University of Texas Commencement (Make Your Bed)

President Powers, Governor Abbott, members of the Board of Regents, distinguished guests, proud parents, and above all, the graduating class of 2014.

The University of Texas slogan is: “What starts here changes the world.” I have to admit, I kind of like it. “What starts here changes the world.” Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT. That great paragon of analytical rigor, Harry Ransom, calculated that if every one of you changed the lives of just 10 people—and each of those people changed the lives of 10 more—in 120 years the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people!

So, what will the world look like after you change it? I have a few suggestions that might help you on your way to a better world.

Every morning in SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room. The 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 blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack.

It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that we 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 morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage 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 miserable 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.

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