Young adults talk a lot these days about aspiring to attain “generational wealth.” This focus reflects our culture’s preoccupation with money. True generational wealth means much more — it includes values, faith, and the impact of your life on others. It is about leaving a lasting positive influence on future generations.
In recognition of August as What Will Be Your Legacy month, I have reflected on how my actions will affect future generations. My legacy, I hope, will go well beyond material wealth to encompass all aspects of my life — mind, body, and soul.
MY GRANDFATHER’S LEGACY
Advice from my grandfather, who is in his late 90s, shaped my thinking from an early age. He always said to us, “You can have or do anything you want to do, as long as you’re willing to put in the work.” That belief has stuck with me. I push myself with every goal I set — and when others doubt me, I push even harder. I am relentless in the pursuit of my goals.
For my sons and others, I hope to set an example not only of working hard but also working smart. For many years, I worked really hard by myself. In time, I learned that achievement is also about bringing in other people to help. To create something of value, it’s essential to find people who align with you — a “dream team” that helps bring your vision to life.
“My legacy, I hope, will go well beyond material wealth to encompass all aspects of my life — mind, body, and soul.”
INVESTING IN SELF-IMPROVEMENT
I am equally relentless in taking care of my physical health. I see maintaining my physical well-being as an investment in the future. A few years ago, after I began managing and improving my weight, vitamin intake, blood pressure, and cholesterol, my doctor declared I was in my best health in years. That effort was part of my lifelong journey toward self-improvement. In that effort, I have learned the importance of consulting the right mentors, reading the right books, and putting myself in the right places to learn.
In a book I’m currently reading, “The Laws of Human Nature,” author Robert Greene draws on the lives of great people for wisdom. Dr. Martin Luther King, for example, shows how to master self-control and develop a singular sense of purpose. Once you have defined that purpose, that becomes the true “why” of your life, motivating you to never give up. The rest of your life is about “how” — how you will fulfill that purpose.
A JOURNEY OF PURPOSE
My “why” encompasses all that I hope to leave my sons: to help them grow into young men who can navigate life, be successful, and contribute to society. I am striving to leave them and others, including the young people in my nonprofit youth basketball program, Flint’s Finest, the gifts of wisdom about how to manage their time and money, and clear thinking about the best educational endeavors to undertake. If they make the right decisions, they will gain true generational wealth.
I hope people will look back on my life and say, “Hey, Dr. Adams (or Dr. J, or Coach Jerome, or Jerome, or whichever of my identities they knew best) really knew what his ‘why’ was, and that’s why he was able to accomplish so many things,” including building a successful physical therapy practice and founding a youth basketball program that will outlive me, provide jobs, and inspire young players to go to college. I hope to instill that same sense of purpose in my sons and those I work with.
If you want your legacy to live on, you have to leave your mark on society. And for me, that is the goal.
You May Also Like:
