Integration Three - Maria Alexandra Sheppard Maria Alexandra Sheppard Moreau FYE Integration Three I Promise It Will Be Great A letter to my younger self… As I sit down in my o�ce after a successful surgery to write to my younger self, I cannot help but wonder all the di�erent things I went through, the wonderful people I have encountered, and the personal growth that have led me to where I am today. We usually hear quotes like “you got this”, “the sky is not the limit”, and my personal favorite, “life is what you make it”. From that last one, I can assure it is definitely true. Our lives are constantly surrounded by movement, energy, ups and downs, but after all this time, I consider myself an expert at stepping back and analyzing what life is really all about, as well as what can I achieve, keeping in mind that it is really what I make out of it. I know at times it can be frustrating not having all the answers and control over most of the things in life, but that is the game, that is the key. Not having control of things allows us to explore and grow, here is what I have learned… I promise it will be great but step one is to step back, “it’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture” (“Why do we need to slow down our lives” by Pico lyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Stepping back can be tempting because you can feel as though you are staying behind but in reality it will make you step forward because we do not have a clear vision of our lives a hundred percent of the time. I know you are probably wondering why in the world am I suggesting to “step back” when all you can do is go fast, do not stop, and thrive for success. Wrong. That’s just not it, Mari. In reality, going with the mainstream of humanity, a fast-paced society, blocks the true meaning and purpose behind everything you do! Cars that run fast, eventually get slower and slower, in that same way, a movie that starts and it’s filled with suspense moments and conflicts, eventually comes to an end, whatever that end is and represents. https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ I promise it will be great but you cannot give up on yourself and wonder what would have happened if I have tried this, or if I have done this. . Things do not get easier, what happens is that you grow. The key to growing though, lies in trusting yourself to the fullest, regardless of situations and di�culties. Father Ted’s sister said “you will never know if you do not try” (“Hesburgh'' by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). I can recall, back in my college days, the amount of things I did not say or did not do all because of this fear, which up to this day cannot figure out what it was or what it meant. But, I can now speak my truth by expressing how good it feels to do something or say something without the fear of trying it! Truth is, mentality and dedication are two simple words that make all of the di�erence between a life lived and a life well-lived. Furthermore Mari, raise your hand whenever you want to speak, dance whenever you want to dance, try new things, and try to not limit your life to the “what if’s”. I promise it will be great but you have to learn to appreciate things even more. Life goes on so fast while people are focusing on Tuesday’s presentation and Friday’s job conference, rather than focusing on smiling with people you love and eating the foods you genuinely enjoy. To a certain point, I agree with what Sister Aletheia said, “My life is going to end, and I have a limited amount of time” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Week Three), as I said, to a certain point, she is right, we do have a limited amount of time, but instead of meditating and thinking about your death every single day of your life, multiply your life by meditating about the present and thinking about everything you are grateful for. That made a remarkable di�erence for me in my life. I am grateful for so many things and I hope you are too, in every single chapter of your life from now on. I promise it will be great but understanding and exploring a life well-lived is crucial for your development and growth. Experiences vary, as you may know now that as a sixteen year old have been through situations that have challenged you and your intellectual virtues in di�erent https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html ways. But, trust me on this one Mari, taking the positive side out of every experience will put you on top of your game and will allow you to engage with yourself even more, every step of the way. “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four), they really do and if I am not mistaking, you will soon realize that. You will get diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia in January 2019, and your life will be surrounded by all sorts of experiences. It will get pretty scary and rough, and taking in the positive side of experiences will be harder than ever, but it will get better and you will get stronger, I promise. I promise it will be great but know who your people are before it is too late. At this point in your life, people will come and go, but it is essential that you identify those that no matter what, no matter where, are there with you and for you. There is no one, other than yourself, that knows you more like mom does. She, as you know, is unique and incredible in so many ways, as a mom, person, woman, sister, daughter, you name it. But recognizing that she is your main circle, your main trustee, is essential for life, believe me, mother knows best! “No matter where you go, always rely on square one” (“Discernment ConversationActivity” with my mom, Jeni�er Espino - Moreau FYE Week Five), and square one is whatever you need it to be, whoever you need it to be. Quotes like this have shaped me into a better version of myself, counting on mom has been one of the greatest blessings I could have ever asked for in life. I promise it will be great but I will tell you right now, there are and will be a lot of things you will not be able to do or achieve, and although it sounds discouraging, focusing on things you can do and things you can achieve, will ultimately lead you towards a better perspective on what you want for you and your life. Now, before and after every surgery, I have started to have this five-minute “thinking time”, focused on analyzing all that I am capable of, and it all started by blocking negative thoughts and letting free the positive ones, with a thousand and one possibilities. “I will utilize these five minutes and do something about it instead of just focusing on what I cannot do” (“5 Minutes” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six), adversities are inevitable, https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 challenges are always involved, but if you think about the “yes’s” instead of the “no’s”, you become unstoppable. I promise it will be great but there is one last step I would love for you to take in, life is usually painted around the fact that you should work on you, for you. But that is just closing the real panorama of it all, life is to be lived surrounded by others, providing what you gave to o�er to become a force of good, alongside everyone else. You are compassionate and you care about others, that is part of the reason why, spoiler alert, you will become a neurosurgeon, to impact the life of others for the better. “How wonderful would it be if solidarity, this beautiful and, at times, inconvenient word, were not simply reduced to social work, and became, instead, the default attitude in political, economic, and scientific choices, as well as in the relationships among individuals, peoples, and countries” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven), an impactful quote Pope Francis stated as he explained the wonders that would come along if we implement not only the technologies and innovations that are taking place as of now but an increase in solidarity and other values that are essential to human nature, furthermore community. Life as a whole is meant to be challenging, life is meant to challenge you. You have to allow yourself to be guided by life itself, let yourself go. It becomes frustrating at times, the amount of things and aspects of life which do not rely under your control. You wake up one day and out of the ten things that would happen that day, eight are not under your control. People say “live your life to the fullest” but they do not say “more than half of your life will be based on your reaction and coming over of several situations placed your way. And that’s it, that is the secret to it all, it is not about the amount of di�cult circumstances you are faced with, but rather how you face each and every one of them. Ups and downs, and lefts and rights, but I promise it will be great, and trust me on that one. https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript