I Am Legacy: Building What Outlives You

Part 4 of the “I AM” Leadership Series

Where We’re Going

Over the last few weeks, we’ve walked through the affirmations that shape my daily rhythm — Expansion, Leadership, and Integrity.

Each one builds upon the other.
Expansion stretches your capacity.
Leadership channels your purpose.
Integrity anchors your character.

Now we arrive at the culmination of them all: Legacy.

My daily affirmation reminds me —

Legacy isn’t what people say when you’re gone — it’s what people feel while you’re here.

The Story

This past year, I’ve reflected deeply on the idea of legacy — not in the financial or material sense alone, but in the spiritual, emotional, and relational ways our lives ripple forward.

Legacy isn’t built at the end of your story; it’s revealed through your daily obedience to the purpose God has placed in you.

When I look at my path — my upbringing, education, career journey, and the foundation my family built long before I arrived — I see legacy already at work. My grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts instilled in me the values of faith, discipline, and service that became the compass for every decision I’ve made. My schooling and professional success are extensions of those lessons — proof of what happens when preparation meets purpose.

That same foundation carries into my work today. Through The Storyteller, Brothers in Aerospace & Defense, and my career in the aerospace and defense industry, I’ve been able to merge excellence with service — creating platforms that amplify stories, build leaders, and challenge organizations to grow with integrity. That’s legacy in motion.

But legacy doesn’t stop at the professional edge. It’s deeply personal.

I think often about what I’m leaving to my son, my family, and my friends — not just opportunities, but values. I want my son to inherit more than wealth; I want him to inherit wisdom. I want him to see consistency, integrity, compassion, and faith lived out in real time — not preached, but practiced.

I want my family to remember that I loved them loudly and led them humbly.
I want my friends to say I showed up with honesty and encouragement when they needed it most.
I want my community to know that every word I spoke, every workshop I led, and every mentee I guided was rooted in the desire to multiply light — not just success.

That, to me, is legacy. It’s not measured in balance sheets or accolades, but in the moral and spiritual blueprint you leave behind — the core of who you are that others can build upon.

Because when your faith, your values, and your work become someone else’s foundation, that’s when your life has truly expanded beyond yourself.

The Lesson

Legacy isn’t what you leave to people — it’s what you leave in them.

It’s built through the way you love, serve, and lead each day.
It’s written in how you treat people who can’t repay you.
And it’s sustained by the integrity and faith that hold your name long after you’re gone.

Legacy isn’t later — it’s now.

Actions to Work With

1. Define Your Core: Write down the five values you want people to remember when they think of you.

2. Live Your Example: Choose one relationship — family, friend, or mentee — and intentionally model those values this week.

3. Plant Seeds of Continuity: Share a lesson or story that shaped you with someone younger in your circle. Legacy multiplies through storytelling.

Books & Resources to Build On

Three reflections that connect purpose, integrity, and generational impact:

• 📘 Destiny: Step into Your Purpose — Bishop T.D. Jakes

A faith-centered exploration of calling and divine timing — reminding us that legacy begins with obedience to purpose.

• 📗 Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life — James Kerr

A vivid lesson in humility, discipline, and stewardship — “leave the jersey better than you found it.”

• 📙 The Servant Leader — Ken Blanchard & Phil Hodges

A timeless guide to leading with integrity, humility, and service — the marks of leadership that endure.

Storyteller’s Reflection

“Legacy isn’t written in stone; it’s written in people — in your family, your friends, your work, and your witness. Every act of faithfulness becomes a chapter in someone else’s story.”

Closing the Series

Over these four weeks, we’ve walked through the affirmations that shape how I live and lead:

🌱 I Am Expansion — I grow beyond comfort and embrace purpose.
💡 I Am Leadership — I lead with posture, presence, and service.
🛡️ I Am Integrity — I act with faithfulness and patience in divine timing.
🔥 I Am Legacy — I build what outlives me by sowing faith, wisdom, and excellence.

May these not just be words you read — but truths you live.

Founder of The Storyteller Newsletter
DeWayne Allen 
www.demalo-ent.com