A made bed gives us hope every day.

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A few years ago, a video went viral about making your bed and it has stuck with me. I watch it every now and then because the message is so good. (Don’t worry, I’ve attached the video below, so you can watch it too!)

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. 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 then another and another. And 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 the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, then you’ll never be able to do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you’ll come home to a bed that is made – that you made.”

US Navy Admiral William H McRaven

I usually start to cry when Admiral McRaven talks about the hardships his men faced, that he faced. Though I’ve never faced the same experience as them, I’ve been through my own “nights in the mud.” What is most poignant to me is the reminder what hope can do for us. Hope has saved my life more than once.

There are so many reasons to make your bed every day, and I’ll tell you some of those in a second, but the most powerful reason is hope. A made bed is a sign of hope. And hope is a feeling that can transform us. Hope helps us make better decisions, hope gives us the power to endure hard things, and hope gives us peace amidst hard things. Hope is so powerful.

I’m going to edit the Admiral’s words slightly and say – if you want to change the YOUR world, start off by making your bed.

• A made bed starts our day off with a productive feeling.
• A made bed encourages us to be tidier in our rooms.
• A made bed is a great place to fold laundry, or in other words, making your bed makes your other chores easier.
• A made bed is a symbol all day long – you’ve got your act together, you can do this.
• A made bed is doing something meaningful and nice for yourself.
• A made bed makes the whole house feel cleaner and tidier.
• A made bed is an important example to your children – that you are willing to take time for small acts of importance. A good example is more powerful than a lecture.
• A made bed feels so good to crawl into at the end of the day.
• A made bed just feels better.

When I was young, I used to brag about hating naps. (What was I thinking? 😂) Now, on the days I can manage a power nap, it feels amazing. I don’t crawl between my sheets during my power nap. There’s something about that smooth comforter of the made bed that is so welcoming. I grab my pillow from behind the decorative ones, put it on the end of my bed, use a throw blanket from the chair in my room, and sleep in what my husband calls “strange positions.” These strange position are my favorite. (My dog, who is currently lying next to me asleep, just started wagging her tail while she sleeps. I think she was dreaming about when I occasionally take a nap in the middle of the day, because naps are also snuggle-fests, which are most definitely her favorite thing.) A made bed doesn’t keep me out of bed, it makes me feel better every time I’m near my bed!

Be kind to yourself.

Give yourself a little dose of hope today.

Make your bed.

And definitely go watch the entire speech Admiral McRaven makes, it is time well spent!

Do you make your bed every day?