Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven
U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven gave the commencement speech at the University of Texas in 2014. The YouTube video became a viral sensation (over 13.5 million views as I write). He has expanded the message into a short book.
The motto of the University if Texas is "What starts here changes the world." McRaven used this motto as a jumping off point for giving ten pieces of advice on how to change the world. Some are external acts, like making your bed. Some are internal acts, like judging someone by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers (I'll explain in a few sentences). Some are attitudes about life, like how life is not always fair and that should not stop you from continuing on.
Each chapter details one of the recommendations, with a couple of anecdotes from his training as a Navy SEAL and from his career serving in the military. Even with the martial focus, the advice is easy to identify with. For judging people by the size of their hearts, he writes about a crew of shorter cadets who were nicknamed "the munchkins." Those trainees were really tough and often performed much better than their taller comrades. The SEAL trainees often had to swim at night in choppy water, using flippers on their feet. Naturally, the munchkins' flippers were smaller than those of others. Often, they swam better and faster. So you should not judge them by the size of their flippers. If you do a good job making your bed (something he had to do as a cadet), you have accomplished the first task of the day. More accomplishments can follow. Even if you have a terrible day, at the end of the day you will come to a well-made bed that will be a comfort.
The book is a very fast read. It's 125 pages and includes the text from the commencement address. Nonetheless, it is inspiring and provides reinforcement of some basic advice that we all need to hear.
Recommended.
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