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Make Your Bed Speech: Summary and 5 Lessons

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One thing that every 2014 graduate of the University of Texas has in common is that they were able to witness one of the most empowering and inspirational commencement speeches of our time.

Given by former Navy SEAL, Admiral William H. McRaven, this inspiring 20-minute speech offers timeless lessons that anyone can apply to their own life to overcome challenges, be more successful, and change the world.

Table of Contents

What Did Admiral McRaven Say in His Famous Speech?

In his speech, McRaven recognizes that while every person may be different, all of our struggles as humans are similar to each other. So while listeners may not be able to relate specifically to Admiral McRaven’s career in the Navy, his message is universal.

McRaven starts by focusing on the schools motto, “What starts here changes the world.” The motto in itself relays the message that graduating from the University of Texas is just the beginning of what’s to come.

Students graduate with the knowledge they have gained from their professors and peers, but once they leave, they have to apply those lessons to the real world.

No matter what career path you have chosen, you are sure to face challenges. You may decide that some are too big to overcome or too complicated to deal with.

However, McRaven uses UT’s motto to call people to action. Don’t settle for how things are or how they have always been if they can be improved. Make an effort today to create a change in the world.

Throughout the rest of his speech, McRaven recounts his life as a Navy SEAL following his own graduation from the University of Texas and the ten most important lessons that he learned from his initial six months of basic training.

You can view the full speech here:

This speech touched so many people that it led to the publishing of McRaven’s #1 New York Times Best Seller, Make Your Bed .

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World

But what insight did Admiral McRaven gain during his time in the Navy and how can those lessons be implemented into everyone else’s life?

In this article, I will delve into the five biggest lessons that you can take away from this commencement speech to help you change the world, and I will reveal what Admiral McRaven is really telling people when he says to make your bed .

Lesson #1: Make Your Bed Every Morning

Starting your day off by completing a task will initiate your momentum to do the next task, and then the next, and so on. It will give you a sense of accomplishment that you will want to continue to feel throughout the day.

If you can’t complete a small and mundane task each morning such as making your bed, you can’t expect yourself to be able to complete more complicated tasks moving forward.

If you end up having an unproductive or otherwise negligible day, you will still come home and be reminded that you completed that one task, which can instill hope that you will have a better or more productive day tomorrow.

In your life, the small task that jumpstarts your day may not literally be making your bed. But the point is to find one task that you can make into a habit that will slowly start to get to the root of a problem you’re facing or inch toward a goal for which you’re reaching.

As long as you accomplish this task every day, you will be starting off on the right foot. Set this task up as a routine, so no matter what, this one thing gets completed every day.

Make sure the task you choose is meaningful to you and your team. While tucking in sheets may not feel meaningful to you, as a Navy SEAL heading to bed after a long day of training, a neatly made bed would provide meaningful comfort and a sense of reward.

What task do you do every day that provides value when all is said and done? Identify a task that you derive a clear value from when you look back at your previous state.

Lesson #2: You Can’t Change the World Alone

In McRaven’s speech, he describes rafting through the tall waves of the sea at night with three rowers on each side of the boat and one guide at the bow.

Apply this idea of team work to your life. You will always work with people who have various talents, but you need a balance of skills and abilities in order to succeed. Like Admiral McRaven, you want to be able to balance out those who can work at a faster pace with those who take more time, but produce high-quality work.

In order to make a difference, you also need to have the support of friends, family, co-workers, and others who share your vision. You need a strong team of people behind you to help you along your way.

This means it is important to nurture as many relationships as you can throughout life to ultimately be successful and to always recognize the role that other people played in your triumphs.

In turn, be willing to help out others who are on your team. Don’t prevent other people from learning or growing by keeping a task to yourself. Instead, be a leader and help your team along by encouraging everyone to grow and preventing just one person from taking on the entire load.

Consider your strengths and the progress your team could make together if you shared your expertise with them.

Lesson #3: Perfection Doesn’t Exist

While in training, Admiral McRaven underwent uniform inspections by his instructors, which he (and his fellow students) would fail on every occasion, no matter how hard they tried to prepare for it.

The instructors would always find something wrong with the students’ efforts, which would result in them having to endure a grueling run into the water, fully clothed, and a roll through the sand before spending the rest of the day in their dirty uniform.

Those who couldn’t accept the fact that their labor went unappreciated were the ones who didn’t make it through training. They were trying to reach a level of perfection that doesn’t exist.

People who focus on perfection hold unattainable standards for themselves and are overly concerned with how others perceive them. They don’t see mistakes as being an opportunity for growth , but rather a sign of failure.

Because of this, perfectionists rarely realize their full potential. Admiral McRaven’s advice here is to get over your failures and move on.

Lesson #4: Don’t Be Afraid of the Challenges That You Face

Whether it is a failure of some sort, an obstacle that you have to overcome, or an unexpected turn of events, don’t be afraid to face the things that try to break you down on your path to success.

Realize that these hurdles are most often opportunities to gain strength and resilience, which will make success more likely in the end.

Everyone will face challenges at times that may even make you want to quit. However, recognizing your ability to fight through these tough times will help you advance past subsequent barriers as your strength continues to multiply.

Furthermore, prepare yourself for the possible challenges you may face by doing small things each day that will make challenges in the future seem less intimidating.

For example, if you have a personal goal of reducing expenses , how often are you taking the time to review your spending ? How are you preparing yourself to face an unexpected bill? You have to take little steps to help make any potential challenges more approachable, no matter what line of work you’re in.

Lesson #5: Be Your Best In Your Darkest Moments

One thing that is certain is that you will face dark moments during your life. You will experience the death of a loved one and other events that leave you questioning the future. It is often difficult to imagine your life improving during these testing times.

While you may feel like you’ve lost the hope of deriving joy from life again, it is during these most difficult times that you dig deep inside yourself and bring out your best self.

Moving forward despite your feelings of helplessness will give you the necessary chance to come out on the other side and begin your journey of healing.

During these times, focus on the things you have rather than the things that you need. Capitalize on your strengths to help you get through these dark moments and remember that you have more inner strength than you will probably ever realize.

Final Thoughts on the Make Your Bed Speech

While few people have first-hand experience enduring the infamously difficult training that is required to become a Navy SEAL, Admiral McRaven offers lessons in his commencement speech that are universally applicable.

Everyone can relate to his message that even if you work as hard as you possibly can, you will still face failure at times. The key to being successful and changing the world, however, is to keep getting back up.

