Am I the protagonist of my own story?
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Entrepreneurship is authorship.
We’re writing our own stories, and our pens are our decisions. As authors, we have the creative ability to bring a vision to life. The simplest example of this would be your company.
Reflect with me for a moment.
What have you written? If you’re like me and you’re not actually an author, search for a figurative answer to that question. As the figurative author of your life’s story, what has its protagonist learned?
Playing the protagonist.
I was in fifth grade when I learned what a protagonist was. We were reading James and the Giant Peach. James was obviously the main character, so our teacher’s question threw us off.
“James Henry Trotter is the main character,” she stated, “but who is the protagonist?”
How would you answer? The answer is James, of course. James Henry Trotter is both the main character and the protagonist. So is there a difference?
Our teacher explained it in this simple way: “There can be many main characters in a story, but the protagonist is the one that develops the most.”
Be unafraid to write and rewrite as you go.
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The protagonist is the one that develops the most.
How have you grown, both as a person and an entrepreneur? It’s important to reflect on this question.
Growth can be wonderful. For example, I’ve begun to complain less and less while also creating more and more solutions for people. On the flip side, I’ve noticed that growth can also be horrible. For me, I didn’t complain much at all until I started my company! If projects weren’t done on time or clients were acting up, my reaction was to complain.
I developed. How have you?
You may notice something as you reflect on your growth. Maybe you’ve just realized that you haven’t developed. If so, there’s a tougher question I suggest you ask yourself.
“Am I the protagonist of my own story?”
Don’t forget…
You’re the author, too. You’ve got the ability and power to change your story. Be unafraid to write and rewrite as you go.
That’s what authors do, and entrepreneurs can do it too.
Photo: Flickr/marco monetti