Before becoming a famous movie director, James Cameron started his career as a special effects modeler.
He was a brilliant designer and also a perfectionist to the extreme.
When he got his first chance at directing a major motion picture, Aliens, Jim wanted everything perfect.
He put tremendous pressure on his crew, and nobody ever felt like their hard work was good enough.
There were many battles between Jim and his DP (Director of Photography), to the point where he fired him, which caused the crew to walk off the set.
That megahit movie may have never finished if Sigourney Weaver hadn’t risen to the occasion by sitting down with her director to help him understand why everyone was acting (no pun intended) the way they were.
The next day, Jim asked the crew to come in, and then he did something nobody expected.
He apologized.
Sigourney became a real hero to the crew, and they decided the movie had to be great so that she could shine!
Sometimes we get so caught up in our narratives and emotions that we do not recognize how our attitude and energy may be contributing to the resistance or problems we face.
When I start to feel frustrated with my wife, a client, or because of a stressful situation, I think, “Am I contributing to the stress of this situation?”
Being accountable for how you show up is a sign of high emotional intelligence, and it produces greater peace and productive outcomes.
If James Cameron hadn’t owned his attitude, we might never have seen Aliens, Titanic, or Avatar.
Think about a stressful situation you’re encountering.
Then ask yourself, “Am I contributing to the stress in this situation?”
If you are, shift.
If you are not stoking or provoking a stressful situation through your actions or attitude, good for you.
If you don’t know, here’s an opportunity for growth.
Ask others involved for constructive feedback.
The more you own your attitude, the more you’ll own peace of mind, and there’s nothing more valuable than that.
🙂 Tim Shurr