Capstone Integration Capstone Integration Missions for a Life Well Lived My mission is to use my gift and talents to improve the lives of others and to inspire those around me. Being successful means to help others to the best of your abilities and to not back down from challenges. Similarly, a life well lived is a life that leaves the world a better place than when we entered it. We all face some degree of suffering in our life times and our responses to it can have a major impact on our lives and the lives of others. When encountering suffering, it is important to keep things in perspective and focus on what is really important in life. Accompanying others who are struggling can benefit the life of those around us. Furthermore, we continue to grow in wisdom throughout our lives, so remaining open to new experiences and to learning new things can help us grow in wisdom. Fr. Himes talks about how restlessness can propel us forwards in life: “It’s [restlessness] what constantly moves us forward, makes us grow, expands our horizons, and deepens our perceptions. It’s a very healthy, a very important, and a very valuable thing! ” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes- Moreau FYE Week Three). Likewise, listening to other people and their different opinions and perspectives can also help us to grow in wisdom. When we only listen to people who think the same way we do, we do not grow in wisdom. According to Dr. Blaschko “In surrounding ourselves with people who agree with us we’re losing our sense of how someone might reasonably disagree” (“How to Avoid Echo Chambers” by Dr. Paul Blaschko – Moreau FYE Week 11). Moreover, wisdom is complemented by courage. Wisdom can help us to know what the right thing to do is and courage can give us the strength to do it, even in the face of fear. Another important goal in life is to help others. Notre Dame’s mission statement states, “The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice” (“University of Notre Dame Mission Statement” by Notre Dame – Moreau FYE Week 13). We can also help people by walking with them through their struggles in life. This is called accompaniment. In an essay about accompaniment by Prof. Steve Reifenberg, he writes “look beyond your immediate concerns; show compassion and accompany one another” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Prof. Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week 9). Sometimes in the effort to help others we can become arrogant. But rather than viewing our help as some great good for the other person we should view ourselves as working together and walking with the other person to a better situation. This idea is also reflected in the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross. In their constitution, they write “Our mutual respect and shared undertaking should be a hopeful sign of the kingdom, and they are when others can behold how we love one another” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” by the Congregation of Holy Cross – Moreau FYE Week 12). Mutual respect is an essential https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40336/files/475884/download?download_frd=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.nd.edu/about/mission/ https://www.nd.edu/about/mission/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ part of caring for and aiding one another and can help us to better accompany other people through their struggles and difficulties in life. Reflecting on our lives can also help us to live a better life. At this point in our lives we are deciding what kind of job we want to have in the future. We also discussed this in greater length during our discernment conversation activities in week 5 of Moreau. This can be a difficult decision. But we have to also keep in mind “contrary to popular belief, deciding on a major does not determine the rest of your life” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). We will be making decisions throughout our lives and we can always choose a different path later in life. Also, we are able to help people in different ways so what may be the best use of our talents now may not be the same in the future. In addition, we can use our talent to inspire others to live a life well lived. Fr. Hesburgh inspired many people throughout his life. He had “an extraordinary ability to reach across lines” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Not only was Fr. Hesburgh build bridges but he also stood up for what he believed in. Another thing we can do is reflect on our lives by taking a moment to slow down. According to Picp Iyer “To me, 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 One). Taking a moment to slow down can help us to gain perspective and insight about ourselves and the course of our lives. This may make it easier for use to determine how our talents can best be used to help those around us. Another way to reflect on our lives is to ask “what” questions instead of “why” questions. This is because “why questions can draw us to our limitations; what questions help us see our potential” (“The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). Seeing our potential can propel us forward and allow us to achieve more in life than if we focused on our limitations. Beyond this, we should also consider our relationship with others. Pope Francis said in a TED talk “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 Seven). Growing stronger relationships with those around us can promote a society in which the dignity of every person is recognized. This is in line with the social teachings of the church: “The social teachings of the Catholic Church promote a society founded on justice and love, in which all persons possess inherent dignity as children of God.” (“The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” by the University of Notre Dame – Moreau FYE Week 10). Strong relationships with those around us can help us to build a society based on justice and love. https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://okta.nd.edu/app/universityofnotredame_panopto_1/exk13lykiqNLbwS7H357/sso/saml?SAMLRequest=jZJRb9owEMe%2FSuT3xMEh67AAiRVNRWJdVFgf9oKc5AIWic%2F1OS18%2BznQdd1LVcmSrdPd%2Ff%2B%2FO09Jda2Vi94fzAM89UA%2BWi1nbJePvpaqKes4VeMsHotJFqu0FnHZlF%2FGaV5mopmw6BEcaTQzJpKURSuiHlaGvDI%2BhFIh4jQLZyuETCcyE0ku8t8sWgYVbZS%2FVB68tyQ5x6NXiakTqHuurOW90c9Dd3%2FGxqB3UKsOdlYZtB53Iw6n4yhrz0f9dL8uXzY3d1l%2Bw4mQD0Qs%2Bo6uggvWjDWqJRjsFYoodH2LFA49Vth%2B06bWZj9jvTMSFWmSJqiR9JXcLH6sZcCT5TWJ5N12W8TFz82WRQsicAPHLRrqO3AbcM%2B6gl8P639kb%2B6TA5KHOnmFSCrseHF9h3sPxAfDfI17bRJF9sSiU9cakpclfezOvqKw%2BXTIlpdduHf1H5ervyBs%2FhnbU%2F5O5Kpo5X3IXS0LbHV1jhZtiy%2B3DpQP4%2FauD9Pm82vZ%2F99t%2Fgc%3D&RelayState=%2FPanopto%2FPages%2FViewer.aspx%3Fid%3D10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9&SigAlg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2F09%2Fxmldsig%23rsa-sha1&Signature=aYXNcchFOetR1vZVAiTKNzoeHzzkRJ5H5y90B3aPCL3CloIRL3dHqd4GK%2F2DnPIYQtlilOJYbBD1rcWDYex1COz4sUgLgtpg6crRD9bvD3XSq%2FNBGQy%2F%2FOQNBVNQMttWL3r9UYYumkBaWsCc7UAKEfzmNySeNbcjZ78ExC9%2Fwka4VesB0VakvaiwGWnPd%2BYTiow6ypFc3TzWNwjr99FVJQOiUiFS7fZBiX%2F%2BwhkrlNDaR2rKhG%2FsNtExxyE1fRoOIaDtbqV8t0oavxNBND3xrvfttaQwsN9hgM0VVWGimLXuP%2BwyS1lvQmD15rJOEFTSkO9FAfUzVQ4hAHIg3%2BY5kQ%3D%3D https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ 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/ 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://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/