Breaking Cycles

How are you breaking cycles and building generational wealth in your family?

Yesterday, I shared a social media post. It was the exercise where you stand next to someone and take two steps forward if an event applies to you. These were the prompts. Take two steps forward if:

• You had access to private education.

• You graduated college without student debt.

• If you had a passport before you were 18.

• You feel comfortable speaking your mind to your parents.

• You never had to worry about your utilities being turned off.   

With each prompt, my twenty-two-year-old daughter, a recent graduate from Howard University, confidently took two steps forward, while I stood firm. This exercise was a testament to my unwavering determination in breaking generational cycles of trauma, chaos, and financial calamity, a journey that fills me with immense pride and accomplishment.

I shared this because I know parents want their children to experience safety and unconditional love and understand that the world is theirs for the taking. So many people reposted the video and even more messaged me asking how I had done it.

Well, wanna hear it? Here it goes:

I planned for my daughter's education. I started saving aggressively when I found out I was pregnant. Initially, I saved fifty dollars from each paycheck. That was a total of 100 dollars a month. That's not a lot of money. As my salary increased, I increased my contributions. By the time she was in middle school, I was contributing $1000 a month to her education, and every time I received a bonus or lump sum of money, I put 30% of that into her college fund. Also, whenever she received monetary gifts, I deposited those into her college account. I worried that it wouldn't be enough due to the rising cost of education, but it was. She made it through college debt-free and with a balance in her account because she received academic scholarships. It wasn't always easy. There were times when unexpected expenses came up, or I had to make sacrifices to ensure her education fund was secure. But I was determined, and I found ways to make it work.