Lynch 1 David Lassen Moreau FYE 24 April 2022 One Connection at a Time My mission is to constantly seek out new adventures and experiences that allow me to build meaningful connections with all types of people, and to use these relationships to drive positive change in the world. In Week 13 of Moreau, I was tasked with creating my personal mission statement and concluded that to live fully is to challenge oneself through connection, adventure, and learning experiences. A life well-lived is one in which nothing is taken for granted and each day is an opportunity to cherish my loved ones, appreciate my education, and stare in awe at the beauty of the world around me (Moreau FYE Week 13). I strive to be steadfast and diligent in every aspect of my life whether that be in the classroom, in my faith, on the soccer field, and in building and maintaining relationships with others. I will use the tenets I learned from this course to strike a balance between work and play to create space for relaxation. This newfound balance will allow me to further pursue my goals and live out my mission statement in a sustainable way. A life well-lived involves acquiring both knowledge and wisdom throughout one’s life. I strive to learn as much as I can not just in the classroom, but also through my relationships with others. Not only do I seek to understand the ins and outs of Neuroscience and Behavior and Spanish literature in my studies at Notre Dame, but I have a powerful urge to travel and observe all different customs and cultures. I will begin building this understanding over the summer by studying abroad in Santiago, Chile, where I will live with a host family and experience an entirely different way of Lynch 2 life. An extensive understanding of communities around the world will allow me to properly respect others, build relationships, and gain wisdom that cannot be ascertained solely through books. In Week 11 of Moreau, I learned that wisdom is a crucial component of a fulfilling life. My definition of wisdom is not simply knowing information, but rather a deep awareness of how the world works and an understanding of how to respectfully interact with others. In his Youtube Video “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber,” Dr. Paul Blaschko explains that when we participate in “echo chambers,” groups that discredit other’s opinions, we are preventing ourselves from understanding the world in different ways (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blashcko,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND, Moreau FYE Week 11). Wisdom involves compassion, an open heart, and a willingness to hear out other’s opinions. True wisdom comes from tolerance of diverse opinions and viewpoints. Over the next three years, I will avoid falling into echo chambers by maintaining an open mindset and continually reevaluating my own beliefs, which can only be done by carefully listening to others. I am resilient and able to overcome suffering by trusting in God and remaining deeply grateful for all he has given me. A life well-lived requires a constant sense of hope and trust in the Lord despite the challenges of our world. In Week 6, JD Kim’s inspiring story about his change in mindset after a tragic snowboarding accident inspired me to find a new appreciation for my life. (“5 Minutes” by Grotto, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146544 Moreau FYE Week 6). JD Kim found himself feeling utterly helpless after a tragic snowboarding accident. His new reality was life in a wheelchair, which he had to recline every 15 minutes to maintain his blood pressure. Instead of focusing on these frustrations, he changed his mindset and found so much joy in the world by becoming thankful for the things he could do and focusing on appreciating those things each day. I strive to live with this same firm trust in God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146544 Lynch 3 and gratitude for all I have, despite the times when darkness seems to take over my life. I have begun to live with this appreciation this semester by embracing my close friendships and moments of humor in study group sessions, in the midst of great stress about organic chemistry exams. For example, when walking into my first organic chemistry office hours session, I was truly doubting my academic abilities and found myself in a dark place. Little did I know that at these office hours, I would meet one of my best friends, Nadim. We were immediately laughing together and were able to bond over the academic struggle, and now share a special relationship that never would have formed if it were not for the obstacles we faced together. I am grateful for everything God has given me and will continue to live with joy and appreciation despite the obstacles and suffering I encounter. I strive to be a friend to those who are lonely and suffering through accompaniment. I will not abandon others in their time of need and will choose to simply stay and support them however I can. During Week 9, I learned the term accompaniment, which is all about approaching relationships with the mindset that you and the other person, or group, are equals on the journey of life. (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C- lg3sH-Rs30/edit, Moreau FYE Week 9). Professor Reifenberg learned this when visiting Chile with great intentions to aid children in an orphanage and had no clue that the kids would actually be the ones helping and accompanying him. The entire concept of accompaniment is that we must approach suffering by simply standing alongside someone in their time of need, keeping in mind that this is a two-sided relationship and not simply one person helping the other. I strive to accompany others with a sense of humility and understanding that although I may be able to use my talents to help them in one area, they have different talents and resources that I likely do not https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit Lynch 4 have. This semester, I have learned how to accompany someone when aiding my roommate, Maggie, when she was facing the death of one of her childhood best friends. I could see that she was facing great suffering after this event and attempted to simply stay by her side and provide my support in any way that I could. I constantly checked up on her throughout the day, sat and listened as she expressed all of her emotions, and tried to cheer her up with small jokes and gestures whenever I could. Accompaniment is key to a life well-lived and