Learning to Lead by Admiral Mike Mullen

Learning To Lead

Adm. Mike Mullen, 

Service academies don't just provide great education--they keep us safe.

When I arrived in Annapolis in early June 1964, I was 17 and had been out of California just once in my life. The mercury read 95 degrees with 90% humidity. I started sweating right away and wondered aloud how anyone could live in such a place. I wondered even more what lay in store for me inside the Naval Academy's gates.

Then I walked through those gates, and my life changed forever.

Yet service academies place demands on young men and women that go far beyond the classroom. Cadets and midshipmen are challenged on multiple fronts--mentally, morally and physically. They learn to lead, to succeed, but also how to bounce back from failure. They learn the power of persistence and the value of service.When those less familiar with our service academies praise these institutions, they often cite conventional measures used to compare colleges and universities across the country. The remarkable facilities, beautiful vistas and first-rate faculty are certainly all there. Academically, these military schools typically rank among the best in the country.

For my classmates and me, these experiences defined us and taught us a deep will to win. In our profession, coming in second place is just not acceptable. So winning--and an appetite for achievement--is essential. This is not to say, of course, that other schools in other places don't also instill such traits. They most certainly do. But at our service academies, you don't graduate if you haven't proven your character and your leadership. Grades alone will only take you so far, and they definitely won't take you across the stage on graduation day.

Much is made of the fact that the education at a service academy is free. It's true that cadets and midshipmen do not pay tuition or room and board. But it's also true that this taxpayer-funded education has enabled many incredibly promising young Americans, regardless of their economic or social background, to earn a top-shelf degree and become more productive citizens. Our military is stronger for that diversity and those opportunities. So is our country. I note with pride the scores of chief executives, elected officials, community leaders and U.S. presidents among the ranks of service academy alumni.

Very little else, however, is actually "free." Compared to their friends at civilian universities, these young men and women live spartan lives dominated by mandatory military and extracurricular activities, room and uniform inspections and very limited social freedom. In return for their attendance, they must commit to at least five years of active service--which, for many, becomes a career. They will, over the course of that career, know other privations: frequent moves, lengthy deployments and, yes, war.

Indeed, all you have to do is read the names on any one of the academies' memorial walls, or the plaques dedicated to graduates who have given their lives in defense of our country, to see the real, high cost of their so-called free education.

Most alumni will tell you they were the last, best, toughest class. I know I certainly felt that way about my Class of 1968. I'm not so sure about that anymore.

The demands placed upon America's military are greater and more diverse than at any time in the last four decades. We're fighting two wars, modernizing our force structure and equipment, caring for a whole generation of troops and families scarred by combat, and grappling with ever-present conventional threats left over from the Cold War. Not to mention a plethora of enduring security commitments around the world.

After graduation, newly commissioned officers step out into that world. Right from day one they are expected to lead soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, often older and more experienced than they are. They are held accountable for their mission, for their people and for millions of dollars worth of state property--all of this at 22 years old.

I left Annapolis a wholly different person than the one I had been on that summer day 46 years ago. I left feeling like I was part of something far bigger than just myself--that I was now responsible in my own way and through my own efforts for helping keep our nation strong. I felt a part of a proud tradition and a sense of duty to live up to it and to the expectations of the troops I joined in the fleet.Truth is, these men and women thrive on that pressure. They welcome it. They respect it. The people they have sworn to defend can feel secure in the knowledge that the young officers our service academies produce have earned it.

I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for those troops. But I think it is fair to say that without the Naval Academy, I wouldn't have been there for them. And I can promise you every other graduate of our service academies--past, present and future--feels exactly the same way.

A pretty fair trade for a free education? I believe so, and I hope America does too.

Adm. Mike Mullen is chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

10 Principles for Peace of Mind

1. Do Not Interfere In Others’ Business Unless Asked:

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others’ affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

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2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

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3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yours if in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

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4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody’s life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

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5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

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6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

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7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

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8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

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9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God’s name.

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10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering ” Should I or shouldn’t I?” Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over split milk?

21 Things To Remember

21 Things To Remember


1. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission.
2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be.
3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.
4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.
5. Success stops when you do.

6. When your ship comes in…. make sure you are willing to unload it.
7. You will never have it all together.
8. Life is a journey…not a destination. Enjoy the trip!
9. The biggest lie on the planet When I get what I want I will be happy.
10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.
11. I’ve learned that ultimately , ‘takers’ lose and ‘givers’ win.
12. Life’s precious moments don’t have value, unless they are shared.
13. If you don’t start, it’s certain you won’t arrive.
14. We often fear the thing we want the most.
15. He or she who laughs……lasts.
16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.
17. Look for opportunities…not guarantees.
18. Life is what’s coming….not what was.
19. Success is getting up one more time.
20. Now is the most interesting time of all.
21. When things go wrong…..don’t go with them.