Moreau Integration

How  Pursues a Life Well-Lived
	First and foremost, my mission statement is I believe in God, and I rely on my Catholic faith when guiding most of my morals and values. It is important to create a personal relationship with God because life is easier with Him than without Him. Just because you have a good relationship with God does not mean life will not throw you some hardships, though. Life is tough, and if you want something in life you have to do it yourself. Create goals, have tunnel vision on those goals, and put in the work and effort to achieve them. Anything is possible with proper determination and consistency. However, make sure to not be so focused on your goals that you forget to make meaningful connections with other people, especially family and friends. Like the saying goes, success is not about what you know, but it is about who you know. With this said, however, do not be afraid to make enemies. Be vocal about your beliefs and do not worry about what some people may think of you. You can be the best tasting peach in the world, but some people just do not like peaches. Not everybody is going to like you, so just be yourself. Take a stand for what is right. It is critical, now more than ever, to speak up. As an American citizen you must appreciate this great nation, while also realizing it is one nation under God. Lastly, I believe that you should not be worried about being outspoken on controversial topics in fear of being “canceled.” Act with courage and take a stand against what society tells you is right, even when you know it is wrong. Show empathy, even though it is hard, and hate the sin, not the sinner, as my mom has told me. I have two main grand outcomes I want to achieve: 1. Getting into Heaven, first and foremost, and 2. Saving America. I cannot do the second on my own, but I do hope to make a dent in the fight for America. Make sure to be educated on politics and policy that the people you vote for will fight for. Learn about their platforms and grow in wisdom by doing so. Love God, love America, and love your neighbors.
	The first way I am pursuing a better lived life is setting screen time limits for social media and games on my phone. “All the unhappiness of men...arises from one simple fact: that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week 1). As this quote states, I find myself scrolling through TikTok and YouTube for hours on end, watching pointless content. Right now, people are so disconnected from each other due to technology, so we are missing out on living a true life. I believe in going outside, not being on your phone when eating, and engaging in real conversation, not just texting, with people. 
	As my mission statement stated, I care very passionately about America and protecting it and the freedoms it ensures us. “We don’t know where we’re going from here and we don’t know what we’re going to do. But I can guarantee you there are a lot of battles yet to be one for justice. There are a lot of mountains to be climbed to overcome human ignorance, human prejudice, and at some times, human stupidity” (” Hesburgh Film” by Father Hesburgh – Moreau FYE Week 2). This quote represents speaking out for what is right and standing your ground no matter who attacks or criticizes you. I always make sure to stay educated on political issues, and I discuss politics every single day, whether it be with friends or family, or posting on my Instagram for whoever to see. I’m not scared to give my opinion on controversial issues, and that helps me live a well-lived life, not controlled by keeping my opinions to myself.
	In order to live a life well-lived, we must be fulfilled. However, I have struggled with searching for fulfillment. “Joy – the sense of the rightness of the way in which one is living one’s life. We are not talking about satisfaction either—this can detract from joy” (“Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes – Moreau Week 3). No matter how much material things I get, I always want more. I could have a million dollars and immediately look towards my next million. I firmly believe true fulfillment comes from a very close relationship with God. Prayer and Church are essential for forming the relationship needed to be fulfilled, although I am not great about following this advice myself, I strive to every day.
	Everyone needs a purpose in life. Finding that purpose and vocation is not crystal clear, usually. “Contrary to popular belief, deciding on a major does not determine the rest of your life (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau FYE Week 4). As a college student, I know I have my entire life ahead of me. Everything does not need to be figured out right now, as I have learned in Moreau. Exploring new and intriguing topics of career paths is essential to finding your purpose and proper growth and development as we depart college and enter the real world.
	I know I am not alone in always looking in the future, or reminiscing on the past, forgetting about the present. “So, I encourage all of us to just focus on what we can do for others or what we can do already instead of what we cannot do and what we do not have yet” (“5 Minutes: A Grotto Short Film” by Aria Swarr – Moreau FYE Week 6). How can we live a life well-lived if you are not really living in the moment? I have gotten much better at living in the moment, and to my surprise, I realized it lets you enjoy life so much more. To be happy, you must be fully invested in the now, not the later.
	 “Only by educating people to a true solidarity will we be able to overcome the "culture of waste," which doesn't concern only food and goods but, first and foremost, the people who are cast aside by our techno-economic systems which, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis – Moreau FYE Week 7). I do agree that culturally we need to put people first, however, as a company, your job is solely to make money. Morally wrong to put money over people? Yes. But business wise it is exactly what you should do. However, in this age of materialism, I do believe we as consumers need to distance ourselves from glamorizing and celebrating life based on what you own. We need to make human connections. I have been working on this, but I will admit it is mostly in my head. My actions are still that of a consumer who wants the next best thing that comes out.
	As I said previously, I am an ambitious person with huge goals and wants. “With respect and intelligence, humbly and without arrogance -- with humble confidence or confident humility -- we can be ambitious for making meaningful change” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week 9). I firmly believe to live a life well-lived; you have to have benefitted the world for the better. By making a positive impact, your legacy will live on forever, and your future generations will appreciate it. I used to be much cockier and more arrogant with my demeanor, but I have really honed in on being humble and practicing humility. It does feel good to know you did something good, regardless of if people know it was you or not.
	I have really worked on accepting others and not being judgmental. “Jesus sought out and welcomed all people into the Kingdom of God — the gentile as well as the Jew, women as well as men, the poor as well as the wealthy, the slave as well as the free, the infirm as well as the healthy” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” by du lac: A Guide to Student Life, University of Notre Dame – Moreau FYE Week 10).This welcoming, represented by Jesus, allows love to enter the heart and enlighten your life. However, it is so hard for me not to judge people. I say I want to work on it, but I am not sure if that is true. In my hometown, especially at my high school, the students socially accepted putting down those of the LGBT community and liberals. My middle school and high school were a private Catholic high school that was large majority Republican. Every single day I would hear “liberal” and “gay” used to insult people, so from middle school through high school I also embodied that style of judgement. I know it is wrong, but stuff that has been so embedded into my lifestyle is hard to take out of my daily life. I will say, at Notre Dame it is much easier to not do that because everyone hear is so much more accepting, and more sensitive and offended easier so it forces you to watch what you say. All this is to say, your community and who you surround yourself is important for molding your life and your character, so surround yourself with good people.
	Overall, to live a life well-lived you must have a purpose, surround yourself with good people, spread positivity, love your country, and most importantly, love God and form a relationship with Him. Earth is temporary, and Heaven is the ultimate goal. You will know you lived a life well-lived when you get into Heaven.