Moreau S2 Integration 3


The First Step to a Life Well-Lived

I believe that the starting point to any life well-lived is to surround yourself with people

who make you happy. As Pope Francis puts it, “life flows through our relations with others”

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

7). If our lives flow through the people we surround ourselves with, why not make those people

ones who make us happy? If we are happy every day of our lives, aside from our

accomplishments, great or small, then our lives have been lived well. If someone lives a very

modest life without much material wealth, but enjoys their childhood and goes on to raise a

family they love, then they have succeeded far more than someone who is rich but unhappy.

It is not always apparent which direction we must go in order to be our happiest selves.

The journey to being as happy as possible is “a dynamic process with movement back and forth

between stages” (https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ by

the University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 4). It takes some trial-and-error to find what

makes you happy. The important thing is that we try all that we can, whether that be different

jobs, hobbies, friend groups, or places to live. Thinking about ourselves in this way, we gain

insight into who we are. The insight helps us “develop a vision of a life well-lived that is

uniquely aligned with [our] most authentic sel[ves]” ("Week Five Discernment Conversation

Activity" by the University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 5). Channeling this to our

surroundings, if we “possess greater insight… [defined] as an intuitive understanding of

ourselves — [we] enjoy stronger relationships (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s

a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6). I compare this quote to the saying “you

cannot love others until you love yourself.” If you do not know everything about your inner self,

you will not be able to connect with those around you. In summary, knowing more about

https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript
https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing
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/


ourselves helps us choose which paths to take in order to be happy, so that we can live our lives

well.

Expanding on what it means to be happy, happiness is the exuding of joy. Joy is a product

of having certainty that one has “a genuine rightness [in] how one lives one’s life” ("Three Key

Questions" by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week 3). This confidence embellishes the way

you feel about yourself, raising your self esteem and allowing you to fully embrace and exude

the joy and happiness that comes with it. A lot of people struggle with having enough self

confidence even though they have no reason to underrate themselves like that. If someone feels

confident in every one of their actions and the way that they perform those actions, then they

have no reason to not be totally sure of themselves. I like to say, “stick to your gut”. Having that

swagger is important in having a good time and being happy.

At times, in order to be your best self, you need to settle down for some quiet time with

the people closest to you. Having insight about yourself is undoubtedly important, but knowing

that you are fueled by your relationships with others, growing those relationships is necessary for

happiness. Occasionally, make a firm decision to remove all distractions and go somewhere

conducive to a great conversation, where you can avoid “just doing something… [and] sit there”

(Text: "Why we need to slow down our lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). The benefits

of a long and deep conversation with your companions are limitless. It is a good time, you grow

your friendship, and you practice growing relationships in a natural way. Nevertheless, indulging

in this too often can be taxing on your free time and activity level, and it is equally important to

stay busy in order to achieve happiness. Completing activities with other people creates

memories that last forever. Often, people complain of being too busy and living “fast” all the

time. Contrary to what they complain about, I think that is the best way to live. Doing things and

https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40306/files/475736/download?download_frd=1
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40306/files/475736/download?download_frd=1
https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/


staying busy helps with the self confidence and joy mentioned above, along with the benefits it

brings to our relationships with others. One of the Domer Dozen, Michael Hillmer, is busy all the

time. Despite being deployed while simultaneously taking night classes, Michael utilized every

bit of his free time in interesting ways, such as “volunteering in the local Hawaiian community

and playing guitar with the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Mass Choir” (Notre Dame Alumni

Association's "Domer Dozen." by the University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 2).

Applying all of this to my own life, which I consider to be “well-lived” for the most part,

there are definitely still things to improve on. Looking at the part with other people, I never find

myself alone, so I think that my relationship-building on that front is great. In fact, I probably

spend too much time with other people, leading to lots of fun but also the occasional lack of

addressing one of my responsibilities as a Notre Dame student-athlete. Therefore, spending quiet

time to get in tune with myself and my closest friends is something that I could devote more time

to. This rerouting of my time will also help me to complete my schoolwork to the best of my

ability and get enough sleep. Part of what drives my self confidence, necessary in being joyful

and happy, is maintaining an outstanding report card. I take pride in excelling in my classes,

although I will admit that I say that currently holding a C+ in Moreau. That was a product of not

getting my work done and forgetting my responsibilities, having been lost in spending time with

my friends. Moving forward, utilizing my time effectively to get my work done and find time for

deep thought and reflection will help me to be a better and more self confident friend, building

those friendships and fueling the happiness that drives a life well-lived.

https://domerdozen.nd.edu/
https://domerdozen.nd.edu/