Last week continuing my global odyssey, I visited Vietnam. Now, if you've never been to an Asian country, the amount of motorcycles everywhere is insane.
I was incredibly moved by one particular scene happening right outside of where I was staying. A father, a mother, and a child between them were on one motorcycle in heavy intersection traffic - school had just gotten out in the afternoon and this was a common sight.
It made me realize many of the things we take for granted especially in Western countries: things like education, safe driving, and parents who deeply care for the future of their children. When we think about things like "legacy", lots of people think that you have to make some kind of grand impact affecting millions of people to have a legacy, when in reality, it could be as simple as getting a family member to school.
One of my favorite quotes that I've invoked for the longest time is from The Man With The Golden Gun, my favorite James Bond film:
"...Like every great artist, I want to create an indisputable masterpiece once in my lifetime."
And for most pursuits, I'd absolutely consider this a valid quote: starting a company. Building products. Working out to achieve immense physique. Studying and pushing the limits of human knowledge through research. Things like that. However, there's nuance to this.
Legacy is not something that is all-or-nothing; it is every little action you take to build things around you, and that includes people. For my family that came to the USA from Belarus in the early 90s, I was the first in my family to finish college with the help of my parents. I sat on a FaceTime in Hanoi with my dad talking about this and expressing my gratitude for the sacrifices he and every other parent would make to give their child a better life than they could have.
As I travel to my next destination, I’ve come to ruminate on this. On the nature of legacy, of building beyond oneself, on inspiring and creating butterfly effects through actions. A little petrol and a motorbike can literally change someones life.
What’s a legacy you want to build?
Be well,
Michael Kirsanov