Tag: Mark Pinilla

Being Ready Is Not a Feeling, It Is a Decision

Being ready is not a feeling. That is a lesson many of us learn the hard way. We tell ourselves we need to know more, feel more, see more, and experience more before we move. We think that once we have a little more information, a little more confidence, or a little more certainty, then we will finally be ready.

But somehow, it never feels like enough.

There is an internal battle in our heads that convinces us we cannot be successful until we feel ready. That is the trap. For many of us, readiness never shows up as a feeling. It shows up after a decision.

Why Being Ready Is Not a Feeling

Have you ever heard someone say, “You’re lucky”?

I understand what they mean. Sometimes the world defines luck as being in the right place at the right time. In my mind, that is lottery-ticket luck. It happens, but it is rare.

However, there is another kind of luck. It is the kind that shows up when preparation meets opportunity.

Is a race car driver lucky because he won? Or was he in the right place, at the right time, with the right training, the right repetition, and the right decision-making under pressure?

Put me in that race and I would be the slowest driver on the track.

Does a firefighter ever truly feel ready to run into a burning building, or do they make the decision to go in anyway? In my mind, most of us have it easy compared to that.

That is not luck. That is preparation.

What the STAR Personality Test Taught Me

About 25 years ago, I took a personality test called STAR, and it was one of the most impactful trainings I have ever taken. It helped me understand who I was, but just as importantly, it helped me understand who I could become.

STAR stands for:

S = Stability
T = Theory
A = Action
R = Relationship

I will not be able to do the full training justice here, but I hope I can at least help you understand these personality types.

An S is someone who likes order. They are organized and need things in place to feel like they can function. While that can be a strength, it can also slow them down. Sometimes the need for order keeps them from doing the very activities that would actually make them successful.

A T is what some might call the techy one, the analytical one, and the nerd all in one. They like to know why the world turns. They want information, stats, and numbers before making decisions. But the need to have all the information can also become their Achilles’ heel. This person often will not move forward until they feel they have all the information or all the training to make the right choice.

An A is a person who just does it. They do not always know how to do it, and yet they still try. Over and over until they get it. It does not matter how many mistakes they make, how much money they lose, or how uncomfortable it gets, they go after what they want.

An R is focused on relationships and how others feel, sometimes even in spite of their own feelings. They are cause-focused individuals. They care deeply. They are so giving that others may sometimes take advantage of them. Truly, they are the kind of person who would give you the shirt off their back.

While we all have varying degrees of each one, some are stronger than others. I also believe it is important that we work on strengthening the good aspects of each one.

My Strongest Traits Were T and R

At around 25 years old, my strongest traits were T and R. Funny enough, I know I still am. The difference now is that I have made it a point to strengthen the weaker traits too, especially the ability to act before I feel completely ready. Honestly, that growth has made a real difference in my life.

I say that because I am successful. I do very well, but I also know I could do so much more.

The most interesting part is that the A personality type often has an advantage when it comes to success, because action creates momentum.

Why?

Because of the ability to act without overthinking. To try things without knowing everything. To move forward without carrying so much concern about what others think.

That, to me, is one of the secret ingredients.

The A personality does not wait to feel ready. They make the decision to do it.

Being Ready Is Not a Feeling, It Is a Decision

So why is it so hard?

Because we are looking for the feeling to be right, when in reality, it does not matter nearly as much as we think it does. We are waiting for confidence, certainty, and comfort to show up first.

But most of the time, movement has to come first.

For me, one of the biggest struggles has been feeling like I am being pushy or getting into someone else’s business. Then I ask myself a harder question.

What if what I have is so important that it could truly change their life?

What if the difference I can make in their life could be exponential?

What if I stay quiet, and later I see that family member, friend, or potential client suffer, when I had an answer, a solution, or a path that could have helped them, and I never shared it?

How would I feel then?

That question changes everything.

Because sometimes what looks like being pushy is actually caring enough to speak up.

Sometimes what looks uncomfortable is actually necessary.

Sometimes what looks bold is exactly what love, service, and leadership require.

That is why this message matters so much to me:

Being ready is not a feeling. It is a decision.

You do not need to feel every emotion lining up perfectly before you begin. You do not need every answer before you take the first step. You do not need permission to move forward on the thing that has been sitting in your heart.

You need a decision.

Stop Waiting to Feel Ready and Start Moving

So what is today’s moral of the story? What do I want you to take home?

Stop waiting to feel ready, and start moving.

Make the call. Start the conversation. Share the value. Offer the help. Do the thing that has been pulling at your spirit.

If they are your friend or family, they will listen.

If they are not, show them value. Show them that you care.

Not too long ago, I wrote a legacy statement. This is my compass and my mission:

“My legacy will be that I served others so they could live a better quality of life and become better versions of themselves, financially, educationally, spiritually, and in their family lives. I hope to inspire them to serve in the same way.”

That is what I want my life to stand for.

So if you are in a rut, it is okay.

Find that person who is going to inspire you to do great things. Look for the person who is going to challenge you. Chase that dream and make it a reality.

Do not wait for the feeling.

Make the decision.

Because the people who change their lives are rarely the ones who felt the most ready.

They are the ones who decided to go anyway.

Make the Decision

At some point, we all have to stop waiting for the feeling and start making the decision.

So if you are ready to grow, to lead, to serve, and to build a better life for yourself and the people around you, connect with Mark Pinilla.

Because a better future does not begin when you feel ready. It begins when you decide.

Visit MarkPinilla.com to begin building your legacy:
👉 https://www.markpinilla.com

Follow Mark on Instagram for leadership insights and encouragement:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/markthespeaker

Connect professionally on LinkedIn:
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpinilla/

See what others are saying about Mark:
👉 https://share.google/M8EO56f4ZJTNVieuh

Follow Mark on Bluesky:
👉 https://bsky.app/profile/markpinilla.bsky.social

Quote & title inspired by Chicago Fire: “Being ready is not a feeling. It is a decision.”

Lead With Gratitude and Build Lasting Legacy

To lead with gratitude is not simply a mindset. It is a responsibility.

When you pause and reflect on your life, you realize something powerful. You did not build your success alone. Someone believed in you. Someone forgave you. Someone invested time, patience, and wisdom into you when you needed it most.

Because of that, you now carry a responsibility.

Gratitude is not passive. Gratitude demands action.

If someone loved you into who you are becoming, then you now have the opportunity to multiply that same love and leadership into the lives of others. When you lead with gratitude, you create influence that lasts. That is how you build lasting legacy.

Why You Must Lead With Gratitude

Leadership is not about position.
Leadership is about example.

When you choose to lead with gratitude, you:

  • Model character
  • Demonstrate emotional strength
  • Inspire resilience
  • Encourage growth in others

People are watching how you respond to pressure. They are watching how you treat others. They are watching how you handle challenges.

You may not realize it, but your life is always teaching.

The question is simple: What lesson are you modeling?

If you want to build lasting legacy, you must first lead with gratitude consistently and intentionally.

Keep Adding. Never Stop Growing.

I am often reminded of 2 Peter 1:5–8 (NIV), which you can read in full at BibleGateway:

It says:

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What stands out is simple.

It never says stop.

It does not say add until life becomes difficult.
It does not say add until culture becomes unstable.
It does not say add until you feel discouraged.

It says add.

Keep growing.
Keep strengthening your character.
Keep increasing your capacity to love.

When you lead with gratitude, you continue adding to your life regardless of what the world subtracts.

Be Pillars in a Shifting World

We cannot allow ourselves to be discouraged by the world and its challenges.

The world does not need more critics. It needs pillars.

Pillars in our homes.
Pillars in our businesses.
Pillars in our communities.

