Integration 4 -- Moreau First Year Experience Prof. Harrington 4/29/22 The Journey of Belief How do I pursue a life well-lived? This is a question many moral philosophers, great thinkers, and children have pondendered time and time again throughout the entire existence of humanity. I think it differs from person to person. While some are content with a life built through hard work and labor—like creating their own farm—others might be more drawn to a life of hopping from city to city conducting business with international partners, still others might prefer somewhat of a middle path. Some prefer constant social performances and interactions, others prefer a more secluded existence. So, I believe that a life well-lived is not the same for each person. I think that throughout my second semester at Notre Dame—after getting settled in and adjusting during the first semester—I have had a chance to grow in my understanding of what a life well-lived looks like for me. I think the first thing that I realized about my version of a life well-lived is what kind of impact I want to have on the world. “I realized that the true effect I want to have is to change the world for the better” (“Interview Reflection” by - Moreau FYE Week Five). However, I also made sure to heed the following statement: “Does anybody need you to do it?” ("Three Key Questions" by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). Oftentimes, I will be doing something that is very enjoyable to me, but, no one is needing me to do it and then, when it is over, I have not helped anyone out at all, but rather just wasted time. I realized this first sentiment through seeing what all the great alumni of Notre Dame have accomplished. I was especially inspired by Father Hesburgh. I was incredibly impressed by what he did not only for this University but also for the United States as a whole. One skill that I admire most about https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DsktJXYHsz5xv5UUiKjuJrY913g9jGBaATtrZWsNcik/edit?usp=sharing https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/modules/items/149291 Father Hesburgh was his ability to bring people together that would usually not talk to each other. “Father Hesburgh had an extraordinary ability to reach across lines” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). I hope that in the future I will grow in my ability to reach across lines and create bridges between people such that we as a society can connect and grow. Another idea that has stood out to me this second semester is my pursuit of a life where I have everything I need, but not to live too much in excess. As stated, “Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need.”” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One), and I think this sentiment can be applied to a variety of ideas and concepts. As an example, I would always try to have a lot of friends in high school, however now, I have realized that it is not the amount of people that you know or can talk to that matters, but how close those people are to you. Now, I have a decent number of very close friends who I know will always support me no matter what I do. Thus, I hope that I can learn to live with exactly what I need in the future. As a consequence of the amazing conversations I have had with my close friends, I have realized that for me to live my life well-lived, I have to be open and honest in conversations with everyone. It does not matter if I agree or disagree with the people I am talking to, we should still be able to communicate our ideas and be open to learn from each other. “I think that it is extremely critical that we must open the conversation to everyone—no matter the topic.” (“Mission Statement” by - Moreau FYE Week Thirteen). I think it is even more important to go further than this. Oftentimes, when people disagree with us, we tend to think less of them, however, I believe that for me to live my life well, I must embody the sentiment expressed in the Homies Organization: “‘Can I give him my blood’” ("Chapter 8: Jurisdiction" https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/modules/items/149229 https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ncq_Fw09unz9xT3Nb7cB5enGaU77M-_tLqseaofH8zY/edit?usp=sharing https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/modules/items/167905 by Fr. Greg Boyle - Moreau FYE Week Seven). It is important to value people for what they are—people, even if they do disagree with us. Additionally, I have found that with those who are close to oneself, it is not always the best to tell them what you would do in their place. Instead, to create a life that is well-lived, I should focus on accompaniment—“Accompaniment is a path to help waken those dormant dreams.” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). I hope to take these three sentiments with me throughout the rest of my three years at Notre Dame and continue to live them after my college experience. Then, I believe I will accomplish part of my life well-lived. Another sentiment that I have realized I must pursue for my own life to be well-lived is that of self-improvement. However, this must not be grounded too much in self-reflection. Instead, I believe I must have a healthy balance of gaining new experiences and reflecting on those experiences. As an example, “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 (yes, there’s a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). This is what started to happen to me at the start of last semester. I spent a lot of time in my dorm room thinking about what I should do and how I should approach my college experience, however, this just led to me not experiencing much at all. As the CCD states, “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” ("Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Thus, it was incredibly important for me to go out and experience new events, people, and live my college life. However, this can also go too far very quickly. After this happened, “This lesson made me realize that perhaps we just need to take a little breather in our busy lives and reflect on our own experiences rather than try to pick up new ones.” (“Integration 3” by - Moreau https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F-ETUdooRWnE1ebzamXMHHZII9_l630FlVYP3Lr97CQ/edit?usp=sharing FYE Week Eight). So, I know that in the future I will balance both these sentiments. The rest of my three years at Notre Dame I will gain new experiences while also reflecting on these afterwards, such that I may grow as a person and pursue a life well-lived. Finally, to pursue my life well-lived I must also face the issues that society is facing today. I think that “It is urgent that we recognize that human rights are under threat all around the world, including here in the United States” (“I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something” by Dean G. Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve) and I hope that I will be able to make a meaningful impact on this area during the rest of my three years of my college education. As a Christian community I know that “One of the essential tests of social justice within any Christian community is its abiding spirit of inclusion.” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” by du Lac Guide - Moreau FYE Week Ten), so I hope that this reinforcement will allow me to complete my goal. Another great problem that faces society today is the lack of communication between groups that are of a different mindset. As I had emphasized earlier, I think it is incredibly important for my life to be well-lived that I communicate openly and honestly with those around me. However, this is also the case for society at large, sometimes when people disagree and interact with news, they don’t actually care. “They're there to serve their own emotional and intellectual needs. They're not trying to move anyone. They're not trying to empower anything. They're really just trying to learn and engage in a pretty frivolous way.” (“Passion Isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). So, I hope that I will be able to engage people in deeper conversations about topics that really matter. In conclusion, my second semester at Notre Dame has taught me a lot about my version of a life well-lived. I have had many epiphanies about what shape I want my career, social circle, introspection, and broader impact to take. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/modules/items/149715 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/modules/items/149715 https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/