Moreau First Year Experience Section #78
Prof. Pruitt
October 13, 2021


A Snapshot of Beliefs.

What do I believe?  In 18 years of life, I’ve gathered perspectives and collected experiences in what accumulates into my current answer to this question.  Yet, it is ever-changing.  My beliefs reflect my viewpoint of the world, of life as a whole, and thus they continuously grow as I journey through life.  So, after 12 years of education and half a semester of college, what do I believe?

I believe that in order to achieve a sense of belonging and purpose, we must first acknowledge our faults.  “You know how blame is described in research?  A way to discharge pain and discomfort” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One).  I’ve had plenty of experiences with people, including myself, being defensive and dodging responsibility for an error- it always ends in failure.  When we take accountability for our actions, we can move forward in life without any guilt or disillusions from them.  Some people don’t like to accept blame, challenging that it is perfectly acceptable, but almost always these people end up being unhappy.  In actively pursuing responsibility for my actions, I understand myself better and become a more genuine person.

I believe that love is the answer.  The answer to conflict, the answer to uncertainty, the answer to things we don’t understand.  In my life, I’ve been influenced by some incredible people and been given the opportunity to forge meaningful relationships with them- love is what holds it all together.  People who argue against spreading love generally come from a place of hurt where they actually desire love.  As humans, it is easy to focus only on the world as we know it, but we must acknowledge the people around us with an open heart if we hope to truly come together.  As Week Two’s lesson lays out: “Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.” (“Should You Live for your Resume or Your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two).

I believe that defining who we are is a lifelong pursuit.  We are constantly adapting to changes and constantly adopting new beliefs; the very nature of our personality is never still.  This is why we must always seek to discover who we are- in understanding ourselves at any given time, an understanding of values and behavior can be achieved.  As Father Pete said, “the greatest journey you will ever go on is one of self-discovery.” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Father Pete - Moreau FYE Week Three).  I’ve felt firsthand the impact that this reflection can have on myself.  Some people may forget its cruciality, but in figuring out who we are, we are better able to grow, better able to succeed, and better able to live.

I believe that meaningful relationships are essential to a good life.  With this, it is important to know what makes a meaningful relationship.  For me, meaningful relationships are devoid of toxicity, people who you genuinely feel great around.  There are a variety of ways we observe this, for example devoting time to someone: “attention is one of the rarest forms of love” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four).  The belief in the importance of meaningful relationships has no real challengers, but some people do not realize they are in toxic relationships.  Knowing that our relationships are genuine and healthy leads to a happier lifestyle and far less stress and troubles.

I believe that failures are vital to success.  Carla Harris said “failure always brings you a gift, and that gift is called experience.” (“2021 Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Five).  In every shortcoming we face, there is a learning lesson.  Not only does failure point out what we did wrong, it motivates us to do better in the future.  Some challenge this notion with the thought that failure is inherently a bad thing, but my mindset is that sometimes we need to take a step backward in order to take two steps forward.  I’ve had my share of shortcomings which allowed me to take a step back and come back stronger.  With an open mind about failure, not only is there less stress found in our troubles, but there is more growth experienced as well.

I believe that our individuality is the key to growth.  Each and every one of us has a unique set of experiences and beliefs from one another.  The combination of these varied perspectives contribute to a collective perspective which allows for the successful advancement of society at large.  Certainly, challenges arise and it is often difficult to retain one’s own identity in the face of such a grand variety of perspectives, but it is extremely important to the continued growth of society.  Firsthand, any time I try to blend in I feel so much more restricted than when I’m living my life like normal.  The less time we spend trying to blend in and instead embrace the unique, the more productive growth is observed-  “...you are the expert on you. No one else sees the world as you do; no one else has your material to draw on.” (“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six) 

I believe that everyone’s life is fascinating and beautiful.  As my previous values outlined, knowing our own identity and loving others is crucial in life, so if we combine the two, a new key belief of mine arises.  Holding an appreciation for each and every life that surrounds us not only brings joy to both party’s lives, it encourages individuality, it encourages love for all.  I know that sometimes it is nice to focus only on yourself and the roles others serve to you in your life alone.  It can be easy, particularly in our increasingly antisocial/virtually consumed world, for people to be drawn into a vacuum of self-absorption.  But it is essential to resist that pull.  Learn about the lives of others, acknowledge the world beyond your sphere of knowledge.  “...when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.” (“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven).

	Right now, I believe that in order to achieve a sense of belonging and purpose, we must first acknowledge our faults.  I believe that love is the answer.  I believe that defining who we are is a lifelong pursuit.  I believe that meaningful relationships are essential to a good life.  I believe that failures are vital to success.  I believe that our individuality is the key to growth.  I believe that everyone’s life is fascinating and beautiful.  I know that this is going to change with time, but for now this snapshot means everything to me.  This is what I believe, and this is who I am.