What Do I Believe 

    I believe that I grow from allowing myself to be vulnerable and putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Like Dr. Brene` Brown mentions in her video about vulnerability in week 1, I too don’t like the idea of allowing myself to be vulnerable either but I know that it is a great way for me to grow. In the video, she says “ I am enough” I believe that this is a huge thing to remember when It comes to putting yourself out there and searching for growth. Knowing that no matter what anyone thinks or says or feels about me, I know that I am enough and this belief has helped make it to where I am now. I believe this because growth comes from trial. For example you only see mucule growth from breaking down and tearing that muscle so it can grow later stronger than it was before. Its the same with allowing yourself to be vulnerable, after every time you do it you build more and more confidence in yourself to handle any situation that you would have been uncomfortable in previously. Personally I’m not a huge fan of public speaking… it makes me really uncomfortable and vulnerable and I feel like I am being judged every second but because I have allowed myself to be in situations where I had to speak in front of a number of people , I have grown confidence in myself now and I know that I am enough and the thought of public speaking doesn’t bother me anymore.
          
          I believe that my propose is to spread the word of God and get as much people as possible into the Kingdom of God. I believe that this is all of our purposes. In week 2 David brooks makes a statement that I disagree with completely. That statement was “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime”. I believe that our whole purpose of being here on earth is to take advantage of this life time so that in the end we aren’t spending “eternity” in a place where no one wants to spend eternity. I believe that we can achieve the most important thing in our lifetime here on earth and that is accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior. Furthermore, our purpose is to get our brothers and sisters to do the same so we can all spend “eternity” in heaven because that is his will for us. I have come to believe this because My parents have raised me to be this way. They each individually have had a rough past and would tell you themselves that they were lost without Jesus until one day they both gave their life to God. They have told me stories of them in their youth and how life was hard. They have also told me stories of the miracles that God has done for them. This is a topic that I was naive of in my past year but now it clear to me because I have had my own instances where he has preformed micarles for me and I have felt him for myself. Brooks talks about his friends Idea of Adam 1 and Adam 2 and this is the reason why I believe that spreading the word as a brother or sister is very important. Our world today is so full of the Adam 1 and people often focus on the things of this world instead of the Adam 2 who is much more enlightened.
            I believe that I am searching for God on a much deeper level now. This past year my understanding and knowledge and Love for God has grown immensely. One part that has played a role in that growth has been nature. In the reading “ Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” by Professor David Fagerberg In week 3, He says something that just strikes me as so true. He says that  “Everything speaks of God, nothing is ordinary.”  I love this quote because it is very true. I think it is especially true in terms of nature. I believe this because the wind and the beauty of nature always remind me of God which in turn directs me to turn and to search for more. For me sitting outside and reading the bible has been an effective way for me to search for whatever it may be that he wants to say to me in that moment. Sometimes it is a time when I am confused or hurt. Nature always reminds me of who is in charge and that results in me reading the bible and trying to see what he is trying to convey to me at that point in time. 
               I believe that friends are an important part of individual well-being. In week 4 we talk about negative and unhealthy relationships and how they can affect our lives. This I why I believe that having a strong support system or having a strong group of friends is important. In the article “5 signs you’re in a toxic friendship” Author Olivia Taylor has a quote that says, “The best kind of friendship are the ones where you leave with a smile on your face.”  This is way I believe that friends are important because each one of mine have always been there for me during my hard times and are alot of the reason I am who I am. After each time we leave each other we leave with great memories and big smiles. It’s important because I know that these are friends that I know that I will have for the rest of my life. My time here at Notre Dame has made me reflect on that and the Importance if it so now I am trying to create some of those same strong healthy friendships here that will last a lifetime.  
                I believe that I am responsible for serving my brothers and sisters with love. In week 5 Fr. Kevin Grove used a quote that says this ,“We cannot love the God, whom we do not see. If we don’t love the brother whom we do see.” This quote helps me believe that I am responsible for my brothers and sisters and in other words my community. The bible tells us to love our neighbor. So it is obviously to me that it is important to love like jesus did. This is a responsibility that I strive to get better at each day and over my time here I have gotten better at it. I’ve gotten better at just being there for whoever may need an extra hand or a shoulder to cry on or just a friend. 
                I believe that remembering where I am from is a great way for me to keep moving forward. In week 6 we made a Where I’m from poem that I really enjoyed and I believe that it reminds us of how far we have come and for me it serves as a reason I need to keep going no matter how hard my time here may get. I believe this because my past is the very reason I am the way I am today and my past serves as milestone in my life of what I’ve come from. It also reminds me of the goals I had back then when I was just a kid and also the people who are home that want to see me thrive in life. 
               I believe that I pursue truth by keeping an open mind. In week 7 we see that how we may imagine a situation in a place to be could be very inaccurate as well as just jumping to conclusion instead of getting all the details so we can make an accurate observation or judgement based on what we know and not what someone else may have told us. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in her video makes it obvious that someone else point of view wrong or biased. I believe this because often times in this day in age lies are thrown at us from every angle and it can be hard to know if their are some truths in it or not. So keeping an open mind and not believing everything that is put in front of me without doing my own background is a good way to pursue truth.

    (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week 1)
  (  David Brooks: Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy? Moreau FYE Week 2)
     “Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” (Professor David Fagerberg, Grotto - Moreau FYE Week 3)
"5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship"  (Olivia T. Taylor, Grotto- Moreau FYE Week 4) 
 "Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education" (Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week 5)
( "Where I'm From"  (George Ella Lyon- Moreau FYE Week 6) 
( "Danger of a Single Story" Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, TED - Moreau FYE Week 7)