Examen - 12 2025
Transcript
Opening
Welcome to our examen on beauty.
Take a deep breath. Allow yourself to arrive. Arrive to the here and now.
Whether you’re in an office, a classroom, or a quiet corner of campus, let your mind and body settle into this moment.
- As we begin, bring yourself to a place of openness, to the idea that beauty can be found everywhere, even in the most ordinary or complicated parts of life.
- In this moment, when many in our communities continue to bear the weight of injustice, exclusion, and misunderstanding, we pause to honor that pain.
- The world can feel heavy with division and loss, and yet, beauty still finds a way to rise.
- Beauty lives in the courage of those who speak truth, in the resilience of those who keep showing up, and in the hope that another way of being together is possible.
Centering
- At Loyola University Chicago, our mission calls us to seek depth, to look beneath the surface of our days, and to find meaning and beauty in all things.
Begin by noticing the beauty in your breath. That quiet rhythm, that only you hear as it carries you through each day. Let this simple act remind you that being alive is enough reason for awe.
- As you breathe, invite your heart to .to see yourself and your day with honesty, gentleness, and curiosity.
Review the Day
Now, take a slow walk back through your day. From the moment you woke up until now. What unfolded? Who did you encounter? What conversations, moments, or emotions shaped the day?
- Where did you notice beauty? Maybe it was the warmth of the morning light on the lake. Maybe it was a student who made you laugh, a colleague who offered a kind word, or a moment of silence between meetings.
Giving Gratitude
Now, call to mind the moments that felt like gifts. When did you feel most alive? When did you experience joy, calm, or connection? When did someone’s presence or kindness remind you that you belong?
- Let yourself feel gratitude; not because everything went right, but because something within you kept Because beauty appeared, even if just for a moment and, you deserved it.
Honest Reflection
Now turn gently toward what was difficult. What challenged your patience or peace today? Where did you feel weighed down or stretched thin?
- Maybe it was a hard conversation, a project that didn’t go as planned, or the ache of knowing that people you care for are struggling. Maybe it was simply the heaviness of the world.
- When we feel overwhelmed, beauty can seem But often, it’s simply waiting to be noticed in the chaos.
- Take a moment to release whatever feels You don’t have to fix it. Just name it…and let it rest.
Hope for the Day Ahead
Now, turn your attention to tomorrow. What do you hope for? Where might you allow beauty to unfold next?
- Perhaps you’ll notice it in a student’s curiosity, a colleague’s laughter, or witnessing a shared moment of empathy between two people.
- Perhaps you’ll create beauty yourself, through a kind word, a patient gesture, or a small act of care.
- At Loyola, beauty often shows up in the people who keep showing up…
- in those who find joy is a form of resistance,
- in those whose quiet acts of care build belonging
- And in those who spread a message of hope
- Showing up isn’t about avoiding the hard things; it’s about choosing to look for what is still good, what is still possible, what still holds light.
Closing
As we close, take one more deep breath. Feel yourself grounded in our Loyola community.
- Move through your day with open eyes, open hearts, and the courage to let beauty
- Let it show up in small, quiet .in your conversations, your compassion, and your curiosity.
- When the world feels heavy, remember that beauty is still moving through us,
- And reminding us that hope is not .but perhaps, waiting to be noticed.
November 12, 2025
Examen: Beauty
SUMMARY: Contemplate the ways beauty shows up in your day.
PRESENTER: Marshawn Razor, Assistant Vice President, Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Transcript
Opening
Welcome to our examen on beauty.
Take a deep breath. Allow yourself to arrive. Arrive to the here and now.
Whether you’re in an office, a classroom, or a quiet corner of campus, let your mind and body settle into this moment.
- As we begin, bring yourself to a place of openness, to the idea that beauty can be found everywhere, even in the most ordinary or complicated parts of life.
- In this moment, when many in our communities continue to bear the weight of injustice, exclusion, and misunderstanding, we pause to honor that pain.
- The world can feel heavy with division and loss, and yet, beauty still finds a way to rise.
- Beauty lives in the courage of those who speak truth, in the resilience of those who keep showing up, and in the hope that another way of being together is possible.
Centering
- At Loyola University Chicago, our mission calls us to seek depth, to look beneath the surface of our days, and to find meaning and beauty in all things.
Begin by noticing the beauty in your breath. That quiet rhythm, that only you hear as it carries you through each day. Let this simple act remind you that being alive is enough reason for awe.
- As you breathe, invite your heart to .to see yourself and your day with honesty, gentleness, and curiosity.
Review the Day
Now, take a slow walk back through your day. From the moment you woke up until now. What unfolded? Who did you encounter? What conversations, moments, or emotions shaped the day?
- Where did you notice beauty? Maybe it was the warmth of the morning light on the lake. Maybe it was a student who made you laugh, a colleague who offered a kind word, or a moment of silence between meetings.
Giving Gratitude
Now, call to mind the moments that felt like gifts. When did you feel most alive? When did you experience joy, calm, or connection? When did someone’s presence or kindness remind you that you belong?
- Let yourself feel gratitude; not because everything went right, but because something within you kept Because beauty appeared, even if just for a moment and, you deserved it.
Honest Reflection
Now turn gently toward what was difficult. What challenged your patience or peace today? Where did you feel weighed down or stretched thin?
- Maybe it was a hard conversation, a project that didn’t go as planned, or the ache of knowing that people you care for are struggling. Maybe it was simply the heaviness of the world.
- When we feel overwhelmed, beauty can seem But often, it’s simply waiting to be noticed in the chaos.
- Take a moment to release whatever feels You don’t have to fix it. Just name it…and let it rest.
Hope for the Day Ahead
Now, turn your attention to tomorrow. What do you hope for? Where might you allow beauty to unfold next?
- Perhaps you’ll notice it in a student’s curiosity, a colleague’s laughter, or witnessing a shared moment of empathy between two people.
- Perhaps you’ll create beauty yourself, through a kind word, a patient gesture, or a small act of care.
- At Loyola, beauty often shows up in the people who keep showing up…
- in those who find joy is a form of resistance,
- in those whose quiet acts of care build belonging
- And in those who spread a message of hope
- Showing up isn’t about avoiding the hard things; it’s about choosing to look for what is still good, what is still possible, what still holds light.
Closing
As we close, take one more deep breath. Feel yourself grounded in our Loyola community.
- Move through your day with open eyes, open hearts, and the courage to let beauty
- Let it show up in small, quiet .in your conversations, your compassion, and your curiosity.
- When the world feels heavy, remember that beauty is still moving through us,
- And reminding us that hope is not .but perhaps, waiting to be noticed.