Friends

All I Really Need To Know!

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One of my favorite books and a pivotal guide for Global Leadership!

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

  • Share everything.

  • Play fair.

  • Don’t hit people.

  • Put things back where you found them.

  • Clean up your own mess.

  • Don’t take things that aren’t yours.

  • Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.

  • Wash your hands before you eat.

  • Flush.

  • Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

  • Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

  • Take a nap every afternoon.

  • When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

  • Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

  • Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.

  • And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all – the whole world – had cookies and milk at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Our country would be in tip top shape if our government would revert to the basic kindergarten policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

These are so fundamental that it’s surprising how we forget this as we grow up.  Imagine today, how different our world would be if we remembered and lived what we learned in kindergarten.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

“ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN” by Robert Fulghum.

Everyone is Looking for Purpose!

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Everyone is looking for purpose! Here are a few of my favorite quotes on “Purpose!”

“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life… Therein he cannot be re­placed, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.” – Viktor Frankl

“One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only interests.” – John Stuart Mill

“Nothing is likely to help a person overcome or endure troubles than the consciousness of having a task in life.” ~ Victor Frankl

“Make your life a mission – not an intermission” ~ Unknown

“Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, it isn’t.” ~ Richard Bach

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I’ve Learned!

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I’ve learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I’ve learned –
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved.   The rest is up to them.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

I’ve learned-
that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I’ve learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.

I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.

I’ve learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I’ve learned-
that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I’ve learned-
that you can keep going long after you can’t.

I’ve learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I’ve learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.

I’ve learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I’ve learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I’ve learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned-
that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned-
that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I’ve learned-
that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, how people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t always biological.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned-
that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned-
that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I’ve learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I’ve learned-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I’ve learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I’ve learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I’ve learned-
that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.

What Inspires You?

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“The consequences of today are determined by the actions of the past. To change your future, alter your decisions today.” ~ Anonymous Inspiration-true-writers-orlando espinosa

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” – T. S. Eliot

“There’s no next time. It’s now or never.”

“For every effect there is a root cause. Find and address the root cause rather than try to fix the effect, as there is no end to the latter.”

“Every moment you get is a gift. Spend it on things that matter. Don’t spend it by dwelling on unhappy things.”

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t put off living to next week, next month, next year or next decade. The only time you’re ever living is in this moment.

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. – Mark Twain

Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in.

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” ~ Jim Rohn

Be Persistent!

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Persistence – the act of enduring despite… regardless of… in the face of… even with… even though… A leader is persistent. If there are setbacks, if there are obstacles, if the going gets tough, a leader is persistent. It’s the act of determination that stems from the depths of confidence and the strength that is derived form experience.

Remember to Be Persistent!

be persistent orlando espinosa

Leadership is Scarce!

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True leadership is rare. Titles are common, but leaders who inspire, serve, and stand firm in adversity are scarce.

Leadership is not about power. It is about vision, influence, and putting others first. It requires sacrifice, humility and the courage to step forward when it would be easier to step back.

That is why leadership stands out. In a world full of followers, authentic leaders are remembered, respected and needed more than ever.

Leadership is scarce, but if you choose integrity, courage, and compassion each day, you can become the example others are waiting for.

The scarcity of leadership presents both a challenge and an opportunity. A challenge, because organizations, communities, and families struggle without strong leaders. But also an opportunity, because those who rise up and commit to leading authentically will always stand out. In a world full of followers and spectators, real leadership becomes a powerful differentiator.

If you aspire to lead, remember this: leadership is not a position you wait to be given, it is a choice you make daily. You choose it when you act with integrity, when you put others first, when you remain steady in the storm. Every decision to do the harder, better thing, is a step toward embodying the kind of leadership that the world is desperately searching for.

Leadership is scarce. But if you decide to lead with vision, courage and compassion, you can become the rare example others have been waiting for.

 

Are You Satisfied and Complacent?

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It is dangerous to become so satisfied and complacent that we lose the fire within us to keep learning and growing. The moment we stop challenging ourselves is the moment we begin to drift toward mediocrity. A failure to develop, improve, and evolve is a slow death of potential, and it’s heartbreaking to see someone once alive with energy, passion, and vision fade into complacency.

Think about how many times we’ve set New Year’s resolutions. A new year often feels like a fresh start, a chance to make changes for the better. And while this habit of self-reflection is valuable, the problem isn’t in setting resolutions. The problem is in sustaining them. According to Emily A. Sterrett, Ph.D., “We often make resolutions we are not entirely committed to (but believe we should do, like lose weight) or resolutions that are so idealistic and out of reach that they are nearly impossible to achieve… and we quickly get discouraged.”

How many of us run out of the gate in January with excitement only to lose steam by February or forget our resolutions completely by summer? It happens all too often. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The key is to shift your focus from short-term resolutions to long-term growth. Start small and build momentum gradually. Choose goals that matter to you, not the ones others expect of you. Surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable, inspire you, and remind you of your “why.” More importantly, choose goals that bring you joy and fuel your growth, not ones that only check a box.

At the end of the day, the issue isn’t about resolutions at all, it’s about your willingness to evolve. If you’re content with mediocrity, then don’t be surprised when life starts to feel like it’s passing you by. But if you want more, more meaning, more growth, more fulfillment, you must decide what changes are worth pursuing and commit to them daily.

Growth doesn’t come from chance. It comes from choice.
So the question is, what choice will you make?

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Orlando Espinosa

Life isn’t Fair…Get use to it!

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Common sense rules for life!

Rule 1: Life is not fair — get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping — they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

In the Words of Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Some memorable quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)ralph-waldo-emerson-quotes-sayings-witty-about-himself orlando espinosa

A friend is one before whom I may think aloud.

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.

A man of genius is privileged only as far as he is genius. His dullness is as insupportable as any other dullness.

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.

All our progress is an unfolding, like a vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.

As we grow old…the beauty steals inward.

Be not the slave of your own past. Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.

Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet.

Character is higher than intellect… A great soul will be strong to live, as well as to think.

Children are all foreigners.

Colleges hate geniuses, just as convents hate saints.

Conversation is an art in which a man has all mankind for his competitors, for it is that which all are practicing every day while they live.

Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.

Don’t waste yourself in rejection, nor bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.

Every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm.

Every hero becomes a bore at last.

Every sweet has its sour; every evil its good.

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.

Give all to love; obey thy heart.

God enters by a private door into every individual.

He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.

I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.

I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the Stern Fact, the Sad Self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from.

If I have lost confidence in myself, I have the universe against me.

A Mother’s Love!

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Avelina and Orlando Espinosa

When the time came for my family to leave Cuba, the new regime of government inspectors came to our home and inventoried every item in it. The few items my parents held sacred became the property of the new Communist government and everything they owned, from pictures and mementos would never be passed on to other generations. Despite the persecution they experienced daily by those who had embraced the new mindset, their courage and determination allowed them to endure and stay focused while they waited for permission to leave. My mother’s love for her family led her to hide her wedding picture as a keepsake for her children. As my mother and father ventured out into the unknown to provide their five children an opportunity to live the America dream; this picture serves as the only reminder of a past my siblings and I have only heard through stories.

Images of Appreciation!