To all of the wannabees in here, STOP asking, just DO !

[Anselme]

Hey there,

This post is my contribution to help clear wanabees minds.

I’am not a legionnaire. I am (was) a wanabee.

I have readen a lot of topics here. I answered my questions, i cleared my mind and that’s pretty all. But if i had to restart, i would have stop thinking about everything and quickly get my ass to Aubagne to take my turn.

My inital plan was to join in January 2017.

At that time, mid 2016, i had a huge passion about joining FFL. I had no job and time to run and train my body and soul. The only thing that i wanted was joining FFL. Nothing else was in my mind. My days were ruled by the training and the focus on that goal.

But life tricked me and putted me on another way. I had to make a decision, and Legion could’ve been definitly on my back. I found a job, now a house, two cats and a not so young but not so old dog. And i had to accept that fact. I had to accept that it wasn’t my turn yet. So i hitted the PAUSE button about joining and live my life.

Life could’ve been different to me if i joined, a so called dream life for me.. the funny stuff is that i have today the life that everybody wants. The basic «Wife, Job, House» combo. Now she wants a kid. Wonderful.

I still want to join. I have to wait my turn. I know i will try it one day. I am 31, so the clock stops at 39. There is always a way. I have 8 years to do it. Even if i fail, i know i’ll try, no matter if i i end being legionnaire or hit a definitive NO to enter, i’ll try.

Believe me or not, but this is an experience in itself and i learned from that. I learned humility (even if you hardly want something, life can decide for you, against you deepest choices) and i learned patience (i still have to wait no matter what).

The morality is :

Don’t be impatients
Stop questionning yourself about your physical and medical conditions
Accept you weaknesses and know your qualities
Just shut up, and go joining FFL
If you fail, accept, and find your way.
I hope y’all understand the message, it’s from experience.

Anselme

 

[Katalmach]

Very motivational. And a reasonable line of thought.

From my personal experience, the Legion can be somewhere you want to go, in your head, thinking about it and all the cool adventures you'll go on and living this dashing life of a soldier. A fantasy. One can think about it all day, and dedicate all their time to training and learning French and as long as there is some kind of anchor tying you down, you still won't go, because the real allure of the Legion isn't the fantasy adventure and swashbuckler lifestyle that we like to day dream it is. It's 5 years of grueling hard work and potentially danger, and mostly, putting up with nonsense, and probably a lot of idiots, getting ordered around and having no freedom

2 years ago I joined Cervens because I went to a job interview (for a job that I ended up getting about 6 months later), and I didn't get the job then. I got really upset and frustrated because I was making $7 an hour and was homeless and this job would have been great for me, and when I didn't get it, I angrily declared (to myself) I will just go join the Legion!

So I bought Rosetta Stone, and I ran every morning and did lots of push ups and followed Stoeng's PT plan and made all these plans, and day dreamed a lot about what it would be like, but the entire time I was preparing, I would have cheat days, and eat sugar and drink soda. I was still an alcoholic. I played in a heavy metal band and had a pretty awesome gig going with this girl (not a girlfriend, you understand? haha). I didn't have any reason to leave. Sure, I was couch surfing, living with friends or staying in homeless shelters, but I was in a familiar place, I had my vices to keep me happy at night, and over all, I was pretty comfortable

The fantasy of the Legion was just in the back of my mind, and so when I got the law enforcement job I wanted, my life got better. I had a car, a place to live, a very decent pay check, and a career in SWAT that I was looking forward to. At that point, I forgot all about the Legion. I stopped practicing French, forget every single word I had learned. My fitness didn't even improve, I just got "comfortable" in my mediocrity. I didn't visit Cervens to ask questions for almost all of 2017. There didn't seem to be a point, and I really had no plan on going.

In hindsight, at that point in my life, I wasn't going to go. I studied French for at best 30 minutes a day. I ran 1 mile at a time, I could only do 4 pulls ups, 20 push ups. I hated waking up early, I couldn't diet properly, I wasn't asking the right questions. For the 6 months I spent on Cervens, I never bothered to ask or look up how to get to the Legion. I didn't learn their history, or look up the ranks or learn the creed. It was a pretend idea for me

All that changed when I lost my job recently. Wasn't my fault per say, it was more an issue of bias and a misunderstanding, but that's not the point. When this event occured, I got VERY serious about the Legion. I'm training every day, I spend almost every bit of my free time learning French, and I find myself thinking in French sentances. I know how to get to Aubagne, I have priced out how much I need to make the trip (twice, in case I fail the first time), money for hotels, taxis, trains, food, etc etc.

THE PLAN IS SOLID NOW, AND THE DESIRE IS THERE

This is a very long post, and I'm sorry about that, but i'll get to the punchline now. I had to explain all that for this to hit home with most people

It's 2018. The Legion doesn't accept many people into its ranks. Showing up unprepared, as in, not knowing French, being out of shape, not knowing anything about the Legion, not having a solid reason for going, and not understanding what kind of medical conditions might be immediate disqualifiers, could potentially turn into the biggest waste of money and time in your whole life. It pays, massively, to be prepared, to know the answers to these questions. If I had left back when I was a day dreamer, I would have showed up and FAILED miserably. If I were to leave right now, I believe my chances are as good as they're going to get, the only thing holding me back is money, and cavities I need filled. That's it. The very same minute those two problems are taken care of, I'm leaving, because Cervens has helped me prepare

DO NOT just go. Stop, ask the questions, prepare yourself. Then go, and pass selection

 

[Chas]

I do not wish to rain on anyone's parade.

However I have constantly said that too much emphasis is on getting fit and other worries. I still maintain that you do not need to be 'superman'. You must simply be fit for your physical size and have what I call the 'Want Factor'.

There is too much fannying about with excuses galore.

Carpe Diem and good luck one and all.

 

[Pink Floyd]

95% of the people that come on this forum have no intention to travel to France. As for the other 5%, less than 1% will actually knock on the big gate. The more one talks, the less likely they will. I wish I had a dollar for every person I've met who has told me they were going to join the Legion. To be a legionnaire, one has to be selfish and ruthless. Set yourself a goal in a limited time frame. No man, woman, or brick wall will stop you achieving it. *Being a front line soldier is like football...its a young man's game!

 

[Papillon]

I do not wish to rain on anyone's parade.

However I have constantly said that too much emphasis is on getting fit and other worries. I still maintain that you do not need to be 'superman'. You must simply be fit for your physical size and have what I call the 'Want Factor'.

There is too much fannying about with excuses galore.

Carpe Diem and good luck one and all.

Well said unfortunately the downside of social media, to much information out their positive and negative, their is a basic standard of fitness and level along with mindset that regardless of what army or country a future recruit is going to join that the prospective recruit should be at, if accepted then the basic training should do the rest, the Legion will always be a magnet for the dreamers but hey every so often we get some interesting topics discussed, my only advise is go and try you no your mindset and abilities, what personal motivation is your dirty little secret ( this could be the driver) as I have been open and honest in my case civi jail or the Legion ( no brainier) but I also had the motivation and confidence in myself to achieve ( get in) and get to the REP.
I told no one and went to start a new chapter in my life!