“How far I’ve come and how far I want to go”
It is my mission to live a life well-lived; full of honesty, integrity and unconditional love. Usually, we tend to wake up every morning and automatically start our busy days, but often forget to pursue these little things that happen to truly matter the most. Practicing self-reflection can make us aware of this type of situation and open our eyes to realizing that life is not just about living, it is feeling ALIVE. This semester allowed me to value family, friendships, mental and physical health more than ever and essentially now, I firmly recognize the importance of it. Enjoying each little moment as if is there’s no tomorrow helped me in comprehending Iyer’s following words about appreciating our surroundings: “The places that move us most deeply are often the ones we recognize like long-lost friends; we come to them with a piercing sense of familiarity” (“Why we Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week One). For this reason, fostering meaningful relationships and taking personal time is a key aspect for reaching the best and healthiest version of myself.
Seeing life in a bigger picture has personally helped me to understand that the life lived in the years carries more weight than the years lived in life. Father Hesburgh has been an inspiration in my journey as he is an example to living a life well-lived from early a very young age. His legacy to the world arose from his dedication to helping others, making good, being spontaneous and doing a difference, distinguishing him from the rest. Although the sole purpose of his generosity wasn’t becoming famous, people eventually “respected him as a man of religion” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). The movie portrays how Father Hesburgh made the most of every moment of his life. Wasting time in thinking unimportant things wasn't valuable for him, in opposition, Sister Alaetheia approaches this from a different perspective. Instead of looking to leave a mark on the world to fulfill her life's mission, she spends daily time reflecting on death. We all have different missions in life and hers was “to revive the practice of memento mori, a Latin phrase meaning ‘Remember your death.’ The concept is to intentionally think about your own death every day, as a means of appreciating the present and focusing on the future” (“Meet the Nun who wants you to remember that you will die” Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Week Three). Each person has different ways to value the moments and experiences we live, so I strive to make a difference in this world and be remembered as a person of good just as Father Hesburgh accomplished throughout his life.
I will act according to my passions, giving splendor to my best abilities in the career I enjoy the most. However, how or when will I have a clearer idea if my chosen major is the thing for me? Exploring during college must be normalized and “contrary to popular belief, deciding on a major does not determine the rest of your life” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). By listening to how other people describe the strengths and moments in which they have seen you at your best can help in making clear the making of this decision. Accepting that becoming a doctor might not represent my total happiness was something shocking to hear, but once I deeply thought about it, I realized that I should perform my abilities in something else than this (“Week Five DIscernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Five). I will hear other discernments and take them as constructive criticisms to help me explore a better life well-lived.
I strive to achieve all my proposed goals, becoming an honest person, succeeding in everything I do for those around me and for myself. Being aware that I will confront difficulties in the process will prepare me to be strong towards whatever comes my way. Keeping always in mind the following phrase, “Suffering is part of our lives. It is always there, but it is about how to respond to suffering with God,” will be the key for going on a better pathway (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Six). During my moments of suffering having company will alleviate my situations, thus, building relationships will contribute in mutually making us achieve a bright future. Spending time alone is necessary, but how true is it that “we all need each other” as “none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent ‘I’, separated from each other.” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” His Holiness Pope Francis, TED - Moreau FYE Week Seven). With accompaniment we can keep our heads up when experiencing rough times and we must do the same towards our colleagues. As Reisenberg said: “Solidarity is about our relationship with the other, and through the practice of accompaniment we make it real and move it forward” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). It is my mission to accompany others in moments of suffering to bring them happiness and motivation.
I am willing to help anyone in my community, without mattering their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation since I strive for a spirit of inclusion. As a Puerto Rican woman with curly hair and color skinned, I have experienced situations that make me understand what minorities groups are subjected to. Therefore, I look forward to embracing our society’s differences and uniqueness to make the world a better place. Breaking people's echo chambers, which as a matter of fact tend to be “more dangerous than bubbles partly because of their ability to bring us into certain world views,” will help me grow in wisdom and also allow me to understand new perspectives (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo. FY Moreau Week 10). 
To conclude, life is complicated, but beautiful. We need to search for happiness, take care of ourselves so we can help others, find our passions, learn from our suffering, search for a good support system. My volunteering experience in La Casa de Amistad helped me grow as a person and impacted my path towards the best version of myself. I believe that if you can find joy in what you do, you can be a better force for good in the world. Also, we need to live everyday to the fullest. All of us have a purpose in life, and all of our experiences are small steps to get us where we need and want to be. When I think of my future, I imagine it full of possibilities, taking each lived experience as a lesson no matter if the outcome isn’t what I expected it to be.