Moreau Capstone Integration -  (4/29/22)


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4/29/2022

Moreau Capstone Integration

Complexions of a Life Well Discerned

During my year at Notre Dame, I have been exposed to a variety of new experiences that
have made me question and define what  pursuing a life well-lived means to me. Through being
exposed to new environments and being encouraged to reflect on the deep questions posed
through the Moreau class, I have begun to further develop my beliefs and ideologies in many
regards. Moreau has helped me in recognizing and documenting some of these changes that I
would not have otherwise noticed. There are many interpersonal changes that I have undergone
already that Moreau has helped me notice within myself. In this essay, I will present my personal
mission statement and how the Moreau class material has impacted my understanding of how to
pursue a “life well lived”.

My Mission Statement:
I wish to be someone that I would want my siblings to look up to.
I want to be a great friend, older brother, son, and future husband and father.
I want to find what I love, and do what I love. I want to truly love the work I do.
I want to find a career that excites me every day.
I will strive to be fair and true to both myself and others around me with everything I do.
I wish to be a friend that people can rely on, and be that shoulder to cry on.
I will stand for what I believe in, and fight until I can no longer fight no more.
I will work hard, and persevere through higher education.
I hope to develop within myself both academically but also interpersonally.
I want to fall – and continue to have the strength and courage to relentlessly stand.
I wish to travel the world, explore and intertwine with all the world’s cultures.
I want to use my work to help others.
I want to strive to recognize and enjoy the small moments – to work towards enjoying even the
most seemingly insignificant of times.
I want to find true love.
And when it's all said and done, I want to feel satisfied with how far I’ve come.

I believe that my mission statement encapsulates what my values are as a person, and
what I want to be remembered for. I believe that if I pursue these missions that I will be a better
and more satisfied and purposeful person and companion for both myself and other people in my
life. In the remaining portion of the essay I will discuss in more detail how exactly the Moreau
class content has contributed to and helped me to both write my mission statement, and help
learn how to better pursue a life well lived.



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Firstly, I will aim to seek greater clarity in my life through trying to get a better
understanding of what some of the bare essentials are in understanding my values. The quote,
“Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need” (Iyer, 2014) stood
out to me because I believe that this is often overlooked. From my experience, whenever society
or various communities are faced with challenges, one of the first approaches is to look and see
what is lacking and what additional resources can be provided to suppress/approach the problem.
However, oftentimes it is overlooked that maybe the most straightforward solution is to refocus
and aim for concentrated simplicity. I think that in order to better understand the kinds of lives
that we as members of society lead, we need to understand the bare essential factors that are
required to strive towards our goals. Oftentimes, it is implied that by overcomplicating various
factors in an attempt to solve problems, we may unintentionally bog down these necessities and
lose focus on what truly matters. Instead, if we were to approach every problem with a clear
focus and not stray too far from the central goals then we would not overcomplicate, and hence
we would lead more meaningful and prosperous lives.

I believe that one of the ways in which we can live a more prosperous and fulfilling life is
to connect with others on a more personal and interconnected level and experience a wide range
of moments/emotions. The quote “...You learn there is meaning in suffering, but to truly
understand that you have to first suffer yourself. It tests your faith, but in the end I found
strength, and as a priest I wanted to help others find their own strength, even in the greatest of
suffering” (Hesburgh Film) stood out to me in the Hesburgh film in particular because of its
deeper meaning on the understanding of what inspires some to live lives that they believe to be
fulfilling. Oftentimes, in order to understand others on a more personal level, it requires that you
first experience similar emotions in order to truly understand the pains, excitements, etc.
Otherwise, these support systems are shallow and feel more disconnected and artificial. I think
that in order to better understand what inspires some people to live a fulfilling life we must
experience a wide range of emotions/situations. I think there is tremendous value in the
uncomfortable…living through times that are tough in one way or another challenges to heal in
many ways that we had not previously believed to have been possible.

Furthermore, I think that it is important to ask questions that help us to understand what
our true motivations are. The quote, “Sister Aletheia rejects any suggestion that the practice is
morbid. Suffering and death are facts of life; focusing only on the ‘bright and shiny’ is
superficial and inauthentic. ‘We try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away
from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness,’ she said. ‘But it’s actually in facing
the darkest realities of life that we find light in them’” (Ruth Graham, NY Times) stood out to
me because I both agree and disagree with the ideas presented in this article. I also believe that
there is a lot of truth in the idea that facing what we find to be intimidating or daunting/dark is
where we usually end up finding the “light.” However, I also believe that thinking about death
every day may create some paranoia and lead people to believe that each day is a race against the
clock. While I see what the idea is that this article is trying to portray, I think that it would be
much more effective to just acknowledge the concept of death and to use it as one of many



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motivators for good…not necessarily as something that must be remembered each and every day.
Also, I think that in order to better understand what questions lead a life well-lived, we must first
understand what values motivate ourselves and those around us. Ultimately, it is these various
motivations, whether tied together with emotions, thoughts, ideas, etc…, that make each day
meaningful. With this in mind, even a day “wasted” with intention is a meaningful day because
of intentions of doing so. I believe that it is not necessarily what we do with our lives, but that we
do what we do with intention, righteousness, and what makes us more happy and content.

Also, I think that it is important to ask questions about what we can do or don’t do each
day that could help us each strive towards our goals more effectively. The quote, “You have to
know yourself first - your values, interests, personality, and skills (VIPS) - before you can make
effective career choices. The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get
out and experience life!” (Meruelo Family Center for Career Development) stood out to me
because I think that there is a lot of truth to it. “Textbook thinking”, anticipation, and planning
can only help so much. There comes a point where the most effective way to understand and
learn more about certain factors of yourself is to get out there and put yourself in uncomfort in
the real world. People learn from experiencing things first hand themselves, not so much just
hearing it from other people. I think that some ways of living a life well lived is to just get out
there and get started. I think oftentimes, people get discouraged to get out there and try
something new because of the uncomfort, responsibility, or other unattractive factors involved.
However, many times this is the only way to seek new opportunities or strengthen existing ones.
I think as a society, we have grown too accustomed to the relative comfort of life and don’t spend
time thinking about how we can utilize the resources available the best we can in order to lead a
life well-lived.

Furthermore, these ideas that I developed through the course content and readings were
further supported by my conversation with my parents during week five. In general, I felt that the
conversation was very fruitful and helpful. It helped to reinforce/present some new perspectives
about factors of my life that I had not really considered. It allowed me to better understand how
other people see me and my efforts. A lot of what we discussed was in regards to my work
ethic/dedication and caring human qualities. One thing that stretched my awareness of myself
was when in the conversation we talked about my ability to find happiness in almost any
situation. I would consider myself a pretty hopeful person as I am always looking for the positive
things about certain situations. In other words, even when it is most dark, I always try to turn
towards the light. It was also interesting to hear another person’s perspective on my strengths as
a person. Things that I usually overlook or don’t consider to be important strengths were things
that were brought up in the conversation. It made me realize how easy it is to overlook all of the
positive subtleties in the midst of day-to-day stresses and anxieties.

Furthermore in week six, the quote, “We can spend endless amounts of time in
self-reflection but emerge with no more self-insight than when we started” (Tasha Eurich, TED
Conferences) resonated with me because it just shows that self-reflection can require some
practice and focus/knowledge of what to be looking out for/reflecting on before it is very



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effective. I think that with some structure, self-reflection can be a really helpful tool for
self-improvement in a variety of aspects. Also, self-reflection can be a recovery/mental health
resource as it can potentially even have positive mental health benefits with reflection and
looking to the positive/constructive side of things. I also think that some ways to recognize and
evaluate personal obstacles to living a life well-lived is to first self-reflect meaningfully and
effectively. Strive to associate yourself with people around you whom you enjoy spending time
around – groups that help to raise one another up. Self reflecting effectively can have a great
moral satisfaction if done well, as it can incite even further motivations to pursue goals and
perform well. This cycle of reflections and motivations will aid in identifying and addressing the
obstacles that may inhibit a life well-lived. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the importance
of self-reflection, and techniques to best go about doing so.

Also, I think that in regards to relationships that are characteristic of a life well-lived, an
understanding of what kinds of relationships that we currently have and value is very important
to recognize. The quote, “Why them and not me…” (His Holiness Pope Francis, TED
Conferences) stood out to me because it just shows that many times for some reason or another
life is not fair and equal for everyone, and that almost always some people can be seen in more
advantageous positions than others. Oftentimes, this can leave us wondering what it truly means
to be in certain positions, and what responsibilities/factors come with being in certain situations.
Also, I think that this concept in-and-of-itself warrants a clarification of the definitions of what
some of the more advantageous positions may be. For example, some people may view certain
things to be attractive while others may think otherwise. Ultimately, it is important to understand
where we as individuals fit in the context of the societies around us and hence what our
responsibilities/objectives/goals in each position must be. Furthermore, I think ultimately this
concept of evaluating personal advantages/positioning in life compared to others around us can
be very obscure in definition (since it can change with each person’s beliefs on certain ideals),
but very powerful in context of where we are in our communities/societies as individuals and
what responsibilities/goals we should be striving to fulfill given our current circumstances. Also,
as Pope Francis explained, this idea of “why them and not me…” further shows the importance
of how the future worth building must include everyone. Each person is just one placeholder, one
piece in the giant puzzle that is our collective future and betterment. Therefore, it is essential to
understand our current place in society, and how to best move forward that benefits the collective
interests of humanity as a whole.

