Spring Moreau Integreation- FINAL 27 April, 2022 Prof. Whittington Moreau Capstone Integration A Force For Good in the World The mission of my life is to use my time and talents to make a difference in my local community and the world. My mission of serving others is inspired by Catholic beliefs, in which I believe I have so much to give to help the lives of others. While my goal is to give of myself to others, I also strive to learn as much as I can from those around me. As humans, we are all flawed, yet the different insights and perspectives that each individual possesses can help me to become a better person. It is essential that I do not become stagnant in my pursuit of becoming a better person and serving others. Improving myself and serving others can often be difficult, particularly difficult physically, emotionally, and intellectually. However, I must not run away from challenges. Confronting difficult situations will help me to learn and improve as a person. As I accumulate knowledge and growth within my Catholc faith, it is my responsibility to pass down what I have learned to future generations. Passing down my knowledge and inspiring others is critical in ensuring that our world continues to become a better place. Through refusing to give up, consulting my faith in my decisions, and having faith in humanity, I will make a positive impact and fulfill my purpose in the world. A good life is one that is informed by knowledge, and guided by principle. As a person, it is essential that I be a lifelong learner. The world is always changing and adapting, I must continue to learn about these changes so I can contribute. Despite all of these changes, I must remain firm in my principles which are guided by my Catholic faith. One of the core fundamentals of Catholic teaching is love. Through my actions, I must demonstrate that I am loving my neighbors. There are many people in society who feel marginalized, and it questions them to cause their own self worth and standing with God. This idea was stated concisely by Grotto Magazine that sometimes people do not think God loves them because they fail to love themselves (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh- Moreau FYE Week Ten). I will work towards giving of my time and talents towards others, and my contributions to others will hopefully make everyone realize that they are loved. Even simple acts of kindness such as starting a conversation can really brighten someone's days. Oftentimes, our society marginalizes groups of people. It is these marginalizations which can make people feel like they have less or little self worth. This semester I was really moved by the words of Marcus Cole at the Notre Dame Law School, “I am a lawyer, a law professor, and Dean of one of the nation’s leading law schools” (“I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” by Marcus Cole- Moreau FYE Week Twelve). This statement was incredibly powerful coming from someone who comes from a background of discrimination. I have been privledged to not experience the types of discrimination or marginzaltion that many others have faced. When I think about these instances, I will often ask myself, “Why them and not me?” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis- Moreau FYE Spring Week Seven). Instances of marginalization have gone on for far too long, and through giving of myself, I can help create a society in which the next generation does not have to ponder this question. Despite my efforts and the efforts of others to make our world a better place, there are many times when life can be difficult. Sometimes all I do is focus on the difficulties that I am facing. This very much echoes the idea that Aria Swarr presents, “when hardships or unexpected things happen, we often focus on the things we don't have” (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr- Moreau FYE Spring Week Six). https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 Despite any difficulties that I am facing, I know that I have been loved by others, and I have love to give myself. Love and friendships are two of the most important things in life. Through giving of my life, time, and love, I can help people feel improved and achieve their goals just like Marcus Cole. While my goal of empowering inspires me, it is imperative that I do not become stagnant in my pursuit. In order to continue my pursuit, I must constantly diversify my surroundings. Being around the same people constantly could create an echo chamber, making me deaf to the real issues going on around in our world (“How to Avoid An Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko- Moreau FYE Week Eleven). In many instances, I will not be able to leave my community, family, and occupation to go elsewhere and provide service. Therefore, there are many ways in which I can diversify my service and friendships within my community. This can be as simple as creating a conversation with someone from my parish who I have never spoken to before. Their input and thoughts can be inspiring and enlightening. While I seek to improve the lives of others, individuals will in return enrich my life through our interactions. This idea is something that Steve Reifenberg learned while he was serving in Chile, that interactions in life are truly mutually beneficial (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg- Moreau FYE Week Nine”). Steve echoes the idea that we need to not treat others as strangers who we do not want to associate with, but we should approach others with optimism. Surrounding myself with all types of people within my community will ensure I do not become stagnant in mission. While it may seem that I have a solid grasp in following the ideals of my mission, as any other human, I struggle a lot. This year has been a year of change and struggle. I get very stressed over my classes, and as a pre-med student, my courses have really required a lot of my https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit time. My one regret about this year is that I sometimes let the stress control me. Instead of striking up conversations with friends, I would often just go and study. I worry about failing, and it often seems that getting grades is the only way I can succeed in life. However, the Career Center at Notre Dame does remind us that “Contrary to popular belief, your major does not determine the rest of life” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center For Career Development- Moreau FYE Spring Week Four). Going forward, I need to listen to the advice of the career center. I must put my goals of enriching myself and the lives of others over the stress induced habits that I have developed. Despite these failures, my brother has stressed to me that “failure is a process of growth” (“Discernment Conversation Activity” by Kyle Thompson- Moreau FYE Spring Week Five). My failures this year have been lessons, and in the future I can be more aware about how stress influences my life. However, I do believe that success within my major can lead me to helping others. I would like to be a pediatrician, and I believe I can provide great inputs and advice to help families. I would like to remind my patients that “stress will be the health epidemic of the twenty-first century” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer- Moreau FYE Spring Week One). Therefore, I can help the lives of others, by advising them not to let stress control them like it has controlled me at times. Living out my mission can be difficult, but confronting these challenges is how I can grow and develop as a person. Despite these many obstacles, I often remember that I will only be alive for a limited amount of time. I find Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble’s famous reminder to be very inspiring, “remember your death” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember that You Will Die” by Ruth Graham- Moreau FYE Spring Week Three). I must make the most amount of positive change possible with my life. As I make a difference and learn about the lives of others, I will be able to pass down what I have learned to future generations. Our world can often tempt https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4NnJVvyKXuwshj-KDpvZzEOY0MLrVpmSHgcuuhwRls/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4NnJVvyKXuwshj-KDpvZzEOY0MLrVpmSHgcuuhwRls/edit?usp=sharing https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ 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 us to be selfish about our goals, but I wish to pass down the reminder that Father Hesburgh has passed down to my generation, “There comes a time in life…where moral righteousness is more important than victory” ("Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley- Moreau FYE Spring Week Two). The time for moral righteousness is now, and I must help the next generation to understand that. My mission statement embodies my sense of moral righteousness, as I believe that I need to use my gifts to be a force for good in the world. While it can be difficult to always follow my morals, I am committed to making a conscious effort on a daily basis to improve myself and the world around me. https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9