Moreau Integration 1 Moreau Integration 1 15 October 2021 Notre Dame as a Part of My Journey 1. I believe that I pursue truth by being vulnerable. Being vulnerable was never a struggle for me like it was for Dr. Brown. I have always been surrounded by the same people who have known me very well and it was always an easy thing for me to be open and myself with them. However, coming to this drastically different environment has challenged me to be vulnerable with people I am just now meeting. When talking about giving in to vulnerability, Dr. Brown says, “I lost the fight but I probably won my life back” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). She tried hard not to give in and be vulnerable in therapy, but when she finally could be, that is when she felt most like herself and was able to grow closer to the people around her. Now, I will continue to be vulnerable here at Notre Dame while also recognizing that new beginnings at all stages of my life will require me to be put in an uncomfortable position and force me to step out of my comfort zone. 2. I believe that my purpose is to live for my eulogy and not my resume. As a college student, it is easy to get caught up in centering your life around getting good grades and being successful in the future. While these are important things, we must always take a step back and evaluate how we are actually living our lives and not just focus on our accomplishments we are working towards. In his talk about self realization, David Brooks says, “In order to fulfill yourself you have to forgive yourself. In order to find yourself you have to lose yourself” (“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM FYE Week Two). Self realization and growing into a person who lives for their eulogy and not their resume takes time and never happens without forgiveness and a little self doubt. As I continue to work hard in school and look towards my future, I will not forget to focus on what is more important: being my most authentic self. 3. I believe that I grow by accepting my journey of self discovery. Coming to college is truly a journey. Packing up your life and moving somewhere without your family is a big change and definitely a hard one for most people. What gave me a positive perspective on an otherwise stressful situation was having faith that this journey would get me one step closer to becoming the best version of myself. In one of his videos, Fr. Pete says that “The greatest journey you will ever go on is one of self-discovery. On this journey, success, productivity, and failure are an afterthought. What truly matters is authentically responding to the best of your ability as the person you know yourself to be the person that God has created you to be” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three). In this quote, we are reassured that we are well equipped to respond to changes and hardships because God has made us ready. Throughout the difficult weeks so far and those to come, I will remember that my abilities and strengths have been made by God to prepare me for anything I come across or am faced with. 4. I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by showing respect and expecting it in return. As freshmen in college, we are all coming from places where we knew the people around us for a long time. We have already sorted through who has good intentions and who might not have our best interest in mind. Now as we are surrounded by all new people, it is more difficult to know who you really want to surround yourself with. In a video about relationships, the words https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry “That's not love” (“Because I Love You, Double Whiskey” by One Love Foundation - Moreau FYE Week Four) were said. I think that it can also apply to friends, family members, and really anyone you meet. People might seem genuine, but have malicious intentions. People who are manipulative might try to pass off bad behavior by being out of love. As I seek to create new friendships here, the respect that I put into things, I expect from other people. Holding both myself and others to a high standard of love and respect will help me create the life-giving friendships that I am looking for. 5. I believe that I am responsible for using what I have to help other people. Going to school here makes it easy for me to feel as though I have been given everything I need to succeed. Beyond being at Notre Dame, I come from a fortunate family who supports me. If I take full advantage of all of the things I have in my life, I have the ability to be successful. Carla Harris, a medal recipient speaking at a Notre Dame graduation, says “The way to amplify your life is to use who you are, what you know, and who you know, to help others. For that will take your life from success to significance” (“2021 Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Five). The success that I might have in my life will be lacking meaning if I do nothing but aim to further this success. In other words, my success will be without significance. As I continue to work through college and eventually when I do something with my education after I graduate, I will gear my success towards helping the people around me. 6. I believe that I am searching for a way to never depend on a single story. In week six of Moreau class, I wrote a poem about where I am from. About her own poem “Where I’m From”, George Ella Lyon says “Besides being a poem in its own right, ‘Where I'm From’ can be a map for a lot of other writing journeys” (“Where I'm From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six). This poem I wrote, similar to Lyon’s poem, touched on different https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQ5ur9OZ-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4 http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html parts of my life and many things that are important to me. In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk about single stories, she explains, “So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become” (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven). This TED talk is about learning to gather more information in order to have a fuller picture of something instead of only one way of thinking. If we stick to a single story, we will have an incorrect or biased/stereotypical view of someone or something. That is why it is important while meeting someone to refrain from making any judgements or assumptions, as you do not fully know them yet. This also relates to the poems about where we are from. Taking in everything someone is telling about where they are from might make us see them a certain way when there is really more to them than they are letting on. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story