【H060】超燃励志演讲：改变世界之前， 先整理你的床铺

美国特种作战司令部的第九任司令威廉・H・麦克雷文海军上将在德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校毕业典礼上发表了 “改变世界之前，先整理你的床铺” 的演讲。

内容包含原视频，总结，中文，英文.

以下视频可以点击播放：

以下是演讲中的核心观点和人生经验总结：

核心观点

小事成就大事，每个人都有改变世界的能力，但要从做好身边的小事做起，通过积累小的成就感，激励自己完成更多任务，最终实现更大的目标，让世界变得更美好。

人生经验

1. 重视小事：整理床铺是一天的第一个小目标，能带来成就感，激励人完成更多任务，还能在不顺心时给人温暖和希望，说明生活中的小事同样重要，做不好小事就难以成就大事。
2. 依靠团队：在海豹突击队训练中划船需要大家齐心协力，说明一个人的力量有限，改变世界需要团队的力量，需要朋友、同事的支持，也需要陌生人的善意，还需要靠谱的领路人。
3. 看重胸怀：“小不点组” 的成员来自不同种族，但凭借不服输的劲头表现出色，表明改变世界不应以肤色、种族、学历、社会地位等外在条件评价人，而应看其胸怀。
4. 接受不完美：制服检查无论多努力都可能不完美，会受到 “糖霜饼干” 的惩罚，这告诉我们生活中没有人能做到完美无缺，要勇敢面对不如意，不能轻易放弃。
5. 不惧挑战：在海豹突击队训练中会因不达标参加 “马戏团” 加练，但常上榜的同学身体会更结实、更有韧性，这意味着想要改变世界就不要害怕艰难的挑战，挑战能锻炼人的内在力量和韧性。
6. 勇敢突破：障碍训练中有人大胆尝试新方法打破记录，说明立志改变世界有时需要勇敢面对困难，坚定地向前走，勇于突破常规，承担一定风险。
7. 应对困难：在有鲨鱼的海域游泳，要想出应对鲨鱼的招数，寓意着生活中会有各种各样的 “鲨鱼”，想要改变世界就不能在困难面前退缩，要积极应对。
8. 保持冷静：执行水下突袭任务时，在船底最黑暗、最难的地方需要保持冷静和沉着，发挥战术技能、体能和内在力量，即改变世界要在最艰难的时刻挺身而出，做到最好。
9. 怀抱希望：“地狱周” 的泥滩经历中，大家通过唱歌超越痛苦，领悟到希望的力量，说明改变世界在陷入困境时要怀抱希望，用希望激励自己和他人。
10. 永不放弃：海豹突击队训练场的钟代表着放弃，演讲者强调想改变世界就永远不要轻言放弃，不要敲响那口钟，无论遇到多大困难都要坚持下去。

美国特种作战司令部的第九任司令，威廉・H・麦克雷⽂海军上将，在 5 ⽉ 17 ⽇的德克萨斯⼤学奥斯汀分校毕业典礼上发表了演讲。

以下是他的精彩讲话内容：

鲍尔斯校⻓、芬维斯教务⻓、各位院⻓、⽼师们、朋友们，还有最重要的，2014 届的同学们，恭喜你们取得了这样的成就！

转眼间，我离开德克萨斯⼤学的校园已经整整 37 年了。校园⽣活的点点滴滴，我⾄今依然历历在⽬。

记得有天早上，我的头痛得厉害，因为前⼀天晚上刚参加完狂欢派对。那时，我正和⼀位姑娘认真交往，后来她成了我的妻⼦ —— 顺便提⼀句，这很重要。以及那天我还有个重要的仪式 —— 参加海军的毕业授衔仪式。

我记得所有的事情，但唯独那天晚上的毕业演讲者是谁，我是⼀点印象都没有了，更别提他说了什么。所以，基于前⻋之鉴，如果我不能让这场毕业演讲变得难忘，那我⾄少得让它短⼩精悍。

这所⼤学的校训是 “从这⾥开始，改变世界” 。我不得不说，我⾮常喜欢这个⼝号。“从这⾥开始，改变世界”，听起来就让⼈热⾎沸腾。

今晚，德克萨斯⼤学有将近 8000 名毕业⽣。据ask.com的精确统计，⼀个普通⼈的⼀⽣中会遇到⼤约 1 万⼈。这真是个庞⼤的数字。但想象⼀下，如果你们每个⼈能影响 10 个⼈，⽽这 10 个⼈会再各⾃影响 10 个⼈，这样⼀代代传下去，仅仅五代⼈，也就是 125 年后，2014 届的毕业⽣就能影响到 8 亿⼈的⽣活。

