I don’t want to simply pass the time during this shutdown. May Netflix and chill never pour forth from my lips. May it forever remain anathema. No, I’ve set my sights on emerging from this season better than when it first began.
I want to help you do the same as well. Join me on my quest for self-improvement by reading a book that’s quite timely for us now–Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. It tells the story of David’s life and puts the lessons he learned through intense suffering on a shelf we can reach.
This book holds a special place in my reading life. It isn’t the first to put forth the idea that suffering is for our good. I first found that principle in the Scriptures. It is, however, a book that grabbed my attention. It isn’t so much the principles undergirding the message of the book that captured my mind. David’s story is compelling and relatable. It imbibes the book with power, the power to help you transform your thinking and by extension your life.
Can’t Hurt Me was one of my favorite books of 2019. In fact, I read or listened to it several times last fall. It is a book primarily about suffering. Or better yet, it is a book about how you can use your suffering to make you better.
Pain is a part of life; there is no avoiding it–despite all our efforts spend most of our efforts to the contrary. That’s not such a bad thing. It turns out that suffering is a necessary ingredient in our development; learning to embrace it, a secret weapon.
In reading Can’t Hurt Me, we will learn how to embrace our pain like an old friend. We will develop a new way to look at life’s problems; a new way to approach life’s obstacles; a new way to look at failure. In the end, I hope we develop a deeper appreciation for God’s sovereignty; His providence in directing our path; His using what others mean for evil for our good. I also hope and pray that this appreciation leads us to trust His smiling providence all the more.
Each week, I will offer a few reflections on David’s story and the lessons pulled from it. Those lessons apply directly to our lives and the fight we find ourselves in daily. We’ll continue reading and posting until the book is done. Below is a tentative reading schedule.
Reading Schedule
Week 1: Introduction and Chapter 1
Week 2: Chapters 2 & 3
Week 3: Chapters 4 & 5
Week 4: Chapters 6 & 7
Week 5: Chapters 8 & 9
Week 6: Chapters 10 & 11
Where to get the book
The book is widely available, though you may opt for the free online version you can pick up through Scribd. I’ve actually consumed this book in all three formats multiple times and know you’ll be pleased whichever option you choose.
Disclaimer: This book contains adult language and content. It is not suitable for children. You will want to be cognizant of this if you opt for the audio version or have a sensitive conscious. Not all everything in this book is for our emulation, but there are numerous good things we can learn. I will focus on these things in my reflections.