Integration Four How I Want To Live My Life In Week 8 of Moreau First Year Experience, we were assigned a personal mission statement. I put a lot of time and effort into mine, but I am not truly proud of what I ended up submitting. I felt that while it did encapsulate some of the ways I wished to live my life, it did not truly feel like me. I believe that one of the most difficult things you can do is attempt to lay out, in words, your thoughts on life and how you should live it. I am only 18 years old and as my dad always says, I haven’t even begun to think yet. So for my capstone integration, where I must refine my personal mission statement and articulate how it will guide me in my next three years at Notre Dame, I have decided to take a different approach. Instead of arbitrarily coming up with philosophies on life, I will use what I have learned in Moreau FYE this past semester as a guide. The first idea that stuck out to me was Pico Iyer’s statement, “It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with every microsecond. 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 we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week One). Too often does my life feel like pure chaos. Running to class and practice and getting back to my dorm with only the late hours of the night left to do mounds of work. I must remember to take a step back from the noisy canvas at times like this. To step away from the present stress and instead appreciate why I am here, doing what I am doing. I am here not only to get an education, but to grow as a person and be someone I am proud of. I am here to be exposed to opportunities, so that I can leave an impression on the world around me, and live courageously. https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Ted Hesburg was quoted saying “In my faith you learn there’s meaning in suffering. But to truly understand that you have to first suffer yourself” (“Hesburgh”, produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley – Moreau FYE Week Two). I feel very fortunate to say that I do not think I have truly suffered yet. In the eyes of Father Hesburg, I currently do not truly understand the meaning within suffering. This doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t understand my responsibility to help those who are suffering. I must respond to suffering with feelings of initiative, because “as disciples of Jesus we stand side by side with all people. Like them we are burdened by the same struggles and beset by the same weaknesses” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” – Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Something I am passionate about is the racial injustice plaguing our world: “The distinction – between individual prejudice and a system of unequal institutionalized racial power – is fundamental” (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo – Moreau FYE Week Ten). Issues like this are where the public needs to make the effort to take action: “In real politics, righteous anger and emotion are something you leverage into action” (“Passion Isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media – Moreau FYE Week Eleven). I also understand that in service, I must strive to employ the idea of accompaniment. Both sides need to be on board and put effort into the relationship. This is how the lines become blurred between partners so instead of one leading the other, the two can walk together. (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week Nine). What is looming over my college experience, is the question of what comes next. It is comforting to hear then, that “Much as we present it with arrows from one step to the next, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not always linear; these steps dont take place in a nice, neat order. It’s a developmental process that will recur throughout your lifetime and you’ll move https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing between stages as you learn and grow” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” from the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau FYE Week Four). It can be easy to feel like I will soon be set in my one life path that I will either fail or succeed at. I must continue to remind myself that my path must be my own. If I deviate off my path for something more fulfilling, this does not mean that I failed. I want to make choices that will challenge me and contribute to a satisfying life. I am truly happy when in the presence of people. It has become more and more clear to me, at this point in my life, that I thrive off of human connection. Living a good life involves surrounding yourself with others, having meaningful interactions and encounters that fill us up with belonging. I don’t exactly relate to Father Greg Boyle’s statement, “Allowing folks into my jurisdiction requires that I dismantle what I have set up to keep them out” (Tattoos on the Heart, by Father Greg Boyle). I feel fortunate that I don’t have many barriers built up, but in the same way, I must be careful not to get hurt. When I had a conversation with my roommate for Moreau FYE Week 5, her answer to the question “what is something that is difficult to say but important for me to hear?” was something that I had been contemplating for a while now – she told me that I don’t have to give my time and effort to everyone because not everyone deserves it. While I thrive off of human connection, it is important for me to be conscious of the fact that not everyone will build me up. Some relationships are draining, and I do not need to entertain them when I have people around me that improve my quality of life tremendously. Another complication of my dependence on those around me is that I have found myself beginning to decline when I am alone. I believe that this may relate to introspection. “In truth, introspection can cloud our self-perceptions and unleash a host of unintended consequences. Sometimes it may surface unproductive and upsetting emotions that can swamp us and impede positive action” https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41005/files/523987/download?download_frd=1 (“The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich – Moreau FYE Week Six). It takes concrete effort to practice introspection the right way, and this is something I need to work on. This next quote has given me much needed perspective: “Happiness changes from moment to moment, day to day. Joy, on the other hand, is much deeper and much more central, it comes from within, and it’s a genuine rightness of how one lives one’s life” (“Three Key Questions” from Father Michael Himes – Moreau FYE Week Three). Happiness is a fragile construct of time and place, while joy can be something constant, inspiring me from behind possible negativity. It is comforting to know this. I must not beat myself up when I am struggling to be happy, and instead recognize that the joy within me will ultimately guide me to prosperity. The joy within me will allow me to take a step back from my canvas of life, to be of service to the world around me, to develop a unique path for me life, and to nurture relationships that build me up. https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41005/files/468567/download?download_frd=1 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41005/files/468567/download?download_frd=1