When we are young, we’re often asked what we want to be when we grow up; this question, however, rarely manifests itself into reality. Most of the time for the better. We grow up, we learn about ourselves and the world, and we discover that the world has more to offer than our five-year-old selves could comprehend. Sometimes with a little bravery, we chase our dreams through hard work and find the success we dreamed of, but often we trek down paths that looked beautiful but leave us feeling unfulfilled and unhappy.

As someone in the thick of trying to figure out what to do with my life and where I’m headed, I find myself looking to others that have “got it figured out” per se. And as it turns out, most of them don’t live luxurious lives and aren’t household names. For me, it’s the people that have managed to find happiness and used that success to fuel others. One of these people appeared in my life when I least expected it – on a bus in Syracuse, New York.

This is Mickey Mahan, also known as The Flying Busman. He’s a Centro bus driver at Syracuse University that I met three years ago, and without a doubt, the happiest and most successful person I know. He, like countless others, followed the traditional life path of going to college, graduate school and proceeding to begin a career in that same field. And you know what? He hated it. So much so, that he became a bus driver until he could get his shit together and find another path to follow. The crazy part? He loved it. Mickey has been a bus driver for almost thirty years now and will tell anyone it was the best decision he could have ever made. He reads poetry every morning, sings the bus stop names and makes unforgettable connections with riders. He transforms a morning commute to an 8 a.m. college class into a daily inspirational experience.

The Flying Busman - Mickey Mahan

Mickey’s life story, along with his badass mustache, has served as a daily reminder to me that the only uniform thing about success is happiness and that the value of being happy goes highly under-appreciated. When you base your success on your pure, unadulterated happiness, it inspires others to do the same. I’m not the only student that has been influenced by the contagious nature of Mickey’s success; this video is one of the many films that have been made to tell the tale of the most famed bus driver in Syracuse.

I’m sure the story of a college graduate becoming a bus driver would be considered a failure to some outsiders, but even just a short look into Mickey’s life proves he’s been victorious and continues to thrive by spreading positivity and art with everyone he meets. He’s a reminder to me that we’ve got to keep on trucking, no matter the circumstances, until we find that thing that fuels our fire.

How to Successfully “Fail” and Win at Life

What others consider failure, may be your biggest accomplishment.

Condensed

I never used to make my bed, but I made it a habit because of a famous commencement address every UT student is made to watch. It’s given by a UT alumnus and retired Navy Admiral, William McRaven, whose SEAL training has taught him the important steps to changing the world. There are 10 steps total, but the most important one is the first – making your bed.

University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address - Admiral William H. McRaven

“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 encourages you to do another task and another and another and by the end of the day that one task completed will turn into many tasks completed.” 

lf you’re starting out, finding your footing or wondering where to begin, why don’t you take a deep breath and make your bed today – and then everyday. I only just realized what I was really doing every time I fluffed up my pillows. 

I allowed an allocated time to myself to clear my head and reflect. It was intimate and private and belonged to only me. It gave me time to think about what I was going to do that day or to be reminded of the people who make me smile. 

Making your bed means that you love yourself enough to slow down and get at least one thing done before you go out. It changes your mindset and the decisions you make. And those decisions become a ripple effect of endless possibilities. You never know, making your bed can have a striking correlation to that job promotion.

When your bed is neat and your mind is at ease, you are ready. You’re ready to finish school. You’re ready to start a career. You’re ready to begin a new chapter in your life. You’re ready to become the person you were hoping to be. You’re ready to change the world.

“And if by chance you have miserable day you will come home to a bed that is made, that you made, and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”

The first step to changing the world is making your bed.

Change the World by Changing Your Sheets

The first step to changing the world is making your bed. 

You’d never think that changing the world starts out with something as mundane as tidying up the bed before you start your day. We don’t realize our lives can undergo a drastic change through things that aren’t grand and bold. The little things matter too, y’know.