This is concise, but interesting, and though the advice boils down to basic things like ‘don’t give up’ and ‘take pride in your work’ etc. the stories given as examples are memorable and inspiring. Overall quite valuable advice. ( )

Great life advice in a small package ( )

A small book with encouraging thoughts! Those of us who "run the race that is set before us" would do well to internalize and learn from the conventional wisdom this book demonstrates. To quote McRaven, " If you want to change the world . . . start singing when you're up to your neck in mud." ( )

Writing: 4.0; Theme: 5.0; Content: 5.0; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.0

Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) shares the ten principles that he gave in the 2014 commencement speech to University of Texas graduate students. As a former Navy Seal, Admiral McRaven, has an abundance of experience in life and its challenges and successes, of which he shares with his readers. Recommend.

***October 24, 2024*** ( )

Make Your Bed by William McRaven

Chapter 1:

1. Make your bed - Make your bed every morning and keep the area around your bed pristine and clean and minimalistic.

2. Have a place for where everything goes in your room. Label everything. Discard or donate items you do not need.

3. Nothing should be left on the ground at all. Organize your room the way you want to. Even if it means putting shoes on your racks. And books as well.

Chapter 3:

1. Prove me wrong - Prove your doubters and haters wrong that you cannot accomplish what they say you cannot. Have the heart to do so in five month increments broken down into three week benchmarks. Do eight tasks an hour to further yourself towards your goals and spend less time on the Internet and more time present in your own life and private matters. Get excited about your own life and turn your dreams into a goal and your goals into an accomplishment!

2. Never get big-headed over your accomplishments - Keep your achievements to yourself. Write them down. Do not look for praise or glory or adulation. From anyone.

3. Hsve a heart of service - For your parents and for your second older brother and first older sister. Work with them. Setve them with joy. Meet their needs without them asking you.

Chapter 4:

1. "Because Mr. Mac, life isn't fair, and the sooner you learn that, the better off you will be."- Moki Martin- Life is not fair. You have conditions you weren’t expecting. You have challenges you are working through. Some of your siblings cut you off. Good riddance to those relationships. Your family isn't united. Or isn't healthy. Or positive. Then make your own family and relationships and connections that you can tap into when needed. Just because your famjly cannot stand you does not mean others can't! In the end you have a right and choice to make whether you want to stick around in your family's life or walk away before your older relatives pass away. Because if they don't call or text you now on their own violition then that's a huge issue. They really don't give a rats ass about you. They say they do to keep in your birth parents good graces but you know they are lying. And you know they are not talking to any of your parents. Cut the relationship because it is not fair to either of you if both of you are not interested in keeping in contact. Such is life. It does not matter. The flower has withered in those relationships. Stop trying to water them. This also includes relationships outside ypur family as well. Do not hold on to relationships beyond theur watering time. Let it be watered and fed with love and support. Anc end it. Some relationships are meant to be short. Some for a long while. Know the difference.

2. "In all those years, i never heard once heard him complain about his misfortune in life." Do not complain about your setbacks or hurdles in life. Use it to grow and thrive and assess where you went wrong. See something positive out of the situation. Change your behavior or words if necessary. Speak differently. Walk differently. Behave differently. Do not expect peoplr to feel pity for you. Ever. Just don't. It is not nice. It is wearying.. For you. And for them. Chin up! Be positive! Look for the positive in any situation. Big or small. Look for the positives in everyone. Tell them.

3. "Never once did i hear him ask, 'Why me?'" Never say 'Why me?' with your health conditions. Use it for positive growth and change. Always.

4. "Never once did he display an ounce of pity for himself." Do not feel pity for yourself just because you have certain health conditions. Smile and have a great day! Stay motivated on your daily tasks. Stay focused on your goals. Not on your condotions. If you do then you get lost in them. And then you feel sorry for yourself. Stop that! Look to whatever task that needs to get done within the hour and do it. Then focus on the next nine tasks for the next hour. Continue doing that and your conditions won't bother you at all anymore

5. Don't complain- About life. Or about people. Or aboyt situations. Just love. And appreciate. And habe a game plan. Including for what you want to read. And do not complain that technology is controlling you. You control your technology usage. Not your technology gadgets. Remember that. Minimize usage pf technology as much as you can. To twelve minutes a day. Just to update your work. Then get off..Spend three weeks writing heavily. Three weeks updating. And switch back and forth.

