Copyright
Copyright © 2017 by William H. McRaven
Jacket design by Brian Lemus Jacket copyright © 2017 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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First Edition: April 2017
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Print book interior design by Jason Heuer
LCCN: 2017930388
ISBNs: 978-1-4555-7024-9 (hardcover), 978-1-4555-7023-2 (ebook)
E3-20170223-JV-PC
http://www.grandcentralpublishing.com
CONTENTS
Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Preface
CHAPTER ONE: Start Your Day with a Task Completed CHAPTER TWO: You Cant Go It Alone CHAPTER THREE: Only the Size of Your Heart Matters CHAPTER FOUR: Lifes Not FairDrive On! CHAPTER FIVE: Failure Can Make You Stronger CHAPTER SIX: You Must Dare Greatly CHAPTER SEVEN: Stand Up to the Bullies CHAPTER EIGHT: Rise to the Occasion CHAPTER NINE: Give People Hope CHAPTER TEN: Never, Ever Quit!
The University of Texas Commencement Speech Acknowledgments About the Author Newsletters
To my three children: Bill, John, and Kelly. No father could be prouder of his kids than I am of you. Every moment in my life has been made better
because you are in the world. And to my wife, Georgeann, my best friend, who made all of my dreams
possible. Where would I be without you?
PREFACE
On May 17, 2014, I was honored to give the commencement speech for the graduating class from the University of Texas at Austin. Even though the university was my alma mater, I was concerned that a military officer, whose career had been defined by war, might not find a welcoming audience among college students. But to my great surprise, the graduating class embraced the speech. The ten lessons I learned from Navy SEAL training, which were the basis for my remarks, seemed to have a universal appeal. They were simple lessons that deal with overcoming the trials of SEAL training, but the ten lessons were equally important in dealing with the challenges of lifeno matter who you are. Over the past three years, I have been stopped on the street by great folks telling me their own stories: How they didnt back down from the sharks, how they didnt ring the bell, or how making their bed every morning helped them through tough times. They all wanted to know more about how the ten lessons shaped my life and about the people who inspired me during my career. This small book is an attempt to do so. Each chapter gives a little more context to the individual lessons and also adds a short story about some of the people who inspired me with their discipline, their perseverance, their honor, and their courage. I hope you enjoy the book!
CHAPTER ONE
Start Your Day with a Task Completed
If you want to change the world
start off by making your bed.
The barracks at basic SEAL training is a nondescript three-story building located on the beach at Coronado, California, just one hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean. There is no air-conditioning in the building, and at night, with the windows open, you can hear the tide roll in and the surf pounding against the sand.
Rooms in the barracks are spartan. In the officers room, where I berthed with three other classmates, there were four beds, a closet to hang your uniforms, and nothing else. Those mornings that I stayed in the barracks I would roll out of my Navy rack and immediately begin the process of making my bed. It was the first task of the day. A day that I knew would be filled with uniform inspections, long swims, longer runs, obstacle courses, and constant harassment from the SEAL instructors.
Attention! shouted the class leader, Lieutenant Junior Grade Danl Steward, as the instructor entered the room. Standing at the foot of the bed, I snapped my heels together and stood up straight as a chief petty officer approached my position. The instructor, stern and expressionless, began the inspection by checking the starch in my green uniform hat to ensure the eight-sided cover was crisp and correctly blocked. Moving from top to bottom, his eyes looked over every inch of my uniform. Were the creases in the blouse and trousers aligned? Was the brass on the belt shined to a mirrorlike radiance? Were my boots polished bright enough so he could see his fingers in their reflection? Satisfied that I met the high standards expected of a SEAL trainee, he moved to inspect the bed.After Reading make your bed ( military ) you have to answer the following three questions in a 500 word essay.
1). What does the Leadership stance or philosophy in the book?
2) Whats does Character and leadership mean to you ?
3) How does the book relate to leadership ?
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