Moreau Capstone Integration Assignment Spring 2022 Santoso 1 Dr. Lassen Moreau FYE Section 17 27 April, 2022 Pursuing a Life Well-Lived My mission is to give, as giving fosters personal growth. I give through my words, actions, and personal relationships. Through my future career, I hope to improve the lives of others. In my personal relationships, I hope to give wisdom, strength, joy, and love. I seek to learn, as I am a lifelong learner. I hope to make the most of my education and utilize my knowledge to improve society. Through my interactions with people of different experiences, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives, I strive to become open-minded. I seek to learn from those around me, never settling for the knowledge I already have. In the article titled, “Navigating Your Career Journey,” it states that “every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not” (Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course - Moreau Week Four). Therefore, I hope to open myself up to many different experiences that are available at this university and beyond. I hope to develop a sense of openness to foreign experiences. I seek to challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone. I seek discomfort because this fosters personal growth. In the article titled, “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber,” Dr. Blaschko states, “in surrounding ourselves with people who agree with us, we are losing our sense of how people might reasonably disagree with us” (How to Avoid an Echo Chamber - Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). I seek to grow in wisdom by surrounding myself with those who share different perspectives, rather than clinging to those with the same perspectives. https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s Santoso 2 I seek courage to confront my mistakes and the injustices that are present in our society. I hope to develop the courage to acknowledge wrongdoings or injustices even when nobody else has the courage to do so. The article “Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” captures the importance of recognizing injustices and having the courage to take action against them. “There are networks of privilege, prejudice and power so commonplace that often neither oppressors nor victims are aware of them. We must be aware and also understanding by reason of fellowship with the impoverished and by reason of patient learning. For the kingdom to come in this world, disciples must have the competence to see and the courage to act” (Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross - Moreau FYE Week 12). Ignorance of racial injustice by members of society has led to little to no progress on racial injustice. As a woman of color, it is difficult to fully acknowledge the prevalence of racial injustice in America, because acknowledging this means to acknowledge that I am part of this system. I strive to acquire the courage to recognize social injustices for progress to be made. I strive to empower others to fight for what they believe in. Throughout the documentary “Hesburgh,” Father Theodore Hesburgh, I was inspired by his ceaseless ability to stand up for what is right (Jerry Baca and Christine O’Malley - “Hesburgh” - Moreau FYE Week Two). Father Hesburgh refused to stop the publishing of the book that promoted religious liberty. Instead of complying with these demands set forth by the Cardinal, Father Hesburgh stood up for his beliefs, and for what was right. He was against censorship, placing education before the Catholic Church. His actions manifested great courage and integrity. Later in his life, his conscience continued to dictate his actions, even when given another choice for political gain. Father Hesburgh has inspired me to make decisions with the highest integrity and never fail to do what is right. https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ Santoso 3 I seek to live out my faith, to see the work of God present in the people, experiences, and challenges I encounter. I strive to be humble and accept that my life is in the hands of someone greater than myself. I strive to love those around me. I strive to grow sensitive to the challenges that are faced by others. My faith reminds me of these things through self-reflection and prayer. In the article, “Why We Need to Slow Down in Our Lives,” the author Pico Iyer states that “the need for an empty space, a pause, is something we have all felt in our bones; it’s the rest in a piece of music that gives it resonance and shape.” (Iyer - Why we need to slow down in our lives - Moreau FYE Week One). This emphasizes the importance of setting time aside for reflection. I self-reflect through prayer, as this gives me direction in life and provides answers to questions I struggled with. Through my faith, I will find strength and hope when faced with challenges. I was inspired by the story of Dr. Jihoon Kim because of his strong faith and hope that he manifested when he faced paralysis (5 Minutes - Aria Swarr, Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six). Dr. Kim recognized that his situation could have been worse, and in that regard, he was grateful. I strive to be defined by my responses to the challenges encountered, not the obstacles themselves. I strive to be resilient, and focus on what I can control. I seek to empathize with those around me. Our world would be more peaceful and just if decisions were made for the common good, rather than self-interest. As Pope Francis states, “the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly” (Why the only future worth building includes everyone - His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). As a change-maker, I hope to engage with the people I serve, because they can only understand their needs once I struggle with them. The first step in making a difference is taking the initiative to engage with a community to understand their needs and find ways to address those. https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript Santoso 4 I strive to prioritize my happiness, as I cannot bring others happiness until I am happy myself. In the Discernment Conversation Activity, I was told that I always placed others before myself (Moreau FYE Week Five). After reflecting upon this statement, I realized that caring for others is important but never more important than caring for oneself. My self-love is generated through my faith, because I am reminded that God loves me the way I am. In the article titled, “Growing Up Gay and Catholic,” Jacob Walsh states, “until I could be honest with myself, I could not let myself be loved as I was” (Growing Up Gay and Catholic - Jacob Walsh - Moreau FYE Week Ten). In this article, Walsh describes his struggles to accept his sexuality because he feared that God and those around him would not love him because of it. I think the point that Walsh makes here is that God’s love reaches us in ways that can be difficult to recognize. Initially, Walsh thought his sexuality prevented God from loving him, but he came to realize that God showed his love to him through his sexuality. It takes a great deal of humility and self-love to recognize God’s love. I seek to love myself before I can offer love to others. For me, success is the personal satisfaction and joy obtained after doing good. I seek to be driven by making a positive impact. I strive to do good things everyday, even if these are only small actions or kind words. I hope to live with a sense of urgency, passion, and purpose. In the article titled, “Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die, Sister Alethia states, “we try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness. But it’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them.” (Sister Alethia - "Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die" - Moreau FYE Week Three). I strive to recognize that I have limited time to make a difference, which will motivate me to make the most of my life. https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html