Capstone Integration Sheppard Sheppard 1 Maria Alexandra Sheppard Theo Helm Moreau First Year Experience 29 April, 2022 The Ultimate Strategy of a Life Well-Lived Based on the experiences of a first-year college student My first year as a college student is coming to an end. Ever since flying away from home, family, and comfort zones, my life has traveled through di�erent situations that have allowed me to visualize life from other perspectives. After several months of having started this journey, I have put together the ultimate strategic plan to achieve a life well-lived. First and foremost, the definition of a life well-lived varies upon every person. For me, a life well-lived is about being in sync with what fulfills your heart and whatever makes your brain explore out of curiosity. Before elaborating on the strategy, I have to say that learning and exploring the bases of a life well-lived was no easy task and it included challenges that made it hard at times to find the strength to keep on going. I believe that for all of this, personal values are the most essential aspect of what will guide us to our own lives well-lived, along my strategy, of course. Here’s how the strategy goes… Step one is recognizing that stepping back is not a synonym for failure, let alone giving up. Taking step backs allow us to perceive a picture we have never seen before, “it’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture” (“ Why do we need to slow down our lives ,” by Pico lyer - Moreau FYE Week One). This is easier said than done because of the fast-paced environment we live in every single day. The world will never stop rotating, cars will never stop going, people will never stop working, but taking a step back makes us see the true meaning and purpose behind every homeworkd we do, every job we take, and every food we eat. Step two is doing everything that is under your control to make the best at preventing the hateful “what if’s”. To achieve this, trusting ourselves regardless of challenges and https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Sheppard 2 situations, becomes the ultimate tool; “you will never know if you do not try” (“ Hesburgh'' by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). I would be lying if I said I did everything I wanted in the past months. At times, I did not raise my hand when I had something to say in class, and I did not scream out of happiness after a successful day. We should dance more whenever dancing seems nice and laugh whenever something makes us laugh, this is the only way of preventing the “what if’s” and clear the road to a more life-filled life. Step three is looking around you and starting appreciating the little things! We talk about all the plans and expectations we have and everything we hope to achieve, when in reality we are not able to appreciate the great taste of that cup of co�ee I drank in the morning or the pretty smile someone gave me throughout the day. To some extent, what Sister Aletheia said, “My life is going to end, and I have a limited amount of time” (“ Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham, NY Times - Moreau FYE Week Three), is true but overall, just being aware that life goes on so fast is what will allow us to appreciate things more and live to the fullest. Step four is being opened to experiences. It is through the toughest times that we put ourselves to the test and grow. “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four), they really do because we learn and get stronger from them. Within these lines, step five is being surrounded by people that matter to you and that are with you though the di�erent experiences in life. Getting to know who you people are is an essential part of our development that leads to the accomplishment of our goals. One of my pillars is my mom, she always knows what to say, and knows how to elevate my potential above and beyond, “No matter where you go, always rely on square one” (“Discernment ConversationActivity” with my mom, Jeni�er Espino - Moreau FYE Week Five). Step six is knowing not everything is for you, and that is okay. In life we tend to downgrade ourselves whenever we are not able to do something. Truth is, not everything is meant for us to do or achieve. Instead of backing down upon all the di�erent things we cannot do, let’s work towards the best version of ourselves by complementing everything we can 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/ Sheppard 3 indeed achieve; “I will utilize these five minutes and do something about it instead of just focusing on what I cannot do” (“5 Minutes” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six), adversities are inevitable, challenges are always involved, but if you think about the “yes’s” instead of the “no’s”, you become unstoppable. The fact that not everything is for you, means that the world compliments each other by implementing our capabilities within distinct areas that overall seek for the best for humanity. Step seven is then, knowing that the world works better together. “How wonderful would it be if solidarity, this beautiful and, at times, inconvenient word, were not simply reduced to social work, and became, instead, the default attitude in political, economic, and scientific choices, as well as in the relationships among individuals, peoples, and countries” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven), an impactful quote Pope Francis stated as he explained the wonders that would come along if we implement not only the technologies and innovations that are taking place as of now but an increase in solidarity and other values that are essential to human nature, furthermore community. Here is when the strategy can become tricky, how do we keep going when the circumstances are not favorable? Well, step eight is acknowledging that solidarity can make a major impact on how we perceive things. “Solidarity is about our relationship with the other, and through the practice of accompaniment we make it real and move it forward” (“Teaching AccompanimentL A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine),a quote from Professor Steve Reifenberg that describes how each and every one of us provides several di�erent values to the world we live in, in several di�erent ways. Accompaniment supports the idea that we are working to help people, and by helping others we help ourselves. It gives us purpose, the why within our lives, which is something not many people find out until very late in their paths. By embracing solidarity, we are also embracing humanity, which is step nine in the strategic plan. “We experience a challenge to our racial worldview as a challenge to our very identities as good, moral people” (“ Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo - Moreau FYE Week Ten), summing up what the challenge with racism really is. Everybody is di�erent and that is what ultimately https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit?usp=sharing Sheppard 4 makes the world so special. Embracing our di�erences will lead to a better world, and a better future. As the last steps in the plan are approaching, it is more than necessary to include the importance of echo chambers’ recognition within our society, and furthermore within ourselves. “We’re losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree” (“ How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko, ThinkND - Moreau FYE Week Eleven), a quote that resembles how the lack of open-mindedness towards other people’s opinions leads to the lack of our own wisdom, which is why step ten is critical. Being wise is not about knowing it all, but rather not knowing it all and being willing to accept other perspectives to cultivate your own into their best version. Accepting other perspectives and points of view was part of my growing process throughout my first year of college, and would most likely be a part in the next three. It takes courage to accept when we do not know something and even more to start working for things. This semester I had the opportunity to reflect on allyship, as part of step eleven, by volunteering at La Casa de Amistad. Within the lines of allyship, I can see how volunteering there helps me re-evaluate what happens in my life and it allows for personal growth. I have always enjoyed volunteering because that was the time when I grew the most; La Casa provided me with a space to learn and get to know what matters to me even more. Looking back to all the steps required for the strategy in achieving a life well-lived, I have left the most important step as the last one to increase its meaning and true impact it has on our lives. Step twelve is believing in your personal purpose and statement. At the end of the day, we could all follow a 1-10 step mechanism into achieving a better life, but the key to it all is understanding what a “better life” means to ourselves as individuals first. Regardless of whether I get to completely understand my purpose in life, there are essential learnings that have allowed me to grow and be better, for myself and the ones around me. I can assure you that this strategic plan is successful, although it might take me three more years to prove it all the way. Nevertheless, everything we do in life should be powered by our strongest thoughts and motivated by our capabilities. Execution of the ultimate strategy for a life well-lived starts now, e�ected immediately. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s Sheppard 5