You have a choice each time you fail to either quit or find a lesson from the failure and move on. In order to change the world, you have to never, ever give up .

And if you're looking for more small habits that can change your life forever that only take five minutes or less to complete, watch the video below:

Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

Admiral McRaven “Make Your Bed” Commencement Speech Transcript

Admiral William H. McRaven gave a commencement speech at the University of Texas often referred to as the “Make Your Bed” speech. It’s considered one of the best and more inspirational commencement speeches. Read the full transcript of McRaven’s May 19, 2014 speech right here at Rev.com.

Admiral McRaven: ( 00:00 ) Thank you very much, thank you. Well, thank you president Powers, Provost Fenves, deans, members of the faculty, family and friends, and most importantly, the class of 2014, it is indeed an honor for me to be here tonight. It’s been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT. I remember a lot of things about that day. I remember I had a throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend who I later married. That’s important to remember by the way. And I remember I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day, but of all the things I remember, I don’t have a clue who the commencement speaker was and I certainly don’t remember anything they said.

Admiral McRaven: ( 00:59 ) So acknowledging that fact, if I can’t make this commencement speech memorable, I’ll at least try to make it short. So the university slogan is, what starts here changes the world. Well, I’ve got to admit, I kind of like it. What starts here changes the world. Tonight there are almost 8,000 students or there are more than 8,000 students graduated from UT. So that great Paragon of analytical rigor ask.com says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their lifetime. 10,000 people, that’s a lot of folks. But if every one of you change the lives of just 10 people and each one of those people change the lives of another 10 people and another 10 then in five generations, 125 years, the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people, 800 million people.

Admiral McRaven: ( 01:59 ) Think about it, over twice the population of United States go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world. 8 billion people. If you think it’s hard to change the lives of 10 people change their lives forever, you’re wrong. I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan. A young army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the 10 soldiers with him are saved from a close in ambush. In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a noncommissioned officer from the female engagement team senses that something isn’t right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500 pound IED saving the lives of a dozen soldiers. But if you think about it, not only were those soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children were saved and their children’s children, generations were saved by one decision, one person.

Admiral McRaven: ( 02:59 ) But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it. So what starts here can indeed change the world. But the question is, what will the world look like after you change it? Well, I’m confident that it will look much, much better. But if you’ll humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that might help you on your way to a better world. And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you’ve ever served a day in uniform, it matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation or your social status. Our struggles in this world are similar and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward, changing ourselves and changing the world around us will apply equally to all. I’ve been a Navy SEAL for 36 years, but it all began when I left UT for basic SEAL training in Coronado, California.

Admiral McRaven: ( 03:53 ) Basic SEAL training is six months, a long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacle courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable. It is six months of being constantly harassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL. But the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships. To me, basic SEAL training was a lifetime of challenges crammed into six months. So here are the 10 lessons I learned from basic SEAL training that hopefully will be a value to you as you move forward in life.

Admiral McRaven: ( 04:44 ) Every morning in SEAL training, my instructors who were at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they do is inspect my bed. If I did it right, the corners would be square, the covers would be pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack. It was a simple task, mundane at best, but every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection.

Admiral McRaven: ( 05:13 ) It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that we were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs. But the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over. If you made your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. And by the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter.

Admiral McRaven: ( 05:51 ) If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right. And if by chance have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made, that you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. So if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. During SEAL training the students, during training the students are all broken down in a boat crews. Each crew is seven students, three on each side of a small rubber boat and one cox and to help guide the dinging. Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surf zone and paddle several miles down the coast. In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in.

Admiral McRaven: ( 06:45 ) Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously dumped back on the beach. For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle. You can’t change the world alone you will need some help and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the Goodwill of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide you. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle. Over a few weeks of difficult training, my SEAL class which started with 150 men was down to just 42. There were now six boat crews of seven men each. I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up with little guys, the munchkin crew, we called them. No one was over five foot five.

Admiral McRaven: ( 07:42 ) The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish American, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the Midwest. They out paddled outran and out swam all the other boat crews. The big men in the other boat crews would always make good natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim, but somehow these little guys from every corner of the nation in the world always had the last laugh sewing faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us. SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education, not your social status. If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not by the size of their flippers.

Admiral McRaven: ( 08:38 ) Several times a week the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough. Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform, immaculately pressed, your belt buckle, shiny and void of any smudges, but it seemed that no matter how much effort you’re put into starching your hat or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle and it just wasn’t good enough. The instructors would find something wrong. For failing uniform inspection, the student had to run fully clothed into the surf zone, then wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand, the effect was known as a sugar cookie.

Admiral McRaven: ( 09:22 ) You stayed in the uniform the rest of the day, cold, wet, and Sandy. There were many of student who just couldn’t accept the fact that all their efforts were in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right, it went on appreciated. Those students didn’t make it through training. Those students didn’t understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform. The instructors weren’t going to allow it. Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform, you still end up as a sugar cookie. It’s just the way life is sometimes. If you want to change the world, get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward. Every day during training, you were challenged with multiple physical events, long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics, something designed to test your metal.

Admiral McRaven: ( 10:15 ) Every event had standards times you had to meet. If you fail to meet those times, those standards, your name was posted on a list and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to a circus. A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics designed to wear you down to break your spirit, to force you to quit. No one wanted a circus. A circus met that for that day. You didn’t measure up. A circus meant more fatigue and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult and more surfaces were likely, but at sometime during SEAL training, everyone, everyone made the circus list. But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Over time those students who did two hours of extras, calisthenics got stronger and stronger. The pain of the circuses built inner strength and physical resiliency. Life is filled with circuses.

Admiral McRaven: ( 11:15 ) You will fail. You will likely fail often it will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core, but if you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses. At least twice a week the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10 foot wall, a 30 foot cargo net, a barbwire crawl to name a few, but the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three level 30 foot tower at one end and a one-level tower at the other. In between was a 200 foot long rope. You had to climb the three tiered tower and once at the top you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end. The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began in 1977.

Admiral McRaven: ( 12:10 ) The record seemed unbeatable until one day a student decided to go down the slide for life head first. Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the top of the rope and thrust himself forward. It was a dangerous move, seemingly foolish and fraught with risk. Failure could be an injury and being dropped from the course. Without hesitation, the students slid down the rope perilously fast instead of several minutes it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record. If you want to change the world, sometimes you have to slide down the obstacles head first.

