Microsoft Word - Integration pt 1.docx Arwen Oliva Mr. Polotto Moreau FYS 10101 15 October 2021 I Believe I Have a Mission When we are brought into this world, we are cold, alone, and afraid. However, we then become nurtured, sheltered, and made warm by our loving parents. Similar to the mission our parents were assigned at our birth, we are each given a mission to perform good in this world. It may be becoming a lawyer and advocating for criminal justice, or it could be doing mission trips to help those less fortunate in developing countries. Whatever plan we have in store for our lives, God meant it for us to produce a source of good out of it and create a community that nurtures and cares for our neighbors. I believe that I am searching for what kind of person I want to be. We all want to feel wanted and loved by others, but our first priority must be learning to love and accept ourselves first. So, how can self-love contribute to the development of a safe and loving community? In Brené Brown’s TED Talk, the Power of Vulnerability, , she states, “And the last, which I think is probably the most important is to believe that we’re enough” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). This quote is important because it essentially states that in order for us to branch out and place importance on other people’s needs, we must love and do the same for ourselves first. I believe that we must become vulnerable with our emotions and ourselves know how we feel to tend to our own personal wants and needs. Furthermore, this emotional and social vulnerability must continue with those we surround ourselves with because our peers are deserving of an honest and open relationship, free of lies and hurt. If we as humans can come to love our own selves and give us the label that we are worth something, then we would become capable of opening our hearts up to those in our surroundings. Thus, I believe that becoming vulnerable with not only myself but within my relationships as well would allow me to create a more genuine and thoughtful community. I believe I can forge life-giving relationships through the vital virtue of honesty. Being able to share your thoughts and feelings in its entirety with your partner in a relationship can either mean the end of its longevity or in a more positive light, its continuation and growth. If we are constantly masking the way we feel about a relationship, we will not only foster negativity with the second party but within ourselves; we will begin to feel trapped and alone. In Olivia Taylor’s online publication, 5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Relationship, she states “The best kind of friendships are the ones where you leave with a smile on your face, knowing you’re both growing to be better people and that you’re helping each other get there” (Olivia T. Taylor, 5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Relationship, Moreau FYE Week 4). Our own happiness should embody complete priority in our lives. If hypothetically, one was extremely unhappy in a relationship, and the partner had no idea, the partner would still expect the same amount of attention to be reciprocated by the unhappy partner. Yet, this unhappy partner would not be able to because of lack of emotional energy, thus causing confusion within the other; this is where the vitality of the communication enters. It is highly important for a relationship to thrive that we communicate our emotions, beliefs, secrets, fears, aspirations. As stated in the previous paragraph, if we allow vulnerable communication with the other party, we are opening our hearts up to a deeper and more meaningful connection with others. Rather than focusing on superficial aspects of a relationship such as popularity or pleasure, vulnerability allows you to connect heart-to-heart with our neighbors. With this, I simultaneously believe that my purpose in this life is to foster a community that embodies a sense of security and home by understanding different cultural, religious, societal, economic, or even emotional perspectives. It is necessary to note that the world is not only seen from our personal point of view. For example, in a video game we are always the main character completing the mission with side characters helping us reach that destination along the way. But have you ever thought to think, “What is the game like from their point of view? What goes on inside their head?”. The reality of the world is quite similar to this analogy; we should not view ourselves as main characters but as components that play a role in the lives of others as well. However, unfortunately, the world is not as perfect as we aspire it to be and we hold our biases, or stereotypes toward certain groups of people. In Keith Payne’s article, How to Think about ‘Implicit Bias’, he highlights “It would be comforting to conclude, when we don’t consciously entertain impure intentions, that all of our intentions are pure” ( Keith Payne, How to think about ‘Implicit Bias’, Moreau FYE Week 7). In simpler translation, the author is essentially stating that even though we are not always making these biases the center of our conversation topics, it does not mean we still believe them. By maintaining even the smallest of stereotypes, we are automatically closing our minds off to the perspectives of others. Moreover, the majority of biases are created based off interaction with one person and making it a generalization toward an entire group. How can we know that an entire population behaves according to this stereotype? It is merely impossible. Acting in such a close-minded manner comes with many negative aspects, including the difficulty of forming life-giving relationships. Failure to understand a different perspective than that of your own will only result in argument and flatline of that relationship. God created all human beings equal within his image and likeness. Therefore, every human being, no matter their differences, should be treated with the dignity that the Lord created them in and should at the very least be given the time of day to be understood. Thus, my mission in this world is to help others feel at peace and comfortable within their own environment. By understanding different personal backgrounds, I can utilize this information to formulate life-giving relationships. No one should have to feel alone in this world because at the end of the day, God created the world for us to live in harmony. Word Count: 1085