Eppler 1 Gracie’s Gospel Truths Notre Dame has always been my dream. I have worked tirelessly and doggedly in order to get here, and although my experience has been incredible so far, being here has already challenged my beliefs and caused me to question my sense of self. As I reflected on everything we have learned in Moreau and everything I know about myself, I came to three root beliefs, or “Gospel Truths”: I believe that I am more than my first impression, that my purpose is to spread goodness, and that I am searching for true joy and peace. I analyzed who I am in other people’s eyes, who I know myself to be, and who I want to be in the future. At Notre Dame, I want to keep these core beliefs at the forefront of my mind in order to become the best version of myself. I believe that I am so much more than my first impression. My ancestry, heritage, family, hometown, friends, and activities have all come together to shape the person that I am today. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche said, we are more than just a “single-story”—we are a collection of ideals, thoughts, and inspirations. Adichie notes that “many stories matter,” emphasizing the importance of looking past the first impression that we have of people and instead working to understand each person as a well-rounded, diverse hodgepodge of beliefs (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche – Moreau FYE Week Seven). I am often concerned with how other people view me and what their first impression of me is. So often I am faced with the same questions and assumptions about who I am and what I am involved in. I often find myself drifting down this path as well, judging people before I truly know who they are and what they stand for. I need to remember that people are more than just the “single-story” I categorize them as, and I hope that in turn they will see me as such as well. I am more than just a Notre Dame student—I am a writer, a dancer, a pianist, a sister, a soccer https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story Eppler 2 player, a Fleetwood Mac fan, a Christian, a mushroom-hater, and a lover of all things pink. Although I don’t expect people to be able to know everything about me from our initial connection, I hope to share more about myself, who I am, and where I am from with every encounter, perhaps giving them a glimpse as to “where I’m from” and a hint of what I featured in my poem that we discussed in Week Six (“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon– Moreau FYE Week Six). I believe we are more than just our looks, our clothes, or our race. We are so much more than the impressions we give initially. Here at Notre Dame, it is very easy to stereotype the people we meet, and just as easily to be stereotyped ourselves. As I reflected on how other people view me, I noticed how I’ve had a number of people attempt to “guess” my ethnicity. This is often annoying and frustrating, as although I know that people are curious, it is not their place to impose themselves in this way. I hope to work on changing the culture here at Notre Dame and taking the curiosity that all students have and working that into a culture focused on acceptance. This culture can be fostered through making friends with people of all races, sexual orientations, and nationalities, which I am striving to do, as well as attempting to have open dialogues about differences. At Notre Dame, I have joined the FASO Filipino club in order to bond with people who share my background and have found a great sense of community and solidarity there. I have also joined “Circle K” volunteer club in order to combat my implicit biases and my own privilege. I hope that by taking similar steps, Notre Dame students will be more willing to look past their first impressions and “single-stories” of the people they meet and work towards knowing their peers on a deep, true level. I believe that my purpose is to spread goodness. It is not enough to be good, we must share this goodness so that it bleeds into everything we do. From a young age, I have always had http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html Eppler 3 a strong moral compass. My parents instilled in me a desire to be good and to always want to be a model for others. However, this often came with a sense of moral anxiety, as I always knew that I was being analyzed. Often times this could affect my self-confidence. As we discussed in Week One, our sense of belonging is directly connected to our confidence in ourselves (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). We feel like we belong to a space when we truly recognize that we fit in. Since my identity in grade school and middle school was categorized as being “good,” I feel the most sense of belonging when I was surrounded by good people as well. I also think this sense of belonging and this ability to share our true personality comes through self-discovery. When we analyzed our character strengths in Week Two, I was not surprised to discover that my top strength was “love,” as I know that I am very emotional and share these emotions with my friends and family (“Via Character Strengths Survey” - Moreau FYE Week Two). I am not afraid to express my reliance on a person, and in turn I expect them to treat me with the level of importance that I treat them. In this way, I strive to share my goodness, love, and vulnerability with the people around me. Knowing my strengths (of morality and empathy), I must use them responsibly and effectively to help those around me. In middle school and high school, I am proud to say that I found people that supported me and