Be Curious, not Judgmental

It is the Saturday morning before Easter and I am up early, before anyone else. Normally, I’d be at Loaves and Fishes volunteering helping families in need of food get the food they need, but Loaves and Fishes is closed for the holiday. I did work Thursday after school as it was the last day that families could get food this week and it was terribly busy.

trees along the path, Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL. April 10, 2022 5:29 PM

Yesterday I was reading my devotional, The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge by Tony Dungy. I was reading the entry for July 21st. I know yesterday was April 15th, but I started reading the journal a couple of years ago and I started almost two years ago on April 25, 2020, by starting with the January 1st entry. The intent was to read each day and finish a year later on April 24, 2021, with the December 31st entry, but that didn’t happen. Things happen and life gets in the way of good intentions. But each time I have read an entry; I have felt as though the passage is speaking directly to me. Yesterday’s title was “Discernment instead of Judgement.” As I read the entry, I reflected on its meaning, and I immediately thought of the TV comedy series Ted Lasso. Last week, a colleague and I had been talking about teaching science and the topic of Ted Lasso wisdom had come up. He mentioned a Ted Lasso quote, “Be Curious, not judgmental,” and we chuckled because I encourage my students to be curious and full of wonder in science.

Ted Lasso is a comedy about an American football coach, named Ted Lasso, who was hired by a fictitious premier English football club to be their new coach. At first, Coach Lasso struggles as the players and the fans don’t understand why he was hired to coach the team considering he has no experience with the sport at all. As the first season progresses the mystery of Ted Lasso is slowly revealed. Coach Lasso uses stories to coach and teach the players, and fans. He is humble, open, and honest.

In episode eight, Coach Lasso refers to the quote my colleague and I laughed about. Lasso credits the American poet, Walt Whitman, and he says,

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

Below is the clip from the episode, please take a moment to watch and if you do watch, please take an extra moment to read the comments about the clip from YouTube.

The point is, Whitman never said or wrote that line (and I am trusting the internet here) but it is here where my devotional, Ted Lasso, and my conversation with my colleague intersect.

We all have a sphere of influence in our lives. We look to others for guidance, others look to us. I know I am judgmental at times, and it is a weakness I continue to work at. Tony Dungy’s devotional for July 21st used Romans 2:1 to make the point.

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

The tumblers clicked and I snapped a photo of the page and forwarded it to my colleague.

I should be more curious, and less judgmental. I need to share the grace given to me and worry less about what others think and just be the best me I can be. I know sometimes I will fall short and stumble, but I’ll get back up and keep going.

Oh, and by the way if you haven’t seen Ted Lasso, it’s on AppleTV+. It’s worth a month’s subscription at US $4.99. Trust me, you can thank me later.

It’s Easter Saturday, tomorrow is the day we wait for each year. A day that reminds me I am forgiven. No matter what, I just need to believe, to have faith. Today is going to be an amazing day, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the days Count, one day at a time, one story, one connection, one intersection at a time.

When was the last time a tv show, a movie, or a story, intersected for you?

6 thoughts on “Be Curious, not Judgmental

  1. What a great video clip. So much truth there, too. We all tend to make snap decisions based on only a very small piece of the entire puzzle. I think it’s just human nature. Something we all need to work at that’s for sure.

    Thanks for sharing the lesson. Happy Easter!!

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    1. Patricia, I hope you, Corey, and the Baer House had a Happy Easter. I could watch both seasons of ted Lasso over and over again and I have watched it several times and each time I still have take aways about being a better person. If you have an Apple phone or iPad, consider giving it a try. As for coming up short, I think it is human nature to consistently miss the mark. I know I do and I keep challenging myself to do better. Have a fabulous week and I look forward to tomorrow’s post – I do actually read each week, but it rolls in at the beginning of the week and I spend all week trying to catch up. Stay well and peace.

    1. Dawn, thank you for stopping in. I have to remember that I am a work in progress and weekends like this one are reminders why and encourage me to do better. i hope you had a Happy Easter, I know my family and I did. Stay well and peace.

  2. I too, work at not being judgmental. It’s easy to slip, sometimes, but I get back up on that pony and forge ahead. I came out of the womb curious, and that curiosity has never abated. I adore Ted Lasso.

    Happy Easter to you and your family, Clay. I am happy to know you, if only virtually.

    1. Mary – I hope you had a Happy Easter, too. I am thankful that our paths crossed and I am better for it.

      I discovered Ted Lasso at the end of the summer so much so, I think I channel Coach lasso with my 6th graders. It’s been a great year and my kiddos have really learned a lot. It turns out my roommate – a 7th grade science teacher and my mentor – has watched Ted Lasso and it was he who inspired this post. I hope you have a fabulous week ahead. Peace.

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