“Make Your Bed” by Admiral William H. McRaven
My June Book Club recommendation is “Make Your Bed” by Admiral William H. McRaven.
I gave this book to my boys years ago because of my belief in the importance of having them make their bed each morning. I felt for me it was a way to start my day off right but I didn’t necessarily have anything to back the “why?” until I heard his speech and found this book.
Admiral William H. McRaven is a US Navy SEAL retired that shares 10 principles he learned during his time in Nave SEAL training that helped him overcome challenges, not only in his career but throughout his life.
The book is broken into 10 different chapters:
Start your day with the task completed, you can’t go it alone, only the size of your heart matters, life’s not fair – drive on, failure can make you stronger, you must dare greatly, stand up to bullies, rise to the occasion, give people hope and never, ever quit!
He says, “ Making my bed correctly, was not going to be an opportunity for praise. It was expected of me. It was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day, it would be a reminder that I had done something well, something to be proud of, no matter how small the task.”
I also love his advice on dark times. “At some point, we will all confront a dark moment in life. If not the passing of a loved one, then something else that crashes your spirit and leaves you wondering about your future. In that dark moment, reach deep inside yourself and be your very best.”
And of course, I love hope! “Hope that in the very worst of times we could rise above the pain, the disappointment, and the agony and be strong. That we each had within us the ability to carry on and not only to survive but also to inspire others. Hope is the most powerful force in the universe. With hope you can inspire nations to greatness. With hope you can raise up the downtrodden. With hope you can ease the pain of unbearable loss. Sometimes all it takes is one person to make a difference.”
I also love reading about those that have sacrificed so much for us.
What gives you hope?
