Final Moreau 2 MFYE Week 14 Theory of Reciprocity My mission statement is based upon three foundational principles: Empathy, Self-Confidence, and Gratitude (“Mission Statement” by - Moreau FYE Week 13). In my opinion, I believe that by prioritizing these three ideals, then the rest of my goals and intentions in life will be fulfilled, and I will be able to live a life-well-lived. I believe in the Theory of Reciprocity– that you get out what you put in. This being said, I think that in order to get the most out of my life, I need to live by these three principles in my mission statement. My mission is to care and empathize with those around me because in caring about others, we can then create change. I believe that when we formulate connections with our peers, then we can get a more holistic view of the world. Instead of seeing our peers as enemies, and our differences as what sets us apart, I think that we should see our differences as a uniting factor. As Father Hesburgh stated, “We may have had our disagreements, but at the end of the day we are all fishermen” (“Hesburgh” by Kevin Abbott- Moreau FYE Week 2). Especially on campus, it’s important to recognize that everyone is the same at the core. This year was the first time that I’ve been a part of such a diverse community. This being said, I need to take advantage of getting to know as many people as possible in order to gain more perspective and knowledge of the world around me. I really appreciated Dean G. Marcus Cole’s article. When the text stated that “just because a police officer did not murder me or my children does not mean that he did not harm us” (“I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” by Dean G. Marcus Cole- Moreau FYE Week 12), it brought my attention to the power both our words and actions https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ur4b9oFy7Mh8adNrwRTIFcanUIJUAI6wnAczkxW-H3I/edit https://okta.nd.edu/app/universityofnotredame_panopto_1/exk13lykiqNLbwS7H357/sso/saml?SAMLRequest=jZJBb%2BIwEIX%2FSuR74iQQsliAxBatisR2o8L2sBc0TQawSDypx2nh368Dbbe9VHuyNZrn974ZTxiaulXzzh3MPT51yC5YLqZiO84xqyqAcAAwCIfxGEKIR0mYZ%2BUox10%2BTpNEBA9oWZOZijSKRbBk7nBp2IFxvhSnaRgPw3S4Sb6pZKiyPIpH2R8RLLyLNuAuyoNzLSsp6eggMlWEVSehbWVn9HP%2FujvTzpCzWEGD2xYMtY62icTTMRnU56N%2Buls9vqzz20GWS2aSPZEIfpAt8YI1FTuoGft4BTD7V98rhSVHJdXftam02U9FZ40iYM3KeDdWrlTr%2Bc%2BV8njq8drE6nazKcLi13ojgjkz2p7jhgx3Ddo12mdd4u%2F71T%2By9%2FTRgdhhFb1CRCU1srje%2FblHln1guaK9NhFwexLBqakNq8uSvk7XvqKI2aTvVpdd2A%2F6r%2BXwBiJm%2FxN7Ij%2BYXB1bded7l4uCal2eg3ld08uNRXB%2B3M52ftpydpV9%2Fm6zvw%3D%3D&RelayState=%2FPanopto%2FPages%2FViewer.aspx%3Fid%3D10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9&SigAlg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2F09%2Fxmldsig%23rsa-sha1&Signature=nemXEeiR6%2FwwNH6nzKLikoMyx5ScWTYIBVsjD12emSRKN9P0kgqvkfc5jgFHtmC%2B3IuzMF4L%2BxQ5GJ5%2B545C2R6Z3y28QBuAfmryL6ub%2BE8avAjLpB3CesCPEEbKMQ6BgvBbcvDwBHuqbbiVWedoAKB%2B9sfmI6AXaOq1qkXTlCSIuPbg8QVMBsQcnG%2FrVomG%2BEMtlQPN0GQ6L7WB0vjTdO4UbGB%2BEnyTLARXh2u5MlDEOKFvy1UXQCsNl%2B9ThUvx7e79VChhxyJEI5jZKZ7WSBf9vMO5LqAbHnQLd4wBSldfrbrmDNM7z4CO2Qoko6YHsHKnE5%2B8W4OY9pjO2SsWPQ%3D%3D https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ have on people. When we gain empathy, that’s when we’re able to create change. With Notre Dame providing a platform for a variety of voices to speak their truth, the university is teaching us how to hear each other. When people begin to recognize that “it always becomes impossible to demonize someone you know” (“Tattoos on the Heart Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle- Moreau FYE Week 7), then it becomes a little easier to really push yourself out of your comfort zone and expand your circles, gaining a deeper understanding of those around you. On a similar note, empathy goes hand in hand with accompaniment. In noting that “one cannot accompany without being accompanied, in the same way someone cannot be a good friend without being open to friendship. This requires a great deal of humility” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Professor Steve Reifenberg- Moreau FYE Week 9), the basis of empathy is noted. In being vulnerable and open to humility, then we can break down interior walls that prevent us from connecting with our peers. Especially for me, coming into this year, I was extremely nervous. I was worried that I wasn’t going to make any friends, or people wouldn’t like me the way I was; however, I learned that when I was truly myself, that was when I made the strongest connections with my peers. This concept relates to my second principle of my mission statement: knowing my own worth. In my mission statement I stated that I will seek first to find confidence in myself, so that I can then learn, grow, and respond confidently to my surroundings. In doing so, I can be a better sister, daughter, and friend. I’ve found through growing up that when I was my most insecure self, I was also the worst version of myself. That being said, I believe that by prioritizing self-confidence and being aware of my inner strengths and values, then I can be a kinder individual and appreciate more of my surroundings. While I attempted to grow up and escape my hometown for so long, I now realize that I was really trying to escape myself. When I go home https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/files/523775?module_item_id=167905 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit for breaks there’s no hard feelings for my town itself, but rather for the person I used to be. I realized that traveling home only helps me to recognize how much I’ve changed for the better, and how I want to grow and change even more. During Week 1 we read that, “The places that move us most deeply are often the ones we recognize like long-lost friends; we come to them with a piercing sense of familiarity, as if returning to some source we already know” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer- Moreau FYE Week One). This parallels my experience with being home, and how in becoming more secure in myself, I’ve found the value and familiarity in places I once saw as uncomfortable. Additionally, in coming to college I’ve created both a deeper relationship with myself and God. As learned in class, “‘You can’t convince yourself God loves you, but you can ask Him to show you’” (“Growing Up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh- Moreau FYE Week 10). In trusting God, I feel as if I’ve been able to get more out of my life, and out of myself. When we learned the difference between joy and happiness, and that “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 realized that I needed to trust my faith in order to trust myself. In doing so, I can then live a life well-lived because I’m more aware of who I am. This is important as I continue to learn and grow these next few years because “you have to know yourself first - your values, interests, personality, and skills (VIPS) - before you can make effective career choices” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development- Moreau FYE Week 4). This way I can become more content internally, and more content externally because I will be able to enjoy what I do and who I am as I’m more present in my life. https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ 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 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/files/475884?module_item_id=149291 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ My last principle of my mission statement is based upon gratitude. I will start each day by practicing gratitude. In noting what I am grateful for each morning, I will be able to be more appreciative of my surroundings. I will also set goals for myself each day in order to stay motivated. I will see each setback as an opportunity, and every day as a new beginning. I will be aware that the good cannot be recognized as good without knowing what constitutes bad. During Week 5 of Moreau, I had a conversation with my friend, Maddy. Maddy told me something difficult to say, but important for me to hear, which was that “I have trouble saying no to people, and tend to not stick up for myself when I wish that I did”(“Conversation with Maddy” - Moreau FYE Week 5). Hearing Maddy say this was obviously hard, but also made me so grateful for our friendship. I realized how important it is to recognize the relationships in my life that challenge me to be a better version of myself. Following this conversation, it not only helped me to recognize how I need to improve myself and how I show up in my life, but also helped me to realize how grateful I am to be afforded the opportunity to know someone like Maddy. Aside from gratefulness pertaining to relationships, I also want to shed light on the importance of gratitude in general. I think that I frequently tend to get caught up in the past, and it prevents me from living in the current moment. As I learned, “ ‘Why’ questions trap us in our past; ‘what’ questions help us create a better future” (“The Right Way to be Introspective (yes, there's a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich- Moreau FYE Week 6). In shifting my mentality to recognize what I can change in my life in order to live more presently, instead of why I might be unhappy with my situation, I realized that I need to practice gratitude. I started to write in a journal each morning as soon as I wake up, and each night before I go to bed, that tracks three things that I’m grateful for. In doing so, I can already tell that I’m getting more out of my life because I’m more appreciative. When we get stuck in a negative mindset, we get trapped where https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ we are, and lose hope for growth. “As should be clear, echo chambers are more dangerous than bubbles partly because of their ability to lock us into certain world views” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko- Moreau FYE Week 11). When we stay within our comfort zone and create narrow views of the world around us, we then limit ourselves throughout our lives. Instead, my mission is to be more grateful for what’s around me, so that I can both challenge myself while also being appreciative of my surroundings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s