Moreau Capstone Moreau Capstone Living a Life Well-Lived My ultimate goal in life is the improvement of lives. This vague statement includes myself, the people around me, and the environment that all life depends on. The environment is the source of all materials used by animals, so first and foremost I support the protection and reclamation of important resources like waterways. Some of this is done through hands-on work, like the work I have done volunteering and working for the US Forest Service surveying and reclaiming waterways in close proximity to past mining. Projects like these benefit everything from macroinvertebrates that depend on metal-free water to the largest predators that drink the water. The trickle down effects of just freeing a stream from excessive acid mine drainage can restore ecosystems tremendously. This improvement leads to more enjoyable recreation in the areas, making people happier and boosting local economies. The benefits of improvements to ecosystems start small and elemental, but can make whole communities happier, including myself. Another way that I could bring joy or at least decrease suffering is in my desired profession in the medical field. If I can make it through all it requires, I can help others to be healthier by treating the whole person (not simply looking at symptoms). Making other people happy is what makes me happy, along with outdoor recreation, so in my life I try to achieve this wherever I can. This was my mission statement that I made a few weeks ago based off my interpretation of the (“University of Notre Dame Mission Statement” - Moreau FYE Week http://nd.edu/about/mission 13), and I still stand by every word of it. It is not a full encompassing statement for my entire life, but rather gives an insight into my values and examples of how I want to live my life. Reflection is a good tool to ground yourself in your world, and set yourself up for success. The article from ideas.ted.com Why we need to slow down our lives suggests: “The very people, in short, who have worked to speed up the world are the same ones most sensitive to the virtue of slowing down.” This quote is in response to what the author saw during their trip to Google’s headquarters. The author was fascinated to see trampolines and creative spaces in an office of a highly successful company in charge of vast amounts of data and innovation. It seems that even the companies that drive the world forward at the fastest pace have discovered that time without screens and the internet helps to promote creative thinking and motivate workers. (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1) If the top tech companies acknowledge the need for reflection and down time, maybe we should too. Inspiration is everywhere at ND, but especially prevalent in the legacy of Father Hesburgh. Here is my favorite excerpt from the documentary about him: “This whole committee was a put on, and here we have a couple of democrats, some republicans, and an independent priest, and we got you to agree on civil rights? And he said, Mr. President, we may have had our disagreements, but at the end of the day, we are all just fishermen.” Father Hesburgh was able to find a common hobby and use it to unite a seemingly hopelessly divided group of people. The quote brings forward the commonalities of our fellow humans and shows that even groups that were staunchly against each other were able to talk through an agreement by listening to each other https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ and relating to them on even the smallest of things like fishing. I hope to use my skills to bring people together like Father Hesburgh did. (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2) Pondering tough topics about living a good life can be beneficial. I found (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3) to be particularly intriguing due to the different approach this nun has on death. She is a teacher of momento mori, which in Latin means “remember your death.” This was a bit surprising because it seems like Catholic teachings usually focus on resurrection and the life of the world to come. The slightly darker tone is meant to have good meaning though. Sister Teresa Aletheia Noble stresses that since death in this world is inevitable, we need to focus more on it every day, and act accordingly with the acknowledgement that our time here is limited. Similarly, (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4) suggests “There is no “best major” out there - but there is a “best major for you." We also view studying what you love as highly practical. If you are in a major you enjoy, you will be more motivated to go to class, get better grades, and overall be happier - all of that leads to better post-graduate outcomes.” This quote strikes me the most because it reinforces my choice of major and desired career path. Biology is certainly not the easiest major, and there are certainly times that I feel that I would be better off in an “easier” major. This helps me to remember that doing what I enjoy the most is worth it even if it seems way harder than other alternatives. The (“Week Five IrishCompass Activity” - Moreau FYE Week 5) that I completed with Sam Kaczor affirmed my perception of my values and my desired course of study. https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1bZTNU9tpjCnuC9iDFLjslYaX0v4XpBwClh_GynKfo/edit?usp=sharing In her TED talk, Tasha Eurich says: “studies have shown that people high in insight feel more in control of their lives, show more dramatic