想象⼀下，8 亿⼈，这可是美国⼈⼝的两倍还多！再过⼀代⼈，我们就能影响全球 80 亿⼈的⽣活。

如果你觉得改变 10 个⼈的⽣活是件难事，那你可能想错了。我在伊拉克和阿富汗亲眼见证了这样的奇迹：⼀位年轻的陆军军官在巴格达的街头，⼀个简单的左转，就让他的 10 名⼠兵躲过了致命的伏击。在阿富汗的坎⼤哈，⼀位⼥性⼠官凭借敏锐的直觉，指挥步兵排避开了⼀枚 500 磅的炸弹，12 名⼠兵因此得以⽣还。

但是，如果你仔细琢磨⼀下，这些⼠兵不光是因为⼀个⼈的决定⽽得救，连他们还没出⽣的孩⼦，还有孩⼦的孩⼦，都跟着得救了。⼀个⼈，⼀个简单的决定，竟然救了⼏代⼈。

改变可能发⽣在任何⾓落，任何⼈都有能⼒去实现。所以，从我们脚下的这⽚⼟地开始，我们确实有能⼒去影响世界。但问题来了 —— 当我们改变了世界，那它会变成什么样⼦？

我相信这个未来⼀定是更灿烂，更美好的。作为⼀个经验丰富的⽼⽔⼿，今天我想和⼤家分享⼀些⼼得体会，希望能助你们⼀臂之⼒，共同打造⼀个更加美好的世界。

这些宝贵的经验，虽然源⾃我的军旅⽣活，但我敢保证，它们适⽤于每⼀个⼈，⽆论你是否曾经穿上过军装，⽆论你的性别、种族、宗教信仰、性取向或社会地位如何。

在这个世界上，我们每个⼈的挣扎其实都差不多。⾯对困难，我们如何克服它、向前⾛、改变⾃⼰，还有影响周围的世界，这些经验教训，对每个⼈都是通⽤的。

36 年前，我加⼊了海豹突击队。这⼀切得从我在德克萨斯⼤学毕业开始讲起，我先是前往加利福尼亚州的科罗纳多，参加海豹突击队的基础训练。这个训练⻓达六个⽉，我们要在松软的沙地上，进⾏漫⻓⽽痛苦的⻓跑；在圣地亚哥冰冷的海⽔中，午夜游泳；还有攀越障碍、没完没了的健身操，以及⼏天⼏夜的不眠不休。这六个⽉⾥，我们总是⼜冷⼜湿，痛苦不堪。但这些，都还不算什么。因为，还有受过专业训练的战⼠会不断骚扰我们，试图找出意志薄弱和身体虚弱的⼈。他们的⽬标，就是淘汰这些⼈，让他们永远⽆法成为海豹突击队员。

但训练的另⼀个⽬的，其实是要筛选出那些在压⼒、混乱、失败和困难中仍能领导⼤家前进的⼈。对于我来说，海豹突击队的基础训练，就是把⼀⽣的挑战浓缩到短短六个⽉。

现在，我从中汲取了 10 条宝贵的⼈⽣经验，希望这些经验能为你们的未来之路提供⼀些启发和帮助。

在海豹突击队的基础训练⾥，每天清晨，我的教官们 —— 都是经历过越战的⽼兵 —— 会来到我们的营房。他们检查的第⼀项，就是你的床铺。如果做得标准，床单的四个⻆要⽅正，被⼦要拉得紧绷，枕头要正好放在床头板下，多余的毯⼦要整整齐齐地叠放在床尾。这就是海军对床铺的规范要求。

这任务看起来简单，就像个⽇常⼩事。但是，假如每天早晨都得把床铺收拾得整整齐齐。这就有点滑稽了，尤其是我们都梦想着成为铁⾎战⼠，成为硬汉海豹突击队员。不过，这个⼩动作蕴含的智慧，我后来亲身体验过⽆数次。