Admiral McRaven: ( 12:52 ) During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island, which lies off the coast of San Diego. The waters of San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One is the night swim. Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the students on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters of San Clemente. They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark, at least not that they can remember. But you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position, stand your ground, do not swim away, do not act afraid. And if the shark hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you, then summons up all your strength and punch him in the snout and he will turn and swim away. There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them. So if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.

Admiral McRaven: ( 14:02 ) As Navy SEALs, one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemies shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during training. The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy Harbor and then swims well over two miles underwater using nothing but a DEF gauge and a compass to get to the target. During the entire swim even well below the surface, there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you, but as you approach the ship, which is tied to appear, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the Moonlight. It blocks the surrounding streetlamps. It blocks all ambient light. To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel, the center line, and the deepest part of the ship.

Admiral McRaven: ( 14:56 ) This is your objective, but the keel is also the darkest part of the ship where you cannot see your hand in front of your face or the noise from the ship’s machinery is deafening and where it gets to be easily disoriented and you can fail. Every SEAL knows that under the keel at that darkest moment of the mission is a time when you need to be calm, when you must be calm, where you must be composed. When all your tactical skills, your physical power, and your inner strength must be brought to bear. If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moments.

Admiral McRaven: ( 15:38 ) The ninth week of training is referred to as hell week. It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment and one special day at the mudflats. The mudflats are an area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slews, a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you. It is on Wednesday of hell week, which you paddle down in the mudflats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive this freezing cold, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors.

Admiral McRaven: ( 16:12 ) As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some egregious infraction of the rules was ordered into the mud. The mud consumed each man until there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit. Only five men, just five men, and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mudflat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up. Eight more hours of bone chilling cold, chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud, it was hard to hear anything.

Admiral McRaven: ( 16:54 ) And then one voice began to echo through the night. One voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing. The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing, but the singing persisted and somehow the mud seemed a little warmer. And the wind a little tamer and the dawn, not so far away. If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person, a Washington, a Lincoln, King, Mandela, and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala, one person can change the world by giving people hope. So if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck and mud.

Admiral McRaven: ( 17:51 ) Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see. All you have to do to quit is ring the bell, ring the bell, and you no longer have to wake up at five o’clock ring the bell and you no longer have to be in the freezing cold swims. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT, and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training. All you have to do is ring the bell to get out. If you want to change the world, don’t ever, ever ring the bell.

Admiral McRaven: ( 18:33 ) To the class of 2014 you are moments away from graduating, moments away from beginning your journey through life, moments away from starting to change the world for the better. It will not be easy, but you are the class of 2014 the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century. Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up on the times, you’re the toughest face down the bullies. Lift up the downtrodden and never ever give up. If you do these things, the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today. And what started here will indeed have changed the world for the better. Thank you very much, hook ’em horns.

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Admiral William McRaven | One Person Can Change The World: The Power Of Hope

The “Make Your Bed” speech by US Navy Admiral, William H. McRaven, outlines the importance of doing the little things like making your bed, embracing the fears of life, taking risks, facing bullying, respecting others, and changing the world for generations to come.

00:00 – “Start Off By Making Your Bed”

00:46 – “Don’t Back Down From The Sharks”

01:45 – “Measure a Person by The Size of Their Heart not By The Size of their Flippers”

03:01 – “The Power of Hope – The Power of One Person”

Acknowledgements

Thank you Admiral William McRaven for your moving speech and thank you Goalcast.com for amplifying his message by creating this video. This content was not created by Boulder Crest Foundation or our partners. It has been added to our PTG Resource Library given the value it provides for our PTG community.

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Explore more, trauma, resilience, and posttraumatic growth in frontline personnel, w.e henley | invictus, jim collins | the stockdale paradox, give strength & hope to those who serve.

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Admiral McRaven: The 10 Lessons in Make Your Bed

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Do you want to learn about Admiral McRaven and the 10 lessons from Make Your Bed ? How can you apply these Navy SEAL lessons to your own life?

In 2014, McRaven organized his strategies into 10 life lessons for his commencement address at the University of Texas at Austin. In Make Your Bed by Admiral McRaven, there are 10 lessons to you and expands on the experiences that formed them.

Keep reading to learn more about Admiral McRaven’s 10 lessons.

Admiral McRaven: The 10 Lessons to Know

Military life is often exhausting, terrifying, and emotionally challenging. You have to be strong and disciplined to make it through the rigors of training and war. Admiral William H. McRaven, a retired Navy SEAL with 37 years of experience, faced many challenges during his career. He found strategies along the way that helped him through the difficult times. Many of these strategies resulted from his experiences as a SEAL-in-training and a Navy officer.

In 2014, McRaven organized his strategies into 10 life lessons for his commencement address at his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin. Make Your Bed by Admiral McRaven provides 10 lessons to you and expands on the experiences that formed them.

Lesson 1: Start Each Day with an Accomplishment

The first of Admiral McRaven’s 10 lessons is: start your day with one successful task completed, such as making your bed, and you will find the motivation to tackle others. When you make your bed first thing in the morning, you start the day with purpose and confidence. You will feel a sense of pride, and that same pride will greet you at night when you come to your made bed. This type of satisfaction will wash the day’s struggles away and prepare you for tomorrow. 

McRaven learned the importance of a made bed during his training as a SEAL cadet. A perfectly made bed represented McRaven’s discipline. He started each day receiving acknowledgement from his superiors that he had fulfilled his duties successfully. This acknowledgement greeted him at the end of each day, and he went to bed proud of himself. When McRaven was recovering from a life-changing injury later in life, making his bed became a symbol of his determination to get better and desire to keep leading a productive life. 

Lesson 2: Success in Life Requires Teamwork

Life is full of struggles. Going through hard times alone is much more difficult than relying on the help of others to get you through. You need people you can count on to help navigate life’s difficult moments. The same is true for achieving success in life. The more others support you, the stronger and more confident you become. 

McRaven learned the importance of teamwork as a SEAL-in-training. He and his unit of cadets were required to carry an inflatable raft everywhere they went and row it for miles through the choppy ocean water. When one of them was unable to perform to a high standard, the others pitched in to fill the void. They all remained successful because they helped each other when times were tough. Because of this experience, McRaven was more willing to accept the help of others after his injury and not just recover physically, but emotionally and professionally as well. 

Lesson 3: It’s What’s Inside that Counts

Everyone has more to them than what you’re able to see. You must look beyond skin deep to a person’s heart. You must reserve judgement and prejudice until you get to know who a person is. Even the meekest person can do great things, so value people for their character, not their appearance. 

McRaven made the mistake of judging two men as being less suitable for the SEALs than he was because of how they looked. McRaven was tall and muscular, whereas these men were short and scrawny, respectively. Both men surprised him by showing courage in dangerous situations, and McRaven realized he misjudged the amount of heart they had because of what they looked like. 

Lesson 4: A Setback Is Only Permanent if You Let It Be

It’s easier to assume the world is against you than it is to admit that sometimes life just isn’t fair. But at the end of the day, you are the only person responsible for determining your fate. Don’t complain and fall back on misfortune as an excuse for why you can’t be happy. When you face disappointment, take the hits and move forward in whatever way you can. 

McRaven learned that sometimes life is unfair when one of his training instructors punished him for no reason. The instructor believed that understanding the randomness of misfortune was necessary for McRaven to face the challenges of the Navy. When this same instructor had an accident years later that paralyzed him, McRaven saw how important this lesson really was. The instructor never complained that life was unfair. He accepted what had happened and moved forward with the life he still had. 

Lesson 5: Use Failure to Your Advantage

When you fail, you can cower with defeat and give up, or you can use failure to push yourself harder and grow stronger. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid of trying again. If you can persevere through the consequences of failure, you will be better prepared for other difficult challenges that lie ahead. 

One day, McRaven and his swim partner performed poorly on a two-mile swim. As a consequence, they were relegated to the Circus, a two-hour grueling endurance test at the end of the day for all the cadets who’d somehow failed. McRaven and his partner were exhausted the next day and failed again during the regular training. This cycle went on for days, but instead of giving up, they tried harder. The extra exercise made them stronger, and they rose to the top of the class.

Lesson 6: Be Daring in Life

If you live in fear of failure, struggle, or humiliation, you will never do what is necessary to achieve your goals or reach your potential. If you play it safe and limit your actions to mitigate failure, you will never know what you’re made of. You must be willing to push yourself to the limit to achieve something great. Dare greatly in life and receive great rewards. 

McRaven couldn’t beat the SEALs obstacle course at first because he was afraid of hurting himself on one obstacle. Instead of sliding down a hundred-foot zipline head first, he used the safer but less efficient feet-first technique. He knew the only way to pass the course was to take a risk. When he finally went head first, he crossed the finish line in record time. 

Lesson 7: Keep Courage Close

Courage is a powerful emotion. With courage, you can surmount any obstacle. With courage, you can stand up to any bully. Without it, you place yourself at the mercy of life and the actions of others. You have the courage inside of you to stand up to forces of oppression. If you want to accomplish your dreams, you must look inside and call up your courage. 

McRaven had to find his courage when he was required to complete a four-mile ocean swim in the dark. He was afraid of the sharks that lived off the coast, but becoming a SEAL was too important. He dug deep and found the courage to keep swimming and face whatever challenge he faced in the water.

Lesson 8: Stand Tall in the Midst of Darkness

There will be many moments in life when your spirit gets crushed and you lose hope for the future. These are the moments in which you must search for the best version of yourself. You must rise to the challenge of moving forward with strength and dignity. In the darkest moments, do what must be done to show the world your best, and you can survive anything. 

McRaven experienced plenty of opportunities to find strength during dark times. But witnessing the behaviors of various soldiers after losing a member of their units taught him the most about integrity. After paying their respects, service members must push past their pain and grief and remain firm during combat. McRaven was always inspired by the way these soldiers were able to keep fighting after tragedy. 

Lesson 9: Inspire Others with Hope

Admiral McRaven’s lesson 9 says that with hope, you can move mountains and give those suffering a reason to keep moving forward. Raise your voice during dark times to inspire those around you. Be the one who makes a difference in someone else’s life by giving them hope for the future. It only takes one person to show someone that tomorrow will come. 

McRaven and his fellow trainees were stuck in the cold, wet mud for a whole night during Hell Week, a week of the most grueling activities. All the men were exhausted and close to giving up. But then one of the men started to sing, and he inspired others to start singing. Together, they raised their voices and inspired each other to make it through the night. 

Lesson 10: No Matter What, Never Give Up

Life is full of moments in which the odds of success seem so small, you can’t imagine ever winning. Throwing in the towel seems like the most logical thing to do. But when you reach the precipice between quitting and continuing, hold steady and take another step forward. As long as you keep moving forward, your life will be in your control. If life is going to beat you, make sure you go down fighting. 

When McRaven started SEAL training, he was one of 150 cadets. That day, their commander showed them a bell. He said over the next six months, he was going to push the cadets to their limits and make their lives living hells. If they ever couldn’t take it anymore, they could ring the bell three times. Many cadets would ring the bell over the next six months, but not McRaven. He stood proud with 32 other cadets at their training graduation.

Although Admiral McRaven’s 10 lessons are founded in the culture of the military, McRaven believes each one of us can use them to get through the challenges of our lives. If you follow Admiral McRaven’s 10 lessons, you can learn to live a more positive, productive, and meaningful life. 

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Hannah graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English and double minors in Professional Writing and Creative Writing. She grew up reading books like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials and has always carried a passion for fiction. However, Hannah transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018 and now enjoys sharing travel guides and trying to inspire others to see the world.

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Why making your bed can change your life

“If you want to make a difference in the world, start by making your bed.” That was the premise of a commencement speech delivered by Admiral William H. McRaven at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. It has since gone viral with over 10 million views and has been referred to by some of the world’s best thought leaders.

McRaven’s address struck a chord with many because of its simplistic but profound message of starting the day right and paying attention to the smallest details. McRaven is a decorated veteran; he served 37 years as a Navy SEAL and was commander of all U.S Special Operation Forces as a four-star admiral. He’s currently chancellor of the University of Texas System.

I recently spoke to Admiral McRaven about why his message is so important -- particularly for millennials, and what we can do to best leverage our strengths and ultimately overcome our fear of failure. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and concision

DANIELA: Based on this message of making your bed and making the small things count, do you think this message is specifically important for millennials as you compare them to other generations? And why?

ADM. MCRAVEN: I think it applies to all generations. It’s very interesting because I receive emails every week, lots of them, from folks of every walk of life. Young kids who are just starting out in their teens and their dad had them watch the commencement speech. Or older folks who are later in life that will write me and say, “I always made my bed” and kind of reinforce the point.

For the millennials in particular, it’s helpful because they’re the kind of lessons everyone else who has gone through life have already learned. So having the opportunity to have a simple playbook, again for millennials or any young generation, is always helpful.

