Spring Moreau Integration 2 Capstone Integration Moreau FYE 4/29/22 Personal Mission Statement: A Compass in My Decision Making “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are” ( Quote by Mother Teresa). In Mother Teresa’s quote, she emphasizes the importance of humility and using one’s own personal attributes not for personal gain but rather to instill peace and goodness in the world so that each human being can thrive through being his or her unique self. I have come to know that the best possible way to truly live an enriched life is to recognize my unique qualities and use those qualities to instill goodness throughout the world. This has truly been a compass throughout my life and has provided a foundation for my own mission statement that has provided a compass in every aspect of my life. This can be achieved through recognizing my own values and therefore embracing them in a way that they can provide a compass throughout my life and help strengthen my own personal mission that I will follow throughout my life. I have come to know that the values that have truly guided me and made me into the person that I am today are my faith, family, service with others, and my passion to seek good. Each of these values have ignited a fire within me to recognize and embrace my unique self and have therefore guided me to live life that is “well- lived”. As I continue to grow in my college experience, I hope that these values will continue to be cultivated throughout my time at Notre Dame, whether it is through my involvement in the Notre Dame community as well as through the relationships that I build during my time here. This will therefore provide further assistance in truy discerning and guiding me in the right direction for my career goals as well as provide a catalyst in my passion to use my own personal qualities as a means for good. Therefore, my personal mission statement has stemmed from a variety of different experiences that have made be into that person I am today; however, it also involves my values https://yourstory.com/herstory/2019/08/10-inspirational-quotes-mother-teresa that have provided a compass in my decision making and have emboldened me to take actions toward contributing to a world where each person can thrive and live an enriched life. Ever since I was a child, I have always had a passion to investigate within myself on my own personal attributes and ways that I can better myself in a way that represents my genuine self. Throughout my life, I have encountered a series of different hindrances that have been a result of judgment from others for expressing my uniqueness. During certain points of judgment and harsh criticism from others, I questioned whether I should conform to the social norm and sacrifice truly living an enriched life for the sake of others. This was similarly discussed in a video by The Grotto, in which the speaker states, “...when hardships and unexpected things happen to us, we often focus on the things we do not have”("5 Minutes" by Aria Swarr- Moreau FYE Week 6). In this quotation, it exemplifies one of the major downfalls that result from criticism from others or one’s own self-criticism. During my own times of hardships, I found myself questioning my own self and therefore compared myself to others. However, I ultimately refused to truly conform to what was “normal” and therefore delve deeper into ways that I can express myself in a unique way. This guided me to strengthen my own values and use my values as a compass in my decision making even when others may not be doing the right thing. One value that has truly provided a catalyst in my passion to embrace my unique qualities is my family. Ever since I was a child, my family has truly provided a support and source of guidance in navigating through life as well as through the process of discerning and understanding who I am. One of the major members in my family that has truly helped me reach this point is my mom. In an interview with my Mom, she discussed that I am truly driven with a passion and mission to help others throughout every aspect of my life (Moreau FYE Week 5). Through having a figure that truly recognizes my genuine passions, it has guided me to become more passionate in further cultivating these interests and therefore exemplifying my unique self on a deeper level. This has also guided me to value my family on a deeper level and therefore give back to https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 those who have supported me in discerning my path of life. Not only has my family guided me to understand my own personal qualities, but my faith, another core value, stemmed from my family. Throughout my life, my family has truly provided me with a strong foundation in my faith and has therefore allowed me to truly appreciate and embrace my relationship with God. Ever since I was young, I have always understood the importance of prayer and I would pray each night before I went to bed with my mom and my sister. However, as I became older, I became more intentional with prayer in which I began to understand that prayer is truly a conversation with God in which I have the ability to understand God and also gain clarity on God’s plan for me. Through deep contemplative prayer, I was able to experience self reflection which allowed me to truly look within myself and recognize my positive and even faulty qualities. In an article by Pico Iyer, he discusses the importance of taking a break from the hectic situations in life and experiencing a sense of presence in order to truly develop a sense of self awareness and appreciation ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer- Moreau FYE Week 1). This is extremely applicable to prayer, in which through prayer I have the ability to take a moment away from the business of life and therefore have a genuine and focused conversation with God. Through experiencing the present moment, prayer has allowed me to truly recognize God’s abounding love for me and has caused me to feel emboldened to take steps toward embracing the unique qualities that God has blessed me with. Through immersing myself in prayer and strengthening my faith, I began to understand and recognize God’s love and presence on a deeper level throughout every aspect of my life, whether it was through an experience with a family member or with someone I did not know. In an article by Jacob Walsh, he discusses this on a deeper level by stating, “He told me that I could not convince myself that God loved me. ‘You can ask Him to show you, though. And you can pay attention to the relationships where you know you’re loved.”’ ("Growing Up Gay and Catholic" by Jacob Walsh- Moreau FYE Week 10). This shows that God’s love involves experience and rather it can be understood through interacting and developing relationships with others. Through being able to first experience God’s love and support https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 toward embracing my own qualities, I have the ability to recognize God’s presence within each person I encounter. Therefore, I hope to continue to use my faith as a means for my own self-development but also as an outlet to truly make a positive impact on the world. I have come to know that through recognizing the beauty in the unique qualities that each person possesses, I have the ability to help contribute to a world where each human being has the opportunity to thrive and live an enriched life. Throughout my life, I have always had an inert desire to make a difference in the lives of others. I have truly found that God has called me to use my passions as a means for the greater good for all human beings. Whether it was through volunteering in Philadelphia at a soup kitchen or traveling to Haiti for an immersion trip, service truly involves uniting with those who are struggling and therefore assisting them in developing into the best person they can possibly be. In an article by Steve Reifenberg, he further discusses his experience with service during an immersion trip by stating, “They accompanied me – especially the kids – as they taught me Spanish, and as they helped me understand the complexities of their lives and the possibilities for finding some paths forward, which we began to work on together” (“Teaching Accompaniment” by Steve Reifenberg- Moreau FYE Week 9). This shows that through accompaniment, I have the ability to not only assist those in need, but also unite with each person I encounter and further develop connections that may have not been made without accompaniment. Similarly, in the novel Tattoos on the Heart, Father Greg Boyle further addresses the idea of uniting with others by stating, “ “Close both eyes: see with the other one...Our sphere has widened and we find ourselves quite unexpectedly, in a new, expansive location, in a place of endless acceptance and infinite love. We’ve wandered into God’s own ‘jurisdiction’” (Tattoos on the Heart by Father Gregory Boyle- Moreau FYE Week 7). This powerful quotation provides a beautiful image of the impact that uniting with others and instilling kinship will have on the world. I plan to use this idea of uniting with others as a compass throughout my life and especially make it a center in discerning my career path in a way that will embrace every human being rather than just certain individuals. Ever since I was young, I have always been passionate about learning about the human body as well as using my knowledge as a means to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This has led me to aspire to pursue a career in the medical field in which I can use my passions as a means to assist and support the health of others. This process of discerning a career is further addressed in an article by the Meruelo Center for Career Development, “He contended that career satisfaction/success depends in part on how well a person can identify and implement his/her career self-concept, which is comprised of your values, interests, personality, and skills.” ("Navigating your Career Journey" by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development- Moreau FYE Week 4). Therefore, I have come to know that one of the most important components in living an enriched life involves choosing a career that coincides with my own values and therefore allows me to to use those values as a means for enhancing my own life as well as accompanying others in doing so as well. However, I hope to move closer to accomplishing these goals through utilizing my Notre Dame education as a means in delving into ways that I can use my passions that invests in Notre Dame’s mission of using values as a means for positive change. Throughout my short time at Notre Dame, I have noticed that there are numerous examples of those who have utilized their education for a greater purpose. This was exemplified in the Domer Dozen, which provided a series of different individuals from a variety of different backgrounds who used his or her Notre Dame education to accomplish a common purpose, which is to enrich the lives of others through providing opportunities that enhance inclusivity and help alleviate certain issues throughout the world. ("The Domer Dozen" by Notre Dame Alumni Association- Moreau FYE Week 2). During my four years at Notre Dame, I aspire to live out this purpose of creating a common good among everyone but also in enhancing the unity within the Notre Dame community in order to enhance the overall mission of the University. This was further discussed in Week 11 of Moreau Discussion, in which through encountering and conversing with a diverse group of individuals I have teh ability to develop a well rounded perspective and understand the world on a deeper level. However, I have come to know that the key in living an enriched life involves https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://domerdozen.nd.edu/ experiencing and bringing joy. In an article by Fr. Michael Himes, he describes joy by stating, “Joy, on the other hand, is much deeper and much more central, it comes from within, and it’s a genuine rightness of how one lives one’s life”(“Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes- Moreau FYE Week 3). I have come to know that some of the most life-changing experiences have come from experiencing a genuine sense of joy. The majority of these experiences have stemmed from making a positive difference in the lives of others whether it was through completing an act of service with others or further developing a life-enriching relationship with another. I hope that throughout my life, I will continue to experience this sense of joy and therefore bring joy to the lives of others as well. Therefore, my personal mission statement has continued to change throughout different experiences that I have encountered during my lifetime. However, my personal mission statement continues to center around my major values which are faith, family, service with others, and my passion to seek good. These values have continued to provide a compass in my decision making and have aided me in navigating throughout every situation in my life. As I continue my Notre Dame education, I hope to continue to build upon these values and apply them throughout my journey here at Notre Dame in order to truly receive a well-rounded education and further live out not only Notre Dame’s mission but my own as well. Therefore, I aspire to use my personal mission statement as a source of support and guidance throughout my time at Notre Dame and therefore live a life that is enriched and filled with joy.