Integration 1 Final Rooted in Faith and Love In light of the content from weeks 1 through 7 in Moreau class, along with my personal experiences both at and leading up to my arrival at Notre Dame, I have identified three root beliefs that will guide me on my journey to Heaven. First, I believe that I grow personally by building my character through the traits that truly matter to God. In my opinion, there are two types of traits: those that glow on a resume and those that truly define the essence of a person, which David Brooks likes to call “eulogy virtues”. However, as Brooks notes, we happen to live in a society that favors the characteristics in life that build successful businesses rather than those that build unique human beings ("Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy" by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two). Eulogy virtues are the only ones that will be celebrated and remembered when I die. These are also the virtues that I will be measured against when I stand before God at my final judgement. Have I been selfless and kind? Have I exhibited a servant’s heart? I believe that these are the critical virtues that must truly define me. Throughout my high school career, it sometimes felt like my only goal was to earn impeccable grades so I could get into a top university and purse a successful career in engineering. While this pursuit is not necessarily a bad thing, it caused me to divert my attention away from strengthening important eulogy virtues. Yet, upon arrival to Notre Dame I have been challenged to follow a path that leads me in a better direction. Though I still strive to earn good grades, it has become more obvious to me that the development of my eulogy virtues must be a priority. During a casual conversation with my RA, I discovered that job interviewers place a lot more importance on the applicant’s personality than I had known. While many people may have the skills required for a specific job, it is ultimately a well-rounded individual who secures the position. I walked away from this conversation much more motivated to break from my grade- focused habit. Since then, I have joined a compass group where we help each other through our struggles and plan to join Habitat for Humanity where we construct houses for people to live. In addition to altering my tunnel focus on grades, I’ve also been challenged to reexamine how I choose to portray myself to others. Dr. Brene Brown notes that the difference between those who have a strong sense of love and belonging versus those that do not is that the former believe that they are "worthy of love and belonging" ("The Power of Vulnerability" by Brene Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). To live a wholehearted life, we need to have compassion towards ourselves and understand that it truly is fine not to be liked by everyone. Whenever I am thrown into a new situation with people I do not know well, my natural inclination is to seek conformity and acceptance. Yet, many times I’m left feeling a bit on the fringe despite being part of the group. When I came to Notre Dame, I was tempted to follow this familiar pattern. However, during a lecture during Welcome Weekend, Professor Collon told us that in order to be successful, you have to let go of others' opinions about you and act as your own unique self. In fact, true friendships only come when you are being authentic. This insight gleaned in my time so far at Notre Dame has allowed me to make genuine friendships. My Friday nights are not always spent at dorm parties but sometimes include retreats with faithful Catholic friends from my religious group. I can proudly say that these people are friends with me and not some idealized version of me. When this authentic frame of mind is combined with my desire to cultivate eulogy virtues, I believe that I can truly grow my character in a way that pleases God. Secondly, I believe that my purpose in life is to enrich my heart so that I will be fully prepared and welcomed into God’s kingdom. My desire to make a priority of tending to my heart has grown having learned why our university was founded. According to Father Grove, Father Moreau "founded Holy Cross to remind the world that the best of what you and I were created to be is made manifest when every capacity of our intellects and calls of our hearts are both augmented by faith and reason" ("Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education" by Father Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five). Father Grove makes it clear that we cannot grow as individuals unless we cultivate both the mind and the heart. If we forsake our spiritual growth, we will fall well short of becoming the individuals God created us to be. This holistic “mind and heart” focus is truly unique to Notre Dame as most universities educate the mind at the expense of the heart. My new home under the dome isn't just any ordinary place. It is uniquely special in the fact that it prepares us to reach our final home in Heaven. During Welcome Weekend, our O’Neill Welcome Committee took us out to Father Sorin's grave and told us "you didn't choose Notre Dame, Notre Dame chose you." This powerful statement gives me a sense of purpose. Since coming to campus in August, I feel that my heart has grown immensely through hall masses, grotto trips, and retreats. I will continue to utilize these faith-based experiences to further cultivate my heart over the next four years. Professor David Fagerberg highlights a critical fact when he states, "spirituality concerns the real world, and how we see it, how we do it, how we approach it" ("Faith Brings Light to a Dark World" by David Fagerberg - Moreau FYE Week Three). In other words, faith must be lived out through our everyday lives and not just once a week at church. Yet, living out God's ways is not always easy in this secular world. Personally, I ran into many spiritual roadblocks during my time at high school since most of my classmates weren't practicing Christians. It took a lot of courage for me to walk into my high school wearing ashes on my forehead and explaining to my friends that it wasn’t a smudge mark but an intentional sign of repentance for my sins. Although living out my faith at Notre Dame is so much easier, I still run into some spiritual roadblocks such as choosing between going to a section dinner or taking a much-needed trip to the grotto. Living out my faith is a priority in my life so I must continue to work on choosing paths that allow me to advance in my faith journey and ultimately grow closer to God. Finally, I believe that my community should make sure everyone is treated with respect and dignity. Friendships are one of the best ways to boost your self-esteem. According to Olivia Taylor, friendships should be "knowing you're both growing to be better people and that you're helping each other get there" ("5 Signs You're in a Toxic Friendship" by Olivia Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four). However, in light of Olivia Taylor's article, toxic friendships still exist as well. Red flags such as control and intimidation shouldn't be ignored in any relationship. Someone should always act if they notice any toxic elements that is adversely affecting someone and possibly putting them in danger. This act of neighborly love has the power to offer the courage needed for someone to leave a relationship. I have witnessed a few toxic friendships in my high school years and have urged those involved to get out immediately before the abuser can inflict significant emotional damage. Usually, the most difficult part of an abusive relationship is leaving it, so immense support is needed during these situations. Should I witness any toxic relationships here at Notre Dame, I will again be there to support the victim. Respect and dignity also come in the form of destroying stereotypes and broadening our views of another group of people. Chimamanda Adichie highlights this in her explanation of a “single story” which she defines as one that shows a group of people in one set of eyes. She says that these "stories have been used to dispossess and malign" ("Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven). These types of stories show disregard for the uniqueness of the individual and instead clump people together with the goal of highlighting a flaw. Whether or not that flaw is true, it is not the complete story of the group. Gratefully, I’m at a university that works to ensure that each of its students is seen and valued for the stories that make up their unique self. The simple ice-breaker games and small group discussions have helped me to see beyond the single story of each person I’ve met. I’ve started to really understand and appreciate the idiom of “peeling away the layers of an onion” as I’ve learned and been surprised by some of the unique qualities of fellow students. It’s been exciting to learn about my Korean friend who has to take a year break from college to fight in the army. I look forward to continuing to connect with people here at Notre Dame on a deeper level that respects and values the richness of each individual. The root beliefs of growing personally through strengthening traits that matter to God, enriching my heart through the cultivation and care of my personal relationship with God, and ensuring those who God puts in my life are treated with dignity and respect, are the fundamental principles that define who I am. I believe that these three root beliefs will help dictate my behavior, allow me to understand what is right in the eyes of God, and be my unwavering guide as I journey through this life to the next.