PGP 12 is the PLP version of Careers 12. As suggested, this project we covered topics ranging from Resumes, to self help books. Our flagship assignment this semester was our self improvement book and creating an interactive artifact to present at an our semester end exhibition.

I began the semester choosing my book. Although Mrs. Maxwell provided me with tempting options, I ultimately chose “Cant Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds”. This book was recommended to me by Nolan Scott who even before the project was always trying to convince me to read it. This project gave me a perfect excuse to begin reading the book. 

“Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” was written by David Goggins. Described as an ex Navy Seal turned ultra-marathon runner, Goggins has blown up the internet making several appearances on famous podcasts recounting his life story. Here you can find my author bio, that dives deep into Goggins’ story ranging from his early life to his present day accomplishments.

Furthermore, as an additional assignment, we were assigned to create a book review, reviewing the book. I throughly enjoyed this assignment as it allowed me to express my personal opinion on the book, something I was not able to share until then. In short, the book is a great read, but the audiobook is an even greater read. The audiobook is read by David Goggins himself, where he occasionally takes the time to pause reading and provide more details about a certain event in the book. This gave me the sense that I was getting the “inside scoop” and made the book mean much more to me.

“Can’t Hurt Me” was an emotionally heavy read. While a certain audience might find that unappealing, I really enjoyed it. The book does an excellent job of creating a story arc showing Goggins’ growth as he goes through traumatic setbacks in his life. His hard work and perseverance are embraced as he overcomes military training and ultramarathons alike. I recommend the book as its lessons are valuable for anyone who can identify that change is needed. No matter big, or small, the first step is acknowledgment.

I personally picked this book up because I knew I needed to improve. My mental strength and fortitude lack in my athletic life. Confidence during games and practices is a huge aspect of soccer and I often find myself falling into loops of overthinking simple passes, making easy and unnecessary mistakes. I picked up Can’t Hurt Me for this very reason, and I can confidently say it has helped. I highly encourage you to check out my book review as it provides an even greater in-depth perspective on the book. It can be found here!

Next came time for the presentation of my artifact at the exhibition. I created a dumbbell. This dumbbell holds significance as it as a literal and metaphorical connection to the book. For David to be accepted into the military, he needed to lose weight and work out. The literal meaning of the dumbbell represents the physical strength needed to achieve to get accepted into the military, but also the physical strength needed once in the military to maintain his good physique. Metaphorically, Davidneeded to overcome the mental and physical abuse he went through as a child. The weight represents David overcoming these obstacles just as one must overcome the weight to lift it up. I also represented these metaphorical and literal aspects through image collages posted on each side of the weight.

Additionally, I created one “side” of the weight wider and heavier than the other. This represents the mindset Goggins’ had to achieve in order to accomplish his goals. He needed to prioritize for the things he wanted to achieve, represented by “prioritizing” that side of the weight.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this project. It allowed me to explore a genre of books I hadn’t explored yet. “Can’t Hurt Me:Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” is a great example of how mastering your mind and fully understanding yourself can lead to success.