Norman 1


Father Kevin Sandberg
FYS 10101.7
3 December 2021
Lever-Up!
	I have never been one to acknowledge that I have or need a lever in my life. I have grown since my days of trying to move the world without a lever, but still feel the residual pull to do things independently. Archimedes said, “give me a place to stand and with a lever, I will move the whole world”. Taking Moreau this semester demonstrated to me that Notre Dame can be my place to stand and the people I meet can be my lever. This class reaffirmed my path towards leaning on others more because, as an example, a discussion we had emphasized even if you live by eulogy virtues, people must be left to share those virtues and your stories (Week 2). If you push others away and always focus on the next biggest thing, no one will never get to know what kind of heart and soul you have. When thinking about my rules of life for Week 12, I added “be where your feet are” because of this exact point. Without another cat to talk back to, there would be no talking cats.  
	When I think of what I am made for, I am drawn back into my major discernment process during senior year of high school. I had all these ideas about what I could go into during college, but when it came down to the “why major?” portion of the application, I drew a blank. I thought I needed to fit into a picture-perfect box with a grandiose plan as to why I wanted to go into the career I would study for. It was hard for me to be vulnerable with myself, because like Brené Brown, I was afraid of not being accepted, and in this case, by whatever field I went into (Week 1). At one point, I wanted to be a doctor like my grandpa. I then moved onto wanting to be a veterinarian like my dad. I realized, though, through the power of vulnerability, that I liked those professions because they helped people. I do not like medicine, which was a hard pill to swallow, but once I did, my eyes were open to the many fields of study that I knew I could be made for. After lots of soul searching, I realized that I would be happy in a career where I could integrate my passion of science and math into my desire to positively impact the world. I took a leap of faith choosing to study engineering because I did not know exactly what it entailed, and, honestly, I still do not. However, for now, I know that I am enjoying the classes and that the career options that fulfill my criteria are endless. I am made for this area of study because I chose it. Again, this acceptance is a hard hurdle to pass because of the dilemma of others’ expectations (Julia Hogan, Week 9). Outside stressors make me want to know exactly how I will use my engineering degree or exactly why I feel a pull to make my career one that gives back to others, but if I am confident in myself, I give importance to the things in my life that matter. Nevertheless, I also acknowledge that I am made for God’s love and the love of other people. I can use my faith in God and in others as me lever to achieve the goals I have in my life because they are the framework through which the big picture of life can be achieved (Week 3).
	Although the support of others and God will take off some of the weight of the lever that will help me achieve my goals, what I am made of will be the lever. This semester has consisted of a lot of self-discoveries, mainly learning how to use both my good and bad qualities to my strength. In the past, I wanted a single story of me to be portrayed—that I was independent, motivated, and had my life figured out—to the world so instead of other people’s dignity being broken, I broke my own (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Week 7). But I realized that the ground I stand on is all of my past experiences, where I am from, that led me to where I am now—at Notre Dame as a chemical engineer hoping to have a career that will help heal even the smallest portion of the world. Where I’m from is my friends and family that sacrifice for me so that I feel their love and can gain opportunities (Week 6). Knowing this piece of me gives me the persistence to follow my dreams no matter how big. Using the resources from Moreau, I have been able to reflect on my character traits, the qualities of my relationships, and institutionalized biases in the world. It led me to remain concrete on this important part of me because although my being at Notre Dame will change in the future or chemical engineering might change, my reasons for choosing both of those things will always remain. It represents my deepest desires and what my life’s discernment has led up to at this point. I have found value in accepting what is true of the moment, while still acknowledging that things may change, because otherwise I would stress about the next hour of every day rather than living in the current second. I am made of whatever I want to be made of and if my lever needs to be repainted or remade from a stronger material (or levered up;)), I will remain the same and the ground I stand on will as well. 
	I am so thankful for Moreau this semester because it forced me to give time to myself during a period when I prioritized other things. Getting to know myself was difficult and consuming at times, but Moreau allowed me to be able to answer what I am made for and what I am made of with minimal stress. The facilitated discussions and outside resources led me to the many conclusions I have made about myself recently. I know that what I am made for and of now does not need to be the same my whole life. The world will change, my lever will change, and the ground I stand on will change. However, Moreau taught me acceptance of that change because of my acceptance of myself.