Capstone Integration , Choosing to Live "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). The Parable of Sheeps and Goats in Matthew 25 is one of many of Jesus’ lessons that demonstrate what a life well-lived entails. To live for others, to silence one’s pride and take the burden of another, this is to live as and for Jesus. In my initial mission statement I remarked that to better the world, I must first better myself. I think I should revise that now and say that bettering the world is equally important for bettering ourselves. It is a delicate equilibrium. Therefore, as I look forward to these next few years at Notre Dame, and the many years after, I hope to find the balance between the two. To develop the gratitude, patience, and empathy necessary to go out into the world, but also the same traits to step back from the world and appreciate it (Moreau FYE Week 13). Erik Erikson was a prominent psychologist who is most recognized for his stages of psychosocial development. As an individual ages, they experience different crises, for instance as an infant, they have to deal with trust versus mistrust, or during a midlife crisis you have to deal with generativity vs stagnation. At age 19, between Erikson’s range of 13-21, he proposed that I am experiencing identity vs confusion, which I would say is incredibly fitting for where I am right now. During my teenage years I have felt overwhelmed by the number of possibilities and responsibilities in my life. Looking back, I thought that the IB tests I took and the extracurriculars I participated in were crucial to me getting into the college I dreamed of and the successful life I imagined; everything I did depended on them. And now, I find myself living the exact same way, as if I learned nothing from the amount of unnecessary stress and countless opportunities I skipped. Creating an identity centered around which “x” I am a part of or accepted to is a very fragile one, because every imperfect test result or every missed club meeting is ego shattering. Focusing so much on the future strips me of the present. You would think that because we have an infinite amound of “presents” we would find ourself in it more often (Integration Three - FYE Moreau Week Eight). A solution to this was introduced in week one: self-reflection. It’s the idea of being able to detach ourselves from all of the crippling expectations and doubts about the future and anchoring ourselves in the now ("Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). It just takes five minutes to shift an entire perspective (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Two). It begs the question, how can I live versus simply being alive? I will foster relationships with everybody that I can. I believe it is a sad reality that humans have stratified ourselves into “us” and “them”. “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - FYE Moreau Week Seven). I think part of the human experience is realizing that you share it with billions of others. Everybody is going through something, and while it easy to get caught up in our own affairs, one of the most therapeutic exercises is taking on the burdens of others. At the beginning I talked about how I wanted to develop gratitude before I go off into the world, but I believe gratitude is often found when you immerse yourself in the chaos around you. In South Bend you can drive just five minutes off campus and enter an entirely different reality; grades have been my biggest stress here, but it is a very local reality that individuals are wondering where their next meal will come from. Waking up in a bed, having internet, drinking clean water—these are privileges that we take for granted every day. This is why in both my career and in my life in general, I hope to always provide a preferential option for the poor. Provide is one of the essential words to the https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143420 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143420 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143420 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143548 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143581 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143581 mission statement because it is an action word. It requires giving, even sacrificing, not just being passionate about it (“Passion Isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media - FYE Moreau Week 12). One of the greatest tensions experienced is the amount of wealth we have yet the amount of poverty that still exists. We have an opportunity to make a change because we are alive and witnesses (“Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.” by Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week 12). While I am not expecting individuals to donate their fortunes to countries like Haiti or Rwanda, I do hope that we can grow more empathetic to the suffering present in the humans around us, not just the labels we give to make them seem more distant (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). In a more general sense, I hope to provide a preferential option to the oppressed—to those who encounter inherent and structural socioeconomic barriers that I can hardly fathom (“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo Moreau FYE Week Ten). I will be patient with where I end up after college. For the longest time I wanted to be an oncologist, and this year I have considered teaching or being an international public health worker, but now I can confidently say, I have no clue where I will end up. That would have scared me for most of my life, but I have started to become more patient with where I end up and more concerned with how I get there. Understanding my foundation—what makes me happy, what am I good at, and who can I help—is critical to not only occupying a fulfilling job, but living a fulfilling life ("Three Key Questions" Fr. Michael Himes - FYE Moreau Week Three). I had the privilege of meeting a physician’s assistant in my hometown through IrishCompass, and I found the conversation became more centered around the traits she brought and acquired to and from the job, versus the job itself ("Week Five IrishCompass Activity" - FYE Moreau Week https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143671 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143686 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143686 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143622 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143622 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143650 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143650 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/modules/items/143473 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1bZTNU9tpjCnuC9iDFLjslYaX0v4XpBwClh_GynKfo/edit?usp=sharing Five). It does not matter what job you have or what salary you make, if you cannot see what you offer to the job, or what your job offers to you and those around you, you will be miserable ("Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - FYE Moreau Week Four). To end on a quote from Father Hesburgh, “All of us are experts are practicing virtue at a distance” ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - FYE Moreau Week Two). Gratitude, patience, and empathy are all things I can easily write and preach about, but living them is an entirely different thing. The biggest obstacle to living a life well-lived is choosing not to live—to let life fly right by you and let your body just carry you through the motions. However, choosing to live sparks a joy that you will want to share with the whole world, and that is how you make the world a better place. https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9