Moreau FYE
Feb 28 2022
Reflecting on a Life Well Lived 
Now that Grace’s life has come to an end, it is time to reflect on her life. She truly lived a life well lived. She was a hard worker and always put others before herself. A quote that truly reflected her work ethic can be described by “It’s precisely those who are busiest who need to give themselves a break”. ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE week 1)  Grace was always working hard, trying to stay on top of deadlines and work ahead.  While this may sound like it was a positive, for Grace this was a detriment to her life for a long time. She would work herself so hard and for so long without taking a break she would burn out. It was not until she began her second semester of freshman year at Notre Dame did this mindset change. Convinced that she was better off just trying to get her work done all at once, it was not until she had a conversation with a friend did she realize how detrimental this was. Becoming aware of how her actions affected herself and those around here were key to personal growth. (conversation with a friend,  - Moreau FYE Week 5) After burning herself out working tirelessly on organic chemistry, calculus, physics, and coding ,she realized it was detrimental to her mental health. A change had to be made. Something Grace had always done at home was go for walks. She decided to start taking breaks during work to go for walks. The effect taking walks had on her levels of stress made a huge impact on her life. Even though she was no longer cranking out her work the way she had been before, she was much happier. This growth represents how her hard work led her to a life well lived. 
Her hard work while in college led her to a meaningful career in pharmaceuticals (or possibly sports journalism now???). She was inspired by the unique careers former Notre Dame students had, particularly one student who “leads the conception, creation, and promotion of marketing materials while also focusing on design and charity growth.” (Domer Dozen by Matt Conaghan - Moreau FYE week 2) However she also learned that “[The career development process] is a dynamic process with movement back and forth between stages.” (Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4) After considering changing majors a few times (and is very much considering it right now) Grace learned that the plans she may have had in mind were likely not going to come to fruition. However,  while in college Grace had discovered how the diversity of her Notre Dame education allowed her to explore her interest in two completely unrelated fields while still properly preparing her to enter the workforce. The happiness and fulfillment she received from her career and happiness she brought to those around her during her career is just another example of her life well lived. 
	Grace was always living her life to the fullest. She knew that she only got one life and she was not going to waste it. Always a bit of a pessimist, a quote she resonated with was “The idea is to deliberately take into consideration your personal dying day-after-day, as a method of appreciating the current and specializing in the future.” (Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE week 3) While she knew this could be kind of morbid to think about, she thought this quote was important because it reminded us of how precious life is. We only get one life and it is important to live it to its fullest. Taking risks - even though it may lead to failure (and believe me she failed plenty) - is all part of the process. Grace knew it was important that she got outside her comfort zone so that at the end of her life she knew she had lived a fulfilling life without regrets. Similarly, Grace emphasized how this quote would help us appreciate the present. It encourages us to move on from the past and eagerly embrace what lies ahead. Grace was never one to dwell on the past. Knowing it can not be changed she often moved on quickly from bad situations. For example, while taking organic chemistry Grace failed a test. While this would have sent a younger version of herself spiraling, the Grace who had grown and learned to accept failure as part of life was able to move on from an unfortunate situation and not let it hold her back. This growth, and her appreciation for the one life she got was further evidence of her life well lived. 
	Becoming more self aware was something that led Grace to live a well lived life. As someone who always tried to live a humble life, self awareness of her strengths was not something Grace was very familiar with. However, personal growth changed this. Resonating with the quote, “If we’re not self-aware, it’s almost impossible to master the skills that make us stronger team players, superior leaders and better relationship builders, either at work or in the rest of our lives.” (The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way) by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE week 6) She thought this quote was very important because she believed that oftentimes people thought that they needed to have a strong awareness of their weaknesses. While she knew that was true. Grace learned it was also important that we are aware of our strengths. This allowed her to build better relationships with those around her along with being more successful in our day to day lives because we will be able to identify what we are good at and use it to improve the lives of others. Realizing her passions and capitalizing on her strengths Grace was able to positively impact people through her career as a sports journalist (or chemical engineer) and live a life well lived. 
	Finally, the relationships Grace formed was evidence of her life well lived. She always aimed to surround herself with people who made her happy, and who she could return the favor for. Having a meaningful relationship with the people around her allowed her to realize “Happiness can only be discovered as a gift of harmony between the whole and each single component.” (Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE week 7) Grace discovered happiness in the people she surrounded herself with. Not only did she prioritize her own happiness but also the happiness of those in her life. This made her a dependable friend and reflected her well lived life. I hope one day I can live as meaningful and fulfilling a life as Grace did.