Navigating Chaos: How to Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations

by Jeff Boss

Passionate people don’t ring the bell. The challenge of becoming a Navy SEAL is almost a household conversation nowadays. In BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training), every Navy SEAL wannabe is a volunteer. If, at anytime, he (sorry gals) doesn’t enjoy running around with a boat on his head, carrying a telephone pole with his team, or sitting in 55-degree Pacific Ocean water for days on end without sleep, he can just ring “the bell” three times and say, “I quit.” Of the 174 students who started in my BUD/S class, only 34 of us (roughly 19 percent for all you “numbers” people) finished, because… Passionate people are driven to win. They’ve identified—and envisioned—what winning looks like, so all they need to do is fill in the gaps to get there. Artists don’t give themselves any other options; they must produce if they want to continue being artists (and inspiring others, see #3).