What is Your Legacy?

After you leave your unit or duty station, what legacy do you want to leave?  How do you want to be remembered?

The legacy we leave when we move onto our next station in life is important – our behavior fuels this legacy as well as our hopes for what we strive to become.  Our relationship with others is another element of any legacy.  Legacy also includes the personal meaning we attribute to things and how we spend our time because of those things.

How we want to be remembered can influence our current behavior and give us goals to strive toward.  Remember that you are important and someone will feel the impact you’ve made on them.   That will sometimes help us refocus and stick with a tough task until it’s done, which will, in turn, contribute to someone’s lasting memory of us.

The Protect What You’ve Earned campaign reminds us to not give up our achievements by drinking them into negative consequences.  These consequences undoubtedly affect the legacy each one of us creates in our time on a base.  To make the campaign mean something to you, you have to be aware of your behavior and the legacy you’re creating day to day as well as in the future.

What impact do you want to make on your unit, short and long term?  What promises do you keep and what unfinished business do you need to address?  What can you do today that can help build the positive legacy that you want to remain after you move on to your next duty station?

If you have a legacy that is centered more on positive consequences, you can create a positive effect on your friends, family, and unit.  Here are some suggestions of things that can change your legacy and help you protect what you’ve earned.

• Have fun with friends doing things that don’t land you in front of the MPs.
• Participate in unit events and reach out to fellow Marines who appear to be alone.  Engage them and get involved.
• Access any type of help you need, so you can be the best you can be, which can help you contribute to your unit.
• Create meaningful relationships with fellow Marines and family members.
• Get involved in activities on base (there are some fantastic opportunities through Semper Fit and Outdoor Recreation) and experience fun with your friends.

MCCS has amazing programs that can help you change how you spend your time, challenge how you see yourself, and help you protect what you’ve earned.  Check your local MCCS website for contact information for Semper Fit, Outdoor Recreation, or your local Substance Abuse Counseling Center.