Of all the lessons McRaven learned in SEAL training, this was the most important. If you want to change the world … don’t ever, ever ring the bell. That is the time to sing loudly, to smile broadly, to lift up those around you and give them hope that tomorrow will be a better day. We will all find ourselves neck deep in mud someday. If you want to change the world … start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud. In that dark moment, reach deep inside yourself and be your very best. If not the passing of a loved one, then something else that crushes your spirit and leaves you wondering about your future. This is what separates you from everyone else.”Īt some point, we will all confront a dark moment in life. No matter how dark it gets, you must complete the mission. You must rise above your fears, your doubts, and your fatigue. If you want to change the world … be your very best in the darkest moments.Īdvice from one of McRaven’s chief petty officers: “Tonight, you will have to be your very best. Dig deep, and you will find it in abundance. In life, to achieve your goals, to complete the night swim, you will have to be men and women of great courage. If you want to change the world … don’t back down from the sharks. Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life. Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential. If you want to change the world … slide down the obstacle head first. True leaders must learn from their failures, use the lessons to motivate themselves, and not be afraid to try again or make the next tough decision. But, if you persevere, if you let those failures teach you and strengthen you, then you will be prepared to handle life’s toughest moments. In life, you will face a lot of Circuses. (In Navy SEAL training, “The Circus” is another two hours of additional calisthenics, combined with non-stop harassment by SEAL combat veterans who want only the strong to survive the training.) If you want to change the world … don’t be afraid of The Circus. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on! Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. The common people and the great men and women are all defined by how they deal with life’s unfairness: (If a Navy SEAL fails to follow basic requirements (such as making their bed perfectly), they’re instructed to roll around on the beach until they’re covered head to toe with wet sand-referred to as a “sugar cookie”). If you want to change the world … get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward. If you want to change the world … measure a person by the size of their heart. Make as many friends as possible, and never forget that your success depends on others. If you want to change the world … find someone to help you paddle. Nothing can replace the strength and comfort of one’s faith, but sometimes the simple act of making your bed can give you the lift you need to start your day and provide you the satisfaction to end it right. If you want to change the world … start off by making your bed. (Includes exercises not found in the post.) Enter your email below, and I’ll send you a free PDF summary of Make Your Bed.
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