Think about George Lucas as a movie professional for just a moment and ask your self these three questions.
- How does he spend his time professionally?
- What skills has he mastered that enable him to excel?
- Do his accomplishments merit my attention, respect, or admiration?
George Lucas is a filmmaker and entrepreneur. He creates a vision for a movie, seeks funding, hires directors, producers, and staff who are charged with bringing the vision (accompanied by a script, ideally) to film.
In order to succeed, Lucas has had to develop skill sets that go far beyond the technical competencies of filmmaking. He’s had to learn to hire individuals as well as form partnerships with companies; he’s learned to negotiate, everything from location agreements to royalty payments; he’s had to learn to run a set, then a company, then an enterprise.
In pursuing this path, he’s worked with many of the great producers, actors, and managers in the business. His work – including the famous Star Wars and Indiana Jones films – have won acclaims and high honors, and have been enjoyed by millions of fans over 40 years.
Now reflect on his observation that your focus determines your reality.
Be directing the camera, the audience sees Indiana Jones being strangled against a bar as he begs Marion for whiskey. She hands him a bottle with a puzzled expression on her face like it’s a strange time to take a drink, but Indiana has other plans for it as he smashes the dramatic tension of the scene as he smashes the bottle over his attacker’s head.
When Lucas himself struggled with hard decisions he learned to master his focus. The only meaning that events have is that which we give them. We are the directors of our own lives and the meaning that we imbue our own actions and circumstances with.
It’s a magnificent insight and one that can help you grow your business now.