When you lead with gratitude and live intentionally, you become steady in uncertain times. Your consistency becomes strength for others. Your character becomes stability for those you influence.

That is how you build lasting legacy.

Ready to Build Your Legacy?

Gratitude is not theory. Leadership is not accidental. Legacy is not automatic.

It is built.

If this message speaks to you and you are ready to grow intentionally, I invite you to connect with Mark Pinilla.

Visit MarkPinilla.com to begin building your legacy:
👉 https://www.markpinilla.com

Follow Mark on Instagram for leadership insights and encouragement:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/markthespeaker

Connect professionally on LinkedIn:
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpinilla/

See what others are saying about Mark:
👉 https://share.google/M8EO56f4ZJTNVieuh

The world does not need more critics.
It needs pillars.

Be steady.
Be grateful.
Be love in action.

How to Start Investing: Earn Up to 100% Employer Match

We hear it everywhere:
“You should start investing.” If you’re looking for a beginner investing strategy, this post walks you through each step.

But for most people, that’s like being told to bake a pineapple upside-down cake. It’s not impossible. It just feels overwhelming without a clear recipe.

If you’re a young adult, married, raising kids, or simply trying to manage your money better, this guide is for you.

Step One: Build a Safety Net First

Before you invest, protect yourself and your family.

Life Insurance
If something happens to you, life insurance replaces your income and protects the people who depend on you.

Emergency Fund
Save 3 to 6 months of essential expenses. This gives you breathing room when life throws curveballs like job loss, medical bills, or car repairs.

Once these are in place, you’re ready to move forward.

Step Two: Take the Free Money First

If your employer offers a 401(k) match, always take it.
This is guaranteed money.

Employer MatchImmediate Return
100% match (dollar for dollar)100% return
$0.50 cents per dollar50% return
$0.25 cents per dollar25% return

Even at 25%, that’s more than double what financial planners expect from the market in a single year.

What Financial Planners Use for Forecasting

Planners use historical averages to estimate long-term growth. These are not guarantees, just benchmarks:

Time HorizonEstimated Annual Return
20+ years8 to 10%
10–20 years6 to 9%
0–10 years3 to 7% (more volatile)

This is why the employer match is so powerful. It gives you a return before your money even enters the market.

Step Three: Open an IRA

If you’ve maxed out your 401K match, or if your job doesn’t offer a plan, your next step is an IRA.

Traditional IRA

  • Uses pre-tax money
  • May reduce your taxable income
  • Taxes are paid later in retirement

Good if you need tax relief now.

Roth IRA

  • Uses after-tax money
  • Grows tax-free
  • Withdrawals in retirement are not taxed

Good if you expect higher taxes later or want tax-free income.

You can have both, but the total contribution across Traditional and Roth IRAs is capped each year.

Step Four: Consider Annuities (Optional)

If you’ve already maxed out your 401(k) and IRA, some people use annuities to invest more and defer taxes.

Annuities can offer:

  • Tax-deferred growth
  • Predictable income in retirement
  • Lifetime payout options

However, they aren’t for everyone. Always talk with a licensed advisor before adding them to your plan.

Step Five: Know Your FIN and Your Net Worth

Your FIN (Financial Independence Number) is the amount of money you need to retire comfortably without needing to work again.

This number gives you direction:

  • How much you’ll need
  • When you could reach it
  • How much you should invest each month

But here’s the key:
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

That’s why NAHREP 10 Discipline #6 says:
Know your net worth, including the value of your business.

This should be reviewed every year.

Your net worth is your scoreboard. Your FIN is your goal line. Reviewing both keeps your financial strategy focused, accurate, and relevant to your goals.

NAHREP 10 Discipline 6

Ready to Build Your Strategy?

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building a real plan, I can help.

