Of soup and the lasso way
Quite a few of my HDR friends are working through the uni break. A handful of us are working through the chapters of our thesis. I was feeling particularly stressed about all the unwritten chapters I still had to work on. I realised I needed a bit of a break so I organised a catch-up with a few of my peers. We were all keen to watch Ted Lasso (starring Jason Sudeikis) together and I made a big batch of soup for everyone.
I reckon it was exactly the mini-break we all needed! The series was a heart-warming sports comedy which was really refreshing (especially given the constant news and political debates on vaccine rollouts, borders and restrictions). It was an uplifting show that centred around the premise that although being a winner is great, being a person of character was what made a champion and a leader. Here are some of our favourite take-aways from Coach Ted.
- Treat people with respect. Whether it was the waterboy, the kit man or the Chair of the Board, he valued everyone’s contribution to the team and respected each one.
- Be a goldfish. He claims that the happiest animal is the goldfish because it only has a 10-second memory. That means it doesn’t have very much time to dwell on mistakes. Life’s more complex than that of course and it’s useful to learn the lesson and try again. Obstacles can be opportunities.
- Communicate. You’re part of a team - reach out to others and be a positive member of your community.
- Be curious, not judgmental. You never really know what someone is going through.
- Believe. They say that a PhD is more about perseverance than brilliance. Take it one day at a time, one chapter at a time, one page at a time.
