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10 lessons for changing the world / dealing with life
If you want to change the world:
1. Start off by making your bed
2. Find someone to help you paddle.
3. Measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flipflippers.
4. Get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
5. Don’t be afraid of the circuses.
6. Sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head firsfirst.
7. Don’t back down from the sharks.
8.You must be your very best in the darkest moment.
9. Start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.
10. Don’t ever, ever ring the bell.
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1.78K reads
1. Start off by making your bed.
Translation: Start your day with a completed task.
Life is hard ⇒ days are long and filled with anxious moments ⇒ sometimes it seems that there is little you can do to affect the outcome of your day.
Daily life requires a sense of structure ⇒ the simple act of completing a task can give you the extra pride / motivation you need to seize the day.
139
1.32K reads
“Making my bed correctly was not going to be an opportunity for praise. It was expected of me. It was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day it would be a reminder that I had done something well, something to be proud of, no matter how small the task. Throughout my life in the Navy, making my bed was the one constant that I could count on every day.”
WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN
129
1.11K reads
2. Find someone to help you paddle.
Translation: Don’t go it alone.
In life, you will face difficult tasks that require you to rely on others ⇒ this requires teamwork.
It takes a team of good people to get you to your destination ⇒ Find someone to share your life with ⇒ Make as many friends as possible ⇒ Never forget that your success depends on others.
131
1.1K reads
“I had numerous setbacks, and in each case, someone came forward to help me: someone who had faith in my abilities; someone who saw potential in me where others might not; someone who risked their own reputation to advance my career. I have never forgotten those people and I know that anything I achieved in my life was a result of others who have helped me along the way.”
WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN
127
922 reads
3. Measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of
Translation: Grit and determination trump talent.
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.
120
1.14K reads
“SEAL training was always about proving something. Proving that size didn’t matter. Proving that the color of your skin wasn’t important. Proving that money didn’t make you better. Proving that determination and grit were always more important than talent.”
WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN
121
916 reads
4. Get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
Translation: Life is not fair; get over it.
You will not always be rewarded for your hard work / performance.
It’s easy to give up / stop trying when you think life is unfair ⇒ But life isn’t fair and the sooner you learn that the better off you will be ⇒ sometimes no matter how hard you try / how good you are, you will fail.
137
893 reads
5. Don’t be afraid of The Circus.
Translation: Don’t fear failure; embrace it.
Noone is immune ⇒ In life, you will face failure ⇒ and that failure will spiral ⇒ initial failures often compound into additional failures.
Embrace this failure ⇒ it will make you stronger ⇒ for every failure, there will be hundreds of successes.
122
869 reads
6. Sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first
Translation: 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.
122
986 reads
“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. 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.”
WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN
124
753 reads
7. Don’t back down from the sharks.
Translation: Stand up to bullies.
Bullies are all the same in all phases of life (school, workplace, government) ⇒ they rule on terror; they thrive on fear and intimidation.
Bullies gain their strength through the timid and faint of heart ⇒ like sharks that sense fear in the water and circle to see if their prey is struggling ⇒ they will probe to see if their victim is weak.
122
782 reads
8. You must be your very best in the darkest moment.
Translation: Rise to the occasion when life gets hard.
Your true character is revealed during times of adversity. Show strength, integrity, and courage when faced with tough situations!
123
892 reads
“There is no darker moment in life than losing someone you love, and yet I watched time and again as families, as military units, as towns, as cities, and as a nation, how we came together to be our best during those tragic times.”
WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN
116
728 reads
9. Start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.
Translation: Give people hope when times are tough.
Hope is the most powerful force in the universe ⇒ it only takes one person to inspire it in others.
130
789 reads
10. Don’t ever, ever ring the bell.
Translation: Never quit.
Life is full of difficult times ⇒ but someone out there always has it worse than you do.
Refuse to give up on your dreams.
122
789 reads
“If you fill your days with pity, sorrowful for the way you have been treated, bemoaning your lot in life, blaming your circumstances on someone or something else, then life will be long and hard.”
WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN
122
716 reads
The 10 lessons, translated
If you want to change the world:
1. Start your day with a completed task.
2. Don’t go it alone.
3. Grit and determination trump talent.
4. Life is not fair; get over it.
5. Don’t fear failure; embrace it.
6. Approach obstacles with a sense of boldness.
7. Stand up to bullies.
8. Rise to the occasion when life gets hard.
9. Give people hope when times are tough.
10. Never quit.
139
668 reads
Quotes:
"It is easy to blame your lot in life on some outside force, to stop trying because you believe fate is against you. It is easy to think that where you were raised, how your parents treated you, or what school you went to is all that determines your future. Nothing could be further from the truth."
"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."
121
674 reads
IDEAS CURATED BY
CURATOR'S NOTE
In the speech, Bill walks through 10 lessons he learned from basic SEAL training on how to change the world / deal with life. In the book, he builds on these 10 lessons in each chapter
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Curious about different takes? Check out our Make Your Bed Summary book page to explore multiple unique summaries written by Deepstash users.
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