Furthermore, I think that in order to engage with accompaniment in a suffering world, it
is crucial to identify and establish the support systems in your life. This could be through many
different means, such as finding a person that you would be comfortable talking to about
uncomfortable topics. The quote, “‘To accompany someone is to go somewhere with him or her,
to break bread together, to be present on a journey with a beginning and an end.’ There's an
element of mystery, of openness, of trust, in accompaniment” (Professor Steve Reifenberg) stood
out to me because it presents and elaborates on the idea of the importance of trusting
companionship and interpersonal relationships. When responding to and working through



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suffering with others (or within yourself), it is crucial to seek these relationships/support systems
with people that you trust. The value/impact of having someone else listening to your
stories/struggles (even if they are unable to help, and just listen to your emotions) can have an
insurmountable benefit towards moving towards recovering from various forms of suffering.
Also, I think ultimately this concept of companionship and accompaniment may be one of the
most effective/timely approaches to feeling better about confronting/moving forward with
recovering from suffering. Oftentimes, when you share your thoughts with family/other people
you trust, it can help to make you feel better because you are not storing all of those pent up
emotions inside of you. Also, having someone to sit down and speak with may help to formulate
some potential plans/approaches to the sufferings. For example, if these companions also
experienced/were in similar positions at some point.

Also, I think that one way to start better embracing humanity is to push yourself to have
greater exposure/awareness to the world’s many different cultures and start developing more
meaningful relationships with people from all around the world. The quote, “Mainstream sources
— schools, textbooks, media — don’t provide us with the multiple perspectives we need. Yes,
we will develop strong emotionally laden opinions, but they will not be informed opinions. Our
socialization renders us racially illiterate. When you add a lack of humility to that illiteracy
(because we don’t know what we don’t know), you get the break-down we so often see when
trying to engage white people in meaningful conversations about race” (Dr. Robin D’Angelo,
adapted from HuffPost) stood out to me in particular because I think it summarizes the ideas
around how race is difficult to talk about with white people. From my own personal experiences,
I think that there is a lot of truth to this. I think that oftentimes many Americans are simply
culturally unaware with many of the world’s cultures and respective ideologies. Because of this
gap in knowledge, it can be difficult to hold constructive conversations around ideas of race.
Furthermore, I think ultimately this concept of a lack of cultural exposure among many
Americans has a detrimental effect on many of the world’s systems. Oftentimes, much of our
knowledge is drawn from media, news stories (or any other media influences), and usually these
sources of information are insufficient to deliver a comprehensive understanding of culture.
Therefore, I think that in order to start being able to hold more meaningful conversations around
race, we must first be open to the idea of understanding and embracing the other cultures of the
world (whether that be through traveling more, etc.). I think that because of America’s power and
media influence on the rest of the world, that there is a barrier for increased cultural exposure
within the country. Therefore, American culture can almost be seen as the “dominant culture” of
the world which in turn leads to even more inability/reluctance to further understanding other
cultures.

Furthermore, I think that in order to become wise in general, you must begin by first
learning and recognizing/acknowledging many different perspectives and associate yourself and
spend time with people from all different backgrounds. The quote, “Echo chamber, a social
structure from which relevant voices have been actively discredited” (Dr. Paul Blaschko,
ThinkND) stood out to me in particular because I think that there is a lot of truth to this idea in



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the everyday real world, as well as through forms of media that we are exposed to. I think that
oftentimes we as people tend to associate ourselves around more people that are similar to us in
many ways. I feel like this tendency is almost natural, as people want to put themselves in
environments where they share common thoughts/opinions with others so that they feel more
comfortable. However, because of this many people can be limiting themselves and the
formulation of their thoughts to only align with their current beliefs. When you are around
people that mostly agree with many of your values, there will rarely be reconsideration or a
holistic evaluation of concepts (because they are not exposed to other ideas). Also, I think
ultimately this concept of many people being stuck in an “echo chamber” or “bubble” is very
important to consider. Oftentimes, I think the greater concern is when the people that are stuck in
these “circles,” are unaware that they are indeed in a “chamber” (or even that a “chamber” exists
in the first place). I think that this is the most detrimental/damaging circumstance of them all.
Because, how is one supposed to even begin recognizing/acknowledging their circumstances if
they are unaware. Therefore, I think that it is crucial for society to continue to accept and
intertwine itself with people with all different perspectives and backgrounds. Because, only when
we see opposing viewpoints do we move forward in a society – if all we ever did was regurgitate
the same ideas back and forth in an “echo chamber,” then society will not advance nearly as
effectively or efficiently.

