Capstone Integration The Good Life A life well lived isn’t based on achievements or results. A life well lived is about how one goes about their life. People should judge their lives based on the virtues they exhibit. Virtues such as integrity, courage, generosity, humility are essential to live life to the fullest. These virtues or lack thereof shape one into the person they will become. People will resort to their core values when faced with adversity. Does one give into temptation and take the easy way out, or remain steadfast in their ways? These moments in life reveal true character. While one can’t always control the outcomes of life, what they can control is their choices. In living a life well lived, one must make a positive impact on the world around them by sharing the gifts one has been given by God. It is imperative that one maximizes their own potential in all facets of life. The good life requires that one must live a life full of habitual virtue with a desire to better one’s own self as well as others. This is what I strive to achieve in my life. Through the values instilled in me by others as well as those I have developed myself, I will be able to impact the world in a positive and meaningful way. For me, I found most meaning out of events which impact others. I take pride in my achievements and successes, but these only bring me satisfaction. As Marianne Moore says, “Satisfaction is a lowly thing. How pure a thing is joy.” (Three Key Questions-quote by Marianne Moore FYE Moreau Week 3). The joy I find in life comes from my ability to make others’ lives better. One of the biggest reasons why I want to become an orthopedic surgeon is because I want to be able to impact people. Not only am I able to fix them through actual procedures, but I also get real interactions with lots of people. Notre Dame has a long history of alumni who have gone on to make groundbreaking discoveries and I hope to follow in their footsteps. Dr. Rene Bermea is an example of someone who performed groundbreaking research after losing his sister at a young age to a rare form of cancer called craniofaringioma. As he says, “I realized how important it was for us to have researchers who contribute to the knowledge base so that cases like Roslyn can live.” (“Domer Dozen” by Dr. Rene Bermea FYE Moreau Week 2). My career offers me an opportunity to impact many others’ lives on a daily basis, and I look forward to being able to help these people in need. In today’s day and age, technology is a valuable tool which when utilized in the proper ways can be a great tool to help make the world a better place. The hardest part of this is to figure out the best way to do it. As Pico Iyer says, “The one thing technology doesn’t provide us with is a sense of how to make the best use of technology” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer FYE Moreau Week 1). Technology gives us a chance to connect to others which is key to a virtuous life. As Pope Francis said, “I would love it if this meeting could help to remind us that we all need each other, none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent “I,” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis FYE Moreau Week 7). We must rely on others and others rely on us. In this way, we are able to impact others every single day. We are impacted either positively or negatively every single day by our surroundings. As the Career Development Center says, “Every experience shapes you in some way, whether you realize it at the time or not” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development FYE Moreau Week 4). We have little control over our surroundings, but what we can control is our reactions. In the Discernment Activity, it says, “View every disappointment and setback as a lesson.” (“Discernment Activity” FYE Moreau Week 5). In having a good reaction to setbacks, we are able to develop good habits which will enable us to https://domerdozen.nd.edu/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ 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/ live the good life. However, it is also important that we don’t dwell on the past when thinking about shaping our future. It’s important to figure out the cause or the “why” of past events, but once we understand, it’s important to accept what has happened and ask ourselves, “What Now.” As Tasha Eurich says, “Why questions trap us in our past; what questions help us create a better future” (“The Right Way to Be Introspective” by Tasha Eurich FYE Moreau Week 6). We are never able to predict what’s going to happen or how these events will shape us. As Steve Reifenberg says, “Even though I had landed on their doorstep with plans to be “their helper,” they accompanied me, and during those first two years and the many intervening ones, I think I have learned – and am still learning– to accompany them as well.” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg Week 9). God works in mysterious ways, and we never know how an event might impact us. It is imperative that we use these events to foster positive outcomes through our responses. It is important that people don’t forget that our impact on others expands to all people. At Notre Dame, there is a feeling of inclusivity which is stated in the handbook which reads, “We welcome all people, regardless of color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality, for example, precisely because of Christ’s calling to treat others as we desire to be treated.” (du Lac: A Guide to Student Life Week 10). The beauty of the world is found in our differences, and by connecting with others of different backgrounds, there is a mutual benefit for both parties. Being surrounded by only like minded people can be dangerous as Dr. Paul Baschko says, “In surrounding ourselves with people who agree with us, we’re losing sense of how someone might reasonably disagree.” (Dr. Paul Baschko How to Avoid an Echo Chamber Week 11). It’s this ability to disagree or see the differences in each other that allows the world to become a better place. We each have a responsibility to protect others from abuse or https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s prejudice which can be detrimental to everyone’s ability to live the good life. As Dean G. Marcus Cole says, “While my education and position do not grant me immunity from racial violence, they do place me in a position to do something about it.” (Dean G. Marcus Cole: 'I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.' Week 12). He is able to use what he has learned to make a difference, but it doesn’t take a college degree or position of leadership to make a change. All people have both the ability and responsibility to foster inclusivity in the world through whatever means they might be able to. In living a life of virtue, one finds meaning in their life through their ability to impact others. At Notre Dame, I am surrounded by others who have similar values and beliefs which encourage me to want to develop good habits in my own life. Through the next three years, I hope to apply these virtues in my relationships with others in order to help make the world a better place because ultimately in making others’ lives better, I make my own life better. I continue to strive to live virtuously by remaining rooted in my morals no matter what situations or obstacles may arise in my life. https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/