I am not much of a bandwagoner. And when it came to the TV show Ted Lasso, I wasn’t tempted to jump on the wagon.
Then I found myself looking for something to watch and decided to give it a try. From the first episode, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I laughed out loud and found my heart warmed by the positivity.
I guess you could say I’m on the wagon.
In one episode, Ted talks to a player named Sam who feels badly about making a mistake in practice. Ted says, “You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? Got a ten-second memory. Be a goldfish, Sam.”
The simple encouragement to let go of past mistakes and move on made a vivid impression on me.
How much happier would I be if I held onto hurtful moments, mistakes, hardships, and frustration for only ten seconds? If I could shake them off after ten seconds and move forward, I’m sure life would seem much lighter.
But another part of the scene impressed me even more: what Ted could have said.
He could have berated Sam for the mistake. He could have heaped hurtful words upon an already frustrating moment. Instead, he simply shared his little goldfish anecdote and encourages the player to let go and get back in the game.
I’d do well to remember this, too.
I have the power to encourage people and help them get back in the game of life. I also have the power to heap hurtful words onto an already difficult situation. I want to remember to encourage others to be a goldfish. That’s how I want to show up.
I want to be a goldfish.
I want to encourage other people to jump on the bandwagon and be goldfish too. There’s no benefit in getting out the whipping stick out for myself or those around me.
Instead, let’s give it ten seconds.
Then, let’s keep swimming.