In 2014 at the University of Texas, Austin, Admiral William McRaven gave a most distinctive and memorable commencement address. His main goal was to talk in very practical terms about how to help change the world by regularly doing several seemingly small things every day.
And the first? Make your bed.
Here’s a highlight from his speech.
“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 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.”
There’s both truth and inspiration there. His thoughts remind me of my “domino” idea where when we impact one person, a first “domino” so to speak, there’s the potential for impacting many more. If you’d like to read my book, Finding Dominoes, Changing Your World One Encounter At A Time, it’s available at Amazon.com.
But with my own inspiration from Admiral McRaven’s presentation, I want to suggest five other perhaps small day- starters that could have the same kind of results in changing a slice of our world.
One, give thanks for three things. No matter what else you’re facing, being thankful keeps our challenges in perspective and lessens their call for us to focus just on us. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks. . . .” Notice it doesn’t say FOR everything, but IN everything.
And numerous verses in Colossians 3, for example, several times put thanksgiving as the centerpiece of living out our faith in numerous situations, including hardships.
Two, hug your spouse and/or other family members. Don’t fake it or over-dramatize it, just do it. Be creative, don’t demand, just make loving words and actions a natural part of how you connect. Again, check out Colossians and look at 3:19 – 20 where husbands are told to love their wives and not exаsperate their children.
We often have to take tough love actions and deal with conflict in general, but we’re always to speak the truth in love. So when hugs and similar compassionate gestures are the norm, our tough love has the right context when we need itl
Third, do one physically healthy thing. Taking care of our body in itself will increase our energy, brighten our attitude and most likely keep us healthier depending upon other factos. And our healthy actions, if not the norm right now, might just include drinking a glass of juice or water, doing simple exercises (chair exercises are popular and can be challenging these days) or eating something healthier than normal.
You might also NOT eat or drink something that isn’t particularly nutritious and that would be a start.
3 John verse 2 says, “I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
Fourth, stimulate your mind with something besides television, news on your phone or the radio. If you’re a Christ follower and person of faith, read your Bible. Use other inspirational or devotional materials or just try a crossword puzzle, working on a foreign language or listening to a podcast. Philippians 4:8, Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
If you’re a writer, get started on your blog, next article or whatever. Better yet get going on a book.
Last, number five, find a minute or two for thinking, mediation and quiet. Yes, include silence. Get away from the noise, take time to breathe deeply, even sigh. You can use your commute in the car or transportation if need be. Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
These FIVE, done regularly, have the potential to make your day richer, more productive and kept in perspective. Remember, if we’re faithful in the little stuff, we will more likely come through in the big things. And while you’re at it make your bed.
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