Week 8- Integration One Professor Pruitt Moreau First Year Experience 15 October 2021 I Beleaf: A Personal Analysis of My Core Values and Growth I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by being vulnerable, and my most authentic self. I believe that I am responsible for finding the balance in my own life. I believe that a strong faith framework is essential, because it influences every aspect of life. I believe that maintaining life giving relationships can be challenging, but it is equally as important as forming them. I believe that the power we have to influence others’ stories, while on our own journeys, is tremendous. I believe that where I’m from does not dictate where I potentially can go, but it does play a pivotal role in who I am. I believe that my purpose is to live an authentic and joy filled life. As I think back to my first week here it’s hard to picture a version of myself who did not spend her late nights in the Hes, and virtually all my free time with friends who at the time were simply faces in Pdub. The last eight weeks have fundamentally changed me. During quarenteeen I grew to know myself better than I thought was possible, and it feels like in just eight weeks I have come to know myself just as much if not better than before. Perhaps it is being seventeen hours away from home, or having to share a space with someone for the first time, but everyday I come to know myself better and better while at Notre Dame. My capacity for understanding, patience, and independence have all exponentially grown. In just a few weeks I have deepened my self-knowledge and become a better person, both of which I attribute to my environment and the Notre Dame community. My root beliefs are essential in examining the person I am today, and the person I’m becoming. I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by being vulnerable, and my most authentic self. Brené Brown’s video reminded me that our society demands vulnerability in order to foster authentic relationships. I found comfort in the fact that both her and I struggle with vulnerability, it makes me feel like it is not a personal flaw. As I have been at Notre Dame I have been forced to be vulnerable. There is vulnerability in meeting new people, making friends, and even living with a stranger. Dr.Brown reminded me that to be my most authentic self, to live a joyous life when things are going great and when I need some help, I must be intentionally practicing gratitude and joy (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). Even in moments of uncertainty, or when I’m feeling the least incontrol, I have to be open to being seen, heard, and loved. I believe that I am responsible for finding the balance in my own life. As I have transitioned from Texas to Indiana and from high school to college, finding balance in life has been essential for my sanity. I have come to realize that finding balance is more than just having a really well organized to do list, and limiting my caffeine intake. To find balance you must first examine yourself. While doing the character strength survey I was not surprised to find that my lesser strengths included hope, forgiveness, and love. My type A personality tends to be kinda cynical, slow to forgive myself/but holds grudges, and more comfortable pouring out love than https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be being vulnerable enough to receive it. I’ve begun treating these like spiritual disciplines, and actively work to combat them in my everyday life. I’ve also come to realize that to live a balanced life I have to be comfortable with the parts of myself I have labeled as shortcomings. I also must allow myself to not only concentrate on this part of me or I will never truly live. The second part of finding balance is changing how you approach life. Often I become stressed because I am overthinking. As I have transitioned to college there has just been more to think about, already the question of what classes I need to take next semester, and who will I room with haunt me. In Brooks' Ted Talk the quote “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope,” immediately caught my attention (“Should you Live for your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks- Moreau FYE Week Two) . A balanced life acknowledges this. The video describes how Adam 1 is built by building on your strengths, while Adam 2 is built by fighting your weaknesses. We, I especially, often live in an Adam 1 society that fears not appearing perfect, thus encouraging constantly focusing on improving your strengths, neglecting, and even hiding your weaknesses from others. To live a balanced life you must be aware of both Adam 1 and 2, and acknowledge them both as part of your authentic self. I believe that a strong faith framework is essential, because it influences every aspect of life. Faith allows me to be hopeful, and maintain a trust in God, even when everything is falling apart, which happens a lot in today’s society. While I’ve been away from home and at college I’ve had many instances where I thought everything was falling apart. Being in an unfamiliar place, and having a rigorous schedule has been a test to my faith in many ways. The knot metaphor put things into simple terms, and when compared to a faith journey made the journey seem less overwhelming. Patience, accepting that every faith journey is unique, and having hope https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUUnT6oDeKwE6v1NGQxug https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUUnT6oDeKwE6v1NGQxug are all essential in faith formation (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Father Pete McCormick- Moreau FYE Week Three). Not only have I been far from home, but surrounded by people who are not part of the same denomination as me. Despite all being Christian’s I have struggled to find a community of people to fellowship with who are Church of Christ, or anything similar, and understand the challenge of practicing your faith isolated from your community. Without a strong faith framework I would feel alone. Despite being surrounded by people of the Catholic faith I have continued to practice, and because of this my faith has grown. I believe that maintaining life giving relationships can be challenging, but it is equally as important as forming them. The “Because I love You” video showed how love can not only be positive in relationships, but also can have a negative side (“Because I Love You, Double Whiskey” by the One Love Foundation- Moreau FYE Week Four). To be in a life giving relationship you must be committed to constantly pursuing one, no matter how new or old the relationship is. You must not only love but respect the other person in a life giving relationship. This means emotional manipulation cannot be part of the equation for a life giving relationship, no matter the nature of the relationship. To be in a life giving relationship you must be committed to constantly pursuing one, no matter how new or old. While on campus I have encountered many different types of relationships. My dorm (Yay Pdub) has been an environment which has fostered relationships that are not only life giving, but life long as well. I believe that the power we have to influence others’ stories, while on our own journeys, is tremendous. The quote “Life, Sweetness, and Hope” those are the words of an ancient prayer to Mary, to Notre dame. They're also Holy Cross’s goal for your time here, that you might become in God's eyes the glorious person you are, and settle for nothing less,” directly addresses the story of everyone who attends Notre Dame ( “Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQ5ur9OZ-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQ5ur9OZ-g https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 Education” by Father Kevin Grove- Moreau FYE Week Five). Because we are here not only are we influenced by the university's values, but the other students and faculty we come into contact with. Over the next four years these people will shape and be a part of my story. I can already tell I am better because of the people I’m surrounded by and the influence of Notre Dame. In our everyday life, and especially over the next four years while on campus, it is important we do not develop a single story view. Single stories have tremendous influence and can even define entire groups of people. It is important to continue the pursuit of truth despite being in a world surrounded by false single story narratives ( “Danger of a Single Story” TEDTalk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- Moreau FYE Week Seven). The idea of a single story narrative is nothing new to me, it often comes up a lot in my own personal life. In the TEDtalk Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about not having representation in literature, which is something I am all too familiar with. While at Notre Dame it is important that I do not let others push a single story narrative on me, and find representation on campus. One day perhaps I will be the representation for another, as an African American woman in Law. I believe that where I’m from does not dictate where I potentially can go, but it does play a pivotal role in who I am. There is true value in where we are all from. Though some people’s origin stories may be sad, or even horrific, it is where we are from that shapes us to some extent. Our experiences contribute to the formation of our identity, even if we do not realize it in the moment. While preparing for my own poem I drew inspiration from George Ella’s poem ("Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon- Moreau FYE Week Six). As I’ve begun to examine who I want to become I have looked back on my origins, and this assignment really reminded me. Being in a new place, with new people, and what feels like an entirely different life I used this assignment to ground me and remind me of my roots. Where I am from does not necessarily https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html have to dictate where I will go in the future, but my experiences and beliefs will guide me as I enter this new stage of life. I really enjoyed this assignment because it allowed me to share more about myself to someone who only knows the current version of myself. Where I come from, what I have learned, the things I love, and dislike, and my experiences all contribute to me being here at Notre Dame. The past prepared me for the present, and I will spend the next four years working towards the future. I believe that my purpose is to live an authentic and joy filled life. With the values of Notre Dame as my guide, a dedication to service, and a strong commitment to my faith I am confident that purpose will be fulfilled.