MFYE - Integration Four Capstone Moreau First Year Experience Capstone Integration April 29, 2022 Living Through Life’s Trials My mission statement is: “I use my leadership attributes to assist others in building healthier relationships and growing through them as well as doing so in my own relationships. I will do this by leading by example in respectful and caring ways. It is important to have quality in the relationships you hold, and everyone deserves respectful relationships in their lives. I will continue to strengthen my faith in God. I will do this by choosing to devote more time to my faith and religion. I hope that by doing this, I may rub off on others and they may strengthen their own faith as well. I will act with courage. In order to fulfill the prior statements, I must act in audacious ways. I am no help in assisting others to have healthier relationships or stronger faiths if I do not have the courage to make myself heard or do not take the lengthy steps toward change. It is my responsibility to not take any day for granted and to enjoy life one day at a time. I consider my overall happiness to be something of great importance in my life. My parents raised me using the phrase ‘Choose Happiness’. Even when everything seems to be going wrong, I know that by choosing happiness it has the opportunity to be that much better than not making that positive choice,” ((Personal Mission Statement by - Moreau FYE Two Week Thirteen) My mission statement accurately describes how I would like to orient my life. It mentions my faith, and how I care for others. It mentions happiness, which is something I strive for every day. A quote I liked from week one of this course was, “Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need,” ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Two Week One). I think this quote says a lot in one sentence. Being grateful for what we have is such a necessary thing to keep in mind to find true happiness in this life. I like to be in control and try to drive my life in the right direction, towards happiness. When thinking of the direction my life is headed, I thought to use a quote from Miss Ruth Graham, who told the New York Times, “We try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness,” ("Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Two Week Three). I agree that we run from things, thinking that we will find happiness that way. I think that death is something we simply cannot avoid. By living your life with this unavoidable thought in your mind, it allows you to cherish every day God gives you. I would love others to see me working towards strengthening my faith, helping others where they need it, respecting all those around me, and more. Notre Dame tells people in their first year that, “There are so many career paths and industries out there that it’s best not to limit yourself too much right off the bat,” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Two Week Four). Along with my career path is https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ my path of personality and growth. I think that one’s personality tells a lot about them, if they like classic rock, or if they don’t eat spaghetti, or whether they are willing to lend a hand or not. These small personality traits are seen and accounted for on a personal level. According to my father, my personal role in others’ lives is more important to me than changing the world. He said I help the people in my life work through trouble, cheer them on, and make them feel loved. He claimed that my success so far has influenced positive outcomes for the large circle of people that surround me (Phone Interview with Pat Lorenson by - Moreau FYE Two Week Five). When I wrote my third integration for this class, my eulogy, I chose to include that I was, “Someone who had plentiful love in her heart,” (Integration Three, The Lovely Life of Lily Lorenson by - Moreau FYE Week Eight). I think that by working towards the goal of loving others and caring about them is something that will forever be in my mission statement, no matter what happens in my life. Loving others is an active choice, for you need to make the decision to give your love to that person. During this semester we watched Hesburgh, and before they announce Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death in the movie they show him saying, “There can be no great disappointment, where there is no great love,” ("Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Two Week Two). He was talking about the war in Vietnam. I thought the quote was perfect for those circumstances, but I also think that it can be used in countless others, specifically, in everyday life. I think it was good to keep in mind that disappointment does not simply come about, but instead, is a result of an action. I think that though we can all be disappointed in someone, the disappointment comes from the love and care we have for that person. One would not waste their time being disappointed if they did not love the person in question. https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 To continue with Dr. King’s words, he also said that, “One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense,” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Loving someone is not only a choice, but also a weight to carry. It is not always easy to love, but it is in most cases necessary. Everyone deserves to be loved. Everyone deserves to be prayed for. I enjoy praying for others, and one of my favorite ways of doing this is by praying the Rosary (“Ways to Practice Mindfulness” by McDonald Center for Student Well-being - Moreau FYE Two Week Six). I think it will be most difficult to strengthen my faith when life gets busy, and I think that in a controversial environment, it could be very difficult to be the first to take a step or make a suggestion about change. In our modern culture, social media stories litter our true opinions, guiding us to indecency through comparison. In the Week 11 piece, Hersch said that people “feel hurt that politics isn't going the way they want it,” ( “Passion Isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media - Moreau FYE Two Week Eleven). Politics should be about who is leading our country, and how they do it, but it has become a battle of hating those who aren’t republicans, or cussing out those who aren’t democrats. Politics indeed isn’t going the way it should, because it has changed so much since our country was made. That is a conversation for another time, however, no matter what side of politics people stand on, I wish they could agree to love everyone equally, despite differences. It hurts my heart to know that there are so many hateful people out there that make life so terrible for people that aren’t like them. ‘Majorities’ talk down to minorities and create issues. I cannot begin to imagine what it feels like for someone to tell you that you aren’t worthy of a life equal to theirs because you like the same sex or because you have a different skin color. Many times these comments leave everlasting dents in one’s self esteem and self image. I wish I could tell everyone that, “God https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view?usp=sharing https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/ doesn’t make shit,” (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh, Grotto - Moreau FYE Two Week Ten). This is a great reminder for everyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or class. No one should have to feel the pain of thinking they are not good enough. Some people who get enough of these dents in their self love decide that it is better not to say anything than suffer the pain. I want to lend these people a hand by being an ally to them. “The goal should be that those who have no voice today will have a voice and will be heard,” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Two Week Nine). As someone who has always been outgoing and has always had a knack for public speaking (I began acting in second grade), I have always felt as though I can be a voice for those who are not heard. I do not only want to help others’ ideas to be heard, but also at some point again their own voices. Everyone’s words are worth sharing, everyone’s feelings are valid. At this university I have the opportunity to interact with such a diverse group of people in comparison to those I grew up around. I have never been given the chance to test myself or my boundaries to learn about those who aren’t living in a rural Minnesotan town made up of 3,000 people. While here, I was required to attend an Allyship meeting. This is something I would have never found myself doing at home. I would rather just assume that I was well educated and knew enough to be an ally. I walked into the room and was nervous for some reason. The nervousness disappeared as all of the people in the room welcomed us visitors so kindly (Allyship Activity, Moreau FYE Two Week Twelve). During the meeting I learned a lot about how to be an ally, and how to help other people join me. I am so glad I went because it gave me another insight on how to be a better person. https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing I hope to continue to grow as a person and use my mission statement to help me in this. I want to use my leadership skills, strengthen my faith, and help those around me. I am so glad that Notre Dame has given me an opportunity to widen my horizons and learn so much about becoming a better human. Works Cited ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Two Week One) ("Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Two Week Two) ("Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Two Week Three) (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Two Week Four) (Phone Interview with Pat Lorenson by - Moreau FYE Two Week Five) (“Ways to Practice Mindfulness” by McDonald Center for Student Well-being - Moreau FYE Two Week Six) (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences - Moreau FYE Week Seven) (Integration Three, The Lovely Life of by - Moreau FYE Two Week Eight) 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 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view?usp=sharing https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Two Week Nine) (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh, Grotto - Moreau FYE Two Week Ten) ( “Passion Isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media - Moreau FYE Two Week Eleven) (Allyship Activity, Moreau FYE Two Week Twelve) (Personal Mission Statement by - Moreau FYE Two Week Thirteen) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/ https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/