THIS WILL CHANGE YOU! Navy Seal Admiral William H. McRaven [MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH]

Summary

In this inspiring commencement speech, a former Navy SEAL reflects on his graduation from UT 37 years ago and imparts valuable life lessons from his SEAL training. He emphasizes the importance of small daily tasks like making your bed, teamwork, resilience in the face of failure, and the power of hope. Encouraging the class of 2014 to embrace challenges and persevere, he envisions their potential to positively impact 800 million lives, illustrating that what starts with them can indeed change the world.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The commencement speaker reflects on his graduation day, emphasizing the importance of personal memories over the details of the event itself.
• 🌟 The speaker highlights the University of Texas slogan 'What starts here changes the world', suggesting that the actions of the graduating class can have a significant impact on the world.
• 🔢 The script illustrates the potential for exponential influence by suggesting that even a small change can affect millions of lives over generations.
• 💪 The speaker shares personal experiences from military service, emphasizing the power of individual decisions in life-or-death situations.
• 🤝 The importance of teamwork is underscored through the metaphor of a boat crew needing to work together to navigate through challenging waters.
• 🌈 The script advocates for diversity and inclusion, showing that a team of 'Munchkin' SEAL trainees, despite their size, outperformed others due to their determination.
• 👔 The concept of perseverance is conveyed through the story of SEAL trainees enduring uniform inspections and the 'sugar cookie' drill, highlighting the need to accept imperfections.
• 🏋️ The 'circus' in SEAL training serves as a metaphor for life's challenges, teaching the importance of resilience and strength gained through overcoming failure.
• 🤺 The script encourages taking risks and thinking creatively, as demonstrated by a SEAL trainee breaking the obstacle course record by going down the slide headfirst.
• 🦈 The story of dealing with sharks during underwater training symbolizes facing fears and adversities head-on without backing down.
• 🌌 The need for calm and focus in the darkest moments is illustrated through the experience of conducting underwater attacks in the pitch dark beneath a ship.
• 🎵 The power of hope is exemplified by the story of trainees singing in the mud flats during 'Hell Week', showing that unity and hope can make difficult situations more bearable.
• 🛎 The 'bell' in SEAL training represents the option to quit, and the speaker advises the graduating class to never ring the bell, symbolizing the importance of never giving up.

Q & A

How many years has it been since the speaker graduated from UT?

It has been almost 37 years since the speaker graduated from UT.

What significant personal event did the speaker mention from the day of their graduation?

The speaker mentioned having a serious girlfriend on the day of their graduation, who they later married.

What did the speaker forget about the commencement speaker at their graduation?

The speaker does not remember who the commencement speaker was or anything they said.

What is the university slogan that the speaker admits to liking?

The university slogan is 'What starts here changes the world.'

According to the speaker, how many people does the average American meet in their lifetime?

The average American meets 10,000 people in their lifetime, according to ask.com.

What is the potential impact of the class of 2014 on the world, as described by the speaker?

The speaker suggests that if each graduate influences ten people, and those people influence ten more each, in five generations the class could have changed the lives of 800 million people.

What is the significance of making your bed every morning, as taught in SEAL training?

Making your bed every morning gives a sense of accomplishment, encourages further task completion, and reinforces the importance of doing the little things right.

What is the importance of teamwork in SEAL training, as illustrated by the boat crews?

Teamwork is crucial; everyone must paddle in sync to get through the surf zone, emphasizing the need for collective effort to achieve goals.

What lesson did the 'Munchkin crew' teach about measuring a person's worth?

The 'Munchkin crew' demonstrated that success is not about physical size but about the will to succeed, teaching to measure a person by the size of their heart, not their flippers.

What is the purpose of the 'sugar cookie' drill in SEAL training?

The 'sugar cookie' drill is meant to teach trainees that sometimes no matter how hard they try, they may still face failure and discomfort, and they must learn to move forward despite it.

What is the significance of the 'circus' in SEAL training?

The 'circus' is an additional two hours of calisthenics for those who did not meet the standards, designed to test endurance and resilience, teaching that failure is a part of growth and strength building.

What does the 'slide for life' obstacle represent in SEAL training?

The 'slide for life' represents a challenging obstacle where innovation and risk-taking can lead to breaking records and achieving success in unexpected ways.

What is the key message about facing 'sharks' in the world, as shared by the speaker?

The key message is to not back down from challenges or threats, symbolized by sharks, and to confront them with courage and determination.

What does the 'under the keel' experience during ship attack missions teach SEALs?

The 'under the keel' experience teaches SEALs to be calm, composed, and to utilize their tactical skills and inner strength during the darkest and most challenging moments.

What is the significance of 'Hell Week' in SEAL training?

Hell Week is a grueling six-day period with no sleep and constant physical and mental challenges, designed to test the limits of endurance and the will to persevere.

What did the singing in the mud during 'Hell Week' demonstrate about the power of hope?

The singing in the mud showed that even in the most difficult circumstances, hope can unite people, make hardships more bearable, and bring them closer to overcoming challenges.

What is the寓意 of the 'bell' in SEAL training, and what does it represent?

The 'bell' represents the option to quit SEAL training at any time. It symbolizes the choice to give up when faced with extreme adversity, and the importance of never ringing it to achieve one's goals.

What final advice does the speaker give to the class of 2014 about changing the world?

The speaker advises the class of 2014 to start each day with a task completed, find support in others, respect everyone, understand that life is unfair and full of failure, take risks, face challenges head-on, help the less fortunate, and never give up.