Wiser 

Moreau 
April 18 2022 
Professor Chan

The Next Three Years 

My mission in life is to find meaning and fulfillment in what I do. Over my first year at Notre Dame I have learned more about myself and what that statement really means to me. Exploring this has allowed me to realize the importance of creating meaningful relationships with the people around me. I have had a really hard time this year in college and it has highlighted the need for having bonds near me. I was able to turn to certain people for help because of these relationships.  I believe that these bonds are characteristic of a life well lived. It is my mission to continue building these relationships so that I can give back to those that have helped me. I want to learn to be a more compassionate and patient person so I can reach out to strangers who look like they need a hand. It is through creating new relationships as well as strengthening the relationships already formed that I believe I can fulfill my mission. I also want to work in improving my mind so that I can be at peace with myself. Doing this will allow me to find happiness and fulfillment, through bettering myself so that I can aid others.   
This mission statement will articulate my life not just the next few years but hopefully the rest of my life. Focusing on the next three years and my time and college however,  it starts with remembering and reflecting on what I learned in Moreau. In week one we learned about the importance of slowing down and spending time away from our work. I know I often didn't hang out with friends because I said I had too much work to do. I need to remember the quote  “Whenever I finally force myself away from my desk for a day, of course, I find the opposite: the more time I spend away from my work, the better that work will be, most often.” (Moreau week 1) Perhaps I need to give myself a break and at the same time, build those relationships that I need to fill my soul. It is in these relationships that “we’re in this together; we’re implicated as partners in the mix, sharing in the complexity and chaos of each other’s lives. As a result, when challenges occur, as they always do, walking together, you’re less likely to be arrogant and think you have all the solutions.” (Moreau week 9) When thinking about my mission statement, it is largely inspired by the statement “Christ taught the law of love of God and sent the Holy Spirit that we might live lives of love and receive the gift of eternal life.” (Moreau week 10) This is ultimately what I'm striving to reach these next three years, and then the rest of my life. Being able to show kindness to others around me even if I don't receive it back. I also want to focus on making sure the time I spend forming these relationships is mainly in person and not surrounded by technology. Week seven reminded me how many are “cast aside by our techno-economic systems which, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people.” (Moreau week 7) Therefore it is a goal of mine to give time to people and do things in person. 
It is also important for me to remember, on those days when I don't feel like reaching out to others, what we learned from Father Hesburgh in week two. Father Hesburg stood up for what he believed in even when others were strongly against him. “Nixon, he was shocked when father Hesburgh stood up for the commision.” (Moreau week 2) I should remember Father Hesburgh when I am having trouble standing up for others. I need to remember that it is part of building strong relationships. It is one thing for me to have relationships with other runners on the team who are similar to me, it is another to try and build them with different people at this school. I should strive to remember what we learned in week 11 that “In surrounding ourselves with those who agree with us we are losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree, which is accelerating political polarization.” (Moreau week 11)  It is just as important for me to build relationships with people who are different from me. This was highlighted further in the quote “Each of us needs to get to know people who differ from us. We must all make a conscious decision and effort to expand our circles.” (Moreau week 12) I think this is the end goal. To get good enough at building relationships with people that are similar to me so that I am able to build them with people who are vastly different. 
Week three was very eye opening towards forming my mission statement. This week a particular statement stood out to me. “That one constant vocation to be fully, totally, absolutely as human as I can possibly be. One way is to ask the questions; What gives you joy? What are you really good at? What do the people around you really need? (Moreau week 3) I found what brought me joy and what I'm good at are related to my sport. I think the next three years I can use my sport to build strong relationships with the team as well as work on listening to problems that many of the girls are having. Running is a very emotional sport and I can work towards being a better teammate for them. 
I also need to think back to week five when I had the opportunity to ask my mom a few questions. The answer to the question “what self-knowledge was confirmed or challenged?” (Moreau Week 5)  is important in how I approach the next three years. I need to remember that while I'm in the zone moment and my desires are formed around running, that doesn't mean that should be my whole life. I need to remember that my family and friends will make my life much more meaningful and enjoyable. It is up to me to work to build those relationships over the years.  
Another part of my mission was to treat myself with more kindness and awareness. Trying to separate the bad thoughts from the good ones and learning to accept myself for who I am. Over the next three years I want to focus on the quote “At times, asking what instead of why can force us to name our emotions, a process that a strong body of research has shown to be effective” (Moreau week 6) Putting in the time to write down my thoughts and feelings and really explore the complexities of my mind. In doing this I hope to find a sense of peace with myself. I also want to try and remember to take and breath and not stress about everything. I should remind myself that “With a degree from the University of Notre Dame, the opportunities are endless.” (week four) I will have a future once I leave here and stressing every minute will only make the process painful. 
Overall this is my plan for the next three years to fulfill my mission to the best of my abilities. I will use what I have learned this year in Moreau to remind myself to reach out to others as well as people close to me.