encouraged me to be better than I was before. This allowed me to have a secure sense of belonging. These friends were always optimistic, attentive, loyal, and supportive, which are all qualities of good friends as we discussed in Week Four (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Relationship” by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four). However, I am still struggling to find a sense of belonging, to find friends that I know will support me, and to find an environment surrounded by “goodness” here at Notre Dame. Although I know that it comes with time, I have yet to find the people that I truly feel comfortable and confident around. Since I am still in the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=3 https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/surveys/finished/19981461 https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/surveys/finished/19981461 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/24970/modules/items/104976 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/24970/modules/items/104976 Eppler 4 process of finding my safe space, I find it harder to share my true personality, goodness, and love. Sometimes I compromise what I know is truly morally right and good in order to appear more popular or funny. I think that I will be able to share my morals more easily once I am more accustomed to my surroundings and once I have found people I trust and that will support my beliefs. I am especially excited to become better friends with people through the clubs I have joined as I know they share my interests and morals. Some of the people I like hanging out with best I have met through The Observer, Transpose Dance Company, and the Futsol club. I hope to foster these relationships so that I can truly belong. By sharing my values, I know that I have (goodness and love), I can ensure that I will find belonging here at Notre Dame. I believe that I am searching for true peace and joy. I think that it is easy to get caught up in the present and what we desire in the moment. However, overall, I think that we all desire a sense of lasting joy and peace. Joy to me is much deeper than happiness, which can be fleeting; joy will stay no matter the situation, underlying every other feeling. As I continue to battle my anxiety, I constantly search for a sense of true peace. I have struggled my whole life to “find” where this sense of joy and peace will come from. But, I am slowly learning that joy and peace are not something we “find”—they are something we forge ourselves through introspection. As Father Pete said, “the greatest journey you will ever go on is one of self-discovery,” emphasizing the importance of meditation and self reflection (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three). When we focus on ourselves, what we desire, and our relationship with God, only then can we begin to see the world around us in a different perspective. A true relationship with our faith and ourselves can not only make us kinder and healthier, but can help us see the world in a brighter view, helping to make us less worried and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs Eppler 5 more joyous. By reflecting on who we are, we can share the best version of ourselves with the world. In this way, I think that we don’t necessarily “find’ true peace and joy, we forge these virtues for ourselves. This comes not just through introspection, but also through perspective. I have struggled with anxiety my whole life, especially through high school when the pressure of grades and expectations overwhelmed me. As I noted in my Week Five reflection, I battled with a fear of failure. This led to a lack of peace and joy in my life. However, with a little perspective, I am slowly learning to realize that failure is an experience, and that I can “view every setback and disappointment as a lesson” (“Notre Dame Commencement 2021” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Five). This will allow me to be more satisfied with my life. Even though I am not altering a huge part of my life, by gaining a new perspective and seeing my failures as lessons instead of setbacks, I can open myself up to a greater satisfaction in life. At Notre Dame, I want to make my mental health a priority. In high school, I often placed my mental state second to my grades and social life. This led me to fatigue and unhappiness. Drawing from my high school experiences, I want to keep my mental health at the forefront of my life, especially by seeking counseling here and participating in activities such as yoga or playing piano in the chapel. I have learned that I won’t just stumble upon true, lasting joy and peace one day. These are virtues that I must work for by analyzing myself and the world around me in a new perspective. I must be open to change and to sharing this change with others. Here, at Notre Dame, I need to remember who I am and to never be afraid of letting my true personality show. As I search for belonging, the more I trust in myself, the more joyous and peace-filled I will be. As I reflected on who I am in other people’s eyes, who I know myself to be, and who I want to be in the future, I came to realize that I have a strong sense of self, but that I need to let https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4&feature=youtu.be Eppler 6 this self-confidence guide me. At Notre Dame, I do not want to change myself. Instead, I want to become a more truer version of myself—one that I am proud of and that shares her values with everyone. By keeping these “Gospel Truths” in mind, I know that I will never be led astray.