is all about supporting others with a sense of humility and respect. I will continue to accompany my classmates, friends, professors, and family throughout my time at Notre Dame by acknowledging the ‘two- wayedness’ of relationships and selflessly caring for others. While a life well-lived is indeed busy and full of seeking out new adventures while serving others, it requires rest. A life well-lived requires a sense of inner peace, stability, and trust in God. In week 1 of Moreau, we explored the concept that rest is crucial to achieving all of our goals. In such a fast-paced world, we are all used to constantly working hard without checking on our mental health and physical health. The article for this week explained that if we were to all take some time to meditate, relax, and pursue our hobbies, this rest would actually increase the quality of our work and increase our efficiency (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Lyer, TED, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146492, Moreau FYE Week 1). When forming my schedule, it is just as important for me to put all of my assignments on the paper as it is to include working out, handing out with friends, meditating, and simply resting. A life well-lived requires a sense of stability, which can only be achieved with sufficient rest and sleep. During my first semester at Notre Dame, I did not understand the importance of rest and found myself constantly working on schoolwork without a break. This semester, I have come to understand the importance of sleep, exercise, and eating healthy in https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146492 Lynch 5 taking care of my mental and physical state. One extremely special experience I have had was joining the Ultimate Frisbee club team, in which I have met many great friends and enjoyed exercising outdoors. These few hours a week have allowed me to realize the importance in participating in all types of activities, which do not always have to revolve around school. In the rest of my time at Notre Dame, I will continue to prioritize my health by not solely focusing on school, but allowing time for exercise, socialization, and sleep in my schedule. I will only be able to successfully live out my mission statement and generate positive change by forming relationships if I am energized and healthy. A life well-lived requires a true acknowledgement of our mortality which sparks new appreciation for what we have and an urgency to explore our talents and passions while we can. During Week 3, Sister Aletheia explained in her article that death is “exotic” to us nowadays. Many times, I am so busy either studying, working out, hanging out with friends, or distracting myself with social media that I never contemplate the fact that I am going to die. Unfortunately, while these distractions present an easy route, they do not lead to a life well-lived. When we choose to ignore death, we fail to appreciate much of the beauty of life and do not embrace our experiences and loved ones as deeply as we should (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham, NY Times, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146506 , Moreau FYE Week 3). To lead a fulfilling life, I must acknowledge that I have a limited time to live out my mission statement. Keeping this acknowledgement of my mortality in my mind will inspire me to get up and give all of the love I can to the people who are special to me, use my talents to help others, and travel to experience all of the world that I have yet to see. In my time at Notre Dame, I plan to do all of the things that bring me joy, including growing closer to my friends, volunteering, cooking, working out, researching, going to milkshake mass, learning about https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146506 Lynch 6 Neuroscience, and reading Spanish literature to become as healthy, alive, and fulfilled as I can. While it is difficult to come to terms with the fact that I am going to die one day, I must come to terms with my mortality in order to live with a great appreciation of everything I have and to act while I can. I am a caring, dependable friend to all. I seek to make people feel comfortable and loved around me, so that their burdens may rise off their shoulders for a moment, and they can feel at peace. Father Hesburgh had this special gift of connecting with others, and used it to generate massive change, for example, through the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He had an ability to bring people together through basic human connection and to remind them of all of the joy in life that we miss out on when we choose to argue. Ultimately, Father Hesburgh’s simple idea of connecting a few men through their passion for fishing and the outdoors, led to massive change for millions of Americans (“Hesburgh,” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley, https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549- 8581-ab9500c9ecd9, Moreau FYE Week 2). I strive to creatively connect people in the same way as Father Hesburgh, simply making small changes wherever I can in order to generate a larger, positive impact on the world. I will do this in my time at Notre Dame by using my humor to unite people in times of conflict or struggle. Little moments of laughter and true connection with others bring an unexplainable sense of appreciation and lightness into my heart. I hope to use these moments to form relationships with others and to unite people or groups who are at odds. A life-well lived requires welcoming and appreciating people of diverse ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, religions, and economic classes, into our lives. All of this diversity is what makes the world and Notre Dame community so special, and I will cherish it in my time https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 Lynch 7 on this campus and beyond. In my Introduction to African American Literature University Seminar last semester, I began to understand that I had misjudged the extent of racism in our society. While diversity should be praised and celebrated, our biological inclination to stereotype and categorize people has led to the mistreatment of millions of people in America. In Week 12 of Moreau, we read an essay from Dean G. Marcus Cole, which allowed me to realize that even distinguished members of the Notre Dame community have faced violent experiences on account of their race. Cole explained that as a black man, he and his father have