3 March 2022
Integration 3
The Courage of Convictions 
What are my convictions? I have convictions in all aspects of life; Spiritual, Moral, Political, convictions about myself, and so on. Our convictions are what separate us, what drive us, and what make us unique. With time, I have added new convictions and altered past convictions. I think that is part of the beauty of life. We grow, we experience new things and we get the opportunity to apply what we learn along the way. We should embrace change instead of fear it, and we should push for confidence in individuality.
Where I sometimes run into trouble with keeping my convictions is the influence of social pressures or a lack of my own integrity. I am still learning and getting mentally stronger, but I know there comes a time where I will finally have ultimate courage in my convictions. I can feel myself getting closer, but there’s always room for improvement. Recognizing and bringing attention to the fact that I sometimes hold loosely to my convictions is the first step for making the necessary adjustments.
When I think of the word conviction as well as having faith in convictions, I think of think and leader Father Hesburgh. If there is one thing that stands out to me the most about Father Hesburgh, it was his courage and confidence to do what he believed was right, all the time and even though other people might have not agreed with him, and even when it went against the norm. He realized the need for change in a world full of followers rather than leaders, and he did not hesitate to use the courage it took to call our nation out and demand a conversion of heart in times of historic inequality. He had no fear in encouraging people to do the right thing, even if they did not want to hear it. When we stand for our convictions, we oppose blind conformity and complacency. With the “follower” mentality, we will never get anywhere new; we will never grow. I strive to have great integrity and the courage to stand for what I believe in, and evoke change when necessary. The Deresiewicz article states, “he has the confidence, the courage, to argue for his ideas even when they aren't popular.” It takes a true leader to implement these principles, and I am willing to work to get to that point. 
One overlying conviction that I have is that it is so important to love your neighbor, like God wants. For as long as I can remember, I have always made the effort to be a good friend and a friendly face to everyone I meet. It is the way my parents raised me. From a young age they had me and my sister involved in charity events, donation drives, and everything in between. The intrinsic value of being compassionate and helpful to those around me is something that brings me so much joy. I feel proud of myself in hopes that I have made God and my family proud as well. This overall conviction of, for lack of better words, “treating others the way you want to be treated”, rolls into my reflection of Week Three’s assignment, Father Himes’ Three Questions. The Third question, “Is this role a genuine service to the people around you, to society at large?”, stands out to me the most, for reasons clearly stated above. Helping others is something that has always been a big part of my life, and this is certainly one of the convictions in my life that I hold onto the tightest. On this note, I’d like to now tie in Week 4’s assignment regarding mentors. I was able to relate these two assignments in respect to my convictions about the importance of helping others. 
I have had a number of mentors in my life, whether that be my parents, coaches, teachers, etc. I can confidently, and gratefully, say that these influential people in my life helped me get to where I am today. They served as a constant support system and they encouraged me to challenge myself and expected me, not to always succeed, but to give it all I had, whether that be on the field, in the classroom, or just in general. Now that I have graciously experienced their mentorship, it is important to me that I emanate similar behavior to those who I can serve. For starters, I strive to be a mentor to my younger sister. We’re on similar paths of life, and I think it’s important that she has someone who looks out for her, and gives her someone to look up to. In addition to my sister, back home I help coach a lot of younger girls playing softball in the league that I grew up playing in. There is the aspect of giving back, but also watching the girls learn and love what they are doing. I strive to be a good mentor and role model to them as well. Parks, in Week 4’s reading, says, “Mentors are supportive in a host of ways, including serving as an advocate, a guide to resources, a source of comfort, and sometimes a source of healing”(129). After reading this, I recognize what people have done for me in the past, and now it is a mission of mine to pass on that kindness to others. 
Something came across my mind while constructing this reflection. It is important to stand for what you think is right, and for what you believe in, but I think there is another component that can come with our convictions. I believe that it is beneficial to keep an open mind, knowing that it is okay to learn new things and formulate different beliefs and values. Our convictions may change over time. I think we can learn a lot from each other, and also learn from ourselves. I think this relates to the mindfulness aspect, mentioned in the prompt. Having that awareness of new experiences is the first step into creating your valued convictions.