Be a Cinematographer

In my past work life, I was a cinematographer. Cinematographers make choices about lighting and angles that determine the image that the camera captures. I learned that before you can focus the camera, you have to focus yourself. When I did, it seemed like anywhere I pointed my camera, I got a great shot. I was in this magical flow. It’s a wonderful state to be in. Your senses are alive. You are ultra aware. You see things you don’t usually notice.

I think we can all benefit by becoming “cinematographers” in our own lives. To do that, we must become more conscious and curious about everything around us. When I was on a shoot I would look for things that were unusually lit or out of the ordinary. My dad taught me that if you don’t see it from a fresh perspective, don’t film it. In a larger sense, I think he was telling me, “Don’t go through your day on autopilot. Don’t take anything for granted—your work, your relationships, your family, your life.”

The FISH! Philosophy reminds us that we can see everyone and everything around us from a fresh perspective. When you are truly present, everything around you looks different. Maybe you see that a grumpy coworker is actually a worried parent who needs a kind word. Or you begin to listen to what other people have to say, even when you think you already know the answer, and discover a new outlook on the situation.

Maybe you decide to transform mundane exchanges with the customer into lighthearted moments that make them leave your business with a smile (and want to come back again). Perhaps you take a few moments to remember that the problem that is frustrating you right now is only temporary, but the hug your child gave you this morning is eternal.

When we become “cinematographers,” we see all the beautiful, memorable scenes that we can create in our lives—and in every life that we touch.