Moreau Integration Assignment Continued Growth ● I believe the purpose of life is the pursuit of my “best self.” No one is born into the world with a clear purpose, so we all must search for something to justify our continued existence. We all have different abilities and passions, so it’s useless to attempt to derive purpose from comparing ourselves to others or trying to be “the best” at something; there will always be someone better. I have learned through many activities, most importantly being a competitive swimmer, that focusing on self improvement is the most fulfilling mindset to have. At Notre Dame, I continue to try to become my best self through the pursuit of a well rounded higher education. Although some students only find value in the courses required for their major, I believe that having to take classes in a variety of academic disciplines will make me a more complete person by making me more knowledgeable about the world that I live in. ● I believe that communities should be built on loyalty and trust. All communities rely on trust in order to function. The strongest communities are those where the members of the community can rely on each other for help and support. As I have learned from my family and friends, it is much easier to get support from the people that I can trust, and in order to gain trust, you have to open up to other people and expose your vulnerabilities. As Brene Brown identified in her Ted Talk, those who embrace their vulnerability are the ones who feel the most worthy within a community. “They (the wholehearted) fully embraced vulnerability. (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One)” We must therefore trust each other so we all feel comfortable being vulnerable to others in our community. The history of the founding of Notre Dame provides good insight into an example of a community built on trust. While Father Sorin was building the university, he realized that he was not a good enough leader to finish the project. “But the more I feel penetrated with gratitude for so many blessings from Heaven upon our work, the more I realize my own incapacity to long direct the undertaking. In good time you gave me the direction of some five or six Brothers in America, but you will understand that now all is changed. The present situation demands the presence of an able leader, one possessing, as much as possible, the qualifications prescribed ·by our Constitutions. It is for you, Reverend Father, to make the choice which will meet all the requirements of such a mission.” (Letter to Basil Moreau by Fr. Sorin - Moreau FYE Week 5) Father Sorin trusted Father Moreau with his insecurities, and this allowed him to reach out to Father Moreau. If Sorin didn’t have this trusting network to rely on, Notre Dame might not have been as successful as it is today. I try to apply this belief by focusing on trying to build trust with the people I live by or work closely with. I try to build as much trust with them as possible by being honest, keeping promises, being accepting of their thoughts, and not being afraid to be vulnerable around them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o56woQDq3QrRkziT8eYrvYly5CQaP2Vb/view ● I believe that mutual respect is the foundation for every good relationship. All people deserve to be respected, and the only way you can truly understand and be in a relationship with someone is if you start from a place of respecting them. Respect is almost universally desired, and most people agree that everyone deserves to be respected, as seen by the emphasis our class put on respecting each other and their ideas when building the class norms. During the fourth week, we read an article identifying five signs of a toxic friendship: “They only talk about negative things, They don’t really listen to you, They repeatedly bail on you, They talk about other people behind their backs, They use you to get what they want” (5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four) When analyzing these behaviors and traits, the conclusion I have drawn is that most of them stem from a lack of respect by one or both parties. When respect for the other person is lost, you can almost justify treating them however you like, which can be a very awful thing. I try to let this value influence all actions in my life because the biggest part of being a good person and friend is respecting others. With my friends, I try to always remind myself to respect them, their feelings, and their thoughts so that I can be a good friend and not lose my relationship with them. Even if I don’t get along with someone or they make mistakes, they still deserve to be respected. ● I believe that a person’s value comes from the impact they’ve had on others. The search for self worth is something many people struggle with in the modern day, including myself. It took me quite a while to become comfortable with who I am, and even today I’m still trying to find where my worth lies. Through much reflection, I have found that the best answer to the worth of human life is a person’s impact on those around them, especially their friends and family. That is not to say that human life should be judged comparatively based on this scale, for every human life has the same value. Rather it should be used as a way for those looking for value in their life to find it. Many people try to find meaning in their life by the things that they did, especially in the professional sense. Although it is not wrong to focus on external achievement, it is also important to remember that you will be remembered by the person you were to others. As Ted Brooks identified in his Ted Talk, “...the eulogy virtues are more important of the virtues.” (“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two) The only thing that will remain of a person after their death is their memory, and people are remembered by their impact on others. That is why you should derive your value from how you impact other people. Even with this belief in mind, it can still be hard to find self worth. Even when I knew that I was important to my friends and family, I sometimes struggled with accepting the fact that I am just as valuable as everyone else. It was only when I stopped comparing myself to others and only focused on how I impacted or was important to the people in my life that I finally understood where my value came from. https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM This core belief has begun to guide my life for the past couple of years. After realizing that my worth is tied to how I treat others, I have done everything I can to try to be the best person I can be to my friends and family. I also try to use this knowledge to help those who struggle with finding their own self worth. I try to remind them of the important things they have done for me and explain that they have value because of the things they have done for me and for others. ● I believe that I have a duty to protect and support those I care about. Protecting the people you care about is a very important responsibility that everyone has. Those who have the power to protect others should use that power responsibly by intervening to keep those they care about safe. This can be from a variety of threats, both internally and externally. I try to live this by always looking out for those I care about. This has been especially important in college now that my peers and I are away from the safety of our parents. I’m sure to never leave one of my friends behind and to always have their back in a risky situation.