6. Don't blame it on your misfortune. Do not blame anything on your misfortune. See it as an opportunity. For growth. For awareness. And being a changemaker for Christ.

7. Stand tall- Against your foes the adversary and win. One step at a time.

8. Look to the future- For God has something great in store for you! Work on your three week batches and you will get somewhere amazing after five months. Consistently work on nine goals per hour. And tackle interesting but meaningful projects that excite you. And give you joy. Learn something through journaling it. And writing poetry about it.

Chapter 5:

1. In life, you will have a lot of Circuses. You will pay for your failures. - Failure is not final. Remember that. It is a battle between the adversary and God. Who is on the Lord's Side? You are! So keep chugging away at your goals anx master skills and techniques and habits. Do not mind what others do or say. That is none of yoyr concern. Focus on being present in your own life. And being satisfied with the progress you are making.

2. But, if you perservere,, if you let those failures teach you and strengthen you, then you will be prepared to handle life's toughest moments. Like optimizing my sleep schedule so i can wakr up early to tackle my tasks before 11 am. Anc not slacking off with my responsibilities at home.

3. As month after month of the overseas deployment wore on, i used my previous failure as motivation to outwork, outhustle, and outperform everyone in the platoon. I sometimes fell short of being the best, but i never fell short of giving it my best.

Outwork your family by breaking your goals down into five month goals. Then week by week. Then day by day. Accomplish three tasks every two hours for your writing projects. Break it down into substeps. Do the same thing for your reading projects. Break each down into reading a library book a week. But, break it down by chapters per hour. Read three chapters per hour. Strictly use Internet to find a book. Or to write poetry. Or to journal. Otherwise no Internet whatsoever. Remember it is not for work purposes!

Chapter 6:

1. Overcome your anxieties- By working on it with your care team and through poetry and journaling your heart out to find peace and joy with the world and ykur place in it. But more importantly with yourself! You are at peace. But there are things you need to work on to heal and thrive in all situations without grumbling or getting an attitude. You can do that through writing poetry and journsling.. Be authentic. Be real. Be committed. To growth. To changing to be a better person for your future family. And to being a positive fotce everywhere you go. Spreading love, joy, happiness and abundance with kindness and an encouraging word.

2. Trusting your abilities to get the job done- Because God gave you the skills and the idea to get the job done. So implement the idea and do it. Create a spreadsheet with tasks. Break it into not started, doing, and done. Then work down your list daily and send to your first sister at fhe end of the day to hold yourself accountable. That way you can't slack off!

3. Without pushing your limits, you will never know what is truly possible in your life.- Push your limits and read books that make you think and ask questions.

4. Without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life. - Dare to dream. Then turn that dream into a goal. Anc that goal into tasks. And those tasks into achievements. And habits.

Chapter 7:

1. Without courage, the bullies of the world rise up.- Stand up to those who disrespect you. But write your frustration out. Do not speak up about it. Let your passion for truth and equality flow through writing in powtic form how people treat you and why you would nevdr evdr treat someone the way those in yojt family or fake friends treated you. Respect yourself.

2. With it, you can accomplish any goal.- Courage to write your dreams down. Courage to turn it into achievements with five .onth goals. Winner.

Chapter 10:

1. Life is full of difficult times. But someone out there always has it worse than you.- Someone always has it worse than me. That is true. I won’t deny that fact. But having a string faith in God and a can-do positivd attitude in spite of my conditions has gotten me thud far and i prag that they can have that positive and happy spirit inside their heart and that their faith in their God remains a constant bedrock in their journey. Just as it was for me. And that they never, ever stop fighting. Even when facing down obstacles. But that they keep on going. And keep on believing. Because greater is coming for them and there are many joys abd blessings to be received through their struggles! How do i know? Because i am a living testimony. ( )