Norman 1


Father Kevin
FYS 10101.7
15 October 2021
My Common Core
	I believe that my purpose is to use my God-given talents in order to heal, unify, and transform the world. 
	Throughout many stages in my life, I have tried to fit in to a box that I thought others made for me. What I mean is, I thought other people cared mostly about my superficial qualities, so I created a box too small for myself and my beliefs. Because of this, I felt lost for a long period of time, especially during middle school, leading up into Freshman year. As a lowly Freshman, my quest to branch out and become my own person quickly fell in to repeating old habits. I tried to make myself fit in to a certain group of friends that did not have much in common with me and did not value the same things. As a result, my friendships during this time fell under the unhealthy relationships side of The Red Flag Campaign’s Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships handout. In a manner of thinking like David Brook’s TED talk “Should You Live for your Resume or Your Eulogy”, I decided to take my life in to my hands. I wanted to live life as completely and utterly myself. On this mission of self-discovery, I found character strengths, most of them the same as I received in the VIA Character Strengths Survey. I discovered that if I used these character strengths that I made more meaningful relationships and was able to support others because I had my own core. I also used this new-found empowerment to venture out and try new things. This led me to new countries and new classes where I learned that I want to integrate my passion of science and math with my desire to get to know and impact the world. I then applied to schools that held the same values as me. Ultimately, I decided on Notre Dame because I knew this institution would provide more than the traditional education. I knew it would help me strengthen my God-given talents and I have already seen how I will be able to heal, unify, and transform the world. Through solving problems in Engineering Design to discussing philosophers in Foundation of Theology, my education is multifaceted and will shape my mind to be a more understanding of others and myself. 
	I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by being myself, being present, and allowing the other person to do the same. 
	Drawing on my response before, I went through a period during high school where I tried anything and everything to better get to know myself and those around me. I am naturally curious and realized that by living for others’ expectations of me that I had cut off this natural instinct of mine. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie encourages in her TED talk “Danger of a Single Story”, I wanted to discover the wonders of the world for myself instead of allowing others to inform me with their biases. By letting go of any pride I had about my preconceived notions, I found that I could truly listen to people’s stories. The connections I made through this process engrained my root belief in being present and allowing other people to be present with me. One of my favorite sayings is to be where your feet are. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself of this quote because it tells me to be grateful for the air I am breathing, the ground my feet are touching, and to enjoy the company I am with. I have always found it interesting how one person pulls out their phone and everyone at the table will follow. If I lead by example and challenge silence, a space is opened for people to talk and connect. My experience with this at Notre Dame has been bountiful and present during our Moreau class. I remember sitting on South Quad while we read “Where I’m From” poems. By allowing a little silence, students were able to reflect inwards and come up with the strength to share their story. As important as it is to listen to stories, it is equally as important to be vulnerable and share your own. That is why I believe being myself is a key element in forging life-giving relationships. I believe that by connecting and being vulnerable with someone, you share a piece of your soul and I want to make sure I am being genuine in the relationships I make. I have tried hard to do that while at Notre Dame because I want a good foundation for potentially lifelong friendships. 
	I believe that I am searching for how I fit in to the world. 
	Although I would like to believe that I have my life together, I realize that a confidence of self does not mean I am entirely sure of how I fit in to the world. This belief would not have been present in my mind before Senior year but filling out college applications requires a lot more soul searching than meets the eye. I thought I knew my purpose and passion but that could change any day, especially when I am in a period of immense change. The uncertainty and newness of everyday in college has brought this search especially to the forefront of my mind. However, Brené Brown shares in her TED talk “The Power of Vulnerability” that vulnerability is not weakness as most people have been led to believe. While at Notre Dame, I have met so many different types of people, some who appear to have their whole lives together while other seems to be struggling to get to class every day. Although I am somewhere in the middle, I have realized that it is most important to be vulnerable to myself. I need to check in with myself and acknowledge that this act of self-care does not mean I am weak or cannot handle this change. It simply means I am maintaining the work I have already put in to better myself. I do not know if I will every not have this belief because my path on life changes with every day. However, I know that I am in the right place to discover how I will get started into the world in years to come.