How to Live and “Be” Your Business Vision Statement

I was wrapping up my radio interview with John Yokoyama, owner of world famous Pike Place Fish Market, when he made, what we call in coaching lingo, a “throw away comment”.

It was just an off-handed comment spoken quite casually – but it was rich with insight. John had been sharing about the process he and his staff went through to uncover their vision of being world famous and their business vision statement.

Then he took a breath, paused a few minutes and continued,  “I have to make a choice everyday to show up in a way that’s going to make a world famous difference.   My regular limiting internal conversation is, “I don’t want to.”  “I don’t want to live my vision of creating a world famous difference or world peace.” Or, “I don’t want to solve this employee argument right now.”  In the early days when I was working more at the market I would often think to myself, “I don’t want to get up and go to work.”

I was struck by his comment – even dumbfounded.  Here was someone who had succeeded in a huge way with his business, and yet 23 years later in a radio interview John openly shared that every day he had to be aware of his limiting internal conversations.

Everyday he had to choose conversations that were in alignment with his commitment to make a world famous difference.

Although we may choose an extraordinary vision to “be” in our business there is the daily reality of not always being connected to your inspiration or higher vision.

Many years ago when I first started my business my internal default conversation was,  “I can’t do this because I don’t know how.”  When I first got my coaching certification my conversation was, “I don’t know how to run a successful business.”

I remember years ago when I began hosting my radio show my internal conversation was, “I don’t know how to be a talk show radio host.”  When I became a regular columnist for a monthly women’s magazine my conversation was, “I don’t know how to be a columnist – who they heck do I think I’m fooling anyway?!”

Just like John Yokoyama I was being called to live my vision – which was to show up for my clients, business, friends and the world in an openhearted way and with the intention to create a rich experience for others that made a vastly huge difference for them.  I had to choose the conversation of my higher vision over my “I don’t know how to” conversation.

When we make a commitment to a higher vision and purpose in our businesses we are called to let go of our old limiting internal conversations and commit instead to “being” our vision every week, day, hour and every minute.  This is what leads us forward into uncharted territory while staying the course with our business vision statement and keeping our internal compass on true north.