Apparently, I hit a nerve with the last newsletter, Re-imagine Your Failure. Some readers commented on it and others just called to tell me what they saw about re-imagining. What struck me as the most was that their reactions pointed to who they are as entrepreneurs. Yes, they have failures. Yes, they do NOT like failures, and YES, OF COURSE, re-imagining is what must occur.
Here is what one highly successful entrepreneur said: “When asking yourself 
that important question, ‘What could you do differently that may make the project succeed?’… it is also important to realize it was YOUR SCENE…Re-Imagine the SCENE…you may not have failed, even though you FEEL that way! Re-imagining has you get out of the grief a LOT faster!”
I think it’s a brilliant response to the inquiry. Taking the comment apart, here is what inspires me about it. It is where this person is coming from, this person is totally taking responsibility for her reaction to the failure. In being responsible for the reaction then she can re-imagine it and give herself an alternative to experiencing failure.
She pointed to a very important trait of successful entrepreneurs, the art of being responsible. Responsibility is perhaps a unsung positive trait of entrepreneurs. In the true meaning of the word, being responsible is not blame or guilt, shame or any such demoralizing explanation. Being responsible is “liable to be called on to answer, being the cause or explanation, able to answer for one’s conduct and obligations.” Notice that the word “being” is used. Being meaning, at least to me, who we are on the playing field of business.
An entrepreneur who is being responsible can re-imagine effortlessly, as the commenter said: “it is also important to realize it was YOUR SCENE”. She takes responsibility for the scene and then, since its hers, she can re-imagine it. And, that ability, is the key factor for being a successful entrepreneur. No one else did it to you, or even for you; you and you alone are the one. There is so much power in that way of being that you cannot fail. You can only re-imagine and move forward.
I look forward to hearing your comments about this way of being.
An area for observation, for me, has been in re-imagining the scene with someone else in it. Quite often, as an entrepreneur, I get caught up in the “doing” or “tasks” instead of my business owner role of “approver” or “managing”. When I am in the re-imagining, and I find I was “doing”, I just re-imagine someone else in that role and myself in my proper role of “approving, guiding, managing”. Even if there is no one else to “do” re-imagining it at that time gives totally new insights!!!
Sarah Lynn,
You hit the nail straight on. It’s hard to imagine ourselves as both the doer and manager. However, to have the anonymous she or he doing the tasks allows us to have the space to see how it occurs. Excellent observation which I am adopting too.
As a retired entrepreneur I feel that what you are saying to me helps me in my everyday work and challenges
Hi Faye ! Excellent observation. Life cannot be separated from business.
Welcome to the blog site, its great to see you here. SJ