Defining My Well-Lived Life Defining My Well-Lived Life: A Eulogy When reflecting on the life of , it is imminently clear that he lived a life well-lived; staying true to his values and personal convictions, Thomas used his life in service of others, maintaining impactful relationships, a commitment to justice, and a strong sense of personal worth. In doing so, he lived his life to its fullest capacity, helping create change in his communities and society while achieving contentment and joy with others. Ultimately, through a commitment to his most important human virtues, he was truly able to achieve a well-lived life. Thomas always stayed motivated and occupied in achieving his goals. Through impassioned service and activity, he used his time to its fullest capacity, seeming to pack every second with impactful work. However, he did not let this blind his focus in personal contentment and understanding; he always kept the bigger picture of life in mind through the complications of life. As stated by Pico Iyer in “Why we need to slow down our lives,” “It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with every microsecond. 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 we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week One). His life was certainly noisy and crowded, often without time to spare. However, he was always committed to understanding the bigger picture; how he could life an effective and impactful life. Thus, his small, everyday actions were guided by a larger picture of which his life was committed to achieving. Making him an effective public servant, Thomas was always an active listener to opposing ideas, allowing his perspective to be built by the ideas of others. To serve others, you must first understand what issues are important to them, putting aside your prejudices to listen to others. In line with Father Hesburgh, who “throughout his tenure at the university, always wanted to bring in different views, whether that was a Republican president, or Democratic https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ president” (Hesburgh by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley – Moreau FYE Week Two), Thomas always sought opposing views to build a credible opinion. By understanding that people of good-will could disagree respectfully, he always sought out the reasoning of those he disagreed with to serve them more effectively, allowing him to live out his virtue of service with greater impact. This commitment to service led Thomas to live a life built on selflessness, kindness, and love. Instead of focusing on material, personal growth, Thomas used his life to help others grow, helping them live well-lived lives alongside him. As stated by Fr. Michael Himes, “The central issue in being a human being, and therefore in being a Christian, is what the New Testament calls Agape – a very particular form of love, a love which is self-gift, a way of giving oneself away to the ‘other.’” ("Three Key Questions" by Fr. Michael Himes – Moreau FYE Week Three) While Thomas was not religious, he always made sure he was living by the idea of Agape, gifting himself to others through public service. In doing so, he was able to make direct impacts in the lives of others, giving him personal contentment, and allowing him to live a life well-lived. Thomas consistently sought out experiences, especially throughout his time at the University of Notre Dame, to put his commitment to Agape in practice. Through participation in the Student Policy Network, Judicial Council, and Show Some Skin at Notre Dame, Thomas used his skills and talents to better his community, ultimately developing his skills in public service. These skills were largely developed through his consistent desire to take advantage of any potential opportunities; as stated by the Mureleo Family Center for Career Development, “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) By taking advantage of several experiences and opportunities, Thomas allowed his time at Notre Dame to shape him as a person and a servant. Thomas allowed these past opportunities to guide him toward an impactful career in law, a profession he had discerned from early on in life. In a conversation with a high school mentor, https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/files/476425/download?download_frd=1 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ it became clear that the people who knew him best were completely certain he would become an impactful lawyer who was committed to serving others through litigation (Discernment Activity – Moreau FYE Week Five). Through experiences in Illinois Youth and Government and the United States Senate Youth Program in high school, he knew early on that arguing in the courtroom would be his greatest passion. Those around him were confident that he could succeed in this space, living the life he had always dreamed of occupationally. One of Thomas’s most prominent skills was living in the moment and not reminiscing on the past. While understanding your past is important to learn from previous mistakes and grow from failure, it is also important to live for the future, not allowing your past to ruminate within yourself as you progress to a new reality. As stated by Dr. Tasha Eurich, describing a study on introspection, “Asking “why?” in one study appeared to cause the participants to fixate on their problems instead of moving forward” ("The right way to be introspective" by Tasha Eurich Instead of fixating on his past, Thomas pushed forward to the future, creating the life he wanted for himself with a clear sense of purpose and drive. Finally, and most importantly, Thomas was committed to justice for all people, using his skills to advocate for the most vulnerable people of our world. Oppression exists in every corner of our world; while world peace cannot be solved with one person, Thomas did all in his power to create a better society during his time on Earth. As stated clearly by Pope Francis, “Only by educating people to a true solidarity will we be able to overcome the ‘culture of waste,’ which doesn't concern only food and goods but, first and foremost, the people who are cast aside by our techno-economic systems which, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people” ("Why the only future worth building includes everyone" by Pope Francis – Moreau FYE Week Seven) Our society no longer values human life as much as economic production. However, Thomas always did; through litigation and policy advocacy, Thomas fought for solidarity and peace throughout the public and private sectors, acting upon the sentiments of Pope Francis’s words. https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript Thomas’s life was defined by service and value, as he made every effort to take advantage of every opportunity at his footsteps for personal, occupational, or communal growth. He will be remembered for his strong moral convictions and commitment to solidarity and justice, and certainly lived a life well-lived.