David Goggins didn’t grow up easily. Abuse. Poverty. Pain layered on pain. But instead of staying broken, he built something out of it. He turned his suffering into strength.
While my story isn’t his, I’ve had my war.
I started college trying to be what my parents wanted: a nice, respectable CPA, an accounting major, a safe career, and a good income. The plan was all mapped out.
But I hated it.
Two years in, I was floundering with a 2.5 GPA, below the cutoff to get into the business school. That failure should’ve been a red flag, a cue to quit. Instead, it was the beginning of something better.
I had discovered economics. And I loved it.
So, I changed my major.
That night, my parents exploded. They told me I’d pump gas for the rest of my life. They hit me — literally — and I cried alone in the hallway, wondering if I’d made a mistake.
I didn’t finish college. I failed calculus again and again. Eventually, I dropped out.
But here’s the twist: it wasn’t the end.
I started working, and I started building. I climbed from an entry-level position to running teams and departments. I had no degree — just grit.
My life is built out of failures, fights, nights I wanted to quit, and years of not knowing if I’d ever make it.
Pain is the price of growth.
You want strength? Earn it. Show up when you’re scared. Keep going when no one believes in you. Sweat, bleed, break — and get back up.
This isn’t the life I planned. It’s better.
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