There is no need of changing your past: it is who you are Dear Adriana, Although you have lived a life well-lived, throughout your journey you have fallen on multiple occasions. My purpose with this letter is to give you some advice on things that you could have done differently, but I want to point out that you do not need to regret any of your past decisions. These experiences essentially shaped the person you are today and without them, you would not be even half of the human being you are as of right now. My first recommendation will be to not rush your life because sometimes you tend to stress about school, work, and other problems and forget the most crucial aspect of all: to be grateful for your presence on this Earth. Can you remember how you felt during your high school years? You woke up every day, attended school, went to tennis practice, and study all night long; this kept you from enjoying your life to your fullest potential. The school was so important to you that your family, religion, and wellbeing were a secondhand matter. Unfortunately, you cannot rewind time, but from now on make sure to prioritize this stuff. You are so young that many years full of great adventures await you and always have in mind the following: “The places that move us most deeply are often the ones we recognize like long-lost friends; we come to them with a piercing sense of familiarity, as if returning to some source we already know.” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Adriana, you are very fortunate to have the strong support of family and friends around you. You should have appreciated them more often and dedicated greater time to create unforgettable memories with the people that bring you joy. https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ In addition to this, I will have advice you better on living the moment and worrying less about death, if there is an afterlife, or the many intrigues you constantly had. Do not waste your time questioning or intentionally thinking about this action, each time you will get more confused as you understand less the why, how, when intrigues. There will be people with a different perspective about this, remember how Sister Aletheia made it her mission to revive the practice of memento mori, a Latin phrase meaning ‘Remember your death’, but never let yourself doubt your beliefs (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham – Moreau FYE Week Three”). Do not waste the time of your days thinking about an event that no one even understands. Instead, give that time and attention in making sure to fulfill a life lived in your years, rather than the years lived in your life. Figures such as Father Hesburgh could have become role models in your life, inspiring you to be a better person in this world. Following his path of life in doing good no matter how complicated situations can become should motivate you day do day. For example, remember when he managed to gathered Americans and Russians in the Vatican despite the contradiction of both political parties. Father Hesburgh said: “Russians could not even understand the church service. But I set them next to each other and for one hour a week they were in the same room talking. It may seem small, but it was a start” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley – Moreau FYE Week Two), and acquire this thinking process could have led you to leave a unique mark in the society. You have the potential to become a heroine, just as Father Hesburgh, just put a little bit more effort and dedication into being spontaneous and different from what others have done before. While having more authenticity in yourself, make sure to be open-mind and willing to explore throughout your different stages in life. Adriana, the hardest decision you encountered was surprisingly in college, what people said to be the best time in your life. No one prepared you to https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 make your life-changing decision: choosing a career for the rest of your days. Recall for a moment the day you declared your major, did you know what you were doing? It did not matter at all, still, you made a huge deal of it. You even read an article that stated, “Contrary to popular belief, deciding on a major does not determine the rest of your life,” but it took a long time for you to process it (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center For Career Development- Moreau FYE Week Four). I would have advised you to believe this does not define who you will be until you retire, people have made of it a big thing, you better trust it is not. As an 18-year-old, you had no idea what you were doing studying at the University of Notre Dame. I admire how this confusion did not stop you from wanting a career, however, talking about you with others and hearing them would have helped you in recognizing faster your strengths and natural abilities. You struggled to identify what caused you happiness and what fulfilled your interests. Seeking help from parents, brothers, and close friends would have greatly helped you in being clearer about it. Once, a talk with your brother created an immense calm in you. He told you how he saw you as a person that cared about reaching stability in life and how a big component will be my devotion to helping the community (“Discerning a Life Well-Lived - Discernment Conversation Activity” – Moreau FYE Wee Five). Your brother described you with one word: perseverant. Although you did not know the truthiness of this characteristic in your life, you should have believed. No better word fits your personality as the challenges that come your way, you were able to trespass them all by keeping your head up and never thinking about giving up. Adriana was aware that sometimes “suffering was necessary and part of her life”, what made a difference was her way of responding to it (“5 minutes” by Grotto – Moreau FYE Week Six). Her choice of leaving Puerto Rico to study was tough to experience, but what kept her alive was the fact that she was fighting for achieving her dreams. Instead of the suffering of lacking her family support https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 literary next to her, she was certain that their support was present despite the distance. She took that opportunity to value her presence in be grateful and remember how much she once decided it, and once she will be able to return home and admire all the hard work she went through. For you, it was really hard to trust in people and that made the process a little bit more challenging. The time you took to open yourself to a new friendship and trusting them took a lot. You thought managing all alone was possible which you came to an understanding later on that it wasn’t that way. In life, “We all need each other, none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent I, separated from each other, and we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis – Moreau FYE Week 7). Once you found people that align with your beliefs, values, and goals you started opening yourself and counting with bigger backup support. Building relationships helped you to not face situations alone. Each of these situations define who you are, so there is no need of regretting your past. Use them as learning experiences and always have them at the back of your mind. Keep doing well, life has given you a lot already and what is coming is very promising. With love, me https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript