Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within

Goggins bookends Never Finished with discussions of belief. He talks of superficial belief, such as the result of a pep talk, which dissipates under pressure, and he contrasts it with the form of belief the comes from resilience. Deep belief starts with discipline and with Mental Versus Physical Strength: pushing oneself to meet challenges until the evidence of what is possible eliminates self-doubt. Belief neutralizes failure because each failure becomes just another attempt on the path to success. Goggins achieved belief through physical endurance feats, but he says everyone’s path to belief is unique.

For first responders, this term refers to a gruesome but not life-threatening bodily injury that can mask a less obvious but more serious condition. Goggins refers to old emotional wounds as distracting injuries as well. For example, he was once so focused on his childhood abuse and the racist taunts of his past that he did not recognize the mental strengthening he needed to do. This concept introduces the theme of Personal Accountability and Fault, as Goggins was the victim of undeserved trauma but chose to take back control of his own life.