Integration Three - 4 March 2022 Reflecting on a Short but Sweet Life Well-Lived When celebrating Jack’s life, we should not look ahead at the emptiness now left, but instead, look back at the fulness he strived to achieve. There are certain guiding principles, inspirations, if you will, that he chose to live his life by. One of those is the drive to help others. For example, back in his hometown community, he was involved with projects like Holocaust awareness, volunteering at local pet rescue shelters, and beach cleanups. When he got to school, he tried to continue his initiative by participating in fundraising for the South Bend Center for the Homeless. He always referenced this line from the Hesburgh Film, “I think we can help this person” (“Hesburgh” - by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). This idea demonstrated the priority and commitment he had placed on the importance of the need to help others. While he was still fully getting adjusted to school, he always talked about wanting to become more involved with the South Bend community as he became more familiar with it. He was becoming more integrated with his dorm, which hosted these kinds of opportunities, and vowed that next year he would take advantage of them. One of the most important skills Jack had come to realize was the ability to self-reflect. In his Moreau class, more specifically, the “Ways to Practice Mindfulness” Activity (McDonald Center for Student Well-Being - Moreau FYE Week 6), they were given the chance to try and use different techniques to accomplish this. He tried Headspace for the first time and began to realize the power this could have. Reflection, not only on the past few days but also on a larger scale, allowed him to take a step back and understand what is important to him. This new perspective allowed him to overcome challenges throughout the day that previously had given him great https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view trouble. This is further reinforced by the idea that “the need for an empty space, a pause, is we have all felt in our bones; it’s the rest in a piece of music that gives it resonance and shape” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer, TED - Moreau FYE Week One). Schedules at college can be very busy. Whether it be balancing classes, homework, internships, social life, or clubs, there is always something to be doing. In the midst of all this, taking a step back, a break, and doing nothing (or the mediation techniques previously mentioned), has allowed him to practice healthy habits and maintain a higher standard of mental health. Moving forward, he was planning on practicing this more consistently, aiming to start taking a break and meditating at the start of every week on Monday. He believed that this would help provide a calm contrast to the hecticness of the start to a busy week. Jack wanted his future career to be integrated into the pursuit of a happy life, not hinder it. He had always gravitated toward more logic and number-based fields, so the discovery of Finance felt natural. At Notre Dame, there are a significant amount of resources to aid in career discernment, but the biggest help to him was a very informal one. Through conversations and help from upperclassmen who had more experience, he was able to get on track starting his Freshman year and begin the process. “If you actively engage in the process, take ownership, and utilize the tools at your disposal you will reap the benefits and establish a satisfying professional life” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). This idea is crucial and cannot be understated. Using all of your available resources to get the most out of your career is something that he has come to learn is essential. He wanted to become more active in networks such as IrishComapss and LinkedIn, while also using other resources the Career Center offers moving forward. However, a career is not only about professional success. Rather, it is also about finding a deep sense of contentment. https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ “Happiness changes from moment to moment, day to day. Joy, on the other hand, is much deeper and much more central, it comes from within, and it’s a genuine rightness of how one lives one’s life” (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). This supports the central idea behind Jack’s career discernment. He wanted to do something that would also bring him joy as he realized a career without it would not lead to a life well-lived. While this is easy to say, it was not an easy process to identify which career choice would bring lasting joy. He began this process by personally thinking of what brought him joy; it was things like helping others and making a difference. Next, he identified what he was good at - logic and number-based fields. In order to obtain a different perspective, he had conversations with those close to him, with those who knew him very well. He asked them questions like, “What do you think I most value and desire in life? Why?” (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Five). Through this process, his ideas were largely affirmed, with some personality traits, such as drive and commitment, being reinforced. After this, he was sure that he wanted to enter a field that would allow him the opportunity for great professional and personal success. “How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences - Moreau FYE Week 7). Here, it is said that innovation that leads to a growing economy should also lead to a benefit in social change. This further supports his ideas of both professional and personal growth. It is important to look back at the opportunities Notre Dame has given in terms of developing both of these aspects. For example, the Business Honors Program. What makes this program distinct from others is the focus on using business as a force for good. Whether he was able to make it https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40253/files/467215?module_item_id=142974 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit 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 into this program or not, he planned on taking these Honors business classes to further instill a higher sense of purpose in his work. Overall, while Jack had only lived and given a small amount of what he was capable of, he had learned so much and made the most of the opportunities given to him. Word Count: 1084