📩 Schedule your strategy session:
🔗 www.markpinilla.com/contact

📱 Follow for tips and updates:
🌐 Google Business
📸 Instagram @markpinilla
💼 LinkedIn

You don’t need to be an expert.
You just need a clear plan and the right guide.

👉 Let’s connect now and take the first step toward your Financial Independence Number.

Better Isn’t Always Best: How to Know What’s Right for You

There comes a point in life when experience becomes your sharpest filter. At 50, I’ve learned that better isn’t always best. Just because something feels improved doesn’t mean it’s right for you—or good for your future.

In the days of old Gran Colombia, a region that once included Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, there was a well-known phrase:

“La ley se acata pero no se cumple.”
The law is obeyed, but not fulfilled.

People acknowledged the law but often ignored it. They heard it, but they did not live by it. Sometimes this was rebellion. Other times it was survival. In many cases, it was wisdom earned through experience.

I saw this firsthand in South America, where people would run red lights late at night. Not because they were reckless, but because stopping made them vulnerable to robbery or worse. In moments like that, strict obedience could cost you your safety. Context mattered.

This same principle applies far beyond laws.

A Real Story from Ecuador

I lived in Ecuador for a year as part of a study abroad program with students from Oregon. One student stood out. We’ll call her Julie. She was blonde, bubbly, and visibly different from most of the local population.

Julie met a local man who was charming, attentive, and charismatic. Before long, marriage was on the table.

I asked her why she felt so certain.

“He is so much better than my ex,” she said.

Her ex had been physically and verbally abusive. And that was the problem.

Pain had become her point of reference.

Better than your worst does not mean best for your future.

I shared my perspective carefully. I explained that comparing a new relationship to trauma sets the bar dangerously low. Julie deserved more than “not abusive.” She deserved what was right for her long-term growth.

In the end, she made her decision.

They married, moved back to the United States, had a child, and later divorced.

I’m not telling this story to say I was right. I’m sharing it because too often we confuse comfort for clarity and relief for alignment.

Why “Better Isn’t Always Best” in Everyday Life

We all do it.

We compare ourselves to the wealthier person.
There’s the new car, the vacation photos, the growing follower count.
What we don’t see is what’s behind the filter.

Some of the same influencers we admire are breaking down, going broke, or silently drowning in pressure. We see the success, not the sacrifice. The surface, not the cost.

But the truth is, better isn’t always best. Especially when the choice is based on shallow comparisons, past pain, or fear of being alone. We chase progress by looking backward, and that rarely leads to alignment. The appearance of improvement doesn’t guarantee the reality of it.

This is why filtering advice and measuring growth requires clarity—not comparison.

Advice Is Not Truth Until It Is Filtered

As a father, I give advice to my young adult children. I also understand that advice only works when it is chosen, not forced.

The same is true for all of us.

Advice must be filtered.

You must decide if what sounds better is actually right, because better isn’t always best, even when it’s popular advice. What feels good isn’t always what builds you. What feels familiar isn’t always what frees you.

Here’s how to filter what you hear:

  1. Does this advice align with your values, or someone else’s fears?
  2. Does it enrich your life, or simply sound comforting?
  3. Can you trace real results from this advice, or is it just theory?

Good advice is not always pleasant. But it is always constructive.

Your Challenge

Pause before your next decision.

Consider whether you’re choosing from your future or reacting to your past. Are you trying to impress—or to progress? And is the option in front of you truly right, or just better than something that once hurt you?

Better can still be wrong. It is just more comfortable.

Final Thought: Better Isn’t Always Best in the End

Success is not about choosing what looks better.
It is about choosing what is right for you and having the courage to live with that choice.

In the end, better isn’t always best. What matters is what aligns with your future, your values, and your long-term purpose. Choosing what feels familiar or looks safer can keep you trapped in the same cycles you’re trying to grow beyond.

Your life is not built through comparison.
It is built through conviction.

CALL TO ACTION

To explore more insights on growth, clarity, wealth, and legacy, or to discuss how these strategies apply to your life or business, contact Mark Pinilla directly.

🌐 MarkPinilla.com
📍 Google Business Page
📘 The 10 Disciplines
💼LinkedIn

Who You Invite to the Table Shapes Your Legacy

I once wrote to a group of powerful women:

“You are not just building a life—you are building a legacy. And every legacy begins… at a table.”

That message still holds truth. It challenged readers to be intentional with their inner circle. To protect their energy. To choose people who stretch them, sharpen them, and dream even bigger alongside them.

It was a message of discernment—reminding us that not everyone deserves a seat.

But that was only one side of the equation.

Who’s Missing From the Table?

After you clear out distraction, drama, and misalignment, you face a deeper question: Who’s not at the table that should be?

Most of us gather people who reflect our comfort zone. We invite those who look like us, think like us, and affirm our ideas. While this feels natural, it limits our growth.

More importantly, it often causes us to miss the voices that would complete our vision.

Legacy Requires Both Energies

Let’s talk about what most tables are missing: balance.

In particular, we need to blend testosterone and estrogen—not just in gender, but in energy and approach.

Testosterone brings drive, direction, and execution. It accelerates movement.

Estrogen offers insight, emotional intelligence, and relational depth. It strengthens the foundation.

When testosterone dominates, things move fast—but may burn out. When estrogen stands alone, things feel grounded—but may hesitate to scale.

However, when these forces collaborate, we get both momentum and meaning. We create the chemistry that fuels legacy.

A Challenge to Men

If every voice at your table sounds like yours, you’re not leading a team—you’re stuck in an echo chamber.

And echo chambers don’t evolve. They collapse.

You need women at the table. Not to check a box, but because they bring depth you cannot create on your own. They elevate strategy with empathy. They turn movement into meaning.

Their presence isn’t a liability. It’s an advantage.

A Challenge to Women

You’ve already shown you can lead, execute, and rise.

Still, legacy isn’t built in isolation. Collaboration doesn’t diminish your brilliance—it amplifies it.

Yes, surround yourself with strong women. But also make space for men who see your strength, support your vision, and collaborate without controlling.

You’re not waiting for permission. But sometimes, you are waiting for alignment. And that requires courageous connection.

Reframing My Original Message

In my original writing, I said:

“No one comes to my table who does not add value to my life.”

That still stands.

This was always clear to me—but it wasn’t the point I was making then. That message was about protecting your space. This one is about expanding it.

Because value doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it walks in quietly. Sometimes it challenges you. And sometimes, it looks nothing like what you expected—but it changes everything.

A great team is made up of people who challenge, not just compliment.

They shift your perspective, question your assumptions, and make you better—not just busier.

Build With Intention, Not Comfort

You don’t rise to the level of your goals.
You fall to the level of your circle.

That’s why I intentionally include women at my table. Women who challenge with clarity, who sharpen with wisdom, who don’t just speak—but speak into what we’re building.

With them, it’s not about dominance or control. It’s about collaboration and creation.

Legacy isn’t built in echo chambers. It’s built in tension, trust, and truth.

Let’s Build Something That Lasts

If you’re ready to build that kind of table—not just to grow, but to grow with purpose—this is the work I do every day.

As a speaker, mentor, and trainer, I help individuals and organizations build teams rooted in values, vision, and legacy. Because success that stands alone fades. But success that lifts others with it? That becomes legacy.

Whether I’m coaching on intentional leadership, facilitating team development, or walking leaders through the NAHREP 10 Disciplines, my mission stays the same:

To help you build a life, a business, and a team that lasts.

You don’t need more noise.
You need alignment.
You need people who stretch your capacity, not drain it.
You need a circle that reflects your future—not your past.

That’s legacy work. And that’s what I do.

Learn more at www.markpinilla.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markpinilla
Follow my journey on Instagram: @markpinilla

Let’s build the kind of team—and table—that shapes generations.