Moreau 2 Integration 1 Pepe 1 Professor Hnatusko Moreau FYE 04 March 2022 Achieving Success, Even in Death While life can incorporate just about any mix of events and experiences, there is one thing that almost everyone holds with common value: the desire to live a good life. The sad truth is that life is extremely short, and therefore, it can be difficult to accomplish what makes a life meaningful in such a short amount of time. The other difficulty in this common goal is that almost everyone views a life worth living differently; it’s an opinionated and personalized feat that we are forced to figure out on our own. Therefore, the best way to make sense of all the differing opinions in our world, and assure we are on a path to satisfaction in life that makes sense for us, is to define a standard for ourselves. Personally, I believe I would die a happy man if I lived by the following standards: balance ambition and relaxation, consistently contemplate and reevaluate in a healthy manner, and engage in connection with others and forming relationships. I believe that one of the largest factors in living a life well lived is finding a good balance of ambition and relaxation. Often, life can be consumed by nonstop action, which breeds a state where we are only satisfied if we are constantly doing something, or entertaining ourselves in some way. While we may not realize the dangers of this addiction to continuous stimulation, philosopher Blaise Pascal discerns that, “All the unhappiness of men arises from one simple fact: that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Pepe 2 Lyer - Moreau FYE Week One). In this way, our desire to always keep moving forward is actually having the opposite effect that we would expect. Instead of accomplishing everything, we are actually overworking ourselves and essentially missing out on the small things in life. If we take technology, for example, it has taken hostage every waking free second of our lives, drawing our attention and consuming our time. When we consider this, it becomes clear that life could be improved with rest and reflection, so that we can slow life down and enjoy it fully. Sitting stagnant is not bad, and practices like meditation, yoga, or just thinking would be majorly beneficial to ensuring we are truly operating under the healthiest and most productive standards. While making a genuine effort to slow things down is a great strategy to help us enjoy each moment of life, this does not mean we should sit idle and watch life pass us by. I believe we should cautiously live by the idea that Fr. Michael Himes in which, “The only time your vocation is settled is when you are settled (six feet under that is!)” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). This method is a great strategy to live life by to ensure that you are getting the very most out of it. If we keep searching for joy, we’re bound to keep finding more of it, and therefore bound to live a good and successful life. Of course, both of these strategies should be practiced in moderation. A good balance of actively chasing our goals while still including breaks in the monotony and opportunities to slow things down would be ideal. This is the perfect formula to allow ourselves to experience just the right amount of stimulation and relaxation, which would produce an ultimate level of happiness. Another major factor of a life well lived is learning to consistently contemplate and reevaluate in a healthy manner. Life is not the easiest thing to understand, by any means. It has ups, downs, expectations and surprises. In fact, a lot of the time what happens in our lives is out of our control. For example, Dr. Jihoon Kim lost most movement in his body in a snowboarding https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/files/476425?module_item_id=149885 Pepe 3 accident. However, he reflected by saying, “So as I began just thanking God and being more positive about the things that I had already, I was able to do things more gladly, and with gratitude and joy and hope” (“Five Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Six). Dr. Kim is a prime example of how we can reflect upon our lives and learn to reevaluate the way we think. In these instances that are out of our control, it's important to focus on what we can control, which is our mind. There's so many ways to think about something, and practicing healthy and optimistic thoughts is essential to allowing yourself to believe your life can be good, and ultimately achieving it. Another form of revaluation can emerge in the way we choose to judge others. In a 2020, Notre Dame graduate Tia B. Paulette formed a project which helped influence a case where, “Elkhart County prosecutors dismissed a murder charge against Andy Royer, who spent 16 years in prison despite being innocent” (“Domer Dozen” by University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week Two). While many might view a man like Andy Royer as the enemy because of his “conviction”, Paulette’s initiative offered him an opportunity, understanding, and help so that he could bridge a new connection and acceptance with the new world. Thinking with these terms of acceptance and understanding are greatly important strategies to ensuring we are giving the world around us a fair chance. Overall, when we take an approach of reevaluation and contemplation in life, we allow ourselves to be open to new possibilities, view points, and overall forms of happiness; a necessity for a good life. The final step to a life well lived involves connecting with others and forming strong relationships. The bottom line about life that we must understand, is that we are meant to live life alongside others. In a TED talk delivered by the Pope, he explains that, “Each and everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://domerdozen.nd.edu/ https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript Pepe 4 Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). This quote alludes to the notion that we cannot live life completely on our own; there is a higher significance to life than that, and this significance is brought to us through relationships with others. If we lived life without interacting with anyone, it would be boring and somewhat meaningless. The people we meet and what ensues from interacting with them is what makes life interesting, fresh, and purposeful. When I interviewed my girlfriend she concurred that, “I am a person who loves connecting with others, and sees it as a major role in my happiness” (“Moreau Discernment Conversation Activity” by - Moreau FYE Week 5). Similarly to others, I understand that through relationships, we are introduced to love, friendships, and belonging, which hold large significance in the happiness we feel day to day and in the long run. The Meruelo Family Center For Career Development agrees with this claim in the way that, “If you actively engage in the process, take ownership, and utilize the tools at your disposal you will reap the benefits and establish a satisfying professional life” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4). In this light, the people around us are the greatest tool at our disposal. There are ample people around you that are willing and ready to make an impact on your life. Relationships are meant to assist you in the process of finding the best future for yourself, and therefore, it is ignorant to think that you can or should do it without that help. Talking to others and engaging in the process of learning from other experiences and opinions is the smartest decision you can make in order to make your life the best it can be. Ultimately, relationships and connections with others are what makes the world variable and enables growth so that we can live our most successful and happy life. At the end of the day, living a life well lived is based on opinion. Only you can decide if your life was worthwhile, and only you can make an effort to make it so. In my opinion, I would https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UBrM1yv79NtwRDgle481Wx0MF8aMGYSmyNeV6wS-qiI/edit https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ Pepe 5 believe I lived a life well-lived specifically if I balance ambition and relaxation, consistently contemplate and reevaluate in a healthy manner, and engage in connection with others and form relationships. These practices are essential standards to ensuring a life that brings about happiness, success, and overall satisfaction, and therefore would ultimately be proud points to appear in your eulogy.