Microsoft Word - FINAL Integration 3 MF.docx Ferry 1 Taylor Kelly Moreau FYE 04 March 2022 The Final Chapter On my last few days on earth, I wonder whether or not I lived a life well-lived. The first thing I thought about is what I would like to be remembered by. Throughout my entire life I’ve tried my best to serve others, spread love, and gain knowledge. One thing I loved, but also disliked about my life was how fast it seemed to go by. It feels like just yesterday I was seventeen years old walking through the arch of my high school and throwing my cap in the air. I wish I would’ve cherished every moment of high school, and although I did have a great experience, I was always looking forward and stressing about college. Looking back on this, I realize that when we are constantly anticipating the future, we miss the present. If I were to give advice to the younger generation, I would tell them to slow down their lives and process every moment in the present—good or bad. I would tell them not to overlook the benefits of practicing mindfulness, and I would remind them to stop every once in a while and look back on how far they have come (Week 1 Practicing self-reflection). One of the benefits to slowing down and living in the present is you can really hone in on what truly brings you joy. In “Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes, Fr. Himes defines joy as: “the sense of the rightness of the way in which one is living one’s life” (pg.1). When I was young, I had an incorrect definition of joy; having lived my life, I now realize Fr. Himes was right. Things that bring you joy are the things that feel “right”—the things that make you feel like yourself—the things that push you towards being the best version of yourself—the things that make you feel alive (Week 3 Ferry 2 Questions of a Life Well-lived). To name a few, the things that brought me the most joy in my life were bonding with my siblings, going to college at the best university(in my opinion), going on spontaneous adventures with best friends, working at a job that I love, traveling the world, doing volunteer work, and making connections with people from so many different walks of life. I don’t think I would be as happy as I am currently if I didn’t have the college experience that I did. Father Theodore Hesburgh, former President of the University of Notre Dame, my alma mater, said: “"If our lives in education have any meaning or significance, it will be in our reading the signs of the times and in educating the young of our times in the visions and values that will civilize and make for reasonable human progress and lasting peace on earth” (Week 2 Inspirations of a Life Well-lived). Father Hesburgh had such a huge impact on Notre Dame and the entire country that I don’t think anyone could even try to put into words. I remember when I was a young woman in my teenage years, I often did not feel heard, and because of this I had very low self-esteem and I couldn’t picture myself having any place in this world. When I came to Notre Dame, that changed. I was surrounded by the most brilliant young people that I had ever met and I was surrounded by determination, ambition, passion, and most importantly, faith. After watching the “Hesburgh” documentary, I realized that the reason Notre Dame was so great was because of Father Hesburgh’s legacy. I feel so lucky that I was placed into an environment at such a young age where I could thrive academically, but also spiritually. Also at Notre Dame, I met my best friends. I formed the most beautiful and strong relationships with my peers—my freshman year roommate became my maid of honor, I celebrated a 70-year friendiversary with the girl I met on move-in day, and I just said my final goodbye to the girl who I was randomly assigned to sit next to on the first day of Moreau. My life would not have been nearly as fulfilling as it was without these relationships, along with the relationships I formed in high Ferry 3 school and in my adulthood (Week 7 Relationships of a life Well-lived). I graduated college with a double major in Psychology and Economics. I am so glad I took a leap of faith and decided to study in these two fields because I couldn’t be more satisfied with the career I pursued. Combining my skills in working with numbers and Mathematics with my problem-solving skills and passion for understanding the human condition, I truly enjoyed the work aspect of my life and I have no regrets (Week 4 Exploring a Life Well-lived). One thing I do regret is not appreciating and properly processing my failures. Part of life and part of being a human is making mistakes and hitting bumps in the road. Whenever I encountered obstacles whether that be externally or internally, I tried to smooth out every single imperfection. I tried to unravel every little problem because I thought that would make me complete—but it did not. In “The Right Way to be Introspective,” Tasha Eurich says: “Introspection can cloud and confuse our self-perceptions, unleashing a host of unintended consequences”(Week 6 Obstacles to a Life well-lived). I grappled with this concept for a while but when my career and my relationships started getting more serious as I neared my thirties, I realized that over analyzing my feelings and emotions was bad for my mental health. Once piece of advice I have for the younger generation is to let yourself feel all your emotions—the good and the bad—because if you don’t, if you suppress them or try to fully morally rationalize them, you will miss out on the small happy moments of everyday life. Another thing I would encourage every person in every stage of life to do is talk. Talk to your loved ones, talk to your coworkers, talk to your neighbors, talk to your peers, because you can learn to much from others. The world does not revolve around you, even though you may feel that way sometimes. Everyone is living their own life and experiencing totally different experiences which is why conversing with others and appreciating human connection is so important. Even if you’re not someone who likes to verbalize your Ferry 4 thoughts or even acknowledge them, take a leap of faith and do it. It is especially important to talk to your loved ones as much as possible and show them how much you appreciate them before it’s too late (Week 5 Discerning a Life Well-lived). The final chapter of the story of my life is closing, and I am not afraid. To the person who is reading this, I want you to know that I realized my place in this world, and you have a place in this world too. The rest of your life awaits you, and if you think you are not living a life well-lived, it’s not too late to start.