forward a few years, and Kish is most definitely foxhole qualified. Now, she is the one who blocks off the fire season entirely and turns down every speaking inquiry that comes in for those months without even asking me because she understands exactly who I am and what I am about. She knows what my priorities are and fully supports them without question. She admires that I am fulfilled by doing things that most people shy away from and that the lure of money and fame do absolutely nothing for me but leave me feeling empty. She wants me to find my very best. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3mp7bf7tmnkn6mvd5aav7z)) - 💭 power couple, going against her own desires but still 100% supportive But that’s the kind of backing I want. The type that comes with an expectation of effort and demands hours, weeks, and even years of hard work. Because that is exactly what it takes to fulfill lofty ambitions and, more important than that, find out what you are truly capable of. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3mqfnpq7tyv1fr2dfhtckt)) Chapter Seven7. The Reckoning ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gs3mqjqjjdqrpmqnq7vdkg12)) This awareness that everything we do is merely training for the next episode is like a filter that expands your perception. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gtyq8qzrywt6he3tnngkbq43)) I live with a Day One, Week One mentality. This mentality is rooted in self-discipline, personal accountability, and humility. While most people stop when they’re tired, I stop when I am done. In a world where mediocrity is often the standard, my life’s mission is to become uncommon amongst the uncommon. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gtyr2xbsn8vf54wm5atfstv6)) Chapter Eight ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gtyr31kt8farc11p96x8j3je)) Chapter Nine ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gtyseyzw3aq3pb5kajm0nc6k)) r mid-twenties. Most of them came from backwoods Canada and grew up playing ice hockey six months a year. They had opted out of Generation Soft, and a handful were hell-bent on racing against me with everything they had. I resp ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h0k5h4vtz9y94h119nzz9rf5)) - 💭 From the information provided, it is unclear how the author views his work as a creator in relation to making money.