Moreaux Integration Paper Moreaux Integration Paper Word Count: 1148 Why am I here? Why am I here? This question is one that plagues my mind quite often, when I’m going to sleep, when I’m working on homework, when I’m walking from class to class, even when I’m surrounded by friends. This question is always in the back of my mind. I’m not necessarily asking in a bad sense, as in I do not wish to be here, but as shown from the survey from Moreaux week 2, my strongest trait is curiosity, I question everything that can be questioned, and then some. I started asking myself this question starting at about 7th grade, I wondered, what was the point of this thing called life. Was it really just to go through the motions of life, be an upstanding citizen, do as I’m told, and then die. I could not accept that. I knew there must be a purpose to why we are all here. One of the earliest answers that I found when looking for the answer to this rather broad question, was happiness. Now this answer may be quite selfish and shallow, but I believed and to some extent still do believe, that life should be around living the happiest life possible. I thought that if something brought you happiness, then you might as well keep doing it, as that really is the goal of life, to make yourself as happy as possible. I lived like this for a while, but the things which brought me fleeting moments of happiness did not fulfill me for more than maybe a day or a week. I realized that I could not sustain myself on the way I was living. That is when I realized that there is a deeper form of happiness that one should strive for, and that is joy. Joy can be found for so many different people, in so many different ways. I believe that everyone’s goal should be what brings them joy. The happiness and joy relationship, I’ve been enlightened to, is similar to living life for your resume versus your eulogy from week 2 (“Should You Live for your Resume or Your Eulogy?”-David Brooks- Moreaux Week 2). Happiness gives https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM your life meaning in that moment, however joy gives your life purpose and meaning for the rest of your life, and even in death. From my past couple of weeks at Notre Dame there have been several instances where I believe the difference between happiness and joy was made evident for me. One instance is the matter of faith. This one however is the most difficult for me to comprehend, as I know that a true love of god is the way to experience the deepest rooted joy, however I have not completely grasped it yet. This school and the little experiences like Hall Mass have inched me closer to understanding the joy of faith, however I still feel I have not yet fully grasped it. The second instance of joy I’ve found at this school is making a difference in others lives. For me, this source of joy is extremely important, because it is the reason I am on the path to become an engineer, and am in a lot of the activities that I’m involved with. For instance, our dorm has Service Saturdays, where we wake up at about 7 in the morning on game days and help organizations in the community that help the people of South Bend. The act of service give me a gratification that no other activity does, knowing that I could be making a difference in someone else’s life is a fact that I live for. Not only that but the community around Service Saturdays, with people who feel similar to me, has allowed me to meet some genuinely good people who I can be proud to call my friends. This service mindset also led me to stay on the engineering path, as in my classes, learning how I can use engineering for good, has me very excited for what I could do in the future. Lastly, and probably the most relevant case of joy in my life, is surrounding myself with people. To be frank, I love and have always been fascinated with humanity and everyone apart of it. I love the ideas of friendship, comradery, and love of all kinds between people. Meeting all the new people here at Notre Dame has solidified that fact. I have had the time of my life meeting and befriending the people of my dorm, in my classes, around campus, and just anyone I pass by. Most of my joy stems from the people that I surround myself with. To follow my belief in living life for joy which is obtained by being close with others, I have needed to challenge myself in order to get deeper relationships with the people in my life. I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM had always had a strong group of friends in high school, but now surrounded by a completely new set of people, I am forced to step out of my comfort zone in order to get to know these new people in my life. I’ve had to take into consideration some of what Brene Brown explains in her Ted Talk on vulnerability from week one (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One) I need to love a wholehearted life where I am unafraid to put my heart on my sleeve. In order to truly connect with people, Brown explains how vulnerability is almost a give in. Without it, the connections just do not form. I must learn to put aside fear of not knowing the right thing to say at the right time, and delve into everyone I meet with passion and genuineness if I want to form a thriving relationship. Once I am able to master living wholeheartedly my wish to help and bring others joy will be much more easily fulfilled. I have decided a couple things about why I am here, not just at Notre Dame, but on this Earth in the journey of life. I am here to experience deep rooted joy. I am here to live a life I can be proud of, not only while I am living, but in death by the people I have impacted in my life. I am here to learn more about God, and hopefully gain a closer connection with Him. I am here to serve others, and to lift others up through my actions. I am here to love others, no matter what or who they are. I have been placed here, at this specific place, at this specific point in history, to make a difference in the world, whether big or small, I do not know. But I am here in order to live a joyous life, filled with love for others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be