I’m sure a portion of you who end up reading this post, have seen the YouTube video of William H. Mcraven’s Commencement Speech at University of Texas at Austin. You only need to be an attendee at any work team-build session in the last 5 years to be exposed to this YouTube clip – and if you haven’t seen it? I’m sure you’ve heard people quote from the book.
So when we were looking for titles to spend our hoarding of Audible credits on, we ordered the first thing which came to mind – that being Admiral William H. Mcraven’s book ‘Make your bed’. If you’ve sat through the full 19 minute version of his commencement speech, the audio book isn’t much longer than that (1 hour 45 mins in total), the book is essentially an expanded version of his speech with more stories as examples to emphasize the point (with a 19 minute transcript of his original Commencement speech as an appendix included into the total duration of the book ). So if you’re a value for money kind of guy/gal, you might say that ‘Make your bed’ perhaps isn’t worth the Audible credit. But if it motivates you in any-way, then that’s $AUD 16.45 well spent!
But if you want a try before you buy? Here is a high level summary of the 10 little things that may help you change the world!
One. Start each day on the right foot by achieving a goal- it could be as simple as making your bed!
Two. You can’t change the world alone, you’ll need help- find others to paddle with.
Three. Nothing matters but your will to succeed- measure a person by the size of their heart, not by their appearance.
Four. Get over the fact that life isn’t fair or perfect- if you don’t you’ll spend your life focusing on the negatives. Sugar cookie anyone?
Five. You will fail and fail often, but don’t let the fear of failure stop you from attempting your goals.
Six. Sometimes you just need to take risks and try something different to succeed in life.
Seven. When circled by sharks, don’t be afraid, don’t run away, don’t back down- stand your ground and fight!
Eight. Be calm when things reach their worst state, rely on yourself- be your very best in the darkest of hours.
Nine. The power of hope- one person can change the world, by instilling hope in others.
Ten. Don’t ever give-up, don’t ever ring that bell to signify failure.
And there you have it, 10 simple ways to change the world! Maybe it’s easier said than done. I’ve actually been going through a rough patch at work ATM, and at times when listening to the Admiral’s book- it gave me a drive to stick it out, and face my problems head on. But in the end my flight instincts won out over my fight, so I’ve rung-the-bell at work and have been given my marching orders. So when listening to the second half of the book when I’d decided to leave my problems behind, I just felt even more weak and pathetic. *Sigh*.
But if you feel like you need a pick-me-up, check out ‘Make your bed’, if anything it makes for a good read.
Four Senses: Touch Smell Taste Sound
Published by