It's so easy to get down when things don't go your way, but the only thing to do is find the bright spots in those dark moments and keep moving forward. That's what makes Navy Seals successful and the inability to find those moments of light is why many who go through Navy Seal training do not succeed. But you don't need to be a a Navy Seal to be a hero. As long as you follow these simple lessons, you will be a hero.
HERO CODE #1: Be COURAGEOUS
Courage is far from facing down the barrel of a gun. It is being there for their teammates and not letting them down. Being the type of person that will do whatever is needed for the team to be successful is what makes you a great team player and will go along way. It's not always the easiest thing to do and sometimes you're going to have to sacrifice your own ego for those of your teammates. But that's what makes the greats great. The ability to give something of themselves for something bigger.
PLAYERS: When you become a "whatever the team needs" type player then you become a great teammate and your team's culture is strengthened. Great teams have great teammates.
— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) April 24, 2021
HERO CODE #2: Be HUMBLE
The late Boston College men's basketball media contact Dick Kelley had a phrase "P & H: positive and humble." McRaven uses the example of meeting Charlie Duke, a retired Air Force pilot, at a dinner. Not only was Duke in the Air Force, he also happened to be the youngest person to walk on the moon, however throughout the entire dinner that was something that never came up. Duke was more interested in asking about McRaven and his son than about his own personal accolades.
It's humility. People who have it, care little about bragging about their own accomplishments and take a great interest in what others accomplish.
In baseball and softball there is one statistical line that more often than not gets overlooked, but is, perhaps, one of the most important statistics in the game. It's the sacrifice. Whether it's a sacrifice bunt or a fly, a teammate is, metaphorically, giving themselves up for another and the benefit of the whole team. And guess what? That sacrifice bunt the number nine hitter just executed perfectly doesn't count as an official at-bat and their individual batting average doesn't suffer. So taking one for the team is encouraged.
HERO CODE #4: Have INTEGRITY
When I hear the word integrity there is one person that comes to mind instantaneously: Jerry York. While a hockey Hall Famer, York builds hist team around the cornerstone of integrity. You should treat a custodian the same way you would treat the President of the United States - neither person is any different. How you treat people who can do nothing for you says a lot about your integrity.
HERO CODE #5: Be Kind and COMPASSIONATE
The above video is a perfect example of hero codes four and five. While Sam is trying to suck up to the boss and de-humanizing the custodian, his colleague is going out of his way to help the new employee, who unbeknownst to him is actually the new CEO undercover. She was attempting to get to know the internal employees who put in for that position, but didn't want them to treat her well just because she is the top dog. She wanted to see what they were really like.
And seriously, the way Taylor, as the CEO, introduced herself to Sam was perfect. "Oh I would shake your hand, but who knows where my hands have been, right?" Ouch!
HERO CODE #6: PERSEVERE
Probably one of the most important characteristics to have is the ability to persevere. Being a Navy Seal isn't about being the toughest or being able to do the most push-ups. Admiral McRaven saw some of the best athlete's fail to make it through training, because it's mindset, not brute strength. It's taking everything one stroke at a time - especially when things get tough. Slow down to go fast.
HERO CODE #7: DUTY
Admiral McRaven begins this chapter mentioning the late U.S. Navy officer and Senator John McCain being taken prisoner by the Vietnamese during the war. When it was determined that McCain was the son of a former U.S. Navy admiral the Vietnamese knew they could use him to their advantage and release him as propaganda. But McCain would have none of it. His release would show that if you had privilege, you deserved special treatment, which was against McCain's values. He remained and dealt with the abuse because he felt it was his duty to remain.
Privilege can help you, but it is not a crutch. Remember the people who aren't as fortunate.
HERO CODE #8: HOPE
There's a country song by Rodney Atkins that was inspired by a quote from the former Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill - "If You're Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Knows)." It's about keep moving and having hope and faith when you hit a road block. That road block was put there for a reason and is a redirection that your skills can be used for other things that help the greater good.
Daily roastings are a good thing and for the Seals nothing was off limits. You have to be able to laugh at yourself. Look at many of the most successful YouTubers out there, some of their best videos are the ones where they are poking fun at themselves. Dude Perfect did it in their Top 10 segment during the last video of 2020. The theme of Overtime 23 was the worst. They had to try to get "Not Cool" items, they wanted to be picked for the "Wheel Unfortunate" segment because it was "Wheel Fortunate" with all good things on the board. Well the Top 10 segment was part of worst category and they chose to find THEIR own worst videos. Tyler Toney said at the end of the segment "I like to think that [50 million subscribe Play Button] would've come a lot sooner without all these."
HERO CODE #10: FORGIVE
When you give forgiveness to someone who has hurt you, it's not for the other person, it's for you. It means that what hurt you in the past, no longer hurts you when you recall it. Forgiveness puts your mind at peace.
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