There’s More at Stake

Recently, a friend shared a video clip of Academy Award winning actor, Gary Oldman, talking about working with director Christopher Nolan on three Batman movies.

Oldman shared that Nolan didn’t give feedback often, but did share the anecdote below.

After one scene, Nolan called, “cut” and approached Oldman. He walked right up next to him and whispered, “There’s more at stake.”

For Oldman, it was a lightbulb moment. In the interview he shared that he knew he needed to turn up the volume. Not the volume of his voice. The volume of his emotion. The volume of his performance. He needed to act as if what was happening mattered far more than he portrayed on previous takes.

I reflected on that line, “There’s more at stake” for days.

I wondered if there were places for me to operate like there is more at stake in my life, in my parenting, in my relationships, with my health, with my leadership.

Of course, there were and are many places where I’m going through the motions. Despite being a pretty intentional person.

There’s more at stake when my kids are telling me something that feels unimportant because I’m doing something else. There’s more at stake when I decide to watch TV instead of going for a run. There’s more at stake when I refuse to follow-up with someone who needs my coaching because they’ve blown me off three times.

There’s more at stake in so many places.

I’m examining mine.

Will you do the same?