Capstone Integration Korth 1 Catherine Wagner Moreau FYE 29 April 2022 The Road Map to a Meaningful Life On highway signs in my home state of Nebraska, a slogan is etched to attract tourists: Nebraska...the good life. There's a reason why this motto draws attention. People are constantly pursuing a good, meaningful, and happy life. However, few have the road map to get there. I intend to live a meaningful life by practicing mindfulness, pursuing wisdom and truth, and fostering communities of love. To live a meaningful life, being mindful of your well-being, your goals, and your values is key. In my God and the Good Life class from last semester, several philosophers valued living a life of contemplation. “‘All the unhappiness of men,’ the seventeenth-century French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal famously noted, ‘arises from one simple fact: that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber’” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). In a fast-paced world, however, it can be difficult to find the time for self-reflection. At the beginning of the semester, I challenged myself to take time each week to self-reflect. I’ve been keeping a journal that has really helped me reflect on my thoughts and feelings. However, I’m also careful to reflect in a way that’s helpful rather than harmful. “In truth, introspection can cloud our self-perceptions and unleash a host of unintended consequences. Sometimes it may surface unproductive and upsetting emotions that can swamp us and impede positive action. Introspection might also lull us into a false sense of certainty that we’ve identified the real issue” (“The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way)” https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ Korth 2 by Tasha Eurich PhD - Moreau FYE Week Six). Taking a suggestion from the article, I try to ask myself what questions like “What am I feeling?” instead of why questions like “Why am I feeling this way?” I’ve found this strategy very helpful when journaling. Something that requires a great deal of self-awareness is choosing a career. You have to know yourself well enough to choose a career that fulfills you, suits your talents, and serves those around you. I am currently aiming at becoming a lawyer. To discern a career path, there is a process to follow. “After you leave ND, some of the details (like choosing a major) will change, but the core elements remain the same: learn about yourself, explore careers, reflect, & take action” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Two steps of this process involve reflection and self-awareness. Having conversations with people who know you well is another great way to learn about yourself. From my conversation with Andy, I learned that there are some things about myself that I’m very self-aware of, but he also said some things that I wasn’t expecting to hear. For example, he said that he thinks I could benefit from being more direct with people (“Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Five). This is something I’ve given some thought to over the semester, and I’ve realized that he’s right. Having conversations like these are beneficial because they can help you learn things about yourself that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to discover by yourself. Another great way to be mindful of the life you’re living is to remember that you will die someday. “Remembering death keeps us awake, focused, and ready for whatever might happen - both the excruciatingly difficult and the breathtakingly beautiful” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). In Moreau, I reflected on my death by writing my own eulogy. At first, the idea of writing my own eulogy was https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1egpNHiehpDFETPFkF1B1NKMYstmnr4g6iVpGVFyGMc0/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1egpNHiehpDFETPFkF1B1NKMYstmnr4g6iVpGVFyGMc0/edit https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Korth 3 a bit daunting. However, I think I learned a lot about my goals and values through the exercise (“Celebrate Life by Remembering Death” by - Moreau FYE Week Eight). It helped me better understand what it will take for my life to be meaningful. In a society where it is becoming increasingly difficult to trust the flow of information, I highly value the pursuit of truth and wisdom, especially in relation to politics. Due to the growing presence of echo chambers and epistemic bubbles, people’s belief systems are often corrupted. “In surrounding ourselves with people who agree with us, we’re losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree, which is accelerating political polarization” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). To prevent myself from getting wrapped up in an echo chamber or epistemic bubble, I aspire to engage with a wide variety of opinions and perspectives, especially when it comes to contentious topics like politics and religion. Someone else who lived by this mentality in his life was Father Hesburgh. “Sometimes we get passionate about our own personal causes or the causes we have great faith in, but he was always a person that could look at the wider picture,” (Hesburgh by Patrick Creadon - Moreau FYE Week Two). I’m inspired by Father Hesburgh listening to all sides of a debate even when he disagreed. I think there’s a lot of value in understanding how people with opposing views think and feel. One of my primary goals in life is to foster communities of love. I will do this by ending cycles of hate, accompanying others, and fighting for equality in my everyday life. To end cycles of hate, we must first with ourselves. “One thing that each and every one of us can do is to end the cycle of hate by ending the separation that leads to it…Each of us needs to get to know people who differ from us. We must all make a conscious decision and effort to expand our circles” (“I am George Floyd. Except, I Can Breathe. And I can do something” by Dean G. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dOyOQvFTw-Qy5Kjre35o9VUEDMIelTM1KUx3OyV5QRI/edit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=45s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=45s https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ Korth 4 Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Building relationships with people requires a willingness to embrace vulnerability. “...we all need to see that we are in each other’s jurisdictions–only, all the time. And yet, there are lines that get drawn, and barriers erected, meant only to exclude. Allowing folks into my jurisdiction requires that I dismantle what I have set up to keep them out” (“Tattoos on the Heart, Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. - Moreau FYE Week Seven). We learn and grow by connecting with others, empathizing with their experiences, and sharing stories of our own. In doing so, we see the humanity in all. Our world is filled with suffering, and I am committed to oferring support in whatever ways I can. However, it’s not always as simple as removing people from their suffering; more often, humanitarianism consists of meeting people in their suffering and walking through it together, which is how we arrive at the word accompaniment. “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” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together ” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). Accompaniment can take on a variety of forms. It might be an effort like taking a humanitarian trip to a foreign country, but more often it looks like offering to get lunch with a stranger or being there for a friend when they’re going through something. Accompaniment is a vital practice in creating communities of love. In order to foster truly loving communities, all members must be included. The University of Notre Dame professes a spirit of inclusion in du Lac. “We welcome all people, regardless of color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality, for example, precisely because of Christ’s calling to treat others as we desire to be treated” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” - Moreau FYE Week Ten). However, this https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40253/files/523815?module_item_id=167944 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40253/modules/items/143102 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40253/modules/items/143102 https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ Korth 5 Spirit of Inclusion must be more than an ideal. Several minority groups still feel unwelcome and unsafe on this campus. For example, there is still no mention of gender identity or sexual orientation in the University’s notice of non-discrimination. One of my goals before graduating is getting this changed. To do this, I plan to get involved in groups like PrismND and Student Government so that I can collaborate with people who share my goals. Beyond Notre Dame, I will continue to fight for equality through my career as a lawyer. On the road of life, we encounter a series of highway signs that promise guidance to happiness. However, tourist traps can cause the driver to forget where they were headed in the first place. A road map is needed to stay on track.