Integration One Professor Kelly Moreau FYE 13 October 2021 What Controls Your Destiny? Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” This quote puts into perspective how important and transformative your beliefs can be in shaping your life. Throughout my first few months at Notre Dame, Moreau has made me evaluate and re-evaluate my beliefs every week. This process has been very beneficial to me, as I have been able to look at both how my beliefs are beneficial to my life, as well as learning new perspectives that are better alternatives to the way I see things. I now feel like I have a much more refined set of beliefs than I did when I got to Notre Dame, and that has led me to view the world much differently than before. I believe that I can best pursue truth through looking at multiple perspectives. Oftentimes, for varying reasons, people refuse to acknowledge a different viewpoint than what has become customary to them. For example, many members of the Gateway program originally were turned off by the idea as they expected to get into Notre Dame straightaway. It wasn’t until they reached out to connect with others, that they changed their perspective and became more open to the idea. One person who analyzed this idea of taking in different perspectives is Chimamonda Ngozi Adichie. In her Ted Talk, she says, “Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become” (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamonda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I believe that this immensely narrows one’s view of the https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/transcript?language=en world, and makes it impossible for them to experience things for what they really are. If you are able to effectively understand ideas and people from different perspectives, it is far easier for you to appreciate them. I believe that I can grow through loving others, as well as loving myself. During a homework assignment when I took the VIA Character Strengths Survey, I found that love was one of my five lowest ranked traits. The previous week, in a video regarding vulnerability, the speaker said, “There was only one variable that separated the people who have a strong sense of love and belonging, and really struggle for it. And that was that people who have a strong sense of love and belonging believe they’re worthy of love and belonging” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). Through this class, I have begun to understand the importance of self love, and I plan on practicing it more as I continue my life. I believe that this will allow me to have less stress in my life, boost my confidence, and increase my motivation. Furthermore, in the second week of this course, we watched a video in which the speaker said, “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). This has inspired me to try and be more loving towards others, as we all need each other to accomplish our own individual goals, as cliche as it may sound. Furthermore, I believe that hope is a critical component to love. In our week 3 assignment, I read a quote that said, “Hope is the confidence that we are moving toward light, not darkness; joy, not sorrow; life, not death” (“Faith Brings light to a Dark World” Prof. David Fagerberg - Moreau FYE Week Three). If you believe you are moving towards light, it is easier to love others. If you believe you are moving towards sorrow, the will to love becomes weaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.ted.com/talks/david_brooks_should_you_live_for_your_resume_or_your_eulogy?language=zh https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/belief/faith-brings-light-to-dark-world/ I believe that forging life-giving relationships is crucial, as it is important to surround yourself with people who care about you as much as you care about them. I learned this before college, which has allowed me to form great relationships with those around me in school and in extracurriculars. Part of why I have been able to learn this is by keeping an eye out for signs of an unhealthy relationship, most notably mutual care and attention. According to one of our week 4 readings, “Attention is one of the rarest forms of love” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Relationship” Olivia T. Taylor, Moreau FYE Week Four). If you are capable of giving your friend or partner your undivided attention when necessary, you can often form a good relationship with them. However, if you feel as if your partner is incapable of repaying their attention to you, it will be difficult to form a meaningful connection. Another thing to take into account when forming relationships is you want to make sure that the person you’re with has things in common with you. In Week 5, we looked at our own backgrounds to determine where we came from. The writer of the example “Where I’m From” poem said she was able to create a network of writers who shared a similar passion to her through these kinds of poems (“Where I’m From” George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six) This is an example of forming connections through a shared passion, which can be found through looking at your upbringing as done in the poems. Lastly, I believe that education, specifically education of both the mind and the soul, is crucial to becoming your best self. In our week 5 assignment, I heard Fr. Kevin Gates say an education is “a work of the resurrection...a work of life, out of death” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five). To me, in order for this quote to stand correctly, it is important to educate more than just the mind. For example, if you are only learning how to write an essay to get an A, you aren’t getting a work of life out of death. https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 However, if you use your writing abilities to write about a passion of yours, and you use that passion to make a difference in the world, then I believe that education was successful. Overall, my first few months at Notre Dame have shaped my beliefs more than I would have ever thought possible. Moreau in particular has done a great job helping me make connections to my own life, and reflecting on both myself and society as a whole. By refining my own beliefs, I believe that I am better able to follow my moral compass, and in part, control my destiny.