Caterina Calderon
Capstone Integration
Moreau FYE
For the past 19 years of my life, I have always tried to make decisions that will lead to me live a life well lived. These decisions might mean going to college away from home so that I can explore my opportunities, always listening to my friends when they need my help, praising God, being kind, amongst many other things. Nonetheless, I have never quite landed on what it actually means to live a life well-lived. Some have argued that a life well lived mean fulfilling your purpose and working towards this every single day, and I agree. Yet, what is this purpose that people talk about? After a year of being a freshman and attempting to figure out what I want to do with my life, I have landed on the conclusion that my lives’ purpose is to give back to the communities that have shaped me into who I am today. I must use the blessing and opportunities that have been granted to me to help those less fortunate, to help my friends and family find their way, and to always try to be someone who is always there for those who need it. Being at Notre Dame has made achieving this idea of myself much easier, since after all, the school appreciates "for the great achievements of human beings, but also a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many”  ( University of Notre Dame Mission Statement, by The University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 13 ).  Reaching this conclusion was not easy; to figure this out, I had to go through a journey of self-discovery.
	It was not easy to go down this journey of self-discovery, but my first step was to take a good, hard look at the life I was living.  As we learned in our Moreau class, “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 Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). As we analyze ourselves, we take a step back and see the bigger scope of the life we are living and how we need to continue carrying on. By breathing for a moment and really seeing everything that is going on around us, we can identify what it is that we need to change or better about ourselves to fix the things in our life that we are not comfortable with. For me, this meant seeing the role that my family and friends play in my life. As we discussed in Week 7, humans are very communal and social beings. Without the people around me, I would not be who I am today. Treasuring them and supporting them in everything they do is what allows me to continue to have flourishing relationships with them. Juts like the Pope said; " Many of us nowadays seem to believe that a happy future is something impossible to achieve" … "The future is made of yous, it is made of encounters because life flows through relations with others", and this is truly something I believe. (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). Building our future means doing it by the side of the people who have always been there for us. Without my friends, I would not be the person I am today. For them, I am eternally grateful. 
Your friends can also be the ones to help you find the purpose in your life. I had a conversation with my friend Sofia once, and she mentioned that after seeing me every day for the past year, she had come to conclude that one of my biggest life goals was finding happiness. No matter where this happiness was going to be found, my purpose was to do so. She guided me to see the bigger picture of who I am as I identify myself in this crazy world. (Moreau FYE_Week Five_Discernment Conversation Activity_SP22, by University of Notre Dame- Moreau FYE Week 5).
	Another important thing I learned this semester that is essential to remember is “Memento Mori” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3). It is such a simple phrase yet after reading the article I was struck by its importance. We must always be aware that life is short. We will all die. Our time is limited, so what we do with it must be important. By staying aware that our time is short, we stay aware that we must do something with it. By not letting opportunities pass us by and turn into past memories, we are embracing this life and making the most out of it. Don’t be afraid to say yes because you fear failure. Be courageous, stand up to people, take the chance you were not going to take. In the movie about father Hesburgh, he expresses a similar message, the following conversation occurs "Everybody in the world wants the president to be the speaker "How are you going to get?", well, she said, you'll never know if you don't try"... "We promptly got back to acceptances" (Hesburgh (30:00)., by Patrick Creadon - Moreau FYE week 2) He expresses the importance of at least trying, putting yourself out there, before you shoot down your chances. Look at how he never gave up on his dream; today, he is one of the biggest figures in Notre Dame history. He inspires me to take advantage of the place where I am today and making sure that all of my efforts go into achieving my dreams, no matter what they are. The article we read for week 4 stated "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 the University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 4). I am dedicated to becoming the best version of the person I am, so I will take the tools to achieve this, take all the chances necessary, and face fear up front without a doubt. 
	One of the biggest obstacles that stand before taking the chances to become the best version of yourself is the possibility of suffering. Human beings fear suffering in such a way, that they would rather never be happy than risk a chance of pain. Yet, I do not believe that this fulfills the idea of a life well-lived; a life without suffering is not a complete life. In the video '5 Minutes' suffering is the main topic discussed, in the video, Dr. Kim says "I concluded that God is good and God loves us but at the same time the purpose of my life is not is not simply about overcoming suffering, suffering is a part of our lives"(5 Minutes, by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week 6). Pain is what makes us evolve; it teaches us about the hardships of life and allows us to build a character strong enough to beat down any obstacles that may come our way. Also, if we never felt sad, we would also never feel joy; these emotions complement each other, they build alongside each other, and they characterize the people that we become in life. Besides, this is the reason why have people besides us, so they can support us, and we can support them whenever the going gets tough. After all, “solidarity is about our relationship with the other, and through the practice of accompaniment we make it real and move it forward” ​​(“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week 9) . In moments of pain, connections between people grow stronger and more cherished, binding them together and helping them find meaning to the dark times. 
	Fear is also one of the biggest factors that stop people from fulfilling their purpose and turning against each other. Fear comes creeping in, and it tears people apart, as they are afraid to show their true colors and bring people into the lives they have created. As Martin Luther King mentioned, “men hate each other because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they don’t communicate with each other because they are separated from each other” (Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something, Dean G. Marcus Cole - Moreau FYE Week 12 -). Society has reached that point where we separate ourselves from other people simply because we feel that we are supposed to be different, and this is what causes all of the divisions that exist in our world. Discriminatory behaviors are passed down from generation to generation and this is what does not allow us to move forward and stop all of it. This was talked about in week 10 of our Moreau and a quote that illustrates it is “although racism does of course occur in individual acts, these acts are part of a larger system that we all participate in."(Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism, by Dr. Robin DiAngelo - Moreau FYE week 10 - ). It is up to us, the new generations, to break these old patterns and unite people of all color, race, ethnicity, and make up our new community. 
As the new generation, we have also changed the way that people express their opinions and call out the things they feel are wrong about the world. As mentioned in the video watched in week 11: “Some people probably would agree that, yeah, you know, being on Twitter all the time or sharing a meme about some silly news story is entertainment. But the feelings that they bring to politics are much deeper. They care, and they feel hurt that politics isn’t going the way they want it. And they feel joy when politics does go the way they want it”. (How to Avoid an Echo Chamber, by ThinkND - Moreau FYE week 11). This quote makes me understand how everyone that gets involved in politics in one way or another finds comfort in expressing their political views and getting involved in current events by using either humor or media. I usually do this; I do not like to get involved in politics firsthand, but I do try to share my views and try to spread awareness about ongoing situations in things such as memes or posts. This way, I feel like I said my piece, but in a way that does not receive a lot of backlash or opinions. I am now continuing to try and express who I am using all of the tools I have been given, such as social media. Since this is the new way to let people know what you think, I feel that by using it correctly and for positive impact, I am able to be good and use it for good. 
My mission in life is to put in all of my efforts into always being as kind as possible to the people around me, staying true to myself, and finding my happiness with the people I have around me. By always using my tools to face a challenge face on, gathering support from my friends, and motivating those around me to strive for kindness and for the best, I am able to fulfill the purpose I was placed on this Earth to do. I am certain that my time at Notre Dame will only contribute to helping shape me into this version of myself. I am so grateful for the year I have had, and hope that the next three are just as amazing.