Gus Heatherman Moreau Capstone Integration Notre Dame: A Place Where My Words Become Actions “How do I pursue a life well-lived?” To pursue a life well-lived, I need to define what a life well-lived is. Over the course of the semester, my experiences both in and outside of class have helped me to discover what a life well-lived means to me. I hope to live by the following mission statement as a means of pursuing a life well-lived. My mission is to live a life characterized by compassion and responsibility. I will always remember the power that my choices have. My choices affect my life and the life of others. Knowing this, it’s important to remember to think of others before myself when taking any action. In this way, I will live a life that helps me to grow in compassion and will help others become the best versions of themselves. I will always follow the example of Jesus. Jesus showed us that to help others, we ourselves must suffer. Many people suffer in our world, and we must have the humility and courage to walk with them through their hardships, even when it causes us pain. I will make sure that my actions reflect my words in everything I do. It’s very easy to say words that reflect how I want to act but making these actions my reality is more challenging and important. In this way I will also work to be humble, letting my actions speak for me and keeping my successes to myself whenever I can. I will seek to educate myself so that I can grow in wisdom and use this wisdom for the betterment of humanity. There are many injustices in the world that can only be made right with the knowledge of how to combat them. Educating myself will not only allow me to make better decisions, but it will also give me the power to educate others and in turn make the world a better place. I will give those who are close to me the love, attention, and respect that they deserve. My life would not be the way it is now without the support of many people. In the same way that these people have supported me, I will in turn support them to create a network of compassion and care that can serve as an example for other people. I will now share how I hope to turn this mission statement into a reflection of my actions for the next three years at Notre Dame. Moreau FYE ends with freshman year, but the knowledge I gained about how I want to live my life will stay with me for the rest of my Notre Dame experience. While at Notre Dame, I plan to continue to build upon my relationships with my friends. I think that an important aspect of this growth is remembering to think of my friend's needs alongside my own throughout our college experience. “We consciously create an environment of mutual respect, hospitality, and warmth in which none are strangers and all may flourish.” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” by Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 10). In this way, I hope to always look for activities that all my friends can enjoy, take a genuine interest in the things that they like, and be an active listener when my friends need someone to confide in. By doing these things, I’ll be choosing to create an environment where none of my friends feel alone, helping myself grow in compassion and helping them to become the best versions of themselves. There are plenty of people in the South Bend area to whom I can show love through service. Following the example of Jesus, I hope to engage in service activities while at Notre Dame, including working at a South Bend homeless shelter, working for Habitats for Humanity, and donating blood. Mother Teresa said that “‘One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense.’" (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). I believe doing these acts of service while at Notre Dame can be my way of loving at my own expense. The best part about this is that it will likely be the most enjoyable and fulfilling aspect of my time at Notre Dame. I want my actions to reflect my words and beliefs during my time at Notre Dame. “Why questions trap us in our past; what questions help us create a better future.”(The Right Way to be Introspective” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6). I think that this quote perfectly exemplifies the way in which beliefs can be trapped in our words and not make it into our actions. We often ask why we believe things instead of what we are going to do with these beliefs. A simple way to answer this “what” question is to find ways to practice the things we believe. “Each one of us can choose to finally end hate, by ending this separation. We must do something. This is something each one of us can do.” (“Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” by Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week 12). At the end of this quote, Marcus Cole says that “We must do something”. While this statement seems obvious, I think that a lot of times we often forget to act in the business of our lives. One way in which I plan to practice my beliefs is by giving part of my on-campus job wage to charity. I do not need all the money for myself, and since it is my belief that we should give up what we do not need for others, giving this money is a great way to put my beliefs into practice. Another way in which I plan to put my beliefs into action is by continuing to pray and go to Mass while at Notre Dame since I proclaim myself as a Catholic. While at Notre Dame, I plan to educate myself through a variety of sources. With respect to how I receive information at Notre Dame that will help me grow in wisdom, I plan to not let myself stay in an echo chamber. “We should be intentional about the information we expose ourselves to” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week 11). I will be intentional with the information I receive by attending information sessions on campus, talking with friends of varying political leanings, and following many different news outlets instead of just one. This will let me grow in my own personal wisdom, which I will then be able to impart to others. I also wish to grow in wisdom through life experience. “The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life!” (“Navigating your career Journey” by Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 4). As this quote says, I believe that I won’t be able to fully grow in wisdom if I don’t try new things. At Notre Dame, I plan to try many new things, such as new clubs and activities like Bengal Bouts, new classes such as accounting next semester, and most importantly meeting new people whom I haven’t interacted with before. All these new things will give me experiences that will shape my understanding of the Notre Dame community, helping me grow in wisdom as my knowledge and experience base grows. “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.” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week 3). A rightness of how to live one’s life produces joy, and there is no greater rightness in life than being loving to friends and family. While at Notre Dame, I hope to keep close relationships with my friends and family and to always let them know that they can rely on me for support. I will do this by spending quality time with my friends at Notre Dame and keeping in contact with family while I’m away at school. These are the ways in which I plan to put the words of my mission statement into action. I hope that the next three years I spend at Notre Dame are characterized by compassionate responsibility as I start to become the person I’ll be for the rest of my life.