每天早晨，当你整理好床铺，你就完成了⼀天的第⼀个⼩⽬标。这不仅给你带来了⼩⼩的成就感，还激励你继续前进，完成更多的任务。

⼀天结束时，你会发现，原本的⼀个⼩任务，已经变成了⼀连串的成就。整理床铺，这个看似不起眼的⼩事，其实教会了我们⼀个深刻的道理：⽣活中的⼩事，同样重要。如果你连这些⼩事都做不好，那么⼤事就更别提了。

并且，如果你今天过得不顺⼼，回家看到⾃⼰精⼼整理的床铺，⼼⾥会暖暖的，感觉明天⼀定会更好。

如果你想让世界变得更美好，那就得从⼩事做起，⽐如，先整理好你的床铺。

在海豹突击队的训练⾥，学员们被分成⼩组，每组有七个⼈。⼤家坐在⼩橡⽪艇上，两边各有三个⼈，还有⼀个舵⼿来掌舵。每天，⼤家都会在海滩上集合，然后接到指令，要划船穿过浪花，沿着海岸线划⾏好⼏英⾥。在冬天，圣地亚哥的海浪能⾼达 8 到 10 英尺。要想在这样的海浪中划船，除⾮⼤家都齐⼼协⼒，否则会⾮常困难。每⼀桨都要和舵⼿的划桨节奏同步。每个⼈都要使出同样的⼒⽓，否则船就会逆着浪⾛，最后，肯定会被浪冲回海滩。

船要到岸，得⼤家齐⼼协⼒划桨。⼀个⼈的⼒量有限，想要改变世界，得靠团队的⼒量。从起点到终点，不仅需要朋友、同事的⽀持，更需要陌⽣⼈的善意，当然，还得有个靠谱的舵⼿来领路。

如果你想让世界变得更美好，那就找些伙伴⼀起努⼒。

经过⼏周的艰苦训练，我们海豹突击队的训练班从最初的 150 ⼈减少到了 35 ⼈。现在我们分成了 6 个⼩组，每个⼩组有 7 个⼈。我和⼀个⾼个⼦的队友在同⼀个⼩组，但我们队⾥最厉害的⼩组却是由⼀群矮个⼦组成的 —— 我们亲切地称他们为 “⼩不点组” 。他们中最⾼的也不超过 1.65 ⽶。

⼩不点组⾥，有美国印第安⼈、⾮裔美国⼈、波兰裔美国⼈、希腊裔美国⼈、意⼤利裔美国⼈，还有两个来⾃中西部的硬汉。他们⽆论是划船、跑步还是游泳，都⽐其他船员厉害。其他船员⾥，那些⼤块头总是喜欢逗乐，笑他们这些⼩个⼦在游泳前要给⾃⼰的⼩脚丫套上⼩脚蹼。但说来也怪，这些来⾃五湖四海的⼩个⼦，总能笑到最后 —— 他们游得⾶快，总是第⼀个冲上岸。

海豹突击队的训练，像是个神奇的平衡器。在这⾥，除了你那股⼦不服输的劲⼉，别的都不重要。不管你⽪肤什么颜⾊，不管你来⾃哪个种族，不管你学历⾼低，不管你社会地位如何，统统不重要。

如果你想改变世界，评价⼀个⼈，应该看他的胸怀，⽽不是他的外在条件。

每周，教官们都会让我们全班排成⼀列，进⾏⼀次彻底的制服检查。这检查很严格，你的帽⼦得挺括得像刚出炉的⾯包，制服得熨得平平整整，⽪带扣得擦得锃亮锃亮，不能有半点污迹。但不管你多⽤⼼，多努⼒，好像总逃不过教官的⽕眼⾦睛，他们总能找到那么⼀两个 “⼩问题”。

学员们如果没能通过制服检查，就得穿上整整齐齐的制服，冲进海浪⾥，直到全身湿透。然后，他们要在沙滩上打滚，直到身上每个⾓落都沾满沙⼦。这种惩罚有个有趣的名字 —— “糖霜饼⼲” 。接下来的⼀整天，他们就得穿着这套⼜冷⼜湿，还满是沙⼦的制服。

很多学⽣难以接受这个现实：他们所有的努⼒似乎都付诸东流。⽆论他们如何努⼒让⾃⼰的着装⽆可挑剔，似乎总是得不到认可。这些学⽣最终没能坚持到最后，他们没有领悟到这些训练背后的深意。

在这个世界上，没有⼈能够做到完美⽆缺，你的着装也不可能总是⽆可挑剔。⽣活就像⼀盒巧克⼒，你永远不知道下⼀颗是什么味道。有时候，哪怕你准备得再充分，表现得再出⾊，结果可能还是不尽如⼈意。这就是⽣活。

如果你想改变世界，那就别只做个软绵绵的甜饼⼲了，勇敢地⼀直向前！

在训练的⽇⼦⾥，你每天都要迎接各种体能挑战：⻓跑、⻓距离游泳、障碍训练、⻓时间的健身操。这些挑战的⽬的是考验你的坚持和毅⼒。

每项挑战都有严格的时间标准，如果你没能达标，你的名字就会出现在⼀张名单上。到了晚上，名单上的⼈都会被 “邀请” 参加⼀个特别的活动 —— “⾺戏团” 。 “⾺戏团” 其实是⼀种惩罚，就是让你额外做两个⼩时的健身操。这样做的⽬的是让你筋疲⼒尽，打击你的意志，甚⾄让你想要放弃。

没有⼈喜欢⾺戏团。

⾺戏团这个词，听起来挺欢乐，但在海豹突击队的训练⾥，它可不是什么好兆头。它意味着你那天的表现没达标，得加练。加练就意味着更累，更累就意味着第⼆天更⾟苦，⼀不⼩⼼，可能⼜得进⾺戏团。不过别担⼼，这在训练中是家常便饭，每个⼈都得经历，没有例外。

不过，那些常上榜的同学，身上发⽣了件很有意思的事。时间⼀⻓，他们的身体越来越结实。那种像⾺戏表演⼀样的⾼强度训练，不仅锻炼了他们的内在⼒量，还让他们的身体更加有韧性。

⽣活就像是⼀场接⼀场的⻢戏表演，你难免会遇到挫折，甚⾄可能是⼀连串的失败。这个过程可能会让你感到痛苦和沮丧，有时候，这些考验改变世界之前，先整理你的床铺 – 6还会触及你的⼼灵深处。

但是，如果你有志于改变世界，那就不要害怕这些艰难的挑战。

每周，受训者⾄少要进⾏两次障碍训练，挑战⾃我极限。训练包含 25 个项⽬，包括攀爬 10 英尺⾼的墙、穿越 30 英尺⻓的货物⽹，以及在铁丝⽹下匍匐前进。但要说最考验⼈的，还得是⽣死滑索。这个训练项⽬的⼀端是⼀个 30 英尺（约 9 ⽶）⾼的三层塔，另⼀端是⼀个单层塔，两个塔之间⼀根 200 英尺（约 61 ⽶）⻓的缆绳。受训者必须先攀登⾄塔顶，然后抓住绳索，从绳下荡过，双⼿交替抓握，稳健地滑向终点。

1977 年，我们班级开始进⾏障碍训练。那时候，有⼀个记录已经保持了很多年，⼤家都觉得这个记录是不可能被打破的。但是，有⼀天，⼀个学⽣做出了⼀个⼤胆的尝试。他没有像其他⼈那样，先把⾃⼰挂在绳索下⾯，然后慢慢往下移动。相反，他勇敢地爬到了绳索的最⾼点，然后头朝前，⼀跃⽽下，滑了过去。

这是个⼤胆的举动，看起来有点傻，⻛险还挺⼤的。如果失败了，不仅会受伤，还可能被踢出训练营。但学员没多想，他迅速地滑下绳索，只⽤了⼏分钟，就打破了之前的记录，全程只⽤了⼀半的时间。

如果你⽴志要改变世界，那么有时候，你就得勇敢地⾯对困难，坚定地向前⾛。

在陆地战训练阶段，学员们会⻜往圣克莱⻔特岛，这个岛位于圣迭⼽海岸之外。圣克莱⻔特岛附近的⽔域是⼤⽩鲨的繁殖地。要想通过海豹突击队的训练，学员们必须完成⼀系列⻓距离游泳任务。其中，夜间游泳是必不可少的项⽬。

游泳训练开始前，教官们热情洋溢地向学员们介绍了圣克莱⻔特海域⾥的各种鲨鱼。他们保证说，最近没有学员被鲨鱼攻击过。但同时，教官们也提醒学员们，如果遇到鲨鱼围着你转，要站稳，别乱动，更别显得害怕。万⼀鲨⻥真要来⼀顿 “夜宵”，向你冲过来，那就得使出吃奶的劲，狠狠地打它的⿐⼦，这样它就会转身离开。

