Professor Chan
Moreau FYE Integration
29 April 2022
Broadening my Map
	A life without mission is like a journey with no map, leaving a person wandering, aimlessly moving through their life while ignoring much of what makes them human. This absence can cause them to feel lost, as if they were “standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded changing with every microsecond” ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week 1). However, by creating a statement, setting goals towards it, and committing to their mission each and every day, people can find the way towards a life well-lived. In terms of my own life, this mission statement has become clear throughout the past eight months, although it had been almost nonexistent prior to my time at Notre Dame. I was placed on this Earth in order to make an impact, a human person who may not be perfect, but by “seeking to live life full of love, gratitude, hard work, and an enthusiasm for this life on earth,” I can create a life in which I accomplish everything I’ve been placed here to do, and live my best life (Mission Statement – Moreau FYE Week 13).
	The first , and most important, aspect of my life and mission takes one focus: love. From a young age, I’ve been extremely lucky to be surrounded by love; my parents are amazing examples of love for one another and for me, and I have so many examples of what love looks like both in my family and in many of my role models. This idea of love is transformative, especially when looked at through the lense of a life well-lived. “We discover our true selves in love” ("Chapter 8: Jurisdiction" (Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., Tattoos on the Heart) – Moreau FYE Week 7). Love for another exposes the greatest parts of our selves, allowing us to be the people we are most designed for. Often, we try to find this through introspection, through an emphasis on self-awareness. Yet, “Introspection can cloud and confuse our self-perceptions, unleashing a host of unintended consequences,” whereas using love to understand who we are and why we’re here allows us to better understand and utilize the best parts of our lives (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” (Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences) – Moreau FYE Week 6). Thus, the idea of love in one’s mission takes center stage, as both the most critical and most useful aspect of a life well-lived.
	Even before realizing the substance of my mission statement, it seems as though I was able to succeed in creating it. While talking to my parents many weeks ago, my dad described his observations that when “situations get chaotic, I seem to become more productive, calmer, and more focused on the tasks at hand” (Discernment Reflection – Moreau FYE Week 5). I have been able to, for longer than I knew, find a way to work hard in every situation, especially the most difficult. This work ethic is critical to success in life, which is a very important aspect of my mission. However, this success is a difficult idea to realize. Often, it comes in many forms, in many fields of study. For this reason, the idea that “there is no ‘best major’ out there - but there is a ‘best major for you’” resonates heavily within my mission ("Navigating Your Career Journey” (Meruelo Family Center for Career Development) – Moreau FYE Week 4). With an emphasis on hard work, and an enjoyment of my studies, I cannot envision any path other than a successful one in my career and in life. This isn’t to say that I’ll never experience hardship, as “Suffering and death are facts of life; focusing only on the “bright and shiny” is superficial and inauthentic” (Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" (Ruth Graham, NY Times) Links to an external site. – Moreau FYE Week 3). However, through this emphasis on hard work, and a gratitude for the blessings I’ve been given throughout my life, even these times of suffering will be reduced, and their effects will be lessened. Thus, an emphasis on my mission statement will once again create a life of success, ad one which will be well-lived. 
	An emphasis on love and hard work in life create a life well-lived, without a doubt. However, they are a very narrow outlook on what makes life worth living, and leave holes in my mission statement that needs to be addressed. As a human person , I’m not perfect by any means, and thus far have failed often to  succeed in the broader aspects of my mission. Whether in “trying to be the voice of the voiceless,” or viewing “a challenge to [my]  racial worldview as a challenge to [my] very identity as [a] good, moral person,” my mission statement has not been able to guide my every action or response (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” (Professor Steve Reifenberg) – Moreau FYE Week 9) (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” (Dr. Robin D’Angelo, adapted from HuffPost) – Moreau FYE Week 10). Yet, as I look to the future, there is certainly room for growth. I have felt the necessity to amnd the mission statement I previously set forth, to include an emphasis of respect of others, and to create a tolerance for the opinions and views of those who disagree with me. As Dr. Martin Luther King once stated, oftentimes “men hate each other because they fear each other” (“Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” (Marcus Cole, Dean of Notre Dame Law School) – Moreau FYE Week 12). I find it important to alleviate this fear by stepping back, understanding others, and refusing to allow their political, economic, or social views prevent me from seeing their true selves, as it relates back to the love that was so paramount in the original statement. Oftentimes, these views drive people apart, but by viewing those with opposing thoughts to mine as “a neighbor that I can convince to move in my direction,” I retain this love and respect for them even when we disagree (“Passion Isn’t Enough” (Hidden Brain Media) - up to min 11:00 – Moreau FYE Week 11). This amendment to my mission statement has become increasingly necessary in the word of political polarization, but even more so on a campus with so many various views, backgrounds, and circumstances. 
	As I refined my mission statement, looking for a way to include a broader scope of love in order to fully design a life will-lived, I have stumbled upon the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When he declared his Dream to the nation, he was outlining his mission, describing to the world that while he may not be perfect, he has a goal to improve the world. This philosophy ensures that regardless of the circumstances, when a person’s life is guided by love, and a commitment to others, any mission statement can be successful. As Father Hesburgh believed, the key to a life well-lived is more than simply success or a friendliness with those close to you. Instead, he believed in and practiced a love and respect for all, building relationships even with those who disagreed or were fundamentally different than he was ("Hesburgh" (Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley) – Moreau FYE Week 2). Throughout my life, from this point on, my mission is simple. I will seek to approach life with an emphasis on love and a commitment to hard work, but more importantly, I will approach every single person I meet with an openness and respect for their views and their value as another human person.