Making your bed is a simple thing to do. It’s about doing the little things right. It’s about starting off your day correctly. These lessons are important for every walk of life, but especially for younger folks just getting started on their journey.

DANIELA: As a commander in the Navy, you worked with millennials. What was your experience managing them? What did you learn about their strengths?

ADM. MCRAVEN: I’ll tell you, I love millennials. I think that surprises folks, but here’s what I saw in the military and I see the same thing now running the University of Texas system.

In the military, millennials came in. They look different than my generation. They had tattoos, earrings, listened to music I don’t understand. I tell you, given some order and discipline, which the military does well, they were focused. They were committed. They made their parents and grandparents proud with their sense of patriotism and duty.

Particularly, the kind of post 9/11 kids who came in were all-volunteer military. So number one, they volunteered. I think this is more so a millennial quality than mine, the baby-boomer generation. They like to volunteer. You see them volunteering for these tough challenges of joining the military. They come in, they’re committed, they like to work through tough problems. I saw these things and was impressed by the millennial generation.

Now at my perch here at the University of Texas system, I see the same sort of thing. They come into all of our schools. They want to go out in the world and change things. They want to be entrepreneurs, do start-ups. At the same time they want to be the best lawyer, doctors, anthropologists, journalists they can be. I see the millennials with a lot of energy. I’ve seen the best of the millennials and I love the generation.

DANIELA: What would you say to those millennials in entry-level jobs, not in the military where they are trying to find purpose in the little things? Maybe, they don’t understand why they’re fetching coffee or doing, what may seem like menial tasks on a computer. How does the message of your book transcend to those millennials?

ADM. MCRAVEN: It’s a lot about teamwork. It’s recognition of, we used to have a saying in combat: Your proximity to the fight was not your value to the organization. It’s essentially the fact that, I don’t care if you’re if you’re an analyst working in the United States. Just because you’re not the Seal or Ranger in the fight, you’re still of incredible value to the guys and gals in the battle field. Proximity in the fight has nothing to do with your value to the organization.

For those millennials sitting in a cubicle or getting coffee thinking, “I’m sitting here in a cubicle, am I of any value to the organization?” It’s important for the leaders to say, “You bet you are!”

I had military aide-de-camps, young army green berets. Their job is much like that-- sitting in a cubicle. They do have to get me a cup of coffee every once in a while, do some paper work, make sure I get in the right car. They seem menial, but the admiral always conveys the incredible importance of that job. If I don’t get to the right place, at the right time, with the right paper work, in the right uniform, then somehow we as a team have screwed up and he or she is a vital part of that team.

DANIELA: I want to touch back on the topic of failure. I think that specifically resonates with millennials, because we do have a hard time with failure. I think that resilience is something that, more than any generation, we need to work on.

In your own lifetime, how long did it take to reflect back on those experiences and find the good in something so dark?

ADM. MCRAVEN : Let me tell you one thing, I think the millennials are too hard on themselves. I’m 61 years old and I remember the beatniks and the hippies, and then we started calling things by generations. Sometimes the millennials may be too introspective and that causes them to be concerned.

To get back to your point on the failure, failure is a part of life. Obviously, when you have an event that happens when -- as I pointed out in the book -- I got fired. It’s particularly bad to get fired when you’re in the military. Sometimes that is very hard to overcome and to get back on course. It wasn’t just that -- I’ve had a lot of failures in my military career and my life.

You have to really dig down deep and say, 'I’m better than that. I can overcome this.' You have to pull yourselves up by your bootstraps and then work harder, learn from your mistakes, and try to do better. Don’t whine about it.

Another piece of this, as I also say in the book, is that it helps to have someone that helps you along.

Back to the small rubber raft and people who help you, the fact of the matter is that I was fortunate to have married the right woman. When I would have a failure, she’d be the first person there to say, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Learn from it, and let’s move forward.”

Daniela Pierre-Bravo is Know Your Value's millennial contributor. Read more about her here.

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The Best Inspirational Quotes from Make Your Bed by Admiral McRaven

Make Your Bed

by Admiral William H. McRaven

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Liberty Hardy is a Book Riot senior contributing editor, co-host of All the Books, a Book of the Month judge, and above all else, a ravenous reader. She resides in Maine with her cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon. You can see pictures of her cats and book hauls on Twitter @MissLiberty and Instagram @franzencomesalive .

Adm. McRaven Urges Graduates to Find Courage to Change the World

Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, delivered a memorable speech at the University-wide Commencement on May 17. See the full transcript.

View 10 Life Lessons from Admiral McRaven .

The following are the remarks by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, at the University-wide Commencement at The University of Texas at Austin on May 17:

President Powers, Provost Fenves, Deans, members of the faculty, family and friends and most importantly, the class of 2014. Congratulations on your achievement.

It’s been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT. I remember a lot of things about that day. I remember I had throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend, whom I later married — that’s important to remember by the way — and I remember that I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day.

But of all the things I remember, I don’t have a clue who the commencement speaker was that evening, and I certainly don’t remember anything they said. So, acknowledging that fact, if I can’t make this commencement speech memorable, I will at least try to make it short.

The University’s slogan is, “What starts here changes the world.” I have to admit — I kinda like it. “What starts here changes the world.”

Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT. That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.Com, says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their lifetime. That’s a lot of folks. But, if every one of you changed the lives of just 10 people — and each one of those folks changed the lives of another 10 people — just 10 — then in five generations — 125 years — the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people.

800 million people — think of it — over twice the population of the United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world — eight billion people.

If you think it’s hard to change the lives of 10 people — change their lives forever — you’re wrong. I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan: A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the 10 soldiers in his squad are saved from close-in ambush. In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Team senses something isn’t right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500-pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.

But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn were also saved. And their children’s children were saved. Generations were saved by one decision, by one person.

But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it. So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is — what will the world look like after you change it?

Well, I am confident that it will look much, much better. But if you will humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that may help you on your way to a better a world. And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform. It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation or your social status.

Our struggles in this world are similar, and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward — changing ourselves and the world around us — will apply equally to all.

I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 years. But it all began when I left UT for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, California. Basic SEAL training is six months of long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacles courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable. It is six months of being constantly harrassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL.

But, the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships. To me basic SEAL training was a lifetime of challenges crammed into six months.

So, here are the 10 lessons I learned from basic SEAL training that hopefully will be of value to you as you move forward in life.

Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack — that’s Navy talk for bed.

It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

During SEAL training the students are broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students — three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy. Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surfzone and paddle several miles down the coast. In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in. Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously tossed back on the beach.