这个世界上，有各种各样的鲨⿂。要想顺利完成这次游泳，你就得想出应对它们的招数。

所以，如果你想要改变世界，那就别在鲨鱼⾯前退缩。

作为海豹突击队的⼀员，我们的⼀项重要任务就是对敌⽅船只进⾏⽔下突袭。在基础训练中，我们反复练习这项技能。具体来说，执⾏舰船攻击任务时，我们会派出两名海豹潜⽔员，将他们投放在敌⽅港⼝外。他们将依靠深度计和指南针，在⽔下潜⾏超过两英⾥，直达⽬标。

在游泳的时候，哪怕你潜得很深，还是能看⻅⼀些光透进来。头顶上那⽚开阔的⽔⾯，让⼈⼼⾥暖暖的。但是，当你游到码头边的船只附近，光线就慢慢消失了。船的⾦属结构，把⽉光、路灯，还有周围的光都给挡住了。

要完成这项任务，你得下潜到船的底部，找到它的⿓⻣ —— 也就是船最深处、最核⼼的部位。这，就是你的终极⽬标。但别忘了，⿓⻣也是船上最⿊暗、最难以捉摸的地⽅。那⾥伸⼿不⻅五指，机器的轰鸣声震⽿欲聋，⼀不⼩⼼就会迷失⽅向，甚⾄可能任务失败。

每个海豹突击队成员都明⽩，在任务最艰难的时刻，身处船底，正是考验你冷静和沉着的时候。这时候，你的战术技能、体能和内在力量都要派上用场。

如果你想改变世界，就得在最艰难的时刻挺身而出，做到最好。

第九周的训练，我们称之为 “地狱周” 。在这六天里，我们几乎不睡觉，身体和精神都经受着极限的考验。特别是有一天，我们得在泥滩上度过。这个泥滩位于圣迭戈和蒂华纳之间，水流冲刷后形成了蒂华纳泥潭，一个泥泞不堪的地方，泥浆深到能把人吞没。

在地狱周的周三，你划着小船来到泥泞的滩涂。接下来的 15 个小时，你要在冰冷的泥浆、刺骨的寒风和教官的严厉压力下，努力生存。就在那个周三傍晚，太阳开始慢慢落下，我们这一批人因为 “严重违规” 被命令下到泥滩。

泥浆淹没了我们的身体，只有头颅露出水面。教官说，只要五个人选择退出，我们就能离开这片泥潭，摆脱这令人窒息的寒冷。我环顾四周，发现有些同伴已经快要撑不住了。太阳升起还有八个多小时，我们还得忍受八个小时的刺骨寒冷。

学员们牙齿打颤，身体瑟瑟发抖，声音大得几乎听不见其他。突然，夜幕中回荡起一个声音，是高声歌唱的声音。这歌声虽然跑调，但热情满满。一个声音变成了两个，两个变成了三个，不久，全班都加入了歌唱。我们明白，如果一个人能超越痛苦，其他人也一定可以。

教官们警告我们，如果再唱下去，就得在泥地里多待会儿。可我们的歌声没停，反而更响亮了。说来也怪，泥巴好像没那么冷了，风也温柔了，天亮似乎也不远了。

在环游世界的旅途中，我领悟到了最宝贵的一课：希望的力量。一个人的力量是巨大的 —— 无论是华盛顿、林肯、马丁・路德・金、曼德拉，还是来自巴基斯坦的少女玛拉拉，他们都能通过点燃人们的希望来改变世界。

所以，如果你想要改变世界，当你陷入困境时，不妨唱起歌来。

在海豹突击队的训练场上，有一口特别的钟。这口黄铜钟，就挂在训练场的正中央，每个学员都能一眼看到。如果你想要退出训练，很简单，只需要敲响这口钟。

敲响铃声，告别清晨 5 点的起床闹钟。敲响铃声，告别刺骨寒风中的游泳。敲响铃声，告别跑步、障碍训练、体能训练 —— 告别所有训练的艰辛。只需轻轻一敲，一切烦恼烟消云散。

如果你想改变世界，永远不要轻言放弃，永远不要敲响那口钟。

只差几步，你们就要告别校园，踏上人生的征途。只差几步，你们就要开始用自己的力量，去影响世界，让这个世界变得更加美好。但请记住，这条路不会总是一帆风顺。

但是，你们是毕业生，肩负着改变未来的巨大使命。你们这一代人，将有机会影响 8 亿人的生活，这是多么激动人心的前景啊！

每天，让我们从完成一个小目标开始，找到那个愿意陪你一起走过人生旅程的人。记住，尊重身边的每一个人，因为每个人都值得被尊重。

生活有时候就像个调皮捣蛋的小孩，它可不会总是对你笑脸相迎。你可能会遇到挫折，甚至失败。但别灰心，勇敢一点，敢于冒险，面对困难时不退缩，敢于站出来对抗那些欺负人的家伙，帮助那些需要帮助的人，永远不放弃。

只要你能做到这些，相信我，未来的世界一定会比现在更加美好，我们的子孙后代也会感激你的。

从这里开始的一切都将改变世界，让世界变得更加美好。

演讲全文部分节选（中英文对照）：

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

如果你想改变世界，从整理你的床铺开始。

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.

如果你每天早上整理床铺，你就完成了一天中的第一项任务。它会给你小小的一点自豪感，鼓励你再去执行一项又一项的任务。到一天结束的时候，完成了的那一项任务就变成了多项已经完成的任务。整理床铺也会进一步证明一个事实：生活中的小事很重要。

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.

如果小事都做不好，你永远也成就不了大事业。如果碰巧有一天你遭遇了痛苦，你回到家会躺到一张整理好的床上——这床是你整理好的——整理得井井有条的床铺会给你鼓劲，让你相信明天会更好。

There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.

世上有很多鲨鱼，如果你希望完成游泳，你就必须要去对付它们。

So, if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.

因此，如果你想改变世界，在鲨鱼面前不要退缩。

Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status.

除了你的意志以外，别的东西都不重要。你的肤色、你的种族背景、你的教育程度和你的社会地位都无关紧要。

If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.

如果你想改变世界，请以人们内心的大小，而不是他们脚蹼的大小来衡量他们。

If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person — Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala — one person can change the world by giving people hope.

我这辈子造访了世界各个角落，过程中我有这样的感悟，那就是希望的力量。一个人所能够带来的力量是很惊人的，像是华盛顿、林肯、马丁路德金和曼德拉，甚至是一位来自巴基斯坦的年轻女性马拉拉。这些人带给大家希望，进而改变了世界。

Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone.

每天完成一个任务，在人生旅途中找到能助你一臂之力的人，尊重每一个人。

Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.And what started here will indeed have changed the world — for the better.

要明白人生是不公平的，你经常会遭遇失败，但如果在最艰难的时候你担当风险、勇敢向前，惩恶扬善、救人于水火，而且永不放弃——如果你做到了这些，那么下一代人以及其后的世世代代就会生活在一个远比今天美好得多的世界里。在这里的起步真的就会改变世界，让它变得更加美好。

Thank you very much. Hook’em horns.

非常感谢，祝大家好运！

英文全文：

The following are the remarks by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, at the University-wide Commencement at The University of Texas at Austin on May 17:

President Powers, Provost Fenves, Deans, members of the faculty, family and friends and most importantly, the class of 2014. Congratulations on your achievement.

It’s been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT. I remember a lot of things about that day. I remember I had throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend, whom I later married — that’s important to remember by the way — and I remember that I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day.

But of all the things I remember, I don’t have a clue who the commencement speaker was that evening, and I certainly don’t remember anything they said. So, acknowledging that fact, if I can’t make this commencement speech memorable, I will at least try to make it short.

The University’s slogan is, “What starts here changes the world.” I have to admit — I kinda like it. “What starts here changes the world.”

Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT. That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.Com, says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their lifetime. That’s a lot of folks. But, if every one of you changed the lives of just 10 people — and each one of those folks changed the lives of another 10 people — just 10 — then in five generations — 125 years — the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people.

800 million people — think of it — over twice the population of the United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world — eight billion people.

If you think it’s hard to change the lives of 10 people — change their lives forever — you’re wrong. I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan: A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the 10 soldiers in his squad are saved from close-in ambush. In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Team senses something isn’t right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500-pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.

But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn were also saved. And their children’s children were saved. Generations were saved by one decision, by one person.

But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it. So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is — what will the world look like after you change it?

Well, I am confident that it will look much, much better. But if you will humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that may help you on your way to a better a world. And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform. It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation or your social status.

Our struggles in this world are similar, and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward — changing ourselves and the world around us — will apply equally to all.

I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 years. But it all began when I left UT for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, California. Basic SEAL training is six months of long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacles courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable. It is six months of being constantly harrassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL.

But, the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships. To me basic SEAL training was a lifetime of challenges crammed into six months.

So, here are the 10 lessons I learned from basic SEAL training that hopefully will be of value to you as you move forward in life.

Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and 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 — that’s Navy talk for bed.

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 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.

During SEAL training the students are broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students — three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy. Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surfzone and paddle several miles down the coast. In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in. Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously tossed back on the beach.

For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle. You can’t change the world alone — you will need some help — and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.

If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.

Over a few weeks of difficult training my SEAL class, which started with 150 men, was down to just 35. There were now six boat crews of seven men each. I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up of the the little guys — the munchkin crew we called them — no one was over about five-foot-five.

The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish American, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the midwest. They out-paddled, out-ran and out-swam all the other boat crews. The big men in the other boat crews would always make good-natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim. But somehow these little guys, from every corner of the nation and the world, always had the last laugh — swimming faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us.

SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status.

If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.

Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough. Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges. But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle — it just wasn’t good enough. The instructors would find “something” wrong.

For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed into the surfzone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand. The effect was known as a “sugar cookie.” You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day — cold, wet and sandy.

There were many a student who just couldn’t accept the fact that all their effort was in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right, it was unappreciated. Those students didn’t make it through training. Those students didn’t understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform.

Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform you still end up as a sugar cookie. It’s just the way life is sometimes.

If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.

Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events — long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics — something designed to test your mettle. Every event had standards — times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name was posted on a list, and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to a “circus.” A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics designed to wear you down, to break your spirit, to force you to quit.

No one wanted a circus.

A circus meant that for that day you didn’t measure up. A circus meant more fatigue — and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult — and more circuses were likely. But at some time during SEAL training, everyone — everyone — made the circus list.

But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Over time those students — who did two hours of extra calisthenics — got stronger and stronger. The pain of the circuses built inner strength, built physical resiliency.

Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.

But if you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses.

At least twice a week, the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10-foot high wall, a 30-foot cargo net and a barbed wire crawl, to name a few. But the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three-level 30-foot tower at one end and a one-level tower at the other. In between was a 200-foot-long rope. You had to climb the three-tiered tower and once at the top, you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end.

The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began training in 1977. The record seemed unbeatable, until one day, a student decided to go down the slide for life head first. Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the TOP of the rope and thrust himself forward.

It was a dangerous move — seemingly foolish, and fraught with risk. Failure could mean injury and being dropped from the training. Without hesitation the student slid down the rope perilously fast. Instead of several minutes, it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record.

If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.

During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego. The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One is the night swim.

Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente. They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark — at least not recently. But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position — stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid. And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you — then summon up all your strength and punch him in the snout, and he will turn and swim away.

There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.

So, if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.

As Navy SEALs one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemy shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during basic training. The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy harbor and then swims well over two miles — underwater — using nothing but a depth gauge and a compass to get to their target.

During the entire swim, even well below the surface, there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you. But as you approach the ship, which is tied to a pier, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the moonlight, it blocks the surrounding street lamps, it blocks all ambient light.

To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel — the centerline and the deepest part of the ship. This is your objective. But the keel is also the darkest part of the ship — where you cannot see your hand in front of your face, where the noise from the ship’s machinery is deafening and where it is easy to get disoriented and fail.

Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed — when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear.

If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.

The ninth week of training is referred to as “Hell Week.” It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment, and one special day at the Mud Flats. The Mud Flats are area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slues, a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you.

It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that you paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors. As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some “egregious infraction of the rules” was ordered into the mud.

The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit — just five men — and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mud flat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up — eight more hours of bone-chilling cold.

The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything. And then, one voice began to echo through the night, one voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing. We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well.

The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singingbut the singing persisted. And somehow the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.

If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person — Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala — one person can change the world by giving people hope.

So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.

Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see. All you have to do to quit is ring the bell.

Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o’clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT — and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training. Just ring the bell.

If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.

To the graduating class of 2014, you are moments away from graduating. Moments away from beginning your journey through life. Moments away from starting to change the world — for the better. It will not be easy.

But, YOU are the class of 2014, the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.

Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone.

Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.

And what started here will indeed have changed the world — for the better.

Thank you very much. Hook ’em horns.

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