Hey, friend!

This past week was the season finale of the second season of Ted Lasso. I will discuss the episode in this newsletter, but I believe I can do so abstractly enough that I'm not spoiling it. But, still, proceed at your own risk.

If you haven't watched the show, it'll be helpful for you to know that this show talks about divorce and mental health. I've found myself often referencing concepts and moments from the show in many conversations, both with friends and with my therapist.

This past week, a major character in the show accused Ted of some pretty horrible things. Things I've been accused of before. And the accusation feels very out of line with how you think of Ted–and how I think of myself.

As we talked about the episode in Tighten's Slack, my first response was to ask myself, "how did I miss this behavior in Ted?" I just assumed the criticism must be true.

But as I watched other people process it, I realized a few things: first, this criticism was wrong. It had nuggets of truth, which made it seem right, but it was provably, foundationally, wrong. And second, the accusation was the action of someone who didn't know how to take responsibility for their own actions, and instead lashed out at others and blamed them for their own issues.

Woof. This was present in my situation, too. And even after years of therapy and people saying these words to me (it's not your issue, it's them) it took watching Ted experience it, and processing the situation out loud with my coworkers at Tighten, to get me to the point where I finally have been able to let go of the ways I've internalized the judgement I received in my similar moment.

So.. wow. Once again, I've had affirmed for me the value of speaking and telling stories about the harder parts of our lives. And I'm once again thankful for the authors of shows like Ted Lasso, but also my own friends who've publicly and privately shared their stories with me—of depression, of anxiety, of bipolar, of ADHD, of divorce, of suicidal ideation, and so much more—who have been such a key part of my own journey.

Just feeling very grateful for you all. <3

What Else?

Things Worth Learning Podcast

Twenty Percent Time Podcast

s3e1: Keith Damiani: Jigsaw

Tighten Blog

A Project Manager’s Top Tips

Tighten YouTube

Keith Damiani: Jigsaw

Matt Stauffer YouTube

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That's it for now!

Until next time...

Your friend,
Matt Stauffer