How do you want to be remembered? I was asked this question about twelve years ago. That question brought me back to my adolescent years, when my father asked me, “What pathway in life will you choose? If you had two wishes, what would they be?” I answered my father by saying, “I want to be just like you; wise and happy.” As the years went by and my interest in helping people became the dominant force in my life, I found myself thinking about my legacy. What legacy will I leave behind for my children, grandchildren, and great- grand children?

Recently a television show caught my attention. The topic of the program was branding. The American Marketing Association defines a “brand” as a "name, term, sign, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates the goods and services of one company from those of other companies.” Take the golden arches of McDonalds for example. When spotted, it always reminds us of a Big Mac and fries.

A company’s brand is its intellectual property; usually protected by trademark and copyright laws. A brand is the sum total of the experiences and perceptions of consumers which are influenced by the consistency between a company’s message and its offering. The same principles can be applied to a person. What is your brand? Is it something that truly represents who you are? If your brand were placed on billboards in all major cites around the world, would you be proud and happy or disappointed and ashamed? Are you planting the seeds of your legacy? What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?

We all have the power to create our own branding; our own legacy. First, you must decide how you want people to remember you. When you leave a room full of people, what do you want them to remember about you? For instance, do you want them to remember you as friendly, kind, or caring? Are you straightforward and honest or very difficult and cantankerous?

In this time of high unemployment when so many people are vying for the same jobs, how do you brand yourself to prospective employers? Will your past employers and or friends be in agreement about your branding? Have you chosen the branding that you would want to be your legacy? If not, don’t worry. Change is one of the greatest gifts of life. We all can make changes in our lives as long as we are willing to embrace the changes we need in order to get to the brand that we desire for ourselves. We are the stewards of our own life and destiny, and can change its trajectory at anytime.

This thought provoking article was written so that those who read it can take some time to assess themselves, and make corrections where needed. Enhance your branding by being more aware of the legacy that you will leave behind.