For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle. You can’t change the world alone — you will need some help — and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.

If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.

Over a few weeks of difficult training my SEAL class, which started with 150 men, was down to just 35. There were now six boat crews of seven men each. I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up of the the little guys — the munchkin crew we called them — no one was over about five-foot-five.

The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish American, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the midwest. They out-paddled, out-ran and out-swam all the other boat crews. The big men in the other boat crews would always make good-natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim. But somehow these little guys, from every corner of the nation and the world, always had the last laugh — swimming faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us.

SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status. 

If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.

Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough. Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges. But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle — it just wasn’t good enough. The instructors would find “something” wrong.

For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed into the surfzone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand. The effect was known as a “sugar cookie.” You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day — cold, wet and sandy.

There were many a student who just couldn’t accept the fact that all their effort was in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right, it was unappreciated. Those students didn’t make it through training. Those students didn’t understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform.

Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform you still end up as a sugar cookie. It’s just the way life is sometimes.

If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.

Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events — long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics — something designed to test your mettle. Every event had standards — times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name was posted on a list, and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to a “circus.” A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics designed to wear you down, to break your spirit, to force you to quit.

No one wanted a circus.

A circus meant that for that day you didn’t measure up. A circus meant more fatigue — and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult — and more circuses were likely. But at some time during SEAL training, everyone — everyone — made the circus list.

But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Over time those students — who did two hours of extra calisthenics — got stronger and stronger. The pain of the circuses built inner strength, built physical resiliency.

Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.

But if you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses.

At least twice a week, the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10-foot high wall, a 30-foot cargo net and a barbed wire crawl, to name a few. But the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three-level 30-foot tower at one end and a one-level tower at the other. In between was a 200-foot-long rope. You had to climb the three-tiered tower and once at the top, you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end. 

The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began training in 1977. The record seemed unbeatable, until one day, a student decided to go down the slide for life head first. Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the TOP of the rope and thrust himself forward.

It was a dangerous move — seemingly foolish, and fraught with risk. Failure could mean injury and being dropped from the training. Without hesitation the student slid down the rope perilously fast. Instead of several minutes, it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record.

If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.

During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego. The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One is the night swim.

Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente. They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark — at least not recently. But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position — stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid. And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you — then summon up all your strength and punch him in the snout, and he will turn and swim away.

There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.

So, if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.

As Navy SEALs one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemy shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during basic training. The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy harbor and then swims well over two miles — underwater — using nothing but a depth gauge and a compass to get to their target.

During the entire swim, even well below the surface, there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you. But as you approach the ship, which is tied to a pier, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the moonlight, it blocks the surrounding street lamps, it blocks all ambient light.

To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel — the centerline and the deepest part of the ship. This is your objective. But the keel is also the darkest part of the ship — where you cannot see your hand in front of your face, where the noise from the ship’s machinery is deafening and where it is easy to get disoriented and fail.

Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed — when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear.

If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.

The ninth week of training is referred to as “Hell Week.” It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment, and one special day at the Mud Flats. The Mud Flats are area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slues, a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you.

It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that you paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors. As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some “egregious infraction of the rules” was ordered into the mud. 

The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit — just five men — and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mud flat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up — eight more hours of bone-chilling cold.

The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything. And then, one voice began to echo through the night, one voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing. We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well.

The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singingbut the singing persisted. And somehow the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.

If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person — Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala — one person can change the world by giving people hope.

So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.

Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see. All you have to do to quit is ring the bell. 

Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o’clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT — and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training. Just ring the bell.

If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.

To the graduating class of 2014, you are moments away from graduating. Moments away from beginning your journey through life. Moments away from starting to change the world — for the better. It will not be easy. 

But, YOU are the class of 2014, the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.

Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone.

Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.

And what started here will indeed have changed the world — for the better.

Thank you very much. Hook ’em horns.

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"Make Your Bed" by William H. McRaven - 10 Lessons That Can Change Your Life

Making your bed may seem simple and almost insignificant, but the effect that it can have on your day is profound. Join William H. McRaven in exploring the 10 life lessons he took away from his experiences as a Navy seal and how it has impacted and transformed his life for the better!

Shruthi Nair

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Starting your day by making your bed may seem like a straightforward task, but its significance extends far beyond its simplicity. In his book "Make Your Bed," former Navy SEAL William H. McRaven explains how this seemingly mundane act holds greater meaning and yields substantial rewards. Drawing from the advice he shared in a commencement address to college graduates, McRaven outlines ten life lessons he learned during his service as a SEAL.

Read on to find out more about the transformative lessons found within "Make Your Bed" and discover how these simple yet profound principles can empower us to face adversity, achieve our goals, and make a positive impact on the world around us.

What is the book "Make Your Bed" about?

In the book "Make Your Bed," Admiral William H. McRaven shares profound insights gained from his experiences as a Navy SEAL and imparts valuable lessons on success, resilience, and the power of everyday actions. Inspired by his powerful commencement speech delivered to the graduating class at the University of Texas at Austin, this book offers a roadmap for navigating life's challenges with purpose and determination. With each chapter, McRaven unveils essential principles that go beyond military training, resonating with individuals from all walks of life.

These lessons, while initially aimed at conquering the rigorous SEAL training, hold equal significance in navigating life's challenges, regardless of one's background or circumstances.

10 lessons from the book "Make Your Bed" That Can Change Your Life

1. start your day with a task completed..

Making your bed each morning sets a positive tone for the day and gives you a sense of accomplishment. McRaven emphasizes the significance of beginning each day by accomplishing a small task, such as making your bed. He highlights that this seemingly mundane act holds deeper meaning. By making your bed, you start your day with a sense of order, discipline, and accomplishment. It sets a positive tone, giving you a small but tangible victory that can serve as a foundation for productivity and motivation throughout the day. McRaven suggests that this simple task can have a ripple effect, inspiring you to tackle bigger challenges and approach them with a similar mindset of determination and attention to detail. The idea is to cultivate discipline and a proactive approach to tasks, no matter how small, which can contribute to personal growth, resilience, and success in various aspects of life.

If you need a place to create a task list that can guide your schedule for the day, consider using Journey to make your task lists conveniently. Create task lists the night before for the next day, and start off your morning by completing one thing on that list to set a positive tone for the day. Like McRaven mentions, making your bed can very well be the first thing you tick off on your to-d0 list for the day. Or it could be a simple task that you can complete in the morning hours of your day, and you can continue to go down the list as your schedule sees fit. Even if you're not at home for the first task of your day, you can access your to-do list from anywhere and any device of your choice on Journey!

