Generational Wealth

I've always wanted a slice of generational wealth, and I won't deny it. I would have loved to have a leg up on life because it can be daunting to do all the things and still live a fulfilling life with no regrets.

Generational wealth is defined as assets that can be passed down through a family. It can be anything from money to property or a business.

However, some people sacrifice having a family or being with their family to create it. Some lock themselves into contracts of servitude with influential families and will never personally reap the benefits they work for. Others move to new countries and have to give up on their dreams to make their families' a reality.

I'm not ashamed or apologetic in saying I wish my family had more generational wealth, but I don't love the self-sacrificing energy it takes to make it happen. In some sense, it can breed discord between the sacrifice-r and those who benefit from the "blood, sweat, and tears" that went into creating these assets.

The generational wealth I've experienced is being an immigrant in America. I was able to get an education here and have ample career opportunities open up because of this, but other assets are simply not in place for me to inherit. Instead, I felt like I had owed a debt of gratitude no child should carry around.

My mom has 10 more years to work before she can retire. In her own way, she's creating some wealth so that she can retire in monetary peace. It's also to make sure her doors are always open to those in the family that truly need it.

But it also sucks to know my mom is putting in so many hours and will continue to do so for another decade. It sounds a little crazy sometimes to realize a part of the world works this way.

My father has been working since he was a little boy. He bears the emblem of self-sacrifice to a T. He's been working so long that I'm not sure he would know how to handle NOT working. He's an entrepreneur who has shown that you can come to this country and make something of yourself through hard work and honesty.

Yet, all he had to do to give his children a chance to get an education in America was heartbreaking. Choosing not to pursue the path such sacrifice created for me caused discord for some time. It's tough to say no to a path that was pre-paved with such heart.

So, yes, I wish some things were already set up so I wouldn't have to feel like choosing differently meant somehow said sacrifices were in vain. I wish it didn't feel like a burden to create assets. I wish our family could come together and put our talents together to make something we can all use and pass on.

I recognized this was lacking and decided to start creating generational wealth on my own terms. Self-sacrificing is no way to live. It's just getting by and putting pressure on the next generation to carrying on things they may not be in tuned to.

Getting land and building it is definitely for me to an extent, but it is for my son if he wants it. I don't want him to feel the pressure to make my sacrifices for generational wealth worthwhile. Even though it is tough, we must encourage our children to choose their own path.