I had no idea at two or three years of age that my dad was a

In the tender years of childhood, when the world is but a vast expanse of wonder, we are often blind to the greatness of those who shape our lives. Carlos Sainz Jr. speaks of a time when he, as a child of merely two or three years of age, had no understanding of his father's extraordinary life as a rally driver—a man who, with skill and precision, performed feats that left the world in awe. He tells us, with a touch of youthful innocence, that he had no idea that his father was "doing doughnuts around the world." It is a simple phrase, yet it speaks volumes about the way the extraordinary becomes ordinary in the eyes of a child, and how greatness, cloaked in the everyday, often goes unrecognized until the eyes of maturity are opened.

Consider the young Alexander the Great, who, as a boy, knew little of the weight his name would one day carry. His childhood was spent in the shadow of Philip of Macedon, his father, a king who reshaped the ancient world. Yet, like Sainz Jr., Alexander could not have understood the true scope of his father's ambition and power. It was only in later years, when he became a man of his own, that he realized the magnitude of his lineage. Just as Carlos’s father, a rally driver, navigated the treacherous terrains of the world, Alexander’s father had already laid the foundations for a legacy that would one day stretch across continents. The child, unaware in his early years, would eventually grow to understand that he, too, was part of a story much larger than he could have imagined.

In Carlos’s own words, we hear a reflection of this same awakening. The concept of doughnuts—a maneuver that requires not only control and bravery but also a deep understanding of the craft—serves as a metaphor for the way life sometimes spirals in unexpected circles. To the child, it is simply an image of joy and freedom, a playful spin in a world full of wonder. But as one matures, the realization dawns: those spins, those seemingly carefree movements, are the result of years of discipline, risk, and dedication. This is the essence of life—the moments we take for granted, the actions that seem simple and carefree, often carry within them the echoes of hard-fought battles, perseverance, and mastery.

Let us think of the great inventors whose early lives bore no trace of their future triumphs. Thomas Edison, as a child, could never have known the extent of the impact his work would have on the world. Yet, through hard work and unwavering persistence, he illuminated the world with his inventions, including the electric light bulb, a symbol of progress and ingenuity. Like Carlos’s father, who transformed his passion for rally driving into a pursuit that mesmerized the world, Edison’s work would go on to change the very fabric of society. The greatness of these figures is not immediately apparent in the eyes of their children, nor is it always clear to the world in the early moments of their lives. It is only in retrospect that we see the persistence and vision that brought them to where they stood.

Carlos Sainz Jr.'s reflection also calls attention to the importance of legacy—the inheritance of not just physical traits, but of values, dreams, and ambitions. His father’s accomplishments were far more than just skills behind the wheel; they were expressions of bravery, determination, and a passion to conquer the impossible. As children, we cannot always grasp the significance of the actions of those around us, but as we grow, we begin to understand that legacy is passed down not through words, but through actions, deeds, and the paths that are forged by those who came before us.

Thus, the lesson to be drawn is this: Greatness is often hidden in the ordinary moments of life. We, like Carlos Sainz Jr., may not always see the full scope of what is being created around us. But if we look closely, if we listen deeply, we will recognize the subtle threads of legacy weaving through our lives. The actions of those who came before us—be they fathers, mothers, or mentors—shape the paths we walk, often in ways we do not immediately understand. But in time, we come to see that our lives, too, can be defined by the choices we make, by the courage we show, and by the doughnuts we spin in our own journeys.

Let this be the call to action for us all: To live fully in the moments we have, to see the world through the lens of possibility, and to recognize that greatness, like the doughnuts of a rally driver, is often born of discipline, vision, and a willingness to take risks. Whether we are the child or the parent, the young or the old, we are all connected by this powerful truth: that the future is shaped not by our understanding in the present, but by the actions we take today.