Legacy.
Legacy can be a scary word.
Many of us are conditioned to think that legacy is something we leave behind when we die, and naturally, few people are comfortable contemplating their own mortality.
It is human nature to assume that life will continue indefinitely. Without that belief, it would be far more difficult to move through life with resilience.
While leaving assets through a will can enhance the lives of beneficiaries and enable the charitable causes close to your heart to extend their reach, a legacy is far more expansive than what is distributed after death. It is equally defined by what we leave around us as we move through each moment of our lives.
Legacy is reflected in whether we make people smile rather than feel diminished. It is helping others recognize their inherent value, regardless of their personal or financial circumstances. It is about creating conditions in which younger people, across all social and economic backgrounds, are able to thrive. This is not something reserved for the end of life. It is something we shape today, in every moment. You can choose to stop waiting and begin living your legacy now.
I am no longer 25, and it is likely that you are not either. At this stage in life, we are both in positions where our actions can have a meaningful and positive impact on the world. This begins with intentionality in both large and small decisions. The larger actions often require an investment of time, money, or both.
It has been nearly five years since my father passed away. One memory of him remains especially vivid in my mind. On a Christmas Eve, 25 years ago, he asked my mother and me to step out of a cab outside my uncle's house so he could pay the driver extra and tell him, "Son, you should not be working tonight. Go home and be with your family." My father was a highly successful barrister and could afford to do this. Many of us also have the capacity to make financial choices that positively impact others. Even modest decisions can be meaningful. It may mean choosing one less luxury purchase and instead using those resources to help someone spend time with their family and provide a better life for their loved ones.
It has been just over a year since we first sponsored Urban Synergy Charity's Annual Golf Day. I remember clearly seeing the determination and ambition in the eyes of their alumni mentees. There was a genuine desire to build careers and support their families.
That moment stayed with me.
Today, I am beginning the journey of mentoring one of their young female participants. I also have the privilege of mentoring younger female employees within Iris. Both commitments require time from an already demanding schedule, yet they are worth every moment they require because they contribute to improving someone else's future. There is nothing preventing anyone from making similar choices, starting today.
Financial or professional standing is not a prerequisite for building a legacy. What matters is intentional kindness.
It costs nothing to offer your place in a queue to someone older than you at the supermarket. All of us have parents. Without them, we would not be here. The next time you find yourself in line with an older person behind you, consider your own mother or father in that same situation, and offer your place. The sense of gratitude you receive in return can be profound. I remember the first time I did this. The woman I offered my place to asked me why. I told her, "Because I hope someone someday will do the same for my mother."
Actions have consequences.
What we put into the world has a way of returning to us, in one way or another.
In the same way, it costs nothing to spend meaningful time with the people you love and to express how you feel through both words and actions. Consider, even briefly, the possibility of an ending. If the world were to end tomorrow morning, who would you want to see one last time, to embrace, to laugh with?
Acting on those thoughts today requires nothing more than picking up the phone, visiting them, and being present. Even in the imagined scenario of an ending, there is comfort in knowing you showed up fully. As Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sing in one of my favorite songs, you could "die with a smile." Now imagine the impact of doing this regularly, in a world that continues beyond tomorrow.
These reflections became particularly clear to me after my father's death, and again when a significant relationship in my life came to an end. On both occasions, I experienced the deep realization of having run out of time. It is a heavily painful awareness.
Time, in every life, is finite.
No moment is ever repeated in the same way. Even across a thousand lifetimes, the same experience does not return. Using time wisely means expressing love and appreciation while the opportunity exists. After reflecting on these ideas, it is worth asking yourself a few questions.
What do you want your legacy to be?
What kind of world do you want to help create?
What actions do you take each day to contribute to that vision?
As Banksy once wrote, "There is nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place." That observation carries both truth and urgency. Each of us has the ability to contribute to a better world, starting today, by choosing to live our legacy in real time.
When I speak at women's empowerment conferences, I often say, "Be you. Be real. Be better."
Be better, starting today.
Bio:
Maria Psarra is a London-based financial adviser and the founder of Iris Wealth Management. With over 15 years of experience across trading and wealth management, she specializes in advising high-net-worth individuals and families on building, preserving, and transferring wealth through tailored financial strategies. A Chartered CISI member and adviser, she is recognized for her client-focused approach and leadership in modern wealth planning.
