Professor Pruitt
MOR Capstone Integration
20 April 2022
Accomplishing My Live Well-Lived 
My mission is to work to become the best version of myself and build others up along the way. I seek to discover my purpose in my life and apply it into all aspects of my life: work, family, friends, and the person I become. I will grow in my relationships with others by actively looking for ways to help others and being present to those around me. I value the opinions of those around me, and first seek to understand them before I judge. I will recognize all the opportunities I am provided with and work to take advantage of every one that I can. I look for ways to better myself and view different experiences whether good or bad as chances to grow. I am a dependable daughter, sister, and friend. As a daughter, I am respectful of my parents and am grateful for all they have done for me. As a sister, I am a role model for my siblings and someone they can always talk to. As a friend, I am supportive, trustworthy, and compassionate. I keep a positive attitude towards life and acknowledge that while I cannot control everything, the way I react to the circumstances I am faced with, I can always control. (Moreau FYE Week Thirteen)
Throughout my next three years here at Notre Dame, I will work to live out this mission statement and embark upon the journey towards my life well-lived. 
The first way I will live out this mission statement is through the way I treat others. As we heard earlier this semester, “Life flows through our relations with others” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I believe this statement to be true and in my life well-lived seek to have meaningful and healthy relationships with others whether it be my peers, family, friends, co-workers, etc. In creating these relationships it is important that I work to make time for others and when I am with them truly be present with them. Making this time could be getting lunch with a friend, going on a walk, calling my family, or just checking in with my friend and seeing how they're doing. In conversation with my mom during Week 5, she confirmed that something I value deeply is my relationships with others and thus is a necessary component in my life well-lived. (Moreau FYE Week 5). I seek to be a compassionate friend and one that people know they can always come to and is always there for them. I will work to accompany my friends as well as those I am not as close with. “One cannot accompany without being accompanied, in the same way someone cannot be a good friend without being open to friendship. This requires a great deal of humility.” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week Nine). Through accompaniment I am able to work with my friends through what they are going through without attempting to solve their problems for them. In the same way, I will be open to others doing the same for me. Another important aspect of these relationships is the opportunity I have at Notre Dame to form relationships with people who differ from me and I otherwise would not have met. “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. Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). In my classes and throughout my dorm I have the chance to expand my circle, and during my time in college it is essential that I expand them by getting to know people different from me. Creating these relationships now and beginning to expand my circle will only allow it to grow larger once I graduate and enter into the real world. No matter who I come in contact with, if I am close to them or not, I hope to be someone that is kind and welcoming and makes everyone feel valued and respected, keeping in mind, “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 Ten). 
Another aspect of my life-well lived is discerning my vocation and what I am meant to do with my life. I hope to pursue a career that aligns with my interests and brings a sense of joy into my life. While I do not know exactly what career path I want to pursue at the moment, I know that is a process that spans overtime and I do not need to have it all figured out yet. Finding the career that fits me best will take time and trying different things (Moreau FYE Week Four). Here at Notre Dame, I know I will have the opportunity to take advantage of all the resources the school has to offer in assisting me with my career. Regardless of the career path I take, I hope to have a job that brings me joy and allows me to help others. I know a career that provides me with this sense of joy will push me to work harder and allow me to enjoy going to work everyday. “Joy always pushes us forward. It’s an impulsion, a pressure to move forward, to do more, to extend oneself more deeply, more richly, to open one's talents even more widely than one had before” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). However, my life well-lived does not center around my career, as there are many other roles I play in my life from sister, daughter, to friend. While at school, it can sometimes feel like I am solely working towards a career, it is important to remember that, “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 Iyler - Moreau FYE Week One). In looking at my life through this lens it is clear that my life centers around many more aspects that play just as crucial if not more important role in my life. 
Finally, in order to achieve my life well-lived it is necessary that I remain self-aware and look for ways to better myself as well as overcome the obstacles in my life in a healthy manner. One way I can achieve this is through insight and being introspective. “Similar studies have shown that people high in insight feel more in control of their lives, show more dramatic personal growth, enjoy better relationships and feel calmer and more content” (“The Right Way to Be Introspective” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). In being insightful with myself I will better be able to achieve my goals outlined in my mission statement, in particular the way in which I react to obstacles I will face. Another way of being introspective is ensuring that I am staying open to all opinions around me and not finding myself falling into the trap of an echo chamber (Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Avoiding echo chambers not only allows me to educate myself and form educated opinions, but also allows me to form relationships with those who think differently than me; ultimately expanding my horizons and social bubble as mentioned previously.
Here at Notre Dame I am surrounded by numerous examples of those who are living a well-lived life and who push me to do the same. One such example from the past is Fr. Hesburgh who dedicated his life to Notre Dame and making an impact in the world, one quote from him being, “I had my shot, I did what I had to do” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca - Moreau FYE Week Two). I aspire to have this same passion in my life and make a difference in the lives of those around me. In living out my mission statement and continually reflecting on the way in which I desire to live my life, I am confident that I will be able to achieve my life well-lived.