Lessons we learned from Ted Lasso.
Ted has taught us many amazing lessons. I will share the three that impacted me the most.
- Believe — The “Believe” sign hanging in the AFC Richmond locker room is a significant symbol. It represents Ted’s optimistic attitude and leadership style.
This sign reflects his approach to coaching and life: the belief in possibility, the power of positivity, and the importance of teamwork and community. He believes in his team members’ potential, not just as players, but as individuals, even when they don’t believe in themselves.
This optimistic mantra encapsulates his unconventional coaching style and philosophy, which is heavily focused on personal growth and positive psychology. It’s about maintaining faith in oneself and the team, no matter how challenging the circumstances.
In a broader sense, the “Believe” sign and what it stands for contribute to the show’s overall positive and uplifting tone, marking it as a distinctive element of the series.
2. Be a Goldfish — Ted Lasso’s advice to “be a goldfish” implies that goldfish have a memory span of just a few seconds, serving as a metaphor for quickly forgetting mistakes and moving on.
In the context of the show, this advice is given to a player struggling with a mistake he made during a game. The idea is that, like a goldfish that quickly forgets, the player should not dwell on past mistakes but instead should focus on the present moment and what can be done now.
In a broader sense, this philosophy can be applied to life outside the soccer field. Everyone makes mistakes, but dwelling on them can hinder progress and growth. By adopting the ‘goldfish mentality,’ people can learn to let go of their errors quickly, treating them as learning experiences rather than sources of ongoing distress.
The ability to let go of past errors and move forward is an essential part of resilience, personal growth, and achieving success, which are key themes in “Ted Lasso.”
3. Constructive Blame — Towards the end of a “Ted Lasso” episode, one of the central characters, Jamie Tartt, is seen grappling with emotional turmoil due to a strained relationship with his father. Concurrently, Ted’s mother makes an unannounced visit, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions in Ted.
However, as the episode culminates, Ted chooses to confront his mother directly. He addresses all the things she did wrong and right during his upbringing.
Often, people tend to focus solely on their parents’ shortcomings, overlooking the positive aspects of their lives that have emerged from these very mistakes.
By the conclusion of the episode, this balanced perspective enables Ted to reach a place of forgiveness towards his mother, thus allowing him to move forward.
What lessons did you learn from Ted Lasso?