7 Navy SEAL Quotes That Inspire Greatness

Life is just a series of moments in a row. If you have enough good moments, you have a good life.

Every thought that we think, every word that we speak, and every action we take sets up the next moment that we experience. How we set it up is a personal choice that we individually make on a moment-to-moment basis.

Or as James Clear likes to say — “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”

Greatness then is choosing to think the highest thought, say the highest word, and act the highest action in as many of those moments as possible.

Greatness is having the ability to choose the highest option even when it doesn’t feel like it’s an option at all.

The Navy SEALs are masters at attuning their potential towards greatness. But often greatness comes from through the work that no one sees as it happens out of sight It’s the work that goes on behind the scenes in the minds and hearts of the courageous.

The 7 quotes below are a part of that inner work that the Navy SEALs live by on a daily basis. Whenever I remember them, they inspire me to straighten my spine, lift my gaze, and give me the courage to continue moving forward.

So, let’s get to it.

1. “You’ve only got three choices in life: Give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got.”

There is another group of three that’s relevant here too: mind, body, and soul. The mind can often find a way to give up. The body can often find a way to give in. But regardless of it all, the soul is all in, all of the time.

So, you can give up, you can give or you can give it all you’ve got. You can be led by the mind, influenced by the body, or be inspired by the soul. It comes down to a personal choice in the end.

So, master your mind, train your body, and free your soul. And if you can’t do it that way around, work backward. Start by giving it all that you’ve got, never give in and never give up, and soon enough, you’ll be exactly where you need to be.

2. “Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.”

So, dust yourself down, pick yourself up, and start again.

When failure or falling down is reframed as an opportunity to learn, suddenly there’s an excitement to bounce back up and implement what was learned. And when the process is valued as much, if not more than, the outcome, then falling down isn’t the end, it’s an integral part of an ongoing story that’s necessary for growth.

Those moments can still feel painful but that pain can be channeled into something greater than it once was. However, that’s only possible if the courage to get back up on two feet and start again comes through.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison

3. “Cowards never start. The weak never finish. Winners never quit.”

Winning is not an end result or someplace that we arrive at, it is a process that is ongoing and one that can be cultivated. Sometimes, all winning requires is to simply not give up; to remain in the race even when we’re dead last and injured because if we’re still in the race, we’re still in with a chance of winning.

Or as Thomas Edison so beautifully said — “Many of life’s failures are people who did realise how close they were to success when they gave up.”

4. “When you’re under pressure you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training”

This is a big one for me as it doesn’t just speak to the physical training that we go through to become stronger, it also speaks to how mentally and emotionally prepared we are too.

The physical training builds the body to push bounderias, go beyond limitations, and develop new skills. However, these are hard skills. Perhaps what sets the Navy SEALs apart from the rest is their soft skills.

To have the mental capacity and emotional resilience to focus, remain calm, balanced, and centred whilst being able to make critical judgement calls in the heat of the moment makes some people crumble and others unflappable. But a lot of that comes down to how well trained and prepared the mind, body, and spirit are.

Without the right training and preparation, uncertainty and doubt can rule the house which are qualities that certainly don’t serve a Navy SEAL.

5. “Lion’s mustn’t concern themselves with the opinion of lambs”

“For me, if you’re not in the arena (of life) getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.” — Brene Brown

Seek advice from other lions. Those that challenge and inspire you. Those that question and motivate you. Those that push and shove you.

Lions aren’t afraid to hurt your feelings if it’s for your greater good. After all, lions rest when they need to rest but roar when they need to roar. Lambs, on the other hand, typically follow your lead and are too afraid to speak their truth, especially when its confrontational. In the end, who does this serve?

So, seek those that challenge your views, opinions, and morals and seek those that inspire and motivate you to become a better version of yourself. These people are to be cherished. Seek to become one of those people to another too.

After all, what better gift is there to give to the world that’s more important than inviting other people towards their highest selves?

Seek those who are in the arena of life with you.

6. “Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds”

When other people look towards us for strength, it often makes us become stronger. When other people need our leadership, loyalty, support, guidance, or friendship, we get presented with an opportunity to show up in a better way.

This is where teammates propel each other forward, often just by being by the others side through the guts and glory of life.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together.” — African saying

7. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Let’s face it, life sucks some of the time. We can’t avoid it, it’s inevitable. But what makes it suck even more is wishing for things to be different, or cursing our terrible luck, or feeling victimised, or worse, wishing it was someone else’s problem.

By embracing the full spectrum of life, the shitty moments are learned from and the good moments are celebrated. Plus, if the uncomfortable suddenly becomes comfortable, how good will the comfortable feel?

“Know that one day your pain will become your cure” — Rumi

On a different note

There is a breathing technique called box breathing that has gained tremendous popularity in recent years ever since the Navy SEALs revealed that they use it in extreme situations to relieve stress. It’s also a powerful technique for anxiety.

Its simplicity is its power.

How to do it

• Breathe in through your nose for 4–6 seconds

• Hold your breath in for 4–6 seconds
• Breathe out through your nose for 4–6 seconds
• Hold your breath out for 4–6 seconds
• Repeat for 5–10 minutes

Check out my favourite breathwork technique here.

Or sign up for an awesome free online workshop.

Closing thoughts

I’ll leave you with one more quote from the Navy SEALs as it touches into one of their most unrecognised and undervalued qualities — humility.

“Overconfidence was risky in such a hostile environment, a mistake most often made by warriors who had never truly been tested”