Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

Based on a Navy SEAL's inspiring graduation speech, this #1 New York Times bestseller of powerful life lessons should be read by every leader in America (Wall Street Journal).

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, What starts here changes the world, he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better.

Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments.
Powerful. --USA Today

Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault. --Washington Post

Superb, smart, and succinct. --Forbes

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144 pages

Average rating: 7.75

93 RATINGS

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7 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

InhaleExhale
Sep 01, 2024
8/10 stars
Good, sweet, short.
Outlaw
May 26, 2024
8/10 stars
It is a very important masterpiece! It teaches you to start the day off with the most important task! Making your bed just like a navy would. Then to tackle the rest of your tasks in the day. You must start with self first before saving the world! Excellent read !
Chuckstafer
Feb 02, 2024
10/10 stars
Really good life advice and great insight into the life of a great soldier and the Navy SEALS as a whole
AbbeyLileTaylor
Aug 29, 2023
6/10 stars
A solid 3.5...could have been a 4, but was very repetitive. Love the message, though.
E Clou
May 10, 2023
6/10 stars
This is a very short book, but I enjoyed the memoir aspect of it. The inspirational section is mostly just cliche and lacks any nuance or depth.

Just one critique that came to mind, but by no means the only one. What’s so terrible about quitting besides that the cliches say not to? Every politician today tries to distance themselves from the decision to go to war against Iraq. So some men rang the bell to quit and lived to change the world in another way. Some of the men who refused to quit did not come home.

But I agree that making your bed every day is a good start. I also loved his story about “the circus” and improving in failure.

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