Cleanliness in the Little Things by Naval Admiral William H. McRaven If You Want to Change the World, Make Your Bed

Naval Admiral William H. McRaven something isn’t right and directs whether you ever served a day in uni- returned to his alma mater and spoke the infantry platoon away from a form. It matters not your gender, your to the graduates with lessons he 500 pound IED, saving the lives of ethnic or religious background, your learned from his basic SEAL training. a dozen soldiers. orientation, or your social status. Our Here’s his amazing Commencement But, if you think about it, not only struggles in this world are similar and Address at University of Texas at were these soldiers saved by the de- the lessons to overcome those strug- Austin 2014 from Business Insider. cisions of one person, but their chil- gles and to move forward — chang- dren yet unborn — were also saved. ing ourselves and the world around he University’s slogan is, And their children’s children — were us — will apply equally to all. “What starts here changes the saved. Generations were saved by I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 T world.” I have to admit — I kinda one decision — by one person. years. But it all began when I left UT like it. But changing the world can hap- for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, “What starts here changes pen anywhere and anyone can do California. Basic SEAL training is six the world.” it. So, what months of Tonight there are almost 8,000 starts here can If you can’t do the little long torturous students graduating from UT. That indeed change runs in the soft great paragon of analytical rigor, the world, but things right, you will never sand, midnight Ask.com says that the average the question do the big things right. swims in the American will meet 10,000 people is… what will cold water off in their lifetime. That’s a lot of folks. the world look San Diego, ob- But, if every one of you changed like after you change it? stacles courses, unending calisthen- the lives of just ten people — and Well, I am confident that it ics, days without sleep and always each one of those folks changed the will look much, much better, but if being cold, wet and miserable. It is six lives of another ten people — just you will humor this old sailor for just months of being constantly harassed ten — then in five generations — 125 a moment, I have a few suggestions by professionally trained warriors years — the class of 2014 will have that may help you on your way to a who seek to find the weak of mind changed the lives of 800 million better a world. and body and eliminate them from people. And while these lessons were ever becoming a Navy SEAL. 800 million people — think of it — learned during my time in the military, But, the training also seeks to over twice the population of the I can assure you that it matters not find those students who can lead in United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world — 8 billion people. Advertising in NAGA News If you think it’s hard to Single Insertion Ad Rates doesn’t cost — it pays! Interior, B & W change the lives of ten 1/12 page (2.25" x 2.25") $135 people — change their lives 1/8 page Vertical (2.25" x 3.375") $155 1/8 page Horizontal (3.5" x 2.5") $155 1/6 page Vertical (2.25" x 4.75") $250 forever — you’re wrong. I saw 1/6 page Horizontal (4.75" x 2.25") $250 1/4 page Vertical (3.5" x 4.75") $290 it happen every day in Iraq and 1/4 page Horizontal (4.75" x 3.5") $290 1/3 page Horizontal (7.25" x 3.375") $350 Afghanistan. 1/2 page Vertical (4.75" x 7.25") $440 1/2 page Horizontal (7.25" x 4.75") $440 A young Army officer makes Full page (7.25" x 9.75") $800

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12 NAGA News July/August 2014 an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships. To me basic SEAL training was a lifetime of Upcoming issues Advertising and Submission Deadlines: challenges crammed into six months. So, here are the ten lessons I September/October 2014: NAGA: Protecting Your Business learned from basic SEAL training that (July 24, 2014) hopefully will be of value to you as you move forward in life. November/December 2014: Food and Water Every morning in basic SEAL train- (September 24, 2014) ing, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would January/February 2015: Dogs At Work show up in my barracks room and the (November 20, 2014) first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blan- BEST OF ket folded neatly at the foot of the BOTH rack — rack — that’s Navy talk for bed. WORLDS It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were re- quired to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle hardened SEALs — but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over. If you make your bed every morn- ing you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will en- courage 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. 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 miser- Since 1935 able 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. Unmatched Customer Service and Dependability You Can Count On! #1. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. H

The remainder of the address can be found at http://www.lifebuzz.com/ 10-lessons-from-navy-seal/#!RS2FD

July/August 2014 NAGA News 13