Believe in Belief
A new essay, a surprise gift and belief
The beginning of this month, my latest HuffPost piece called I Binged ‘Ted Lasso’ To Deal With Burnout And The Lessons It Taught Me Were Priceless went live. It’s an essay declaring my love for the show “Ted Lasso” as the big announcement came out about the exciting possibility of a fourth season. This was a fun one to write, one that led to an expected and mysterious gift.
About a week after the essay was published, I opened my mailbox to find a note with a return address that made me do a double take. It was from Coach Ted Lasso.
Now, of course, I’m well aware it was not from THE Ted Lasso. I’m sure, since I tagged the show on X when I shared the piece, that some stellar publicity team member saw it and decided to send me a smile. But regardless of who wrote and sent this note in the name of Ted Lasso, I loved it. And what I loved the most was the enclosed BELIEVE magnet that’s now front and center on my refrigerator.
In my Substack last December, I wrote about choosing a word of the year versus making New Year’s resolutions. My past words served me well – Balance, Wellness, Grounded, Wholeness, Patience, Breathe, Specificity – but I started thinking I might revert back to a list of resolutions instead of just focusing on a one-word theme.
In January, shortly after writing that post, I finished binge-watching all three seasons of “Ted Lasso.” If you’ve seen the show, you know that Ted’s BELIEVE sign that hangs in the locker room is practically its own character. By the finale, I couldn’t get that word out of my head.
So despite my detailed list of resolutions, I decided to also declare Believe as my word of the year. And like the one-word resolutions that came before it, Believe served me well.
Want to know how that word has helped me so far this year?
I believed I would walk at least 10,000 steps every single day in 2024. I did.
I believed I would find a new primary care doctor who actually listens to me. I did.
I believed I would start consistently lifting weights again. I did.
I believed I would increase my acceptance rate for freelance pieces. I did.
I believed I would become a published poet. I did.
I believed I would sign with a literary agent. I did.
With three months left in the year, I’m still grasping onto my word. And now, thanks to the mysterious gift that showed up in my mailbox, I see that word every time I walk into my kitchen. I’m excited to see what else the word will manifest for me.
As Ted Lasso once said, “I believe in belief.” You should too.
What Else Is New in My (Writing) World
So far in 2024, I’ve sent out 52 freelance pitches. Out of those pitches, I’ve gotten 8 acceptances, 19 rejections, and the rest are no responses. The majority of those pitches were from the first half of the year because the second half has been laser focused on memoir revisions. But I’ve been jotting down lots of ideas so I’m hoping to hit 70 pitches by the end of December. I believe!
From the Archives
One year ago: My essay I Moved To Japan With My Husband — And It Was The Loneliest I Ever Felt In My Marriage was published at YourTango.
Two years ago: My essay I had no idea how expensive senior year of high school is. I spent over $2,100 before it even ended. was published at Business Insider.
Eight years ago: My essay My First Vacation Alone After Divorce was published at ESME.
Recent Reads
I love books, and I make time to read because I believe in the importance of reading as a writer. I also like to mix up my genres, flip-flopping between novels and nonfiction (mostly memoirs). Here’s what I read or am currently reading this month (and last month because apparently I forgot an August Substack…oops):
The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared by Casey Mulligan Walsh (This memoir doesn’t release until February 2025 but I was lucky enough to get an ARC…so good!)
Hysterical by Elissa Bassist
Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott
Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences by Gila Pfeffer
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe from harm.
May you live with ease.💫
So happy for you, Heather! Thank you for sharing your positivity! Keep believing.
I "believe" in you!! That arrival in the mail is indeed mysterious!