Week 8- Integration Three Integration 3 Thigpen A life of doing I want to be remembered as someone who lives in the moment. I feel like I have worked on building my personal brand as someone who is always present in conversation. Through my time here at Notre Dame I’ve discovered how I want to be seen, as well as what gives me the greatest sense of fulfillment. I think it is important to maintain a healthy distance between real life and life on the internet. If I was able to, I wouldn’t be on my phone after Friday night until Monday morning. I used to attend a summer camp up on the border of Minnesota and Canada. It was a break from all electronics for a full month during the summer. While I was there I had nothing to worry about and no need for my phone. “I continue to keep the cornucopia of technology at arm’s length so that I can more easily remember who I am, (Why we need to slow down our lives, Pico Lyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week One)”. Life seemed simpler without all the technology and trying to keep up with my friends online. I know I am my most genuine self when I am communicating with friends face to face. This brings me comfort because I know I can rely on the relationships I have cultivated. “What gives you joy? What is the source of your joy?(Three Key Questions, Fr. Michael Himes -Moreau FYE Week Three)”.I find joy in accomplishments and knowing I have made days worthwhile. I make an effort at the end of every day to reflect on some positive thing that either happened to me or someone I care about. I talked to my dad for a long time recently about what it really means to have had a “worthwhile” first year. The peak of the swim has passed and I have had some internal struggles about my performance. It is a major accomplishment to make the ACC team and I am proud to say I was chosen for the team as a freshman. We had the meet this last weekend and I didn’t swim as well as I knew I could. It seems like I cannot be content with the success I have had because I knew I was faster last year. “Faith, service, learning, or work, are the key components to being an exemplary member of the Notre Dame community, (Hesburgh, Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley -Moreau FYE Week Two)”. I had to remember that there is much more to my college and Notre Dame experience than just swimming. Everything considered, I still have made great friends, kept good grades and have had a mostly good season of swimming. I want to be remembered as a “do-er” of things. I want people to think of the times we went out on a whim and had a great time. “The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life, (Navigating Your Career Journey, Meruelo Family Center for Career Development -Moreau FYE Week Four)”. There are big things I want to do and so many places I want to go. I have set big goals that are long term but I also believe it's important to be able to somewhat let go of bigger stresses and disassociate from bigger issues. It’s easy to get bogged down in all the assignments I have throughout the year. I've learned to find a good balance between taking things one day at a time and also making smart decisions to benefit myself in the long run. I’ve now started to make weekly goals that I know are achievable that help the time go by. I want to maintain good relationships with my friends and my family https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143819 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143819 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143819 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143798 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143798 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ back home. I now make an effort to call my parents more often and spend time with my dorm friends. I hope they remember me as someone who really tried to keep relationships strong. The partner I picked to have the week 5 conversation with was my best friend from my dorm, JD Brown. We started talking about why we think we became friends. I believe I am drawn towards people who are very socially aware and treat others with respect. JD and I both have a great sense of humor and we believe our energy bounces off of each other which creates a fun environment for both of us. This similar personality is great for our relationship because we both know what makes the other one laugh. JD is also someone who’s not afraid to tell you the truth. He is a very real and genuine person which I think is a major part of our friendship. I know he can hold me accountable and responsible for things that I do. I think we both hold each other to higher standards and push each other to be better people. “There are many ways to practice mindfulness both alone and in community, (The Right Way to be Introspective, Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences -Moreau FYE Week Six)”. This was one of the most introspective conversations I’ve ever had. There are not many times I’ve really discussed the depth of a friendship until this. This activity was one of the best examples of community mindfulness I could think of. Since then I’ve had more of these types of conversations with close friends in my dorm and my girlfriend. I hope I am remembered as a facilitator of meaningful conversation. “A single individual is enough for hope to exist, (Why the only future worth building includes everyone, Pope Francis, TED Conferences -Moreau FYE Week Seven)” Even though I know I have a large support group of friends and family, I do agree that just one person believing in you is enough motivation to keep striving. Specifically in highschool my coach would tell me he thought I had the potential to swim in college when I was just a freshmen. My family supported and encouraged me but my coach was really the only one who pushed me to excel to the next level. It really was the vision he had for me that gave me hope that I could one day compete at that level. I hope I can translate that experience into doing the same for others. I want to be remembered as someone who pushes others to be the best possible version of themselves. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143883 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143883 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143910 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143910 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41060/modules/items/143910