In the demanding world of pastoral ministry, parish priests often navigate a landscape fraught with emotional, spiritual, and physical challenges. From counseling grieving families to visiting the sick, managing parish operations, and maintaining their own spiritual health, the role requires unyielding commitment that can lead to burnout. David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL, ultra-endurance athlete, and author of the bestselling memoir Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, offers a blueprint for mental toughness that can profoundly inspire priests engaged in pastoral care. This article explores how key principles from Goggins’ book can serve as a model for priests, helping them build resilience, embrace suffering, and fulfill their vocation with renewed vigor—while aligning these ideas with the Catholic tradition of redemptive suffering and perseverance.

The Goggins Story: From Brokenness to Unbreakability

David Goggins’ life is a testament to transformation. Born into poverty and enduring severe childhood abuse, racial discrimination, and academic struggles, Goggins hit rock bottom as an overweight exterminator in his early twenties. Yet, through sheer willpower, he reinvented himself, completing grueling military trainings like Navy SEAL Hell Week (three times, despite injuries) and setting records in ultra-marathons. His book isn’t just a memoir; it’s a manual for “callousing the mind”—building mental armor through deliberate discomfort. For parish priests, who often shoulder the burdens of their flock while grappling with personal doubts, Goggins’ journey mirrors the biblical call to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). By adopting his principles, priests can view pastoral challenges as opportunities to grow in holiness and effectiveness.

Key Principles from “Can’t Hurt Me” and Their Application to Pastoral Ministry

Goggins distills his experiences into actionable challenges that emphasize self-mastery, grit, and relentless pursuit of potential. Here, we adapt several core ideas to the context of parish life, where priests must balance compassion with personal fortitude.

1. The Accountability Mirror: Facing Truths Head-On

One of Goggins’ foundational tools is the “Accountability Mirror,” where he confronts his flaws, excuses, and goals daily, fostering honesty and incremental improvement. For priests, pastoral care demands self-awareness to avoid projecting personal unresolved issues onto parishioners. Imagine a priest using a similar practice—perhaps in his rectory or during morning prayer—to note areas like “I avoid difficult conversations with wayward youth” or “I neglect my own prayer life amid parish demands.” By addressing these truthfully, priests can enhance their empathy and authenticity, much like confessing sins in the sacrament of reconciliation. This mirrors Catholic spiritual direction, where examining one’s conscience leads to deeper union with Christ and better service to others.

2. The 40% Rule: Tapping into Untapped Reserves

Goggins’ “40% Rule” posits that when your mind screams to quit, you’ve only expended 40% of your capacity—there’s always more to give. He applied this during brutal races, pushing through pain barriers. In pastoral care, priests often hit walls: late-night emergency calls, endless administrative tasks, or emotional exhaustion from hearing confessions of deep suffering. Applying the 40% Rule, a priest might remind himself during a grueling week of funerals, “I’m not done yet; God gives grace for more.” This resonates with St. Paul’s words: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). By pushing beyond perceived limits, priests can sustain long-term ministry, preventing burnout and modeling perseverance for their communities.

3. Callousing the Mind: Building Toughness Through Discomfort

Goggins advocates “callousing the mind” by repeatedly exposing oneself to hardship, much like building calluses on hands through labor. For priests, this could mean intentionally seeking out uncomfortable pastoral duties—visiting prisons, engaging with skeptical youth groups, or fasting for spiritual clarity amid busy schedules. In the Catholic Church, this aligns with ascetical practices like those of the Desert Fathers, who embraced austerity to strengthen their souls. A “calloused” priest becomes more resilient to criticism, parish conflicts, or spiritual dryness, allowing him to offer steady guidance even in crises, such as supporting families through loss or navigating church scandals.

4. The Cookie Jar: Drawing Strength from Past Victories

To combat doubt, Goggins uses the “Cookie Jar”—a mental repository of past triumphs to pull from in tough moments. Recalling how he overcame obesity or SEAL training fuels his endurance. Priests can adapt this by reflecting on vocational “cookies”: the joy of a reconciled marriage, a successful youth retreat, or personal moments of grace during ordination. In pastoral care, when facing a disheartening failure—like a parishioner leaving the faith—a priest might dip into his Cookie Jar to remember God’s faithfulness in previous ministries. This practice echoes the Ignatian examen, reviewing daily graces to foster gratitude and hope, ultimately enhancing a priest’s ability to inspire hope in others.

5. Embracing Suffering as Fuel

Central to Goggins’ philosophy is turning pain into power, viewing suffering as a teacher. He urges readers to “fall in love with suffering” for growth. This dovetails with Catholic theology, where suffering united to Christ’s cross becomes redemptive (Colossians 1:24). Priests in pastoral roles encounter abundant suffering—theirs and others’. By adopting Goggins’ mindset, they can reframe personal trials (e.g., isolation or health issues) as fuel for deeper compassion, transforming empathy into action. This not only sustains the priest but elevates his ministry, helping parishioners see suffering as a path to sanctity.

Potential Pitfalls and a Balanced Approach

While Goggins’ extreme approach yields results, priests must temper it with Catholic wisdom. His secular grit could risk self-reliance over God-reliance, so integrate these principles with prayer, sacraments, and community support. Pastoral care isn’t a solo ultra-marathon; it’s a communal journey in the Body of Christ. Consulting spiritual directors or fellow clergy ensures balance, preventing the isolation Goggins sometimes embraced.

Becoming “Uncommon” in Ministry

David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me isn’t a spiritual text, yet its principles offer a powerful model for parish priests, equipping them to master their minds amid pastoral demands. By incorporating accountability, resilience, and a holy embrace of suffering, priests can defy odds in their vocation, becoming “uncommon amongst the uncommon”—extraordinary shepherds in an ordinary world. As Goggins might say, “Stay hard,” but in the Catholic spirit: Stay faithful, for “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). For priests feeling the weight of their calling, this mindset could be the key to not just surviving, but thriving in service to God’s people.