“Making my bed correctly was not going to be an opportunity for praise. It was expected of me. It was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline.”

Making one’s bed in the morning is a symbolic act: It shows commitment to discipline, humble willingness to perform rote chores, and the desire to start each day with a small success. McRaven wants readers to perform an act like this one without expectation of praise, but instead with a sense of duty to oneself.

“In battle soldiers die, families grieve, your days are long and filled with anxious moments. You search for something that can give you solace, that can motivate you to begin your day, that can be a sense of pride in an oftentimes ugly world.”

McRaven stresses that the world can be a painful and ugly place; its joy and beauty is often masked by undesirable or unfair circumstances. He argues that individuals who create habits to deal with obstacles in a productive way will approach these obstacles from the perspective of usefully positive productivity.

“The small rubber boat made us realize that no man could make it through training alone. No SEAL could make it through combat alone and by extension you needed people in your life to help you through the difficult times.”

While most people will never face actual combat, McRaven’s point is highly relatable: We all need other people to succeed in life. Nobody is an island. Human beings thrive in relationships and in community. Teamwork is key.