Moreau FYE
Professor Espeseth
4/28/22
A Life Well Lived

I believe that it’s important to tackle everything you do with a plan. Whether it’s something small like writing out a list of items to get at the grocery store, or something far more complex like the process of applying for college. A plan helps you identify the steps you need to take to meet a goal, and for me a plan eases the anxiety of the unknown because I’ve already accounted for the worst-case scenario. This semester of Moreau has helped me to realize that if I have a plan for something like a trip to the grocery store, surely, I should formulate a plan for how to live a “good” life. My personal mission statement, which was inspired by the University of Notre Dame Mission Statement, is to pursue everything in life with empathy and passion (“University of Notre Dame Mission Statement” by the University of Notre Dame – Moreau FYE Week 13).
My mission statement, while simple, accurately, and totally describes how I want to orient my life. During the process of refining this mission statement I considered adding more to it, making it lengthier to describe my life’s philosophy more specifically. However, after reading Pico Iyer’s “Why we need to slow down our lives” I realized that it’s too easy to get wrapped up in the stress of everyday life. I don’t need my plan for my life to be one in which I’m constantly worried about my future. I need a plan that encourages me to carve out time to relax and give my mind time to wander in order to spark imagination and creativity (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). While I don’t want the goals that I wish to pursue to be the main cause of stress in my life, I do want them to be something that I’m motivated towards because I have passion for them. Interacting with the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development helped me to consider that sometimes your dreams take longer to come true than you might expect (“Navigating your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4). This doesn’t mean that I should get discouraged or lose my passions just because things don’t go exactly according to a plan that I arbitrarily created for myself. My mission statement also identifies that I want to orient my life in service to others while acting with empathy. Empathy comes through understanding and a genuine love for other people which we develop by forming relationships. By interacting with a wide diversity of people, and “widening our spheres” we are pushed to become better and more understanding versions of ourselves (“Tattoos on the Heart” by Gregory Boyle - Moreau FYE Week 7).
I think that my mission statement is easily able to be implemented in a wide variety of ways that others would be able to see the impact of. I am inspired into action by the actions of Father Theodore Hesburgh, especially his involvement in the Civil Rights movement (“Hesburgh” produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). Father Hesburgh was passionate about establishing equality in the United States. His unrelenting work towards his goal serves as a model for how I will proceed with my life. Another inspiring figure who lives by my mission statement is Steve Reifenberg who writes on the importance of accompaniment. When trying to do good in the world it is absolutely necessary to acknowledge that good intentions are never one sided and generosity isn’t necessarily the biggest donation or action (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week 9). It is my personal philosophy that whenever we act with truly good intentions and we practice passion and empathy, courage will follow. Courage can be difficult to muster, but when we are in a place of privilege due to education, position, race, gender, etc. we must take advantage of this and choose to do something (“I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something” by Dean G. Marcus Cole – Moreau FYE Week 12). 
My mission statement for myself seems like it would be straightforward and easy to follow, but I know there will be times during my life when it is difficult to stay true to it. Something I realized I struggle with this year has been my ability to advocate for myself or put myself in a position of leadership. During the Discernment Conversation Activity a close friend told me I have the qualities of a great leader, but that they often don’t stand out against my peers who are “louder” than me (“Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week 5).  If I cannot learn to overcome this fear then it will be extremely difficult to achieve the goals that my mission sets out for me. Similarly, it can be difficult to live this mission if I cannot embrace the idea of self-improvement. Self-improvement is a difficult process to enact, it takes intuition, or knowing oneself, to change your mindset(“The Right Way to Be Introspective” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6).. Intuition is important because if I remain stuck in the same bad habits then I will never be able to improve myself into a better person.
Thankfully, I have the next three years at the University of Notre Dame to continue refining and living my mission statement. I hope that my mission will be strengthened, challenged, and even potentially changed as I continue to face adversity and grow wholistically. The University of Notre Dame offers an environment in which we can interact with people from all different types of backgrounds. This avoids the pitfalls that come with existing in an environment with only people who share the same viewpoint as you, also referred to as an echo chamber (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko – Moreau FYE Week 11). By exposing myself to different opinions and growing into someone who considers the multiple sides to every story I hope my mission statement will grow to reflect this. The University of Notre Dame strives to embody the spirit of inclusion in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” du lac: A Guide to Student Life, University of Notre Dame – Moreau FYE Week 10). It is comforting to know that I am living in a place that prioritizes the safety and well-being of every single one of its students regardless of their race, gender, political or religious affiliation, or any other factors. I hope being constantly immersed in this environment will only strengthen my mission in empathy and understanding. 
I would like to conclude this integration by acknowledging once again the significance of developing a mission statement. It’s so important to identify now what your passions are and what brings you joy because eventually our time on this earth will be over. We have a limited amount of time to make an impact on the world and I’d like to be one of the people who is remembered for enacting positive change in a chaotic and often divisive society. Sister Theresa Altheia Noble says it best, “memento mori”, remember you will die (“Meet the Nun who wants you to remember you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). Life is short so be a kind person, make good friends, and rescue possums whenever you can.