Stevenson 

Ms. Leis
Moreau First Year Experience
24 August 2021
Week 1- Search for Belonging
1) Review the Moreau FYE Fall 2021 syllabus. Which of the focus questions or objectives stated in the document stand out to you as particularly relevant to your life?
The objective that instantly stood out to me was “develop and pursue a vision of a life well lived.”  One of the biggest reasons I came to Notre Dame was my experience with Notre Dame alumni.  Each person I conversed with had careers that were not only important, but served as a force for good in this world.  That’s exactly what I want in my life.  I want to contribute to a change in this world that lasts past my lifetime, and is for the better.  I feel like with the resources and guidance and Notre Dame, this is not a far fetched goal.  Father Jenkins’ speech at the football stadium during the welcome weekend really inspired me to try to become a kinder, more selfless person.  I don’t want to just be another member of society; I want to be someone that is going to improve society for the better.  After watching the events from the last couple of years unfold, I know our world needs kind and educated people more than ever.  So, as a business major, I hope that I can contribute to a change in the way business is done in this country.  All in all, I will push for a change in business that factors in Catholic moral values I strive to live by.

2)
Q:  What are some of the first steps society and our country could take to embrace vulnerability?
Q:  “We numb vulnerability… We are the most in debt, obese, addicted, and medicated adult cohort in U.S. history.”  I chose this quote because it opened my eyes to how vulnerability is currently affecting modern day society.  Her explanations of how strongly vulnerability connects to our other emotions really surprised me at first, but as the ted talk continued it began to make sense.  Our world is so equipped to suppress and hide our insecurities and imperfections, and it’s a problem.  Hiding one’s imperfections is like procrastinating.  One must be able to face and accept their feelings of vulnerability and insecurity to truly love themselves.  To truly be yourself, you have to let go of the person you think you should be.
C:  Dr. Brown’s exploration of the emotion of vulnerability fascinated me, as I felt like her conclusions really made sense to me.  She found that it is literally necessary to have a feeling of vulnerability to be able to feel joy and compassion, and that these three go hand and hand.  This seemed contradictory at first, but it made sense when I thought about it more.  I have met many insecure people just from my high school experience, and they generally were not able to establish a strong connection with other people.  In times that I feel vulnerable, I find that thinking about and trying to actively suppress this feeling makes it worse.  When I fully accept and acknowledge my vulnerability, I tend to feel more relaxed and my mood improves.