Capstone Moreau Valeria Pérez Negrón Professor Theo Helm Moreau FYE Apr 29, 2022 My First Year Lessons of Life: My goal is to have a successful, balanced and meaningful life. But It's easier said than done. During this semester each week, I have reflected on different ways to achieve this goal. But I think the first thing we should do is look at our life in an objective way. It's hard to see things clearly when we're wrapped up in our routines and only see the obvious. That is why I have learned that we must try to look at things from another perspective. "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). This will help us to be able to reflect on our life, on what we are doing right or wrong, and what steps we should take to improve. Once I am clear about my virtues and defects, I have to understand that not everyone is going to agree with my way of seeing life. My priorities and desires are unique and individual. Many times there will be people along the way who think differently from me, but this should not deviate me from my goal. In order to lead a well-lived life, I have to be clear about my goals, work hard and persistently to achieve them, avoiding being sidetracked by situations or people that could represent a threat in order to make the difference I want. A quote that I am going to apply to achieve this is: “But I took a stance for something and I wasn't about to stop”, (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two), because it is the way in which we can be more faithful to our wishes. In order to be that focused, I have to discover my true vocation and be able to align myself with https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 the needs of my community. This is why it is necessary to listen to the people around us, listen to their needs, and understand how my vocation and my skills can make a difference in society. It is useless to make an effort and work on a goal if it does not translate into a benefit for others, even when we are not recognized. “We have to be willing to hear what others need and to give ourselves in response even when our attempt to respond may not be appreciated” (“Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). We certainly do not come with a book of instructions that tells us what our vocations, abilities, and challenges are going to be. At my age, it is difficult to understand what I am going to be good at, which of my skills is the best to make my life meaningful, and what things I still need to improve. “The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters- just get out and experience life” (“Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course” by MERUELO FAMILY CENTER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT - Moreau FYE Week Four). There is no other way to know what we are or are not good at if we don’t just try and experiment. We also have tools in our close family and friends. Our mothers are the beings who know us best, that is why she is always one of my reference people when it comes to seeking to know a little more about me. "It's okay to want to make a difference and push others to do the same, but you have to understand that not everyone has the same priorities or the same personality as you, and not everyone sees life the same way you do." (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” by Sheila Negron - Moreau FYE Week Five). These words of my mother focus on an important point of me that I have to improve and it is not expecting others to share my point of view. Do not judge those who do not understand or who only focus on their reality. “Any time you're getting defensive, you're getting less effective. When you get defensive, your thinking becomes rigid and you simply become stupid,” (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau 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 FYE Week Six). This is why I must always try to put myself in the other person's shoes to be less rigid and try to understand the other's point of view, even if it is not compatible with my opinion. In the end, we are all connected, we are all in this world sharing and looking for our own way. What we do in our life directly affects others and vice versa. We are not independent beings, “everything is connected, and we need to restore our connections to a healthy state” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I think that throughout the years we've lost that concept of connection to others. In the end, we must live thinking about how they will remember us when we are not here, and how much impact we had on the lives of others. In my case “A canvas full of brushstrokes with purpose” (“Integration” by Valeria Perez - Moreau FYE Week Eight), as I wrote in my integration in the middle of the semester. Achieve integration with others as a single entity, where I understand that everything done in my life will have been for the common good. “The beauty of using accompaniment is in the blurring of the lines between us and them.” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). I believe that erasing that line that separates us, will help me achieve my mission of achieving a life that leaves an important and significant mark for others. We have all been created in the image and likeness of God, we are more equal than different and as a Puerto Rican woman who knows what it feels like to be seen differently by others, it is my goal to help others feel included and have the same opportunities, and rights, especially in the area of health, which is what I want to dedicate myself to in the future. We should never feel less, nor should we let someone else feel less because "God doesn't make shit." (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh - Moreau FYE Week Ten). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 To achieve a broader vision and to be able to better understand others in our walk, we must expose ourselves to different points of view and information. That is why “We should be intentional about the info we expose ourselves to” (“Big Questions 2, Part 4: How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven), in order to get out of our concepts and ideas and understand other ideas, and have a more globalized point of view. In this way, we can be fairer when we create our allyships or the groups of people we want to help. Sometimes our vision is cloudy and we stop helping or doing what is necessary for the people who need it most. An example is the underprivileged communities, many times they are marginalized in this society, and many people just want to take away all their rights to get them to return to their country. They do not see the other side of the coin, their contribution to society, and the basic needs that we could provide them. That is why during the Moreau class allyship project I worked with a clinic that focused on providing free medical care to this population. And as I said: “My future goal is to bring this same concept to my island and in this way be able to provide quality holistic health services for people who don’t have the resources to receive it.” (“Allyship Project” by Valeria Perez - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). I want in the future to be able to help marginalized and often judged communities to be able to obtain basic health services. That is why after analyzing the thirteen weeks of class my mission remains the same, "be guided by love and respect so that when we are not here anymore we allow ourselves to be role models for the new generations" (“Mission Statement” by Valeria Perez - Moreau FYE Week Thirteen). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s