Beautiful Lessons From Ted Lasso About Success And Self-Love

Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Be a goldfish.

You probably remember Ted saying, “You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It’s a goldfish. It’s got a 10-second memory.” This is a reminder to let yourself be sad and angry and disappointed when something goes wrong. Give yourself permission to feel your emotions because stuffing them down will only make you more miserable in the long run. But don’t let yourself dwell on the pain. Release it – and then let it go. Forget that it happened. Move forward without any regrets weighing you down. After all, yesterday doesn’t matter. Today matters. Tomorrow matters.

Remember why you started in the first place.

When Isaac was struggling with the game, Roy was there to remind him that he started playing soccer as a kid because it was fun. As you get older and start taking your passions more seriously, you might forget what you loved so much about it. But you can’t forget why you got started in the first place. If you love what you’re doing, you’re already succeeding. As Roy so eloquently stated: “Fuck your feelings, fuck your overthinking, fuck all that bullshit, go back out there and have some fucking fun!”

Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.

Even if you’re pissing off other people in the process, you should be proud of yourself for sticking to your morals. You should always do the right thing instead of the easy thing. You should always listen to your gut. And on the way to your gut, stop to check in with your heart.  

Believe in yourself.

This sign is hanging in the locker room for a reason. Even when you’re running low on hope, you need to keep your faith alive. Remember that you’re capable of achieving anything you put your mind to. Stop doubting yourself and start trusting yourself because you’ve got this. Like Ted has said, “I believe in hope. I believe in BELIEVE.”

The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off.

Going to therapy and taking care of your mental health can be scary. Sometimes, it’s easier to run from the truth and distract ourselves from what’s really wrong than to face our problems head-on. But it’s much better to confront whatever is bothering you. Let your emotions out. Ask yourself what is hurting you, because that’s the first step toward healing.

Trying to make others miserable will make you miserable.

Rebecca spent the entire first season trying to make her ex-husband miserable. But revenge wasn’t bringing her any happiness. It did the opposite. It made her more miserable. When she took the opposite approach and started letting other people in, that’s when she finally felt like herself again. This is a reminder that you don’t need revenge or even closure to move on from your past. You simply need to start building a better future.

Discomfort is actually a good sign.

“Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.” It’s always nerve-racking to leave your comfort zone. The unknown is scary. You have no idea what you’re going to face, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Remember, you’re not weak or overdramatic for feeling uncomfortable while taking on a challenge. That’s the way you’re supposed to feel.