Starbucks shot into the headlines this past week following a Philadelphia store manager’s phone call to the police that led to the arrest of Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson for trespassing. The two African American men were waiting to order until the colleague they were meeting arrived. The video of their removal by the officers went viral on social media (as of this week it had been viewed 11 million times) and prompted near-immediate demonstrations and boycotts.

Today, mission and values are integral to the culture and brand of many organizations. Many companies rely on this as a differentiator – a reason customers should come to them instead of competitors. This inevitably opens the door to higher expectations and increased scrutiny. Starbucks is definitely one of these companies.

In 2017 trust in America’s four key institutions: NGOs, business, government, and the media declined by 37%, the greatest collapse in the history of the Edelman Trust Index. Francis Fukuyama, in his seminal book, Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, demonstrates that social capital in any community or business is fueled by cultivating trust. When trust is in the room, people collaborate, give each other grace to make mistakes, and innovation springs forward.

Research shows that two people raised in the same circumstances can create completely different outcomes for how they end up in life. One, a failure who says, “If you came from my background, you’d be all messed up too.” The other who says, “Because of my background, I had to create a different future than what I grew up with.”  Each person takes a completely different view of their circumstances, based on a mindset that they have developed over time. A thousand choices, made every day, shapes a life journey.  

This is how we “craft destiny.” We shape our lives by drawing on the life narrative that resides in both our conscious and unconscious awareness. Becoming fully aware of the life we want to create is a process. It requires “unpacking” or “unfolding” of what really matters to us.  

Trust me - it’s critical that you articulate your life narrative. A narrative is a story – it is your story – that continues to unfold every day.  The story has a plot and you are the main character in how the plot unfolds and how the story ultimately ends – happy or sad.   Speaking your story out loud, owning it, and then having it reinforced by others are key steps in building a conscious commitment to making it central to your everyday life.