Integration 1 Word Count: 1743 My Foundational Unchangeable Infallible Beliefs I believe that I am a sinner and nowhere near perfect (Moreau #1) This belief is a direct reflection of my Catholic faith. I have been raised from a devout Catholic family, and although my faith had not always been so strong, a Catholic high school education exponentially grew my Catholic faith. As a result, I have more immersed myself in this religion and strongly believe all its teachings. Unfortunately, because I am aware that I am a sinner, I sometimes stress myself out over a sin and believe that I am not worthy of God’s abundant mercy. However, as God’s love and mercy are unconditional, I could never do anything to lose his love, and believing that I am enough can help me to remember that I am always worthy of love and forgiveness. Knowing of God’s abundant mercy and grace heavily impacts my mental attitude and gives me a sense of purpose and belonging in my life that will be vital for my future growth. I believe that I am enough (Moreau #1) This statement originates from my long-term goal and desire to build self-confidence. I have always sought to develop more self-confidence and have more conviction in my own character, beliefs, and values. Like my previous statements, sometimes a terrible mistake challenges this belief and makes me question my own values. However, I have succeeded in remaining strong and resisting baseless calls to change my principles. I have learned to “believe that [I] are enough, [and I can now] stop screaming and start listening” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown – Moreau FYE Week One). Believing I am enough means I believe, and will continue to believe in the future, that I will always be worthy of God’s grace, worthy of my family’s love, and worthy of all good things given to me. I believe that God’s love and mercy is unconditional (Moreau #1) Building off the previous statement, this belief also comes from my background in a devout Catholic family. Learning from my theology classes and Catholic role models in the academic realm, I have come to the undeniable conclusion that God’s love and mercy have no limits and cannot be lost. However, a challenge is to sometimes believe you have screwed up so badly that not even God can love you anymore, however, this idea could never possibly come true. No matter what you do, God will always welcome you back with open arms and limitless mercy—which includes mistakes I have made and will ever make. I believe that I am protected on an ultralight beam (Moreau #3) Unironically originating from my favorite artist, Kanye West talks about his faith being an ultralight beam in that “whenever he’s down or feels he can’t fight anymore, he searches for the light and knows, in God’s hands, everything will be alright” , which similarly echoes the sentiment in Father Pete McCormick’s speech (“What Does ‘Ultralight Beam’ Really Mean” by Jacob Osborn https://manofmany.com/ entertainment/ultralight-beam-meaning). This concept has developed my life and mindset because I have felt an incredible sense of warmth and togetherness https://manofmany.com/%20entertainment/ultralight-beam-meaning https://manofmany.com/%20entertainment/ultralight-beam-meaning because of my faith. I feel I am never alone in any battle and that even when I lack control of some areas of my life, everything is always in God’s hands and His plan is much greater than mine. Although my faith is challenged because society preaches the exact opposite of my faith, I know and find comfort in the truths of my faith, and I know that there is a loving God who will never abandon me. Having this comfort and security will help me to carry my confidence in all my future endeavors. I believe that at my core the very presence of God, and I live to love and serve Him (Moreau #2) “In life I have clear goals and aims so I have discovered a satisfying life purpose”, and this meaning and purpose comes from God (“VIA Character Strengths Survey” – Moreau FYE Week 2). A recurring theme in both my life and this assignment, God giving me light and direction has always remained a core value in my life. At my all-boys Catholic high school, one of our “formation themes” was Centrality of Christ, and it stressed the importance of keeping God at the center of your life, and all things you do are based on your faith. Although it can be challenging to resist temptation and avoid sins, constantly keeping God at my core has enabled me to strive for greatness and model my life off my faith. I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by maintaining a healthy, strongly founded relationship (Moreau #4) This belief comes directly from my strong and committed but long-distance relationship. With the heavy and everchanging adjustments we have had to make in the past 50ish days, a fair number of challenges have come up between us. However, we have always come out from these issues stronger than when we first encountered them, and we have held true to my fourth QQC quote: “People in healthy relationships respect each other. They can talk honestly and freely to each other and share power and control over decisions. They trust and support each other and respect each other’s independence” (“Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Relationships” (The Red Flag Campaign) – Moreau FYE Week 4). Despite the challenges and rainy days, we have only grown in our healthiness, strength, love, and trust, and we will continue to grow stronger parallel to this quote which is why this belief has tremendous meaning to me. I believe that every setback and disappointment is a lesson (Moreau #5) My biggest confrontation with this belief occurred with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Originally, the pandemic appeared to be a major setback that drew a stake into all my plans and happiness. However, after a period of self-reflection and looking into all aspects of my life, I decided to use it as a period of growth; I disconnected from fake and destructive friends and grew closer to real ones, I finally decided to take my physical and mental health more seriously, and I adapted to the changes in college applications and academic advancement. Overall, I took this “setback and disappointment as a lesson” to improve my life in every way imaginable, and as a result, I came out of quarantine in the best version of myself imaginable and ready to get started on the next chapter of my life at Notre Dame (“2021 Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris – Moreau FYE Week Five). I believe that my communities has and should shape the person I am today (Moreau #5 and Moreau #6) Although I tried to find ways to condense this response, the best way to explain this belief is to share once more my “Where I’m From” poem in its entirety. This poem perfectly sums up my origins and how I have developed as a person and who has influenced this development. This community that I have developed from has been right by my side through every challenge that surfaces and has crafted the man I strove to be and have now become. This poem certainly proves why this belief has significant meaning to how I live my life: I come from an unselfish and loving family Whose sacrifices have enabled me To pursue the best version of myself And become who I strive to be I come from a faithful and wonderful mother The most special woman in the world is she Whose unconditional love and sacrifice Enables me to become who I strive to be I come from a loyal and masculine father Strength, courage, and faith models he Whose strong male influence Inspires who I strive to be I come from close and unbreakable bond with my brother Inseparable, like a dog and a flee My lifelong role model, My greatest companion Who models who I strive to be I come from a strong and faithful relationship Long-distance, but close in heart to the highest degree Gives me confidence, gives me motivation To become who I strive to be I come from a tight-knit and devoted high school With an unparalleled brotherhood, known as servants of Mary The faith formation and brotherly community Shaped the man I strive to be All of these strong lifelong influences Answer the question of where I am from I can now say, with full confidence The man I strive to be now is the man I have become. I believe that I am made to is to cultivate my virtues (Moreau #6) Like I said before, I was doing a poor job cultivating my virtues pre-pandemic. However, after an extended period of self-reflection and acknowledgment, I decided to fix this underlying issue. This mindset led me to surround myself with people who would inspire me to pursue the best version of myself; this change made me deeper and prouder of my faith and my virtues. However, despite this growth, challenges arise from the fact that society tries to impress vices and contrasting values on you that lead you into temptation. However, the implications of this cultivation of virtues by surrounding myself with constructive people keep me out of trouble, and I find warmth and success in cultivating my virtues in this way. I believe that I grow my keeping an open mind (Moreau #7) Especially growing up in an era of stark political divide, I have realized that the largest hinder and prevention of growth is to enter an argument or discussion with a closed mind. As a result, I have worked to develop an always-open mind to first plant myself in the other person’s shoes before making any bold statements or giving harsh judgment of their character. My quote from my QQC summarizes this sentiment best: “One reason people on both the right and the left are skeptical of implicit bias might be pretty simple: it isn’t nice to think we aren’t very nice” (“How to Think about ‘Implicit Bias’” by Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, John M. Doris, Scientific American). Pride and ego sometimes hinder this mindset, as in some arguments—although sometimes true and justified—I believe so strongly that I am right that I refuse to even consider the other side. However, when I maintain an open mind, I can hear a broader spectrum of beliefs and backgrounds that continually evolve my character and awareness.