personal growth, enjoy better relationships and feel calmer and more content. However, Grant and others have also come to realize there’s no relationship between introspection and insight. This means that the act of thinking about ourselves isn’t necessarily correlated with knowing ourselves.” This quote sounds a little oxymoronic at first, but in the context of the article it makes more sense. The article suggests that introspection is unrelated to how much one knows themselves. It relates more to how at peace you are with yourself and your current situation. People who think deeply about themselves are likely doing it out of sorrow or confusion, hoping for a magical answer to their problems. The article suggests that we should focus on what we are and what we want, rather than why questions. (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6) Improving the lives of others does not take a huge trek to achieve. I do not know much about the background of the story from which the chapter Jurisdiction is taken, but it simply does not matter. Each of his self-contained stories have vast meaning that does not require one to dig too deep to see. The story from the diner, where the two gang members are incredibly uncomfortable walking into a diner comprised mostly of “proper” families with money, is rather startling in how quickly one’s friendliness can make someone feel welcome. The waitress’s change from hostile to treating the strangers like friends eases any pre-existing tension, and brings both parties together. In my life, I hope to use my experiences as well as ones I read about to impact lives for the better. (“Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle - Moreau FYE Week 7) When I http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00223980.2010.528072 https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/P_Silvia_Evaluating_2011.pdf https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/39639/modules/16529 wrote what I hope my eulogy will be like in Week 8 of Moreau, it helped me to reflect on how the choices I make on seemingly insignificant days can alter someone’s life. (“Integration Three Assignment: Write your own eulogy” - Moreau FYE Week 8) The quote “I also learned that children can be incredibly resilient, especially when given structure and love; that repression and unemployment and illness all undermine one’s sense of their inherent human dignity; that U.S. policies reverberate around the world and can dramatically impact national policies that impact people who have no interest in politics; and that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t so bad to have big dreams, even if they fell short, as clearly they did in my case” explores the realizations that Steve Reifenburg came to over his time at the orphanage in Chile. The resiliency of children is often underestimated, and he believes that they can be very resilient when given the opportunity. When they are empowered and supported, they are capable of much more than is expected of them. I hope to use this knowledge too to aid me in my efforts to help others and myself in life. (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenburg - Moreau FYE Week 9) I found this part of the reading from week 10 to be quite interesting because it is applicable to any situation in which someone is questioning God or what He thinks of you. [“I think you don’t believe God loves you because you don’t love yourself,” he told me. “You don’t believe you can be loved. You think if people knew the real you, they wouldn’t love you either.” He paused for a moment. “God doesn’t make shit.” He told me that I could not convince myself that God loved me. “You can ask Him to show you, though. And you can pay attention to the relationships where you know you’re loved.”] The extremely candid response from the priest put the student at ease, and helped him https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SkhkzZIMH2UwJauu5J_yq76rGV0GcG_lVd8KPBLTFF0/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing to see that he really is loved by God. I may not have to face the exact dilemma that brought this up, but I am sure that at some point it will be good to remember. (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh - Moreau FYE Week 10) Right now in my life, the best way for me to grow into an adult who makes a large positive difference is to absorb everything I can, and critically analyze everything. Echo chambers, as discussed in (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week 11), only convince you to stay set in your ways and close you off from outside perspectives. I also need to regard all people in the manner that the Holy Cross demands: “As disciples of Jesus we stand side by side with all people. Like them we are burdened by the same struggles and beset by the same weaknesses; like them we are made new by the same Lord’s love; like them we hope for a world where justice and love prevail. Thus, wherever through its superiors the congregation sends us we go as educators in the faith to those whose lot we share, supporting men and women of grace and goodwill everywhere in their efforts to form communities of the coming kingdom.” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” - Moreau FYE Week 12) If I can treat everyone with equal respect, be open minded yet firm in my morals, and act with courage on behalf of my morals, then I can live a life well-lived. https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/ https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/