Week 8 - Integration Three Moreau FYE Integration 3 2/27/22 Devotion and Distinction: The Life of It is with great sadness and sorrow that we must say goodbye to Christian J. Trzeciak, a true inspiration to all humanity. While many will remember Christian for his heroism and glory as the 50th president of the United States, his life before fame was much more telling of his character and virtue. From his humble upbringing in South Jersey to his collegiate education at Notre Dame, Christian demonstrated what being an exceptional man was truly about. I think we all can learn from how he continually acted on his foundational beliefs, and how he stayed steadfast to his principles in the face of adversity. It was Father Theodore Hesburgh who once said, “We don’t prove anything by burning something down, we prove something by building it up” (Hesburgh). Christian adopted that mindset, and his will to build up and strengthen elements of his life that truly matter is the backbone of Christian’s great legacy. First off, Christian’s entire highschool experience, collegiate experience, and life after education were all about building friendship and family bonds that he could be proud of. In high school, he devoted a tremendous amount of energy to forging lasting relationships with his friends, some of whom are in the crowd today. He continued this practice in college as well. He would build up a group of solid and faithful friends around him, then devote himself to them completely. Christian saw these friendships of virtue as life giving and noble. Christian’s most prized example of “building something up”, however, was his family. His wife, four kids, and two dogs were his inspiration and motivation during his life. Christian understood that the journey through life is not the work of one man; rather, it’s the culmination of many people giving loving support. As Pope Francis once aptly pointed out, “Quite a few years of life have strengthened my conviction that each and everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions” (Francis). Much of Christian’s legacy reflects this ideology. His fierce devotion to his family and friends gave his life lasting meaning that he could not find elsewhere. At the same time, Christian was working diligently to build up a successful career. When he started at Notre Dame, there was a fire in him that motivated him to be a great success. His work ethic and drive had him on track to be a great business student and a skilled financial professional, though the Meruelo Center for career development made him realize that he wasn’t “deciding his career path when picking his major” (Meruelo). Instead, the University helped him to see all the potential avenues to do good in the world that could stem from a finance degree. He learned from his mother and father from a very young age that serving is not just an extracurricular; it’s a moral imperative. With that in mind, Christian chose to be a financial manager for a successful non-profit rather than going to work at more lucrative firms. Christian made many sacrifices to do humanitarian and philanthropic work that made a difference in his community, and his commitment to serving others shall alway be remembered. Later on, through networking with political insiders, Christian “explored and grew in knowledge of himself” (Compass) by crossing over from business into politics. From that platform, Christian was sure that he could help the greatest number of people and change the most lives. Word of Christian’s noble ambitions spread fast, eventually elevating him to the office of the presidency. As president, not only did he prevent nuclear war with Russia, solidify global peace, establish American world dominance, and vanquish the alien star fleet, but he also did immeasurable good works for the poor. Never before had a president been so compassionate and loving to all of his people. Lastly, Christian built a mindset of inner peace and personal joy. He was happy with who he was and what he was doing in the world, and his mental strength reflected that. As Father Michael Himes once said, “Happiness changes from moment to moment, day to day. Joy, on the other hand, is much deeper and much more central, it comes from within, and it’s a genuine rightness of how one lives one’s life” (Himes). It’s clear throughout Christian’s life that his true joy came from his work in service and from his family. Christian loved his family more than anything in the world, and he would have done anything for their happiness. His joy stemmed from his work in politics as well. Research shows that the best medicine for oneself is often helping others, and Christian devoted his entire tenure in public service to serving those in America who needed aid the most. His joy radiated from his person, making it easy to see that Christian was at peace with himself and his surroundings. Though he often struggled with anxiety and depression early in his life, Christian eventually found ways to become mentally stronger and overcome his personal problems as well. He realized early on that too much self-reflection leads to “less satisfaction in his jobs and relationships”, as well as “less control in his life” (Eurich). By the time of his presidency, Christian exuded strength and confidence in his role. I now invite the audience here today to take a deep breath and relax. If you can, try and push the sadness of Chiristian’s death out of your head for the moment. A wealth of evidence shows that clearer thinking can be fostered by setting aside time where people are not to be disturbed (Lyer), by others or by mental anguish. Christian’s death was indeed sad, but he would not want anyone in the crowd today to linger on their loss. In Christian’s will, just after revealing that the majority of his vast wealth will go to building the “Trzeciak Family Hall '' as the 33rd dormitory of Notre Dame, Christian wrote to his closest family and friends to carry on his legacy of philanthropy. He claimed that everyone in his family had a duty to continue the same work that Christian had devoted his life to, and the same thing applies to everyone here today. It’s our duty, as a service to Christian’s great legacy, to make positive change in the world. Works Cited “Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Lyer - Moreau Week One “Hesburgh Film” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau Week Two “Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes - Moreau Week Three “Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Center for Career Development - Moreau Week Four “Discerning a Life Well-Lived” by Irish Compass - Moreau Week Five “The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau Week Six “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau Week Seven https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/files/467832?module_item_id=143473 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1bZTNU9tpjCnuC9iDFLjslYaX0v4XpBwClh_GynKfo/edit https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript