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“Being open-minded means accepting all perspectives as possibilities. However, it does
not imply that one necessarily believes in all perspectives. One can choose one’s own beliefs
while still maintaining an open mind, as long as he/she is willing to accept that others’ beliefs are
equally as legitimate”, by Ryan Gottfredson. I have always kept an open mind every time I step
foot in my Moreau class, every time I read a book, every time I go meet someone new. I am
always interested in learning the other side, and I don’t ever keep myself trapped in a bubble
where the only thoughts guiding me are from myself. I am glad I experienced this class because I
do feel like I have integrated many different things. As time progressed, I strongly feel like I
have grown throughout every minute. Deep self-knowledge relates critically to my personal
development and entry into a new chapter of my life. Learning about Encountering Dissonance,
learning about encountering brokenness, learning about encountering community, and learning
about encountering hope have developed my character and strengthened my faith. There are
many things I have encountered throughout this semester, but these are the following that strikes
me the most: Faith, community, and open challenges internally/externally. The way I will
respond to each is by always following my first step: having an open mind.

I have encountered the community since day one that I have gotten here at Notre Dame.
However, I can confidently say that I view my community differently since the first day that I
just began experiencing it. Community is one of those things that have grown in importance as a
result of my Notre Dame journey thus far. There are many definitions of the word community,
but there is one that captures my attention as it is something that I see unfold every time I step
foot out of my residence hall: “A social group who follow a social structure within a society
(culture, norms, values, status). They may work together to organize social life within a
particular space, or they may be bound by a sense of belonging sustained across time and space.”
I do feel connected with the community at Notre Dame because I feel like even though we come
from different backgrounds, we are all here for the same purpose. There is social life here
because we create it, and it brings us together even more. “Community is not a goal to be
achieved but a gift to be received” (“Thirteen ways of looking at Community” by Parker J.
Palmer - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). There are so many truths to this statement. This is what
inspired me on how I should approach the community. I have learned to be relaxed and just
receive the gift, rather than make anything feel forced and make it seem like I am still designing
the perfect blueprint. Receptivity does involve inner work and it must be present in the individual
as a capacity for connectedness.

Faith has been something I have been developing over time even before I got here at
Notre Dame. However, this class has made me reflect on my level of faith as of recent times. I
strongly feel like this community has made me feel more connected to God and made me
approach my faith in different ways. It’s one of those things that first began as a bit ambiguous
and vague but now has become much more clear. This class and my overall experience have



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made me strongly believe in this statement: “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.” I have taken the time to show my belief in God and I am much
more faithful than before. “Competence can be acquired externally in many different ways, but
courage is instilled over time by cultivating one’s heart and constantly directing its purposes
beyond one’s self “(“Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Campus Ministry at the University
of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Cultivating one 's heart and constantly directing its
purposes beyond one's self is, indeed, a required process to discover the truth of who we are as
human creatures, with social obligations, find love and feel empowered to become something
better, and be more like the person of Jesus. Cultivating the heart will develop in virtue. We can
absorb a boundless amount of knowledge and information, but if we fail to see ourselves as
people with a vocation to open our hearts to Christ, then we most certainly cannot live a life in
hope. We need to take the time to surround ourselves with deep spirituality to prosper in one
thing: heart.

Lastly, I have encountered open challenges internally and externally throughout this
semester. Both from the start because I felt a strong sense of isolation. However, this was the
causation of myself and my thoughts heading into college. Dissonance was a part of it because it
was like two people talking at the same time. A clash of two disharmonious or unsuitable
elements. ”Understand that your loneliness is not failure and that you are far from being alone in
this feeling. Open your mind and take experiences as they come. You’re going to find your
people”(“Advice from a Formerly Lonely College Student” by Emery Bergmann - Moreau FYE
Week Nine). Specifically, regarding internal dissonance, the best way to combat this is to lower
your expectations. We blame ourselves so badly to the point where we feel like our life is
meaningless. We need to stop that. We don't always need to hit those marks. Having a healthy,
substantial life is good enough in my book. Being open-minded about everything going on is a
better habit. “A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and
many other points … have … divided mankind into parties inflamed them with mutual
animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to
cooperate for their common good” (“Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement
Address” by John Jenkins - Moreau FYE Week Ten). I always felt like I wasn’t going to be able
to connect with people due to different views, however, this is far from the truth. We are all
different no matter what, we just need to acknowledge our differences and embrace them rather
than separate them. Keeping an open mind about others at this point is key to making a
difference and has helped me with getting through my feeling of isolation. In everything that I
have encountered, I have always kept an open mind as it is the best form of response I can give.