Moreau Final: Capstone Integration My Mission of a Life Well-Lived Mission Statement: As a student, friend, and daughter, my mission in life is to give back to others. In my life, I have come to be so appreciative of the simpler things in which I have learned to find joy in others' happiness. By playing more emphasis on the good and less on the creeping anxieties I face I learn to be more content with my life. As a child, I originally thought peak happiness came from receiving gifts from Santa Claus on Christmas. However, as I got older I slowly discovered that finding happiness goes much deeper than any materialistic item could carry. I have learned to seek out this joy in giving rather than receiving. Over the next years, I hope to continue to focus on what I can do for others rather than what they can do for me. Another major component of being happy is living life in the present. It is imperative that we start “appreciating the present and focus on the future” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You To Remember You Will Die ” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). Our death is inevitable. By acknowledging that there is no escape from this fate, we are forced to focus more on living in the moment rather than worrying about all the what-ifs in life. If we are so caught up in all the negativity in the world then we can never truly enjoy life to the fullest, living a proper life well lived. Along with this, it is important for me to remember to not put so much pressure on myself in regard to my future. In our society there “seems to be this commonly held belief in our society that a major equals a certain career path.” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Moreau First Year Experience Course - Moreau FYE Week 4). We are told we need to have everything figured out at certain points in life, but that is simply not true. We need to stop putting so https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ much pressure on this idea that we need to know everything about our future. All we really need is to focus on what makes us happy and pursue that path in our journey and by doing so live a happier, more fulfilled life. I am at my worst when I am narrow-minded, when I place myself before others, when I disregard the feelings of the people around me in order to benefit my own desires. In my opinion, the convenience of being closed off to new ideas is what hinders us from branching out and confronting situations from all angles. When presented with an idea that challenges our own it is easy to retreat to your own personal way of thinking. Society is honed in on this idea that we need to be constantly going making it difficult to actually take the time to analyze new ideas or beliefs. Only when we step further back and stand “still we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture” (“Why We Need To Slow Down” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). I believe that I need to work on slowing down so that I do not get lost in the narrow-minded world that we live in. I am truly happy when I am able to bring joy to those around me. My happiness stems from being able to return a smile to someone's face. I am truly happy when I am surrounded by those who I love and care about. When I am surrounded by the people who motivate me to be a better person I am at my happiest. One of the most important aspects of my life is my family. Growing up, I have always abided by our “family motto that Delgado Girls stick together meaning that no matter what obstacles we face we must always put each other first because at the end of https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ the day they are the people that are not going anywhere” (“Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week 5). My sister has been my partner in crime ever since we were little. Not only is she my sister, but she is also my best friend. There is not a single person in this world that could ever compare to her. We do absolutely everything together from replicating Crumbl cookie recipes to binge-watching all of the Harry Potter movies. When we argue we make up in no less than five minutes. I would do anything for her and my mom. Not only do they bring me happiness, but they push me to be the best version of myself. They believe in me even if I do not necessarily reciprocate that same belief. Although with this I aspire to start believing in myself the way the believe in me instilling confidence into my life. I want to be the person that people think highly of. Not in a superior way, but in a way that elicits respect. One in which people do not associate my name with negative connotations, but rather ones that show I was a good Catholic who lived a life well-lived. Throughout my life, I want people to remember me for being kind, respectful, and a good Catholic. I want to make those around me proud and I too want to be proud of what I have done over the course of my life. I want to be able to look back at my life and be proud of living a life well-lived. Additionally, I want to not be sucked into the world of echo chambers. Echo chambers are “a social structure from which relevant voices have been actively discredited” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week 11). A largely growing problem amidst our society is “bubbles” and “echo chambers”. Bubbles are dangerous because it is your behavior that filters what you are exposed to online creating a bubble around what you are constantly viewing. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pIyOHhr47DcjJaZsZjLF3LyNT0zgtrB_IeMomEPl2FI/edit https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146603 However, echo chambers are worse in the sense that it entraps us into certain world views due to groups actively discrediting others' opinions. When groups begin to stop tolerating the opinions and views of others, then bubbles will turn into echo chambers. In order to prevent ourselves from being trapped in these things, we need to wholeheartedly try to understand other people’s opinions, keep track of our own personal motives, and make sure to take a step back and look at the bigger picture confirming that we are not falling into this dangerous world of bubbles and echo chambers. I want to work to combat these issues by eliminating them from my life and those around me in order to help prevent the spread of more “bubbles”. Someday I would like to be able to release people from their suffering. I aspire to work in the medical field in which I can heal others through medicine. For years, I have grown up being told that we need to be the “voice for the voiceless” and that we need to speak up for those who can’t do it themselves. I have been under this false assumption for a long time. I have come to discover that instead “Solidarity with the poor means not to try to be the voice of the voiceless,” but rather “The goal should be that those who have no voice today will have a voice and will be heard” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenbergn - Moreau FYE Week 9). Helping the less fortunate is not about being their voice, but rather it is about going out into the world to give these people back their voice so that there is no need to be their voice in the first place. Solidarity is not a one-way street. It means that we are walking with a person. The relationship goes both ways in which each individual brings something to the table. With this in mind, I hope to be able to find someone with that I can engage in this process of accompaniment. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit My deepest positive emotions come from when I do small acts of kindness. It is the most meaningful to me when done without people knowing that I was the one responsible. Or even when I bring a coffee to a friend who has had little time for sleep. Just knowing that I can improve their day brings more than enough contentment to me. Something that I always found rewarding was including others. For instance, when I was in elementary school playing with a group of friends, I saw a girl in my grade sitting all alone. All of the other kids were playing kickball or were running around the playground, but here she sat alone poking at a rock with a stick. Immediately, my heart sunk as I imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes. I instantly walked over to her inviting her to come to play with my friends. I know what it is like to be left out so I always had made it my personal mission to never allow a person to feel that way. Within the Christian community, “One of the essential tests of social justice... is its abiding spirit of inclusion” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” - Moreau FYE Week 10). Our duty as Catholics is to welcome people no matter their race, gender, social status, etc. Growing up we have been constantly reinforced with the saying “Treat others the way you want to be treated,” but still people fail to abide by this simple rule. Instead of judging others based on our differences, we should learn to be appreciative of them. Society has honed in on this idea that we need to dress and look a certain way. Individuality has become lost in the norms of today. This message also goes for not leaving people out whether it be purposeful or not. Judgment and hatred break down the community prohibiting genuine and authentic connections from being formed. Throughout the next years here at Notre Dame, I want to spread the gift inclusivity to demonstrate that it is the key to not only growing in our faith but also growing as a community. https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ My greatest talent is being able to make someone laugh. When my friends are upset I know that the one thing I can do best in this world is to bring a little humor in to lighten the conversation. A sense of relief floods my body when I see their smiles return to their face. The gift of humor is something I believe I have been blessed with. I am probably the worst person to console a person when they are crying. I suddenly become awkward and tense because I always shut off all emotions from my peers so I do not show vulnerability. My mind starts to race to try to figure out a well-constructed sentence that will make them feel better, but my mind blanks. Instead, I find a way to make a joke so awkward that they are forced to laugh reliving the pent-up tension. I always think of how I am incapable of comforting a sad or crying person, but what I fail to see is that by making them laugh I am in a sense comforting them. It is important to start focusing “on what we can do for others or what we can do already instead of what we cannot do and what we do not have yet” (“5 Minutes: a Grotto Short Film” by Jihoon Kim - Moreau FYE Week 6). I believe a lot of us fail to realize this sometimes. We can get so caught up in all the negative things and all the limitations in our lives that we forget to look at what we are actually capable of. This is an important lesson that I hope to be able to do in my lifetime because I too focus on how much I am not doing versus how much I can and have done for others. https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/ When all is said and done, the most important thing in life is our relationship with God. On Earth, we have been sent on a mission to spread our faith. We have been called to be disciples of the Lord as we all work towards a common goal: Heaven. As disciples, we abide by the rules of the Catholic Church professing the faith to all we encounter. Additionally, the Church functions as a singular body working on the mission of making it to Heaven. Each of us has been given a calling in life, whether it be “those who go out to work or those whose labors sustain the community itself, those in the fullness of their strength and those held back by sickness or by age, those who abide in the companionship of a local house and those sent to live and work by themselves, or those in their active assignments and those who are still in training” (“Constitution of the Congregation of Holy Cross” - Moreau FYE Week 12). The Church is composed of many different parts, but all together we compose one singular body. We are each endowed with a set of gifts given to us by God that are meant to be shared with the community. Like these unique gifts, we also have specific missions in our life already planned by God. We are all different functioning groups that work as a united force striving to achieve the ultimate goal of Heaven. If we are all trying to achieve the same goal, why is there so much conflict in our lives? Why do we put so much emphasis on always being right and maintaining a singular point of view? Life is encompassed at crossroads in which “the differences of culture, religion and conviction can coexist with friendship, civility, hospitality and especially love '' (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). I hope to reduce strife between my friends and family because at the end of the day small disagreements hold no value. https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 A life goal for me is to be more courageous. To be willing to continue along the journey despite the possibility of failure. To act with courage being open to taking on intellectual risks. Because without courage how will I be able to make MY mark on the world? (“Activity: Complete: Writing a Personal Mission Statement Activity” - Moreau FYE Week 13) I believe that the two most important virtues in life are hope and courage. Courage is imperative in order for us to overcome the odds. It is what allows us to renounce the fear of failure and pursue challenges head-on. Hope on the other hand “does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn't lock itself into darkness, that doesn't dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow. Hope is the door that opens onto the future” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). I used to believe that hope was something that we had to disregard the issues we face in the world and naively wish for things to be better. Rather it means that we need to acknowledge these things, but know that there is always another day that we can go out and make a difference in this world. It also does not require every single person, but rather one person that can ignite a cascade of events sparking hope in others. Another interesting observation was the comparison of hope being a small light that can overcome the darkness. This reminded me of how Jesus was sent into the world to be the light against the darkness. We refer to Jesus as being the Light of the World since when we follow him we are pulled out from the dark and into the light. If I am hopeful and courageous I believe that I can thoroughly achieve a life well-lived. https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/