Yusman_Integration One Yusman 1 Professor Wagner Moreau FYE 14 Oct. 2021 Who I Am, What I’ve Learned, and Where I’m Going I believe that I am searching for ways to be vulnerable. For many, vulnerability is a default or a release when they feel safe. Brené Brown said that “when [she] asks people about love, they tell [her] about heartbreak. When [she] asks people about belonging, they’ll tell [her] about being excluded.”1 However, I’ve found that I tend to act contrary to this. The first day of classes, when asked what I liked so far at Notre Dame, I felt compelled to find good, even though in reality I blacked out and got a concussion and there was relatively little to be joyous about. I try to hide my vulnerabilities so that I may focus on helping other’s. When asked how my day was, I quickly answer “decent” and seek the truth of the other’s day instead. However, I know this is not a healthy reaction. Just as much as other’s need the time and ability to be vulnerable, so too do I. My own experiences at home, and in sharing my vulnerabilities in Moreau, have taught me this and show its value to me. They’re driven me to become more vulnerable, speaking openly if things aren’t going great, and allowing other’s to truly see who I am. By continuing this and fostering relationships with those who I’m vulnerable to, I hope to further this search and come closer to others and myself through it. I believe that my purpose is to help others. David Brooks proposes the idea of an “Adam 1” and “Adam 2” in which the first represents our reasoning and logic while the second represents our emotions2, and that they exist in a conflict to each other. I would argue instead that they are in conflict when one is not living as their true self. I find the joy and happiness of Yusman 2 helping others to be more rewarding than anything else. In addition, from a logical standpoint I know that helping others brings the greatest benefit to humanity as a whole. In this way, through finding my purpose I’m able to reconcile the beliefs of Adam 1 and 2, using them both to accomplish my purpose rather than managing a disagreement between the two. My knowledge of this purpose has existed for a while, but was furthered by Moreau’s investigation of my personality traits. Although a test prone to error, my results did reflect the traits I generally consider most important to helping others, and as such the traits I work on the most. However, it also showed me my weaknesses and where I might improve. By improving in these, I may give myself more resources with which to work towards my purpose. As such, I’ve started trying to acknowledge and even seek out situations that may grow and improve my less developed character traits. I believe that I grow through pursuit of my faith. If there is one thing I’ve learned from Moreau and Notre Dame so far, it’s the value of faith in my life and the active pursuit of it. Professor Fagerberg, in his Article for the Grotto3, speaks of faith as a kind of light that one uses to view the world. In this I fully agree. Faith, and the pursuit of it, has shown me so much more about myself and the world around me that I would not have known otherwise. It has helped me find see my purpose, see the beauty in the world around me, and better understand those around me. In Moreau, I learned about the role of faith in other’s lives, and how they each pursue it. With this information I can seek to better my own practices, finding ways of practicing my faith that fit me and my lifestyle. One such way is visits to the grotto. I’ve found it to be an amazing place to reflect not only on my day-to-day life, but my faith as well. Through methods like this and other’s, I hope to continue to develop and grow my faith so that it may guide me on my journey. Yusman 3 I believe that I forge life-giving relationships through a love for others. Love, to will the good for someone else, is an inherit trait in everyone. Every human seeks to love and to be loved. Not necessarily in any specific form, either romantic or platonic, but simply to have those who will their good and who's good they may will in return. One of the greatest examples of this I’ve learned of at Notre Dame is Fr. Sorin. He journeyed to a land new to him and suffered many struggles in order to construct the University of Notre Dame. In this he showed greatly his love for those who would come to attend the university, wishing for it to do good to them so that they may be a force for good in the world, or alternatively phrased, for it to show them love so that they may love the world. This pursuit of love gave him a life and happiness known to few others. He wrote that even though his interests were in other places, that he would be met with no sadness to run the university and ensure its success. This is the kind of life giving relationship that I pursue, and I hope to find it similarly through a love for those around me and those to come after me. Now, it is important as well to specify the boundaries of this love. Love, as I stated earlier, must be a will for other’s good, and cannot become a selfish pursuit. As seen in the video by the One Love Foundation4, this happens all too often. Love becomes an excuse for bad rather than a pursuit for good. This is what I must seek to avoid in my pursuit of life-giving relationships. By staying aware of my own actions and what they really say about the intent of my love, I identify if I am ever nearing this line and work back towards love for good rather than drifting into a selfish love that can do so much damage to others. I believe that I find truth through identifying other’s pursuits and perspectives. Carla Harris, a laetare medal recipient, said that she learned to “help anyone, anyway, anyhow, just because you can.”5 I believe to be true, but how does one go about that? How does one know what is needed to help others? If the help could cause harm instead? Just as Chimamanda Ngozi Yusman 4 observes that the likely well-meaning European books cause harm to African heritage6, so too can well-meaning help be a detriment to some. Moreau has taught me to approach others with this mindset. One wishing to help others as best I can, but while keeping in mind their own pursuits and perspectives so that I do not accidentally cause harm where good was intended. One way I can seek to grow in this aspect is through asking questions of others. By learning more about those around me and those of completely different walks of life, I can better understand others and equip myself with the knowledge to do the most good. I believe that my community should foster my growth. George Ella Lyon believes that everyone should look at where they’re from and the things that have made them who they are7. To this I would add to look at the present, and see those who will make me the best person I can be. Moreau showed me how to identify those influences in my past that have shaped me and made me who I am, and from that I can understand myself in the present. Using this knowledge, then I may look at those around me and how they will affect me in the future. Who to hold close and take opinions from, and who to keep in touch with but avoid them shaping my life. In this way I can ensure I grow to be the best I can be so that I may do the most for those around me. Yusman 5 Works Cited 1. “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One 2. “Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two 3. “Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” by Professor David Fagerberg - Moreau FYE Week Three 4. “Because I Love You” by One Love Foundation - Moreau FYE Week Four 5. “Notre Dame Commencement 2021: Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Five 6. “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi - Moreau FYE Week Seven 7. “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/belief/faith-brings-light-to-dark-world/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQ5ur9OZ-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4 https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html