Furthermore, I think that one grows in the courage to act by growing the courage to
“see.” One that listens more than speaks, is often one that speaks most knowledgeably and
constructively in regards to matters. Therefore, I believe that finding the courage to act can be
further developed by first listening to others and their stories and beliefs, and where you stand
among them. The quote, “...I know that those men will never have to answer for what they did to
us. At least not in this life” (Marcus Cole, Dean of Notre Dame Law School) stood out to me in
particular because of its blatant truth. Unfortunately, we live in an unjust society, where
thousands of people commit crimes and treat others poorly, and get away with it. This inadequate
consequence is what has contributed to the continuation of a lot of racist behaviors from certain
groups of people. With no threat or concern of consequence (or very little if any), there is no
basis on which to judge immoral acts and to punish those who commit the immoral acts. I
believe that in order to move towards more equality in all aspects of society, we must first look
to recognize its presence and significance in the current day in age, because only then can we
even begin to act on it. Also, I think that racial biases (and all other forms of inequality as well)
are still more prevalent in today’s society than we admit or recognize. Unfortunately, the
modernization of technology and opportunities has only widened the gap between populations
and has further regionalized certain social groups. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that all
people are people and by no means should be treated any lesser or any differently. Unfortunately,
we still live in a society where not all people believe this. However, I do believe that there will
always be room for improvement in helping to push society forward in being more inclusive of
all populations.



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Ultimately, throughout this semester I have learned a lot and have been exposed to a
variety of new experiences. I have begun to further develop my beliefs and ideologies in many
regards, and Moreau has helped me to identify some of these changes and how they have
impacted my understanding of a life well lived and discerned.



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Works Cited

"Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One
"Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two
"Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die" by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE

Week Three
"Navigating Your Career Journey" by Muerelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau

FYE Week Four
"The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)" by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE

Week Six
“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau

FYE Week Seven
“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg -

Moreau FYE Week Nine
“Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin D’Angelo, adapted

from HuffPost - Moreau FYE Week Ten
“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven
“Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something” by

Marcus Cole, Dean of Notre Dame Law School - Moreau FYE Week Twelve

https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/
https://okta.nd.edu/app/universityofnotredame_panopto_1/exk13lykiqNLbwS7H357/sso/saml?SAMLRequest=jZLdbuIwEIVfJfJ94oQQKBYgsUWrIrFtVNi92BvkJBOwSDyux2nh7etA%2F%2FamWsmSrdHMnPPNeEqybYxYdO6gH%2BGpA3LBajlju6yo46yY1GE8Ho3C4QSysIiHZZjUUlaT0ahMixsW%2FAFLCvWMDaKYBSuiDlaanNTOh%2BLBIIxTf7aDVAwTkY2jJL35y4KlV1FaukvlwTlDgnM8OhnpKoKq49IY3mn13Hd3Z6w1OguVbGFnpEbjcJdwOB2TtDkf1dP9unjZjO%2FSbMyJkPdELPiJtoQL1ozVsiHo7eWSyHf9iOQWHZbY%2FFC6Uno%2FY53VAiUpEtqrkXCl2Cx%2BrYXHE8U1icTddpuH%2BcNmy4IFEdie4xY1dS3YDdhnVcLvx%2FUn2Yf76IDkoIreIKISW55f3%2F7eA%2FHeMF%2FjXulIkjmx4NQ2msRlSd%2B7M28obD7ts8VlF%2FZL%2Fffl8h2Ezf%2FH9pR%2FEbkqGnHvc1fLHBtVnoNF0%2BDLrQXp%2FLid7fy0%2Bfxa9u93m78C&RelayState=%2FPanopto%2FPages%2FViewer.aspx%3Fid%3D10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9&SigAlg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2F09%2Fxmldsig%23rsa-sha1&Signature=VplOdsS6bzYVC65Nur9AI6gv7NAUOj4oRBYRTRhV1up%2FUmdd3Jt%2F6%2FhYuGEP%2FfiiOPpFqzMQd%2B%2FLNwa3lP7LD8p%2Bb4z4zE1RfrPNlU7MHHa0UH8iqW74yoXiQQg4EDeQUWIE3HMxElgr%2B7jKpp4nQO%2BMCM4i6zpXvxrE8RwmSn57dnVVyzuB2aZoVr9%2B5BQOhhLCdPEEnFGUtSiBzuMjg7siXgY0t45KPr9uaMK4Hm0X5JvkGXADIiT2qz1Ny9%2Btm2P01JLLs6rggL13eewkVJcTGUTrwANrbSRD9%2FpPtb4E%2FinakqUTa21I24GWbkPv2Q90WLIBr%2FyPQIBFT4Najg%3D%3D
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
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
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdVnfLDrJUJhd-4UtYb_kfRpcFgOoOeY7O1WT8_d3iw/edit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s
https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/