Making Your Bed

Given by Admiral McRaven

Every morning during the Vietnam was, he was ordered to make his bed to a very high standard.  If you want to change the world, do the little things right because that will help you to do the big things right.

During training, the boat crews would train daily in the plunging surf.  Every paddle must be aligned with the stroke beat of the coxswain.  Every crew member must work together.  If you want to change the world, you need a good team to paddle with. 

Rowing competitions were frequent.  The best crew was made up of very short men, all from different backgrounds.   Nothing mattered in winning except their desire to win. 

A few times a week, uniform inspection was carried out.  No matter how much effort was made, the instructors would always find something wrong.  The men then had to run into the surf, come out of the water and roll in the sand.  The men were not allowed to wash and put dry clothes on.  Then they went the rest of the day wet, cold and gritty.  If you want to change the world, know that no matter how well you performed you frequently end up being a sugar cookie. 

Every day was filled with training and tests.  Anyone who fell behind, was went to the circus where they had an extra two hours of training.  If you want to change the world, know that your life will be full of circuses, but don’t be afraid of circuses. 

Every week everyone participated in an obstacle course.  The record stood for years and seemed unbeatable until a student changed the way the course was run.  If you want to change the world, sometimes you have to  change the rules. 

Another test is the night swim in shark infested waters.  Men were taught to always stand up to sharks.  There are many sharks in the world.  If you want to change the world, get used to dealing with sharks, and don’t back down when sharks appear.

They were trained to make attacks against ships, by swimming underwater for up to two kilometres at night.  Even at night, there is some light, even if it is just from the stars.  As you approach the ship, the light disappears due to the size of the vessel.  You must swim under the ship where it is very dark and deafening due to the noise inside the vessel.  We were trained to stay calm and reach the keel of the ship where we set our mines.  If you want to change the world, you must be calm and at your very best when it is the darkest.

The mud flats are where the final tests take place.  The last week is called ‘Hell Week’.  Where cadets try to survive when they are buried up to their necks in cold mud.  The instructors yell at the cadets and try to convince them to quit.  Cadets are told that a hot shower, warm meal and clean bed were waiting for them if they quit.  There they are, in the mud up to their necks, eight more hours till the sun comes up and the trainers are yelling  ‘Quit, Quit, Quit.’  Spirits are low.  Then one voice is heard singing , then two, then three, then more, and finally, all the cadets are singing.  The instructors become more insulting.  But there is power in hope, and it starts with one person.  If you want to change the world, start singing when you are up to your neck in mud.

There is a bell and if you ring the bell, you no longer must run in the cold and you no longer have to put up with any more pain.  If you want to change the world never, ever ring the bell. 

Find someone to help you through life.  Life will be tough. If you never give up, then the next generation will live much better.

McRaven has written a book called Bull Frog.