Moreau First Year Experience
3/2/22


A Life Well-Lived

	For his entire life, John made the most out of every day. He made it a point to put others before himself and do what he could to help them. For him, becoming rich and famous was never the goal, just a result. It was never his intention to become a celebrity for his philanthropic actions or for his generosity. In his final days, he made sure to give his fortune to the world in the form of investments in different forms of renewable energy and charities. 
	One of the most admirable things about John was his ability to prioritize his life around his friends and family. He took the time to relax and ensure that he was focusing on the right things at that moment. He used to quote, “Yet it’s precisely those who are busiest — who most need to give themselves a break.” (Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives - Moreau Week 1). He thought this quote conveyed that the world is moving faster than we can keep up, and it’s almost too much to handle. Almost every single person is stressed by something in their life, and a key solution could be to take a break and reevaluate. When he was struggling in life, John would often turn to his mother for good advice or some constructive criticism (His Mother - Moreau Week 5). Nobody loved him more than his mother, and nobody would be as honest as she would either. He was able to improve on his weaknesses and take advantage of his strengths. Before high school, John’s mother told him that he put too much pressure on himself and that it would only do more harm than good. This helped shape his perception of his life and the priorities that would lay ahead. He decided to focus more on his well-being than anything else, while still putting his full effort into his academics. He knew that he had to give it his all, but also realized that no academic honor is worth the price of his mental well-being. He thrived in college, with a rigid routine of waking up early and doing work until late at night, trying his best to keep up with the workload. John also gave his thanks to the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development for helping him to determine his path in life. From a jumbled mess, this place helped make his future plans much easier to follow. Much of John’s success in life can be attributed to the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development due to his struggles throughout high school and college as for what to do with his life. Ultimately, he chose not to become a doctor or an engineer as he had thought, but a full-time philanthropist, giving back to the world for what the world gave to him. 
	John also made sure to focus on the present. The past was in the past and the future is in the future. He believed that the most important thing that you can do is live in the moment and enjoy your time while you still have it. He often recounted the words of Saint Benedict, “Keep death daily before your eyes” (Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember That You Will Die - Moreau Week 3).  By reminding yourself of the inevitability of death each day, he believed that you will reach a greater appreciation for the moments you experience. It was during his time in college that he began to realize how fast time moves. By living in the moment and focusing on the present, it helped him maneuver through his life decisions no matter how hard those decisions were. College was filled with reflection and self-evaluation. He pondered and pondered the questions about himself without answers. After struggling for so long, someone advised him that, “‘Why’ questions trap us in our past; ‘what’ questions help us create a better future.” John thought this was interesting because it involved something that he’d never really considered when talking about self-reflection. Self-reflection is often regarded as a very important thing that people can do for themselves and has many positive benefits. He had never realized that self-reflecting can have the opposite effect if not done properly, and it must be done in a less intense way.  (The Right Way to Be Introspective - Moreau Week 6)
Despite having a modest living, John remained humble and kept to his core values. He valued passion, commitment, and honesty throughout his life and stuck with them until the day he died. He learned much about having core values from one of his role models, Father Hesburgh. Father Hesburgh taught him how to show determination when fighting for your beliefs and to disregard what other people think (Hesburgh Video - Moreau Week 2). From charity work to rebuilding the community, John put his efforts towards those around him in order to facilitate a better environment for the generations to come. His passion flowed into his actions and his hobbies, since he loved to play sports and hold events for the local community to attend. In all his work, he continued to be honest to the highest degree and sought to be someone who people could trust in times of need. John was a family man and loved his children dearly all the way until the end. He allowed them to pursue their passions and do what they loved, which to him was most important. As a family man, John tended to let his emotions influence his judgment. One of the most important quotes to him came from the Pope, “Yes, tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women”. This quote conveys the appreciation of people from all different backgrounds and the significance of everybody for the improvement of the future. Pope Francis shared a powerful message that has pertained to the world and has withstood time. The most important part of this thinking is considering others not as “you” but collectively as “us” (Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone - Moreau Week 7).