2. You Can't Go At It Alone.

Success often requires the support and collaboration of others. McRaven talks about the importance of collaboration and seeking support from others in this section of his book. He highlights that success is often not achieved in isolation but through the collective efforts of a team. He encourages building strong relationships, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and recognizing the value of working together towards a common goal.

McRaven draws from his experience as a Navy SEAL, where teamwork is essential for mission success. He emphasizes that individuals should be willing to ask for help when needed and provide support to others when they require it. By acknowledging the significance of collaboration, McRaven underscores the idea that leaning on others can strengthen our own capabilities, amplify our achievements, and ultimately lead to greater success in life's endeavors. So, foster strong relationships and be willing to ask for help when needed.

3. Only the Size of Your Heart Matters.

When Admiral William H. McRaven talks about "Only the Size of Your Heart Matters" in his book "Make Your Bed," he emphasizes the importance of character, resilience, and compassion over external factors such as physical strength or abilities. McRaven suggests that true success and impact in life are determined by the size of one's heart, referring to qualities such as kindness, empathy, integrity, and perseverance.

He shares examples from his experience as a Navy SEAL, where individuals with a strong sense of purpose, determination, and compassion are better equipped to overcome challenges and make a positive difference. McRaven encourages readers to focus on developing their inner qualities and treating others with respect and empathy. By emphasizing the importance of a big heart, he reminds us that it is not physical attributes or external achievements that truly matter, but the depth of our character and the positive impact we can have on the world around us.

Remember, it's not about physical strength or abilities, but the size of your heart and your willingness to persevere and show compassion towards others.

4. Get Over Being a Sugar Cookie.

For this life lesson, McRaven refers to the idea of embracing failure and learning from it. In Navy SEAL training, there is a particularly challenging task called the "sugar cookie" where trainees are intentionally covered in sand and forced to continue their training. The term "sugar cookie" symbolizes the feeling of being uncomfortable, gritty, and coated with failure.

McRaven advises readers to overcome the fear of failure and not let setbacks define their journey. He encourages embracing failures as learning opportunities and using them to grow stronger and more resilient. McRaven suggests that everyone experiences setbacks in life, but it is how we respond to them that truly matters. By reframing failure as a chance for personal and professional growth, individuals can develop a mindset that welcomes challenges, persists in the face of adversity, and finds strength in the lessons learned from setbacks. Ultimately, "getting over being a sugar cookie" means accepting failure as a natural part of the journey and using it as fuel to continue pushing forward towards success.

Embrace failure and learn from it. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things won't go as planned, but it's important to keep moving forward.

5. Don't Be Afraid of the Circus.

This life lesson encourages readers to embrace the challenges and difficult tasks in life and face them head-on with courage and a positive mindset.

McRaven encourages readers to embrace the challenges and difficult tasks that life presents. The "circus" symbolizes the chaotic and unpredictable nature of life, filled with unexpected obstacles, setbacks, and uncertainties.

He goes on to advise readers not to shy away from difficult situations or tasks that may seem daunting or overwhelming. Instead, he suggests facing them head-on with courage and a positive mindset. By confronting these challenges, individuals can develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. McRaven's message is that it is through overcoming challenges that we grow stronger and gain valuable experiences. By stepping into the "circus" and embracing its chaos, we can discover our inner strength and achieve personal and professional growth.

6. Slide Down the Obstacle Head First.

When Admiral William H. McRaven talks about "Slide Down the Obstacle Head First" in his book "Make Your Bed," he urges readers to take risks, embrace new experiences, and approach obstacles with a sense of boldness and determination. The metaphor of "sliding down the obstacle head first" signifies diving into challenges without hesitation, fully committing to them, and being willing to explore unconventional approaches.

McRaven encourages readers to step out of their comfort zones and venture into unfamiliar territory. He emphasizes the importance of taking calculated risks and not being afraid to try different strategies or take unconventional paths. By embracing this mindset, individuals can overcome fear, discover new possibilities, and tap into their full potential. McRaven's message is to be proactive, take initiative, and approach obstacles with a sense of adventure and willingness to explore uncharted territories. By sliding down the obstacle head first, we can navigate challenges with a bold spirit and open ourselves up to new opportunities for growth and success.

7. Don't Back Down from the Sharks.

For this life lesson, McRaven stresses importance of facing fears and standing up to intimidating challenges or individuals. In the context of his book, the term "sharks" represents the difficult situations or people that may try to intimidate or discourage us from pursuing our goals. McRaven encourages readers not to shy away from such challenges, but rather to confront them with courage, resilience, and unwavering determination. He suggests that by standing our ground and refusing to be intimidated, we can demonstrate strength and resilience. By facing the "sharks" head-on, we develop the confidence and fortitude necessary to overcome obstacles and achieve our objectives.

McRaven's message is to embrace courage in the face of adversity and not allow ourselves to be deterred by external pressures or naysayers. By refusing to back down from the "sharks," we can assert our capabilities, grow stronger, and ultimately achieve success in our endeavors.

Face your fears and confront the difficult situations or individuals that intimidate you. Stand your ground and show resilience.

8. Be Your Very Best in Your Darkest Moments.

McRaven talks about how resilience, determination, and maintaining a positive mindset even during the most challenging times shapes your experience for this life lesson. He suggests that our true character is revealed when we face adversity and confront our darkest moments. McRaven goes on to tell readers not to succumb to despair or negativity but to rise above difficult circumstances by displaying courage, integrity, and a commitment to doing our best. He highlights that it is during these dark moments that our actions and attitudes matter the most. By striving to be our very best, we can inspire ourselves and those around us, find strength within ourselves, and navigate through adversity with grace and perseverance.

McRaven's message is that our response to challenges and hardships defines our character and has the potential to shape our future. By choosing to be our very best in our darkest moments, we demonstrate resilience, inspire others, and pave the way for personal growth and success.

Your true character is revealed during times of adversity. Show strength, integrity, and courage when faced with tough situations!

9. Start Singing When You're Up to Your Neck in Mud.

When Admiral William H. McRaven talks about "Start Singing When You're Up to Your Neck in Mud", he explains the power of maintaining a positive attitude and finding joy even in the most challenging and difficult situations. The metaphorical image of being up to your neck in mud represents being caught in difficult circumstances or facing overwhelming obstacles.

