Moreau FYS- Capstone Integration Prof. David Pruitt Moreau FYS April 29, 2022 Stop Talking, Start Walking When it comes to talking about my own personal mission statement, I will say something that, by this point in the school year, I have likely reiterated dozens of times, either due to its relevance in how I wish to conduct myself or just because I cannot think of anything else to write. I have talked at length about my mission to improve the many less than stellar aspects of my person, from my work ethic to my social skills and confidence to my more concrete goals concerning what I want to achieve during my college career. I have talked at length about how “[I] want to feel the pride of [my] own accomplishments”1 and how true joy and satisfaction “is the deep delight that one feels in being called to something still before you.”2 I have talked about how I want to break out of the eternal comfort zone that has been my dorm room couch and get out and experience all of the social gatherings that make college so memorable and fun, because “the future is made… of encounters, because life flows through our relationships with others.”3 I have talked about as many avenues of improvement as I can think of, mentioning every way in which I can make myself a more confident, competent, and complete individual. In other words, my mission statement has, since the beginning of the year, wrapped almost every aspect of this course’s self-reflection and improvement advice into a well thought-out plan. And that is where the problem lies. In spite of everything I have just stated about my desire to improve, that is all it has ever been up until this point: a desire. My so-called “well thought-out” plan has never been put into action, as I instead keep telling myself that it will eventually come into action on its own accord. 3 “The Future You” by Pope Francis- Week 7 2 “Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes- Week 3 1 “Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” by Todd Howard- Week 5 While many things in life occur slowly over time as the result of a series of individual events, personal change and improvement never begins as the result of outside forces, but instead as the result of one’s own commitment to changing themselves. And so far, that commitment is nowhere to be found. I have talked so much about bolstering my work ethic and starting to cut down on how much I procrastinate, and yet I have not even been able to walk away from the habit of writing this very paper an hour before it is due. I have thus far responded to the suffering of having to write a thousand words by not writing them at all, leaving me in the same sad state I have been in while writing every other integration paper. I have talked so much about wanting to attend parties and social gatherings in order to create a solid foundation for social confidence and meaningful friendships as well as to construct a solid sense of empathy that I have otherwise been lacking, as “not only is it important to walk together with somebody, but one must also learn how to be accompanied – to participate in the reciprocity of accompaniment.”4 Even though one of the main points of a life well-lived is not to avoid suffering but instead “is about how to respond to suffering,”5 I continue to cling onto the comfortable familiarity of my desk, my couch, and my bed, locking myself away in my dorm room as a result of my failure to act with courage and perform an act that most of my friends are able to pull off subconsciously and with ease. The only time I walk out towards another room with other people in there besides my roommate both in a metaphorical and literal sense is to go to the restroom. I have talked about setting myself up for success later on in life, about how I want to forge a path of my own, a path distinctive from that of my father and those around me in Mendoza with similar aspirations, and although I have walked away from each class of Principles of Management with a new concept or idea to ponder, it rarely remains in my mind past lunch time. How can I develop the necessary 5 “Why Does God Allow Suffering” by Dr. Jihoon Kim- Week 6 4 “A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg- Week 9 wisdom to conquer life’s many challenges and “be intentional about the information which [I] expose [myself] to”6 if I cannot retain such knowledge beyond the door of a DeBartolo lecture hall? My freshman year will come to close not even a week from when I am writing this integration, and it seems like all of the things I have talked about for so long will amount to nothing but a string of well-intentioned yet ultimately empty promises and goals. However, with the summer finally beginning to rise over the horizon, so too does one last opportunity to capitalize on my mission statement rise. During the next three months of sunshine and fun, I will find myself in the privileged position to live at the beach in Delaware from Memorial Day almost all the way through to the start of my sophomore year here at Notre Dame. The beach in question, Dewey Beach, is somewhat of a party town with many bars and restaurants that serve the large crowds of tourists that make their way through there every summer, and over the last two years of staff shortages, they have been more than eager, if not desperate, to take on new employees. As a result, I have made it my goal to land a job at one of these establishments for the summer, as it will check off many of the empty boxes which I have discussed above. I will be forced to stick to a rigorous work schedule that will build better time management skills for me come the fall semester, I will have to interact with many different people, both fellow employees and patrons alike, and thus build up my social skills and confidence, and I will finally gain some work experience that provide invaluable wisdom as I look towards internship opportunities and full-time employment in the coming years. Also, what is not to love about living and working in a beach party-town for the summer? Throughout my freshman year, I have talked all of the talk that there is to talk, but this summer, I will finally begin to walk the walk. 6 “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko- Week 11