I know you’re probably getting sick of me harping on about whatever Mel Robbins or Brene Brown have written about recently, so here’s something different. Today, I’m sharing something I’ve learned from David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL, survivor of abuse and author of, ‘Can’t Hurt Me’.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I’d get much out of this book, being as I am, the polar opposite of an alpha-male. But… I’m half way through and I’m loving it.
It’s a story of survival against the odds; of learning to cope with extreme fatigue/misery/pain, and still keep moving. And considering all I’ve written in the last couple of months about seeking more discomfort in my life, Goggins is right on theme. Because he’s all about that.
He talks about how in facing discomfort, and not giving in, we create an armoured mind.
We do this by reminding ourselves of what we’ve been though – challenges, pain, loss – and how we survived those things. We learn to see these things as necessary reps, our mind becomes callused and resilient to that negative inner chatter and self-doubt. When we keep going – keep enduring – we engage the sympathetic nervous system and we show our bodies, as well as our minds, that we can.
Goggins talks about that time, when you’re ready to quit, and how that is the time to push the hardest of all.
And I’m trying it, in my morning HIIT workouts, at Jiu Jitsu, and whenever I get the chance for some yoga. When I hear that voice, or occasionally a scream, I’m upping the pace… if only for a moment.
When your brain is telling you, ‘I’m DONE!’ and you manage to not only ignore it, but to do more than you were initially planning, that negative inner-voice soon learns to shut up. And the memory of these physical victories over yourself pave the way for further victories: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual…
So wherever you are the next time your inner-quitter pipes up, strive to summon your inner-warrior/badass/psycho.
And show them how it is.
You can nap later 🙂
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