Greece reminded me of what legacy can be

Do you ever stop to think about how the work you do right now will last beyond your lifetime?

I recently checked Greece off my travel goals this month with a birthday trip to Mykonos and Athens. My top two goals were to do a flying dress photoshoot and see the Acropolis and other Athens ruins. I had no expectations during my time at the Acropolis other than to fuel my love for history. However, as I moved through the crowded hill that hosts several crumbled historic monuments, I was in awe by several things, but here are two that I want to share:

1. Finding appreciation for the unsung

As a Black woman whose ancestors were enslaved, I knew I was standing amid work built by slave labor. Despite them having to use their skill against their will and without compensation, if it weren't for them, the city of Athens would not have this tourist attraction that helps fuel its economy today. We take for granted the stolen gifts of those who helped build our cities and the world's marvels. Athens' popular neighborhoods and new construction are built around having the best Pantheon view because it sits beautifully atop a hill overlooking the vast city.

I felt their spirit as I looked at the work and the skill that went into building those temples, theaters, arenas, statues and more. I know they never imagined that pieces of the spaces they built would still be admired today. The craftsmanship and detail could still be visible today and studied after all these years. (Remember, all of this was built in BC.) But these builders and their stories have been erased.

Today, many people from underrepresented communities are creating and shifting culture without credit, recognition and pay. How are you ensuring you are creating equity for those building and creating things that will sustain the generations after us? 

We must amplify people's work, pay them their worth, and document their processes to prevent erasure. 

2. Your talent can go further and last longer than you can imagine

We live in an instant gratification society. We want the decisions, the time and the investments we make right now to have immediate results. Sometimes, we forget that the work that we are doing may not make an impact now but can live beyond our lifetimes. The unimaginable can happen when we tap into our gifts and align with our purpose. 

The people who built the Acropolis wouldn't imagine that pieces of the original fixtures and temples would still stand. The Mona Lisa is still here. William Shakespeare's plays are still performed. Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin's work is still read. Could they have imagined that what they created would still be here and admired, or did they create for their work to be consumed and make an impact within their lifetime?  

We'll never know why, and we can assume that they hoped that people would care about the gifts they gave to the world and appreciate their talent. We do know they were called to create. With the simple first step of doing, that work is still informing and inspiring years later. 

Walking through the Acropolis and sitting on the hill reminded me of what legacy and impact look like when you are positioned to use your gifts for good. I haven't been inspired much lately, but my time there gave me the energy to start creating again. The action of doing can be the thing the world needs. Whatever you are called to do will impact your family, or it can affect the world. It can be the first step to creating that thing that will be here beyond your wildest dreams. 

What do you need to make the first step to action?