Akinsanya_Moreau First Year Experience Integration Two Developing a Growth Mindset What have I encountered and how will I respond? Throughout the span of the semester, one of the most important questions I have asked is that how do we still find and develop our unique ways of making a positive difference/transformation to the community especially after encountering brokenness? I describe brokenness as a state when we are at our lowest points due to hardships and feel defeated as a result. One of the moments I experienced brokenness was when I scored worse than I expected on a chemistry quiz that I thought I had properly prepared for. This was especially hard for me because I started having increased anxiety and stress on other exams over my understanding of the material. However, drawing from the video about the purpose of the Kintsugi art (“Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Ten), and the use of gold to repair broken ceramic pieces, I learned that our hearts can be broken and this could be beneficial because it enables us to grow. The process of healing is also significant as it allows one to form greater connections to oneself. Moreover, to facilitate the process of healing, I developed a conviction, one that involved engaging in the world and helping the environment (“Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement Address” by Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Ten). According to Fr. John Jenkins, it is important to promote love, explore our convictions, and express them in a form that helps to build respect and reduce hatred. During my time of brokenness, I took actions that helped the environment and addressed some of the main challenges of the world today such as climate change. I hoped to do something positive to improve my mindset and also have a beneficial impact to which I became more aware of my actions. I started to avoid wasting water by reducing the amount of water I used for hygienic purposes, trying to recycle plastics and paper, conserving electricity by switching off lights when https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://president.nd.edu/writings-addresses/2012-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ not in use, and trying not to waste food. I still believe there are other ways to respond when I encounter brokenness and I plan to take care of myself, spend time with people that encourage/support me, and take time to reflect on the cause, identify my mistakes and make improvements. I also hope to volunteer my time to improve the campus, practice more eco-friendly behaviors, donate when I can, and find new interests/hobbies. One thing that has grown in importance as a result of my Notre Dame journey so far is knowing my self-worth and trusting in my capabilities. I encountered dissonance during my college transition as a freshman because I doubted my capability of being accepted to Notre Dame and was concerned about fitting in and meeting new people. Drawing from the text and video on a college student’s advice ( “Advice from a Formerly Lonely College Student” by Emery Bergmann - Moreau FYE Week Nine), I learned that it takes time to adjust to college and patience to form new and close relationships. I have to be open-minded and be in the moment to gain new experiences and meet people with similar interests while forming relationships that I will cherish. Over time, I think I have formed new positive relationships and developed a sense of belonging at my hall, classroom, and in the non-competitive tennis team. Moreover, drawing from the quote, “Remember that none of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. We will disappoint people. We’ll disappoint ourselves. But the world doesn’t have to end when that happens” (“Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit” by Julia Hogan - Moreau FFYE Week Nine), I learned that my self-worth shouldn't be defined by external factors. Relating back to when I encountered brokenness if I let my life be dictated by a quiz score, I will become more stressed and discouraged. Therefore I must strive to always do my best and during times of failure, I shouldn't doubt my capabilities or feel that I am not good enough. While my self-worth should https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/well/family/advice-from-a-formerly-lonely-college-student.html https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau not be defined by external factors, I should start living life on my own terms and have my own unique experiences without living to others’ expectations. Knowing that no one is perfect, I hope to grow by reflecting on my accomplishments during times of failure, looking back on positive feedback and the people/experiences that have brought me up to where I am, gaining confidence in my capabilities by trying new things and realizing it is ok to fail but also important to learn from my mistakes. The importance of community has also grown as a result of my Notre Dame journey thus far. Being part of a community especially in one as engaging and close knit as Alumni hall has not only reduced my anxiety of meeting new people but has also given me a chance to gain new experiences. Recently, we had a spirit week called woof week where each day represented a theme and participating reinforced my sense of belonging and strengthened my connections. Drawing from the quote; “Long before community can be manifest in outward relationships, it must be present in the individual as “a capacity for connectedness”—a capacity to resist the forces of disconnection with which our culture and our psyches are riddled, forces with names like narcissism, egotism, jealousy, competition…”(“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community” by Parker J. Palmer - Moreau FYE Week Eleven), I learned that everyone including me had to have the willingness to connect to each other, while the community must be present in each of our hearts. The text also stated that being in a community involved dealing with conflicts, where confronting it brings about happiness. Conflicts can occur as a form of disimilarity to which ione may not feel part of a community based on others’ implicit biases. Drawing from the video about diversity, (“Diversity Matters!” by Prof. Agustin Fuentes - Moreau FYE Week Eleven) implicit bias often has a negative effect on how we view cultures in a community where we associate http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d14a0472-9c0e-44ea-bd39-53c67ee1d436 certain ideas to a specific group. However a way to confront it is by having an openmind and being exposed to different culture experiences and view points to help resist/change our bias. This correlates to the quote, “Whenever we have to shed old ways of thinking, viewing, or perceiving the world around us and ourselves, a conversion of both heart and mind must take place … We need to have hope in that process to stick with it, to believe that what is born of questioning beliefs previously taken for granted will lead us to a new and better understanding of our vocation as citizens in this world and for the next” (“Hope - Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Fr. James B. King, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). This shows how hope can be implemented into our daily lives and can enable us to gain new experiences/perspectives. One has to hope that in letting go of our biases, we become more open and accepting to all cultures. This applies to when I am encountering brokennes, dissonance or any thing that arise, I should have hope and faith that I can overcome ny challenges . In the case of disimilarity, I can be openminded to other people’s feelings and also be communicative while moving forward while holding resentment. I plan to continue to have hope even at my lowest point and also continue in Father Moreau’s vision which was to continue to spread hope and become ready for challenges https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105621/ https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105621/