It’s graduation time across the U.S., and that means college seniors will wrap up their education with the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” and commencement speeches from a variety of orators.
Some of the speakers chosen by universities create friction, while others are as dull as dish water. A few capture the imagination and leave a lasting impression upon those entering the “real world.”
So it was with this year’s commencement address given at the University of Texas, the alma mater of speaker Admiral William H. McRaven last weekend.
The admiral’s credentials are impressive. He was a former commander of SEAL Team 3 and current commander of US Special Operations Command and the man who led the mission to get Osama bin Laden.
McRaven’s theme was “If you want to change the world,” and his advice to accomplish that goal was very simple but very effective. His first counsel to graduates was “if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
“If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day,” he told graduates. “It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”
“By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed,” the admiral continued. “Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made-that you made-and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”
Using his experience as a SEAL, he explained how boat crews during training are important and the crew must learn to paddle through rough waters and if you want to reach your destination, everyone must paddle.
McRaven added that “you can’t do it alone, to truly get from your starting point to your destination it takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers, someone to guide you-so, if you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.”
The admiral continued with basic pearls of knowledge learned the hard way during SEAL training. He explained that many times during training in shark infested waters you may find yourself the potential midnight snack for a hungry shark. His advise is to “summons all your strength and punch the shark in the nose and he will turn and swim away.
“So, if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks,” McRaven stated.
If his career and credentials alone weren’t enough to inspire graduates, certainly McRaven’s speech could light the flame in any graduate-and even those whose formal education ended long ago.
Accomplish the basic tasks first, and they will enable you to tackle the harder challenges yet to come. Don’t try to do it all on your own; find capable, good people to assist you. And never back down in the face of adversity.
We congratulate our local graduates and hope they follow McRaven’s advice as they continue their life’s journey- starting, of course, by making their bed each morning.
