Integration One Bryan Reaume Moreau First-Year Experience 15 October 2021 The Quest For Question Frantically trudging through campus, my mind processes an overwhelming amount of thoughts per second; worrying about more major aspects of my life like my calculus midterm on Thursday, as well as more minor situations like the realization that my shoe is untied. What I don’t think about, however, is the way the pink sky is projecting a magnificent glow on the Golden Dome. What I don’t stop to think about is the loved ones I have around me, whether I just met them a few weeks ago at the Dining Hall, or if they’re someone I’ve known my entire life. This is a realization that has become truly apparent to me during the first several weeks of this Moreau course. What I have realized most predominantly is that I am on a constant journey, looking for questions about myself, assessing my values and what exactly I believe in. First and foremost, the very first week of this course was crucial to teaching me the importance of vulnerability, and utilizing weakness to find the power within. Most importantly, it taught me how I believe that while vulnerability may seem shameful, it is also where creativity, love, and belonging all originate. This idea was driven home by Brené Brown’s TED Talk, entitled, “The Power of Vulnerability.” In her discussion, she talked about the magnitude of control that our fears and insecurities have over us. However, it is not until you have opened up to people (sometimes even yourself) about these feelings, as that is when you live freely and have unlocked the true power of vulnerability (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). Right from the beginning, Notre Dame has welcomed me with open https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be arms and made it quite easy for me to be my most authentic self and truly believe this ideology which Brown discusses. From the first week, I was able to build connections with people in a healthy way where I could explain my true feelings and be my vulnerable self. Being a rather less emotional person, it has definitely been difficult to expose my feelings. However, this lesson allowed me to realize that I am a believer that we must use vulnerability to unlock our fullest potential. During week two, I was also able to affirm this belief. In his TED Talk, David Brooks goes on to ask the audience if they are living for their résumé or their eulogy (“Should You Live For Your Résumé … or your Eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two). Essentially, this allowed me to look deeper into myself and decide that my answer to this question was easy: my eulogy. Meaning, I want to live my life how I want to be remembered. I want to live my life for quality, attempting to have a positive impact on others throughout my entire lifetime. However, I became aware this cannot be done if one neglects the power of exposing inner weaknesses and vulnerabilities, as that is how you are able to build these connections with people, creating more meaningful, long-lasting relationships. Week five really cemented these values for me, as I listened to Father Kevin discuss the topic of “two Notre Dames” and how a Holy Cross education can transform my mind and soul. At one point in his speech, he expresses, “Nobody can be you the way that you can be you. Your power lies not in who you are, but in whose you are. Trust the power in you.” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Father Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five) These words were truly inspiring to me because it gave an idea of the meaning of life and why we should love ourselves. While this wasn’t always that easy for me to see, after joining the Notre Dame community I have not only been able to open up to others, but also to myself. I have been able to build a certain aspect of trust https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 and honesty in myself, which allows me to not only live a satisfying present, but also a future that will be rooted in genuine authenticity. Moreover, my second core realization that I was able to develop was how I believe that forming and cultivating relationships is necessary for my own personal growth. During week four, we learned about the various types of relationships one can form, and how to recognize one that is toxic versus healthy. One article from this week, in particular, played a crucial role in allowing me to see exactly how we know we are building positive relationships, “The best kind of friendships are the ones where you leave with a smile on your face, 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) This quote stood out to me because it is something that took me a while to realize. Growing up, I struggled to be a part of a solid, consistent friend group. Before high school, I struggled to actually connect with friends in a way that actually meant something to me. I did not necessarily have poor friendships, however, I didn’t have a relationship with anyone I could rely on. Eventually, I was able to conclude that to create these relationships, one must better connect with people and create a bond where both people in the friendship felt comforted and supported. This concept of the importance of healthy relationships was additionally clarified during week three when we delved into the idea of faith. Overall, I was able to gain greater insight on the constant search for faith and a connection with God, and how that can be utilized to unlock a whole new outlook on life. Father Peter McCormick touched on this topic, affirming, “God can come through every experience, every neighbor is the face of God, every joy and sorrow can become a prayer.” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Father Peter McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three) This quote particularly struck me because it conveyed to me the power of faith in a way that I hadn’t really considered https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs before. As someone who has always questioned my faith, this really helped me see the point that this text and Father Pete were trying to make. Contrary to prior beliefs, I now know that faith is not just one’s relationship with God. I am now aware that faith is the way you interact with his creations and how you use daily encounters to embrace the power of God. Thus, my belief circulating around the necessity of building strong relationships is not limited to conversations with the people nearby. Rather, it is also about building connections with God and everything around you. Once you do this, you too can value utilizing your relationships to develop your own mind and soul. During the latter weeks of the first half of this semester, I gained a more well-rounded understanding of various perspectives. Thus, I was able to form the opinion how I believe that everyone has their own, unique story that must be valued in its own, unique way. During the seventh week of Moreau, I received great insight on identifying these different perspectives and how it is best for one to set biases aside to most impactfully comprehend someone’s story. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie clarifies this idea in her TED Talk, “So that is how you create a single story. Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.” (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Week Seven) I thought this quote was particularly captivating because it explains how toxic biases can be. It is so important for us to gain a more multi-faceted perspective on different types of people so we can avoid seeing them as one thing. Approach every person with an open mind, and try to challenge yourself to value something about their story even if you cannot relate to it. This is something I feel so passionate about because it is how we combat bias and stereotypes and build greater, more impactful connections with a wider variety of individuals. Coming to Notre Dame, I have been in contact with a more diverse group of people than ever before. If I am able to https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story approach every relationship with this mindset, I can help produce a more inclusive and enjoyable environment. Week six introduced peoples’ perspectives in a different manner, challenging us to look within ourselves to identify the different influences we have had in our lives. We interacted with different poems, learning about individuals and their different life experiences and challenges they have faced (“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six). Most effectively, it allowed me to look deeply into myself and my own perspectives and question exactly what has made me the person I am today. Overall, I was able to look at my own story, and recognize the belief that my unique perspective should be valued in its own way as well. I have been fortunate enough to have been given a lot of privilege in life. From understanding other individuals’ perspectives, I was able to recognize my own point of view on a broader scale, and how I am fortunate enough to not have faced the same level of issues that many people have. Ultimately, coming to Notre Dame and recognizing this belief of valuing various perspectives has challenged me to approach interactions with a fresh mindset, void of any preconceived opinions. This way I will be able to understand peoples’ stories in their entirety, and connect with them in a fresh, more complete way. Walking through campus now, I still have an abundance of consuming thoughts that almost remove me from reality to a certain degree. On the contrary, the difference is, at the end of the day, after assessing my intrinsic beliefs, I can take my mind away from whatever I am thinking about to appreciate that beautiful sunset reflecting off of the Golden Dome. Or, after passing a friend, I can realize how lucky I am to have them in my life and how I have the privilege of knowing their full story. This way of thinking could not be done without identifying the significance of my core beliefs. I am a believer that vulnerability is not meant to make us feel shameful, but rather, it is meant to allow us to experience love, creativity, and a sense of http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html belonging. I am a believer that initiating and maintaining different relationships is essential to personal growth. I am a believer that each individual you encounter has their own, distinctive story which must be understood in its whole. Once these values are assessed, I believe that every individual can live with passion and purpose.