Singing in the Mud

In the spring of 2014, Admirable William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Ret.) addressed nearly 9,000 graduating students from The University of Texas. Standing at the podium on the stage, in his full dress whites speaking with authority, confidence, and the unique candor that only a naval officer can, Admiral McRaven informed the student body that if they intend to change the world, they need to start with making their beds. Seriously, that was his advice – you can watch it here.??

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I watched the video of this speech dozens of times, each time feeling more enthused and energized, but recently I decided to read the book he wrote dissecting the speech into much finer points. It’s a book I highly recommend reading, called “Make Your Bed: The little things that can change your life… and maybe the world” Through each of the lessons, Admiral McRaven details out the mindset, philosophy, and real examples from his live in the U.S. Navy, including Lesson #9: Start signing when you’re up to your nick in mud.?

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During the 9th week of Navy Seal training, is “Hell Week”. 6 days of no sleep and physical & mental harassment. This week also includes a trip to the Tijuana slews, which include a series of mud flats. Trainees spend 15 hours in those mud flats, grueling in physically demanding and mentally taxing tasks until they are ordered into the mud, neck deep, shivering, exhausted, and tempted to quit. In the story shared by Admiral McRaven, the instructors bait the trainees with an offer; “you all can exit the mud and be done with the day if only 5 of you will quit.” And as the Seal trainees consider the options, one recruit begins to sing quietly at first and then loudly. Then another joins him. Then another until the entire class began singing with enthusiasm. Admiral McRaven remarks “in the singing, somehow the mud seemed a little warmer and the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.”?

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In each of our lives, whether it’s professional or personal, we all have our own “hell weeks”. Sometimes a day or week long, and other times it’s a month or a season. These are the times when nothing seems to be going right, when challenges seem to be stacking up. Our relationships are strained and out of sync. Maybe it’s a period when we’re being given feedback that we must decide if we want to apply or not, or even difficult outcomes we must embrace then build on. Regardless of the nature of our own “hell weeks”, Admiral McRaven reminds us that there is tremendous power in hope. Even when sparked by one person, hope can change the ability for us and others to endure challenging times and reach success through perseverance.??

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Perseverance is a well-regarded trait that has been spoken about and interviewed for in countless professional and personal conversations. It shows grit, commitment, focus, and strength. It’s something we all aim to embody perseverance when things get tough. But what if the greatest hack of all is knowing that perseverance is nothing more than choosing to sing when we are in the mud??

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As we all go ahead choosing the hard things in trade for success, I wish all of us the strength and steadfastness that comes with creating hope. And creating hope begins with that one voice, as out of tune and rhythm as it may be, singing when neck deep in the mud.? You got this!