4 Ways to Pass Forward a Legacy to New Generations

Kids are amazing! I am consistently blown away by the information my two young daughters share on a daily basis. There is so much we can all learn from kids if we will just pay attention and listen.

Not long ago I was engaged in conversation with my two girls about my newly released book, Your Future Reflection. By personality, our older daughter is super social and our younger daughter is a deep thinker. They were both asking questions about the content of my book. The first question they asked was if they were in the book, and the second question they asked was what was the purpose of the book.

For the next few moments I explained about defining a legacy for your family and what it meant to have impact for generations into the future. About that time my youngest said, “Dad, you are telling the story of the Monarch Butterfly.” She informed me that the parents would start their migration northward, hatch their eggs, die, and then the next generation would continue the journey.

I quickly made the assumption her story had inaccuracies. Yet the confidence with which she spoke gave me reason to pause. At the next available opportunity, I did a Google search and found she was absolutely right! Much to my amazement I discovered Monarch Butterflies begin their migration from Mexico and head northward on their journey. They lay eggs, die, and the first generation continues the journey. The total time frame for one butterfly’s life-cycle (one generation) is about 6-8 weeks.

The journey continues for the 2nd and 3rd generations as they follow the same pattern as the 1st. The 4th generation is different as it will live 6-8 months while it travels south and migrates during the winter months. They awaken each February-March and start the process over again for their family tree.

There are four things we can learn from observing the Monarch Butterfly as it relates to passing forward a generational legacy:

1. Comprehend the Call: We all migrate from a starting point to an envisioned end. You must be clear on where to begin in order to move toward an identified end.

2. Calibrate with intentionality: Be confident in the direction you are called to take and follow the defined course to complete the journey.

3. Complete the Call: Be intentional in all you do. Stay focused on the ultimate goal.

4. Communicate the Legacy: Pass forward to the next generation a firm foundation on which to continue the family journey. If they don’t understand or see the vision they can’t complete their call within it.

As you can imagine, my daughters continue to give me a tough time over my lack of immediate belief in their factual information. They tease me saying the next time I write a book I need to check with them before I complete it. Truth is, they are right, as I have come to understand their intuition is as strong as their mom’s. It is my job as their Dad to engage with them as we can all learn from one another. And like demonstrated through the life-cycle of the Monarch Butterfly, it is also my job to communicate with them God’s call as it relates to our family’s generational journey.

I am not only impressed by my children’s knowledge, I stand in awe of the beauty seen through God’s creation by observing the butterfly’s life-cycle. It is amazing how the younger generations are driven to complete a journey begun months before by the older generations. Interestingly enough, you and I are no different than the Monarch Butterfly. Just as we see the generational purpose through the life-cycle of the Monarch butterfly so did God uniquely design us to carry on our family’s generational journey from one generation to the next.

Guy Hatcher – known as The Legacy Guy – has spent his lifetime helping families plan their legacy. His new book, Your Future Reflection: How to Leave a Legacy Beyond Money, is now available at amazon.com. Follow him on twitter @guyhatcher or contact him at www.guyhatcher.com

Publication date: November 25, 2014