Trying to balance a full course load, extracurricular involvement, two jobs and a slight resemblance of a social life can easily distract us from our most foundational responsibility. Being the astute student that you are, you might wonder, “What could be more important than academics?” Well, at the risk of sounding unconventional, there’s something you should be studying more deeply than your major. This is especially true at a Jesuit university.
Now that I’ve built up a paragraph of suspense, I guess I’ll reveal that our primary learning objective should be – drum-roll please -self-understanding. It sounds like a theme from Oprah, but she’s only borrowing the idea from none other than St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Self-understanding is a first principle of Jesuit formation. Jesuit novices must make a month-long silent retreat using Iggy’s timeless “Spiritual Exercises.” While these exercises don’t build a ripped exterior physique, they do build a contemplative interior consciousness. Contemplation is an ongoing process that Jesuits continue to practice every day through a reflective prayer called the “examen.”
Chris Lowney, author of “Heroic Leadership,” who visited campus during Loyola Week, lists self-awareness as the first Jesuit “pillar of success.” According to the Lowney, self-awareness instills “the ability to reflect systematically on personal weaknesses;” “an integrated worldview, a vision and a value system;” “a profound respect for other people and for all of creation” and “an appreciation of oneself as loved and important.” Lowney’s message inspired the First-Year Experience theme “Purpose Beyond Self.” Only after understanding the self can we move beyond to attain a heroic purpose.
As simple as this sounds, the concept can be more challenging than even the most rigorous coursework. Maybe I’m slow, but it’s taken me four years to develop this understanding. That’s good timing, though, if you ask me. Now I can carry my still progressing self-awareness forward into the real world of post-graduate life.
Loyola’s Jesuit mission calls us “to work for a more just world.” There’s no clear path to achieve this ideal. That’s where self-awareness comes in handy. Through introspection, we can more clearly discern where we are called to serve. My discernment of post-graduate calling has led me to accept a position in the Teach For America corps – a position that should open my eyes and my heart to an even clearer self-knowledge.
Education is a lifelong process. The college experience teaches us the habits of learning and critical thinking so we can continue to progress on our own. During your time at Loyola, try to pause for the opportunity to look inside and listen to your heart. The effort will repay itself many times over.