been subject to horrible violence, not only physically but also emotionally (“Dean G. Marcus Cole: ‘I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” By Marcus Cole, Dean of Notre Dame Law School, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146613, Moreau FYE Week 12). We discussed a lot of this violence in my USEM, uncovering how black Americans continue to face discrimination from the police and other governmental institutions. My understanding of racism in America was furthered in an essay from Dr. Robin DiAngelo in Week 10 of Moreau, in which I learned the term “white fragility.” This term explains the fact that white people tend to withdraw and argue when presented with uncomfortable information regarding racial relationships (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146592, Moreau FYE Week 10). This apathy and failure to act allows unequal societal structures to remain in place for white and black Americans, which leads to the mistreatment of black people across the United States. Although it can be awkward and uncomfortable to speak about, it is crucial that we understand this racial divide and work to fight against the racism which still exists today. A life-well lived is not one in which I sit back and accept the abuse of innocent people on account of their race, but one in which I fight for change on an individual level. I will do this by avoiding making https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146613 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146592 Lynch 8 assumptions about people and taking the time to understand the traditions and customs of people from different countries in order to form respectful, meaningful relationships. When I witness my friends making incorrect generalizing about groups of people, I will speak up and remind them of the way that they would want to be discussed by others. A life well-lived involves celebration of diversity of all kinds, which I will fight for in the ways that I can. I will use my love of medicine and learning languages to serve others as a doctor. My knowledge is meaningless unless it is used to help in my community. I want patients to feel comfortable around me and to help them feel cared for, loved, and special when they are going through some of the most difficult times they will face in their lives. In Week 4 of Moreau, I began to consider career opportunities and received great advice from a Mereulo Center article. The article explained that I should begin taking a small chunk of time out of my schedule each week to talk to older Notre Dame students about their experiences and to connect with doctors in my community (“Navigating Your Career Journey – Moreau First Year Experience Course,” by Mereulo Family Center for Career Development, https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating- your-career-journey---moreau/, Moreau FYE Week 4). By speaking to older girls in my dorm and shadowing a local gynecologist, I realized I am going down a path I am extremely eager about and a life well-lived will involve serving others using my passion for medicine and Spanish. I also spoke to my mom for advice on discerning my future career in Week 5 (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” by Mereulo Family Center for Career Development,https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1bZTNU9tpjCnuC9iDFLjslYaX0v4XpBw Clh_GynKfo/edit?usp=sharing, Moreau FYE Week 5). I explained to my mom that I felt very worried and uncertain about my future, and she reassured me by saying there are many paths to the final destination and no single way to get there. My mom told me that she knows I am very https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1bZTNU9tpjCnuC9iDFLjslYaX0v4XpBwClh_GynKfo/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1bZTNU9tpjCnuC9iDFLjslYaX0v4XpBwClh_GynKfo/edit?usp=sharing Lynch 9 passionate and talented in the areas I am studying (Neuroscience and Behavior and Spanish) and that I need to trust myself more in the process. A life-well lived involves having trust in my talents and continuing to pursue them until I arrive at my final career destination. I will continue to pursue my passions by studying hard in my Neuroscience and Spanish classes, joining pre- professional clubs, volunteering, and gaining clinical experience so that I can attend medical school. With these future steps and a confident attitude, I will place myself on the path to becoming a doctor and leading a life well-lived, which simply involves helping others using my talents. In the midst of chasing my own career goals, I will prioritize my relationships with others above my own personal gain. In Week 7 of Moreau, we watched a video from Pope Francis, who explained that we must not forget to slow down and love each other in such a busy, technologically advanced world (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone,” by His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences, https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146562, Moreau FYE Week 7). At times, it is very easy to view others as my enemies, in the classroom or in the workforce, especially in such a competitive society. I have fallen victim to feeling immense pressure to do well in school and have begun to view my best friends as competition, which did not help me succeed at all. Instead of viewing my peers as competitors for the next 3 years, I will focus on acting with love and forming relationships with them. I try to focus on my own performance and push myself to be better than I was the day before, rather than comparing myself to others. This semester of Moreau has taught me that a life-well lived involves developing many specific characteristics, which I will work to acquire throughout these next 3 years. I seek to be not solely intelligent but also wise, to be resilient in the face of suffering, to be friendly to those https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41088/modules/items/146562 Lynch 10 who are lonely or struggling, to remain stable and calm in busy times, to be appreciative of my relationships and education, to be caring to strangers, to celebrate all kinds of diversity, and to use my love of science to one day become a doctor. In order to achieve all of these goals, I must stay true to my mission statement and remember all the smaller goals I have generated to achieve them. Through the small action of forming relationships, I will create large-scale change in the world, one connection at a time.