Guy Reams (00:02.21)
This is day 127, the power of a single life. Well, I'm traveling and I'm in a remote town and the internet is very bad and it's also very cold outside. So I'm recording this and so I know the audio and video quality can be very poor, so I apologize. But a commitment is a commitment. I committed to do this every day and so here I am. This week, I find myself in a rare and beautiful moment, celebrating my grandmother's 100th birthday.
a century of life, a hundred years of choices, hardships, triumphs, and love. As I sit with her, surrounded by my family, I can't help but marvel at the impact one person can have on many generations. It's easy to think of this in abstract terms, something left behind, something that happens after we're gone. But here in the warmth of family gathered together, I see that legacy is actually alive.
It moves through stories passed down, traditions upheld, values instilled, and the quiet influence of a life well lived. The ripple effect of one life. My grandmother wasn't a world leader, and she'll never be famous. She didn't build a business empire or even write a bestselling book. But as I look around at the lives she has shaped, it's clear that her legacy is far more significant than any title or achievement.
She built something lasting in the way that she raised her children, in the wisdom that she shared, in the kindness that she extended, in the unwavering strength she demonstrated through all of our many challenges. Her choices shaped my parents. My parents' choices shaped me. And now the choices I make will shape my children, those that come after me. Legacy is not just about what we leave behind. It's about what we set in motion.
So we should live with legacy in mind. Spending this time with my grandmother has made me reflect, what am I building? What kind of legacy will my own life leave behind? If she could shape generations through her love, her discipline, her resilience, then so can I. Here are a few ways I've thought about today about living with a legacy in mind. Be intentional with relationships. Family isn't just about shared blood. It's about shared time, effort.
Guy Reams (02:27.702)
love. My grandmother invested deeply in relationships. She remembered birthdays, called to check in, and always had wisdom to offer. I wonder if I'm doing the same. Living by core values. The strongest legacies are built on a foundation of values. Integrity, faith, perseverance. These things just don't happen. They are modeled. My grandmother and my grandfather's unwavering faith shaped our family's outlook on life.
What values am I living out daily? I think it's also important to recognize the power of small actions. Grand legacies aren't always built on grand actions. They are often built in the small consistent choices that we make. The way you treat others, the habits you uphold, the lessons you pass down in the ordinary everyday moments of life. Breaking negative cycles. Every family has some patterns, some good, some harmful.
A commitment to a better future means having the courage to change what needs to be changed. Whether it's breaking habits of fear, negativity, apathy, one person's commitment can reshape an entire family line. That is certainly what my grandparents did. Understanding that legacy is now, not after you die. I used to think of legacy as something that happens after life is over.
But as I sit with my grandmother, I realize that legacy is actually happening right now. It's in the way we live today, in the way we treat people, in the way that we show up. So I've made a personal call to build something lasting. As I celebrate my grandmother's life, I realize that we all have the same opportunity, the chance to shape something greater than ourselves. The question isn't if we will live the legacy. The question is what kind of legacy will we leave?
100 years from now, what story will be told about your life? The good news is that we don't have to wait to answer that question. We can shape it now in the choices that we are making right now today.