Integration Three Living a life well-lived involves finding your passions and what makes you happy and focusing on that. Discerning your passions is a very difficult process. Our interests are constantly changing and evolving, which makes it challenging to find a passion that we don’t grow out of in a few short months or years. However, it is important for us to remember that it is totally normal and okay to have changing interests. One of the most difficult parts of college for many is deciding on just one thing to study. Something to keep in mind is the fact that “Contrary to popular belief, deciding on a major does not determine the rest of your life.” (Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau FYE Week 4). After college, we are not obligated to stick with our major, and we can continue to explore different things. This is what defines a life well lived. We should follow our interests, and find our passions, even if they are frequently changing. Living a life bound to one job or field of study is not made for everyone, therefore we should do what truly makes us happy in order to live a fulfilling life. In addition to finding personal fulfillment, living a life well lived also involves discerning your social passions and helping others. The world is filled with injustice, and we should all add meaning to our lives by combatting this injustice. There are so many issues in the world, and we, as individuals, likely do not have the time to focus on every single issue. I think it is important to pick a few issues that you are passionate about and focus on how you can help to solve them. For example, when I talked to my mom for the week 5 interview, she said that she believed that equality for everyone regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc is something that is important to me (Moreau FYE Week 5). I agree with her, and I try to focus a lot on equality. I read a lot about racism in America and additionally about gender equality issues, especially in the workforce. By doing this, I am educating myself on these topics, which will allow me to be conscious of these issues in our society and constantly be thinking about ways that I can try to prevent these issues in the future. The concept of finding social justice passions is something that was emphasized in the movie about Father Hesburgh. Father Hesburgh had many passions and did a lot for society while he was the President of Notre Dame. To describe Father Hesburgh in just a few words would be a difficult task, however one way to describe him is “someone who was totally committed to his country, his faith, and to what was right” ("Hesburgh" - Moreau FYE Week 2). Father Hesburgh found what he was passionate about and tried to do what was right for society by fighting injustices. After all, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of social justice in our world today, saying “First and foremost, I would love it if this meeting could help to remind us that we all need each other, none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent ‘I,’ separated from the other, and we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone. We don’t think about it often, but everything is connected, and we need to restore our connections to a healthy state” ("Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone" by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). Because the world is so interconnected, we cannot have certain minority groups facing injustice without it having repercussions on everyone else. The issues of social injustice are issues that affect us all, which is why it is so important that people take action. Making the world a better, more equal, and more https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/38593/modules/items/145505 https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript inclusive place will benefit everyone and bring fulfillment to all, which is why it is such a critical element of a life well lived. Lastly, in order to live a life well lived, we must take moments to pause and reflect, as opposed to letting our lives pass us by. When good things happen to us in life, we must appreciate them, and think about them often. However, likewise when bad things happen, we should also think about them. When we are faced with difficult times, it is important to reflect on those times, however we must do so in a healthy way. We should always ask ourselves “what” instead of “why”. Oftentimes asking ourselves the wrong thing through introspection can make us more upset, as is demonstrated in week 6 when it says, “In truth, introspection can cloud our self-perceptions and unleash a host of unintended consequences” ("The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)" by Tasha Eurich PhD- Moreau FYE Week 6). Instead of hyper focusing on our negative emotions, we should focus on how life will get better and how we will grow from difficult times. Likewise, when good things happen to us we must reflect on them to fully appreciate them. The overall importance of reflection is emphasized in week 1 when it says “the point of sitting still is that it helps you see through the very idea of pushing forward; indeed, it strips you of yourself, as of a coat of armor, by leading you into a place where you’re defined by something larger” (“Why we Need to Slow Down our Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). Not only does reflection allow you to have greater appreciation for your experiences, it gives you a sense of purpose moving forward. Through reflection, you can understand what is truly important to you, allowing you to focus on that moving forward. Our lives are short, and finding out what we value is an important part of living a life well. As we reflect, it is important for us to remember that we do not have infinite time on our planet. This idea is exemplified through the “concept [of] intentionally [thinking] about your own death every day, as a means of appreciating the present and focusing on the future” (Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). Through self-reflection and remembering that our time on earth is short, we can realize what we truly value in life, and pursue those values in order to have a life well lived. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/38593/modules/items/145607 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/38593/modules/items/145607 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/38593/modules/items/145485 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html