Innagration Fo Widman 1 Maria Finan FYS 10102-82 29 April 2022 Top Three: Life Mission Edition Based on my modified Week 13 QQC personal mission statement, I certainly have aspects of myself that I consider foundational to a meaningful life. I have had the importance of respect stressed to me since I was a very little kid, so I strive to be a man of respect, both respecting those around me and being respected by others. This can be applied to virtually any scenario, which I will get more into later. I also want to explore as many things in life as I can, so being well-rounded will forever be a life goal of mine. I can never try too many new things, and I love having a ton of small hobbies to pass the time. Finally, I want to continue to give back to the friends and family members who have made me feel so comfortable, and hope to make everyone feel loved and welcome, especially at Notre Dame. Between just these three missions, I believe I can live a life that is truly well-lived. First (and most importantly), I think mutual respect is one of the most important qualities a person can exhibit. Without respecting others, you can’t get much of anywhere in life, and trying to be successful by putting other people down never turns out well in the end. One quote that perfectly summarizes how to treat others' opinions is as follows: “I wanted [people] to speak their minds while letting those who disagreed do the same” (Hesburgh, directed by Patrick Creadon - Moreau FYE Week Two). Especially in a political climate like the U.S. has right now, giving everyone a chance to speak their mind is incredibly important. This takes a lot of respect and self-control, because sometimes what they have to say is directly the opposite of whatever https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 Widman 2 you personally believe. Usually, listening to their side results in you gaining a new perspective on some issue, which is invaluable when trying to understand others’ opinions. This knowledge of others' opinions is a really great attribute in life well-lived, and respect will get you there. Also, when talking to my dad for the week 5 QQC, he talked a little bit about how much respect gains you in life. We were talking about the small interactions that all added up to me making it to Notre Dame, and he talked about how a lot of them wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been respectful to people in random scenarios (“Conversation with Ronald Royal Widman” by Danny Widman - Moreau FYE Week Five). One such time was in a Dairy Queen, when I was randomly polite to some customer behind me in line and after talking for a while, I ended up joining his community service group doing pinstriping, which is one of my favorite activities I ever participated in. These small instances of respect can lead to really big things in the long run, which is why I think respect is so important to a meaningful life. Finally, and very relevant today, is respecting people of other backgrounds. The University has the right idea, when they say that “We consciously create an environment of mutual respect, hospitality and warmth in which none are strangers and all may flourish” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” - Moreau FYE Week Ten). If everyone just simply respected others (not varied by race, religion, background, etc.), there would be exponentially fewer societal issues. This isn’t even a crazy or outlandish claim, and simply is being a good person. If you just have normal mutual respect with everyone, you can cruise through life with very few problems, and live a life free from unnecessary judgment. Based on these few quotes from Moreau activities, I feel very confident that simple mutual respect can go a long way to living a life well-lived. Next, I think diversity of experiences is really important on an individual level, and is crucial to my personal life well-lived. I want to do as many “bucket list items” as I can before I https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xzs0CXDr9hKcu-yDog9lAhYOQv43ZGU-wRcupuM0FL8/edit?usp=sharing https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ Widman 3 get too old to have fun, and this results in a well-rounded and cultured soul. Even the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development agrees with me, when they say that “the only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” - Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). I take a lot of pride in my wide range of abilities, and everyone else I’ve met is super anxious to talk about their unique and fun hobbies, too. Having a lot of experiences is really what life is all about, and those are the memories you won’t ever lose. Even when you’re least expecting them, these experiences shape you forever. Another testimony that proves this point is by Steve Reifenberg, who says “I’ve now worked for the last 25 years within educational institutions on international topics, and in the past decade, without a doubt, my greatest professional satisfaction and joy is that I am a teacher. What happened?” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). Even though he has super impressive and notable accomplishments, he still thinks of his days doing lesser things as more meaningful. This is exactly what being well rounded does to a person: with all these different experiences to reminisce on, their biggest accomplishments don’t have to be their favorite parts of life, and they can love the smaller jobs or hobbies just as much. I have really enjoyed hearing about other peoples’ hobbies, and it makes me happy to hear people get excited and passionate about the things they rarely get to talk about. I am reminded that everyone is here at Notre Dame for a different reason, but that is what makes the university so unique and such a good place. The Holy Cross constitution puts it perfectly: “All of us are involved in the mission… All of us as a single brotherhood are joined in one communal response to the Lord’s mission” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). This quote goes on to talk about how all different types of people are necessary to https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ Widman 4 function in a society, and having lots of people with lots of different experiences certainly makes everyone’s lives around more meaningful and interesting. Going off this idea, I have really found the wealth of opinions here to be super beneficial to me. I feel like it can be easy to find that one “inhabits an ideological bubble,” even without doing so on purpose or even noticing that it is happening (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). However, at ND, the student population is very diverse in interests (not to mention backgrounds) and allows you to find someone who likes nearly anything you do. These connections certainly make life more meaningful and allow you to feel like you contribute to the community, which is a definite positive. Overall, these 5 quotes all show that diversity of personal experiences leads to a life well-lived for both you and those around you, which is why it is a central third of my mission statement. Finally, I think making people feel loved is a great closer to my mission statement. I’ve had a lot of people do this for me, and passing along the favor not only makes their life a little easier, but also gives meaning to your own. Specifically when people are going through tough times, even the smallest gestures can make a world of difference. As Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble says, “it’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). This light can be something very small: a friendship, a laugh, or just a little bit of hope. All of these can be achieved through super small actions of love, and definitely make both of your lives better. When I think about situations like this, I remember how the lack of verbal assurance can sometimes be pretty rough. Like Fr. Greg Boyle, when growing up, “You knew people loved you, but words never brought you to that knowledge.” (Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Greg Boyle - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Especially when going through difficult times, hearing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40306/files/523770?module_item_id=167901 Widman 5 things out loud is often incredibly more effective than just knowing they’re true, like Fr. Greg stated. Again, this backs up my claim that small gestures to make people feel loved can make everyone’s life better, especially during tough situations. At times like these, it is easy to wonder “if God is good, why does He allow suffering into my life?” (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Six). At least in my opinion, it is much easier to feel the presence of God when you feel loved by others on Earth, since the general feeling transfers to the rest of your life, as well. This connection with God is crucial (to me) for a life well-lived, and I know it is for many others also, which is simply another point to back up my original argument. From these three pieces of evidence, it is clear that making others feel loved is not only beneficial to them, but also makes your life more meaningful. Throughout this mission statement analysis, I have talked a lot about my three main beliefs, but I would like to end on what is certainly the most important: we must make the most of every day we have. We are living in a world where everything moves very fast, and life is always just waiting for the next “big thing.” In this respect, we need to listen to Pico Ayer, who says, “The very people, in short, who have worked to speed up the world are the same ones most sensitive to the virtue of slowing down” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Society always encourages us to move fast, from project to project, and just let the world pass by, however, they then tell us we need to enjoy our time before it’s too late. After writing my eulogy, I realized just how important living in the moment is, and that I truly don’t want to have any regrets of not taking opportunities when I look back on my life. If I make the most of my time, both at ND and in life, I feel that my life will be totally complete, and certainly be well-lived. https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/