Dear Family,

I was scrolling on Instagram this week and came across a clip from Dr. Jamal Bryant titled, “A Good Man Leaves an Inheritance.”

In the clip, He said something that caught instantly caught my attention:

“Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Angie Stone all passed without a will.”

Read that again.

“Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Angie Stone all passed without a will.”

These were legends, people with massive success, global fame, and generational talent. Yet even they left this earth without putting their affairs in order.

GoFundMe is not a plan. 

You don’t need millions in the bank to start building a legacy. You need a plan. You need intention. You need to care enough about your family’s future to put things in place while you’re still here to do it.

That might mean sitting down with an estate planner.

Writing your will. Making sure your insurance policies are up to date. Having the uncomfortable conversations with your partner. Or even just making sure your kids know who to call if something happens to you.

You’re too old not to have your stuff in order. 

I know these aren’t easy moves. But they’re necessary ones. And if we want to change the story for the next generation, it starts with us.

The Book of Proverbs says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”

Dr. Bryant went on to state that, "87% of Black children don’t know the names of their great-grandparents because they didn’t leave them anything." Getting your life in order isn’t about wealth, it’s about responsibility. Let’s be the ones who leave more than just photos and stories behind.

We have an obligation to leave instructions. Infrastructure. Inheritance.

But don’t just talk about it. Be about it. 

From LUX, With Love

Matt