Admiral William McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations and a University of Texas alumni, delivered UT’s Commencement address in Austin on May 17th, 2014. A Navy SEAL for 36 years, McRaven reflected on his Basic SEAL training, culling out the 10 most important lessons learned during that training, and describing how by adhering to those lessons, one person can “change the world.”
If you want to change the world …
… start off by making your bed,
… find someone to help you paddle,
… measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers,
… get over being a “sugar cookie” and move forward,
… don’t be afraid of the “circuses”,
… sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first,
… don’t back down from the sharks,
… you must be your best at the darkest moment,
… start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud,
… don’t ever, ever, ring the bell!
Having memorized the list upon first encountering it last year, I created this post for future reference and to share.
Original article – McRaven to Grads: To Change the World, Start by Making Your Bed
