Moreau
Prof. Oswald 
4 March 2022
Life of Jamie
	“Everyone dies, their bodies rot, and every face becomes a skull” (Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die by Ruth Graham – Moreau FYE Week 3). We all know we will eventually die. Thinking about this and knowing this has allowed me to live my best life because I took risks and had fun. I lived a life full of adventure and reached a very good place. My journey to this place was very difficult but very rewarding. The journey was full of ups and downs, a ton of mistakes both inevitable and stupid, a lot of questions, and fewer answers to these questions. I truly believe not knowing the answers to most of the questions I have helped me to live a simpler and more fulfilling life. People who seem to know the answer to everything seem to still live a well-lived life, but things become less exciting and more predictable. That was one of the favorite things about my life. Things were generally never predictable. I lived my life on a day-to-day basis, a simple life. I didn’t let the littles things get to me and I believe that is the main reason I am able to write this a happy man. 
	A simple life can be just as fulfilling as any other life. We as humans do not need much to survive and be happy. A stable income and good relationships, along with the necessities like food and water, can lead to a life well-lived. “Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Ayer- Moreau FYE Week 1). A fulfilling life is very subjective to the individual person. One person can be fulfilled with little money, but all the family and friends in the world. Another person can be fulfilled with all the money in the world, but not family or friends. My life has been fulfilling because I did the simple things that gave me the most happiness, which was working for myself, being in a productive and happy relationship, and having a tight knit family. 
	Measuring a life well lived can be difficult, but based on my life experience I can definitely say I lived a life well-lived. I can say this because not only did I find happiness doing the things I love most; I was able to give people a better life by helping others. Tia B. Paulette said, “One of the ways I can give back is by spending my career serving others” (“Notre Dame Alumni Association's Domer Dozen” by Tia B. Paulette – Moreau FYE Week 2). I believe helping others is one of the best ways to help yourself. Even though helping others shouldn’t be for your own gratification, the feeling you receive when doing good for others in unmatched. By helping others, you make very meaningful connections with people and can change people’s life for the better. Through one of my companies, I was able to help homeless veterans and people in lower socioeconomic areas find jobs, with rehabilitation, and more. Helping so many people gave me a new perspective on life because seeing others happy made me happy.
	In planning my career, I always thought about something I learned in my freshman year Moreau class. I needed to do something that brings me joy, something I’m good at, and something the world needs. Finding and planning my career was not easy and took many years and a lot of steps. “Planning your career is much like planning for a trip” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Moreau – Moreau FYE Week 4). Though it took I lot of steps to get to where I wanted to be, I always found the most success when I followed my heart. This helped me find the work that best suited my interests and the money came after. I learned that the money will come with doing something you love and are passionate about because when doing something you truly care about you will try harder, work harder, and succeed. 
	 The meaningful and deep connections I made with my friends and family greatly facilitated living a well-lived life. Connecting with others is one of most important things we can do as humans. Sharing experiences and stories helps create these relationships. I remember a conversation I had with my old friend Andrew Pereverzev, who was my best friend in high school. I asked him questions about me as a person and his responses made me very aware that I am always pushing to better myself and people around me (Moreau FYE Week 5). This conversation stuck with me for years because he made me very aware that I wanted to work for myself and he put emphasis that I should do what I makes me happy no matter what. He gave me insight that I might have never gotten while self-reflecting because I always seemed to go in circles in my head, which is pointless and gets me right back to the same place I started. Being able to self-reflect in an impactful way takes practice, a lot of self-awareness, and really knowing who you are as a person and who you want to become. “We can spend endless amounts of time in self-reflection but emerge with no more self-insight than when we started” (“The right way to be introspective” by Tasha Eurich – Moreau FYE Week 6). This is why talking to others to reflect and get insight on yourself is important. People sometimes see things in yourself that you can’t see and can impact your life in many ways. 
	In the end, I am more than happy with the life I lived. I do not think there is much more I could have done besides having billions of dollars, which I now realize has little to no importance. Having a good-life is not easy and I am beyond grateful for the lived and for the people I have connected with. One wrong turn or one different decision could have changed altered my life and took me on a different path, but I would never give up what I have done for anything. “I, myself, was born in a family of migrants; my father, my grandparents, like many other Italians, left for Argentina and met the fate of those who are left with nothing. I could have very well ended up among today's "discarded" people” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis – Moreau FYE Week 7). My life was not only fulfilling. I made an impact on other people’s lives and I believe that is my greatest accomplishment.