This speech was originally delivered by Naval Admiral William H. McRaven to the 2014 graduating class of the University of Texas, He shared the 10 life lessons he had learned during his Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his long Naval career but also throughout his life.

The speech inspired the writing of a book by Admiral Willian titled: Make Your Bed: 10 Life Lessons from a Navy SEAL. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage.