Never Finished by David Goggin’s
I chose to read Never Finished because I find strength in the resilience and dedication that David Goggin’s uses in his approach to life. This book comes on the back end of his autobiography Can’t Hurt Me which I read before coming to prison. When a friend of mine let me know this new book was available, I immediately had it ordered, sent to me, and I sunk deep into my metal bed, grabbed my pen and pad, and began to level up. “Each time you level up, your mind will step in like an overbearing chaperone and try to shut down the party.”
In this book David Goggin’s dives deeper into the mental and physical challenges he has faced and how he overcame them. He shares new insights, personal stories, and practical philosophical advice on how to push beyond perceived limits, stay on our leading edge, and build strength to win the war within our mind.
Each chapter is called an “Evolution”, which I found remarkable because through trials and tribulations, we are presented with the opportunity to evolve into a better version of ourselves. To master a skill, or when in pursuit of a higher cause, we must confront uncomfortablility. Through evolving we become either bitter or better. We become cut down by the obstacle, or sharpened by it. We become broken, or become whole. We can complain about the hurdle, or build toughness through developing courage and mustering strength. This book shows what’s possible when we choose to face our pains and move forward.
I find value in the life lessons he teaches about how life is a continuous improvement, and to never settle for mediocracy. I don’t consider Goggin’s a motivator because a motivator just tells you what to do. Motivation without instruction is dangerous. He takes motivation to the next level by inspiring me through his actions. He then educates me through the lessons, and then provides me instructions that I can apply to my life to help me attain the same results.
I am intrigued by the way he thinks, and I pondered on how Goggin’s views the concept of discomfort, and how it contributes to personal growth? From my reading, I come to believe he feels that discomfort is essential for personal growth. He consistently argues that embracing being uncomfortable and pushing beyond perceived limits is critical for developing mental and physical resilience. According to his philosophy, most people avoid discomfort, but those who face it head on learn how to navigate challenges easier and achieve higher success.
I think often about what he means when he says to “unshackle your mind”, and how this can apply to my daily life. Unshackling my mind reverts back to unlocking myself from self imposed limitations and mental roadblocks. Much of what I think of regarding my limits is merely a false barrier put there based on fear and doubt. But by challenging these beliefs, and pushing to my leading edge, I can unshackle my mind and unleash my full potential.
“It’s funny how our goals are only as elastic as our sense of self, of who we are, and what we think we can accomplish”.
Reflection shows me that in segments of my past when I have been arrested with a shackled mind, I think about how my truths were sometimes like rubberbands, stretching when I saw fit in order to manipulate my targets for gains.
“When you separate yourself from the pack by cultivating the values and priorities that lead to greatness, mountains of adversity and hardship become speed bumps, and that makes it easier to adapt to the road ahead and build the new life or sense of self you crave.”
I love this statement. So often in life, I’ve lacked self-discipline in certain areas by looking for the short cut to get ahead. I kept my eye out for the quick opportunity that could catapult me forward, but not realizing moving too quickly can have a domino effect of negative consequences. When approaching the art of self discipline, I believe there are but two choices: the pain of discipline that comes from sacrifice, dedication, and hard work, or the pain of regret that comes from taking the easy road and experiencing setbacks.
Me not setting priorities and values lead to undisciplined choices. I now understand that when setting priorities and values, I’m thinking more long term. I no longer desire the quick fix of an addict. I no longer set my goals so high that they cause me to get so low if I don’t succeed. This would send me down a path of looking for the quick fix, and repeating a viscous cycle of placing me off my mental square. I now control this type of irrational behavior that has engulfed my mind for so many years.
Quotes that stuck with me regarding humility:
- “The harder I climb in life, the more I realize how much I need to mop that floor.”
Here he is teaching about humility, and how we should always dig deep to find humility in our lives. Humility is one of the eight positive attitudes I practice and attribute to my growth factor. In the book, he tells the story of a man named Master Sargent William Crawford who was just a simple janitor at the Air Force Academy School, or so they thought. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that this man was a former World War II war hero who had received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest decoration in the U.S. Military.
The officer cadets here often overlooked Mr. Crawford because he mopped the floors and cleaned the toilets. In the military, this man displayed bravery by risking his life for others, and then he retired into the service of others. As Goggin’s saw it, Master Sergeant William Crawford had humility figured the f*** out. I found strength in this evolution as I aim to increase acts of humility in my life to stay humble and grounded.
- “Once you make it in this world, you have to freefall back to the bottom in some way to keep learning and growing.”
Staying humble keeps me in a growth mindset because once I make it to the top, the hard tests are complete. There’s a sense of entitlement that begins to brew which then leads to power orientated beliefs which can lead to a negative ripple effect that I need to avoid. By training myself for humility, I keep an attitude that I will always humble myself to do any task no matter the size in order to get the job done. No job is ever beneath me.
These examples and insights from Never Finished offer a powerful look into David Goggin’s philosophy on life. It helps me to face my fears head on, and provides me with tools to build resilience, personal growth, and remove barriers from my mind that limit my potential.