McRaven suggests that instead of succumbing to despair or negativity, we should choose to maintain a hopeful and optimistic outlook. He encourages readers to find strength within themselves and face adversity with resilience and a sense of humor. By "starting singing" in the face of challenges, we symbolically embrace a positive mindset and refuse to let circumstances dampen our spirit.

He continues to explain that our attitude and perspective play a crucial role in how we navigate through tough times. By maintaining a positive outlook, finding joy amidst difficulties, and approaching challenges with a resilient and lighthearted spirit, we can inspire ourselves and others to persevere, maintain hope, and overcome obstacles with grace and determination.

10. Don't Ever, Ever Ring the Bell.

McRaven touches on the concept of perseverance and the importance of not giving up in the face of adversity. In Navy SEAL training, there is a brass bell that trainees can ring to signify their decision to quit and leave the program.

McRaven uses the metaphor of "ringing the bell" to represent giving in to challenges, surrendering to failure, or abandoning one's goals. He encourages readers to adopt a mindset of unwavering determination and to never give up, regardless of the difficulties encountered along the way. By refusing to ring the bell, individuals demonstrate their commitment to their dreams, their ability to overcome obstacles, and their willingness to push through discomfort and setbacks.

He talks about the need to persevere through hardships, maintain a strong resolve, and keep pushing forward towards success. He encourages readers to find inner strength, rely on their resilience, and refuse to let setbacks define their journey. By embracing the mindset of "Don't ever, ever ring the bell," individuals can achieve their goals, overcome challenges, and ultimately lead a fulfilling and successful life.

Never give up. Persevere through hardships, stay committed to your goals, and never surrender to adversity!

Admiral William H. McRaven's book "Make Your Bed" offers valuable life lessons that extend far beyond the realm of Navy SEAL training. Through his experiences and insightful anecdotes, McRaven inspires readers to adopt a mindset of resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment to their goals. From starting the day with a task completed to embracing failures as learning opportunities, from supporting and relying on others to finding strength in the face of adversity, each lesson serves as a powerful reminder of our own potential for personal growth and achievement.

By incorporating these principles into our lives, we can overcome obstacles, develop inner strength, and make a meaningful impact on the world around us. The lessons from "Make Your Bed" remind us that small actions, when approached with intention and purpose, can lead to significant and lasting change.

Internalize these lessons, apply them to our own journeys, and embark on a path of personal growth, achieve your goals, and make a positive difference in the world!

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Breaking Down Harrison Butker's Speech: Read the Chiefs Player's Most Controversial Comments

Fans are calling for Harrison Butker to be removed from the Chiefs' roster for the upcoming NFL season after his 20-minute commencement speech at Benedictine College

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker 's commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic school, continues to cause outrage.

The NFL player's 20-minute address included attacks on working women, the LBGTQ+ community and families who utilize surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Butker and the Chiefs did not immediately return PEOPLE's requests for comment. In a statement, the NFL’s Chief Diversity Officer Jonathan Beane says, "Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn went further, slamming Butker in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Harrison Butker doesn’t represent Kansas City nor has he ever," he wrote . "Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members."

Rapper Flavor Flav chimed in, "Sounds like some players 'need to stay in their lanes' and shouldn’t be giving commencement speeches."

Cooper Neill/Getty

Writer Cyd Zeigler wrote , "Pretty awful to hear an NFL player so proudly tell women to 'stay in their lane,' serve their man and make babies. Not to mention comparing Pride month to a 'deadly sin' and lobbing bombs at the trans community. Not a fan."

Amid the backlash, below is a breakdown of Butker's most controversial comments from the speech.

On Taylor Swift's Lyric

A portion of the outrage against Butker came from supporters of Taylor Swift after he shared one of her lyrics, which fans noticed he misinterpreted.

Butker quoted a lyric from Swift's 2022 song "Bejeweled," and referred to her as his teammate, Travis Kelce 's girlfriend.

"As my teammate's girlfriend would say, familiarity breeds contempt," Butker said when discussing the values of the Catholic Church.

What seemed to have been lost on Butker, however, is that the song's message is about Swift embracing her independence away from a former boyfriend.

On the Covid-19 Pandemic and President Joe Biden

At the start of his speech, Butker addressed how the class of 2024 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of their college careers. The subject quickly transitioned into attacks on President Joe Biden and topics such as abortion, IVF, surrogacy and euthanasia.

"I'm sure your high school graduation was not what you had imagined and most likely neither was your first couple years of college. By making it to this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you learned the important lesson that suffering in this life is only temporary," he said. "As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society."

Butker went on: "Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder. Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross."

The Chiefs kicker continued his verbal attack on Biden, saying, "During a pro-abortion rally, he has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice."

"This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn't cut it. These are the sorts of things we're told in polite society to not bring up. The difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to stop pretending that the 'Church of Nice' is a winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity, but never mistake charity for cowardice."

He continued: "As members of the church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic."

Carmen Mandato/Getty 

On LGBTQ+ Pride

Butker then turned the focus of his speech to the Catholic values at Benedictine College. However, his sentiments attacked the LGBTQ+ and trans communities.

Butker said, "Benedictine has gone from just another liberal arts school with nothing to set it apart to a thriving beacon of light ... I'm certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead met with excitement and pride, not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him."

On IVF and Surrogacy

Butker later attacked families who utilize IVF and surrogacy to have children, saying, "It is imperative that this class, this generation, in this time in our society must stop pretending that the things we see around us are normal."

"Heterodox ideas abound, even within Catholic circles. Let's be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having children, whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control. It is only in the past few years that I have grown encouraged to speak more boldly and directly because as I mentioned earlier, I have leaned into my vocation as a husband and father and as a man."

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On Working Women

In a direct address to the female graduates at Benedictine, Butker said, "For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you."

"Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

Of his spouse, Butker said, "I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I'm on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school, who would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

Jamie Squire/Getty

He continued, "I say all of this to you because I have seen firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God's will in their life. Isabelle's dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say, heck no."

Several users on social media have pointed out , however, that Butker's mother, Elizabeth Butker, is a successful physicist at Emory University's Department of Radiation Oncology.

On Masculinity

Moving his focus to the male graduates in the room, Butker said, "To the gentlemen here today, part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture. And when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in ..."

"Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates as well. Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don't necessarily enjoy, but if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might think suits you better."

Concluding his speech, Butker said, "I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is heaven. I thank God for Benedictine College and for the example it provides to the world."

"Make no mistake, you are entering into mission territory in a post God world, but you are made for this and with God by your side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a saint. Christ is king to the heights."

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