The inspiring 2014 commencement address at The University of Texas at Austin given by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and a Navy SEAL for 36 years, offers valuable instruction for every person who wants to change the world for the better.
He shares the ten lessons he learned from basic SEAL training that should be of value as anyone moves forward in life. The admiral’s lessons go from the seemingly simple: “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed,” and “If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle,” to the difficult, “If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first,” “So, If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks,” and “If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.”
But his last rule is most important: “If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.” That is, don’t quit. If ever you wanted to quit SEAL training all you had to do was ring the bell on the post in the center of the compound.
Admiral McRaven closes with this admonition:
“Start each day with a task completed.
Find someone to help you through life.
Respect everyone.
Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often, but if you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up—if you do these things, then next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today and—what started here will indeed have changed the world—for the better.”
Click here to listen to or read this highly motivating address.
