The following contains excepts from the book, Make Your Bed (Admiral Willam H. McRaven).
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships. One of the most important subjects under the umbrella of the understanding of relationships is Leadership. And one of the preeminent values, if not the most important, is how to lead one’s self.
We believe, at our music school in Odessa, Texas that self-mastery (or, learning to lead one’s self well) is at the heart of all successful leadership, and by extension, all successful relationships.
The book, Make Your Bed, was an extension of a commencement speech given by the author in 2014 at the University of Texas at Austin. The author, a Navy Seal, describes the lessons he learned in training, combat and leadership, applying these important life-lessons to everyone, regardless of their military service or not. He gives ten lessons, with stories to back them up.
Lesson 1: Start Your Day with a Task Completed
“If you want to change the world…start off by making your bed.”
In the author’s training, he tells of how his commanding officer inspected his bed each morning. “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.”
“Nothing can replace the strength and comfort of one’s faith, but sometimes the simple act of making your bed can give you the lift you need to start your day and provide you the satisfaction to end it right.”
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe in foundational training in core conditioning, basic techniques and disciplines that are to be practiced routinely that provide a foundation for all other artistic activity. It is the small daily habits that add up to highly complex endeavors.
Lesson 2: You Can’t Go It Alone
“If you want to change the world…find someone to help you paddle.”
“I learned early on in SEAL training the value of teamwork, the need to rely on someone else to help you through the difficult tasks…No SEAL could make it through combat alone and by extension you needed people in your life to help you through the difficult times.”
“During my time in the SEAL Teams I had numerous setbacks, and in each case, someone came forward to help me: someone who had faith in my abilities; someone who saw potential in me where others might not; someone who risked their own reputation to advance my career…it takes a team of good people to get you to your destination in life. You cannot paddle the boat alone…never forget that your success depends on others.”
One of the most important things we can give students in our music school in Odessa, Texas is encouragement. Not only do we give our students the information and coaching to be a success, but we also nurture them and help them see their own potential.
Lesson 3: Only the Size of Your Heart Matters
“If you want to change the world…measure a person by the size of their heart.”
“The student, a seaman recruit and brand-new to the Navy, was about five foot four in height…‘You’re a tiny little man,’ the instructor said, waving the flippers in his face. ‘Those waves out there could break you in half.’ ‘I won’t quit!’ the sailor replied, drawing out each word. Then the instructor leaned in and whispered something in the student’s ear… ‘Prove me wrong!’”
“SEAL training was always about proving something…Proving that determination and grit were always more important than talent.”
I have seen many talented people achieve much less than their potential, while those with a drive to learn and develop rise to the top. At our music school in Odessa, Texas we put a premium on the attitude to grow and learn.
Lesson 4: Life’s Not Fair – Drive On!
“If you want to change the world…get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.”
The author describes the term ‘sugar cookie.’ In training, if the instructor didn’t like something you did, you had to dive in the ocean and get wet, then roll around in the sand and be covered completely with sand the rest of the day. “In all of SEAL training there was nothing more uncomfortable than being a sugar cookie…being a sugar cookie tested your patience and your determination. Not just because you spent the rest of the day with sand down your neck, under your arms, and between your legs, but because the act of becoming a sugar cookie was completely indiscriminate. There was no rhyme or reason. You became a sugar cookie at the whim of the instructor.”
His instructor spoke to him. “Mr. Mac, do you have any idea why you are a sugar cookie this morning? …Because, Mr. Mac, life isn’t fair and the sooner you learn that the better off you will be.”
Lesson 5: Failure Can Make You Stronger
“If you want to change the world…don’t be afraid of the circus.”
The author describes the term ‘circus’ in his training. “The circus was held every afternoon at the end of training. The Circus was another two hours of additional calisthenics, combined with nonstop harassment by SEAL combat veterans who wanted only the strong to survive training. If you failed to meet the standard on any event that day – calisthenics, the obstacle course, the timed runs, or the swims – your name was on the list. In the eyes of the instructors, you were a failure.”
“As swim buddies, if one of you failed an event, both of you suffered the consequences. It was the instructors’ way of reinforcing the importance of teamwork.”
The author describes how he and his partner’s time in an ocean swim didn’t meet the standards, so they were assigned to the Circus day after day.
“The Circus, which had started as a punishment for failure, was making us stronger, faster, and more confident in the water. While other students quit, unable to handle the occasional failure and the pain it brought, Marc and I were determined not to allow The Circus to beat us.”
Finally, in a two hour ocean swim, they finished first place. The commander was there waiting for them on the beach. “Once again you two officers have embarrassed your class…You have made all your team-mates look bad…The second pair isn’t even in sight.”
“In life you will face a lot of Circuses. You will pay for your failures. But, if you persevere, if you let those failures teach you and strengthen you, then you will be prepared to handle life’s toughest moments.”
“I sometimes fell short of being the best, but I never fell short of giving it my best.”
“Over the next several years, I stumbled often. But, for every failure, for every mistake, there were hundreds of successes…I realized that the past failures had strengthened me, taught me that no one is immune from mistakes. True leaders must learn from their failures, use the lessons to motivate themselves, and not be afraid to try again or make the next tough decision…You can’t avoid The Circus…Don’t be afraid of the Circus.”
The intensity of SEAL training prepares men for war. At our music school in Odessa, Texas we endeavor to prepare the student, not only for performance, but for life. Learning the focus, detail, collaboration, awareness, and what I call 3-diminsional thinking prepares the student for much more than music and provides them with life-skills that can only be learned uniquely through this kind of training.