Integration #3.pdf Shari Ho 2/25/22 Integration #3: My Life Well-Lived There are many components in living a life well-lived, and also many different perspectives of what is considered to be a life well-lived. In this paper, I will be going through what I think is a life well-lived and how I want to live now and in the future. I won’t be following the eulogy format for this assignment and I will format it like the Intergerations we did last semester. The first step in living a life well-lived is to self-reflect and to understand yourself. Over the years, I found this to be so important to live the life I want to live. In Pico Iyer’s article, Why we need to slow down our lives, he said “It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with every microsecond. 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 One) This is so important because since I am constantly preoccupied with work and school, I sometimes lose track of what I truly want to do with my life and what truly makes me happy. Getting distracted by my hectic life and schedule prevents me from reflecting on myself, so I try to take time for myself and relax and think about the bigger picture like Iyer said. In doing so, I understand and remember how I want to conduct my life and act accordingly in the future so that I am on the right path. In determining what a life well-lived is, it is important to realize that not everyone is perfect. We all have our flaws and we all make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t live a life well-lived. Father Hesburgh said in a film made about him, “It’s impossible to have a complete and honest human story if one doesn’t speak of human failings as well as human successes.” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two) There is so much truth in what Father Hesburgh said, as our stories are not complete without our mistakes, as they shape us into the people we are today. However, the only way to live a life well-lived even though we make mistakes is by learning from them and being better in the future. When you repeat your mistakes and do not change, you are not living a life well-lived. I have made some mistakes during my time here at Notre Dame. However, I learned from them and I made sure to never let it happen again, and that is the best way I can live a life well-lived. Another way to live a life well-lived is to remember and be aware of one of the beliefs of Sister Alethia. Sister Alethia is a nun who emphasized the inevitability of death, as she believed that “the concept is to intentionally think about your own death every day, as a means of appreciating the present and focusing on the future.” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three) Even though it's a bit morbid, this mindset is so important to comprehend to fully see the limited time we actually have on this Earth. It is a fact that everyone, including myself, will die one day and leave this Earth. Scientifically, we only know we have one life, and after realizing this, I have to ask myself, what do I genuinely want to do with this one life? How can I make the most change and be the happiest and live the life well-lived we have been talking about all semester? I thought deeply about this and I realized my dream and goals and mapped out my life that meets everything I want to do by the time I die, which is that I want to become a doctor and treat people in developing countries who can’t receive it themselves. I have a clear path I want to work for that has meaning for myself and for others, which is one step closer in living a life well-lived. A big part of everyone’s lives is their job occupation, and defining if someone is living a life-well lived greatly ties to one’s career. In my mind, there is a lot of controversy between which jobs fit the “life well-lived” criteria, as there are so many different career paths from doctor, mailman/woman, pilot, singer, cafeteria worker, teacher, politician, lawyer, actor/actress, and so much more. What makes one “better” than the other? Dr. Donald Super created a theory about career decision making, and with this, he said, “career satisfaction/success depends in part on how well a person can identify and implement his/her career self-concept, which is comprised of your values, interests, personality, and skills.” (“Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course” by Meruelo Family Center For Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four) This method of choosing a career highlights something very important, which is that your career doesn’t have to fulfill one thing. I think a big misconception people make is that living a life-well lived means saving lives or working at non-profit organizations or doing something that solely benefits others. These are definitely all ways to live a life-well lived, but it isn’t the only way and that you are allowed to think of yourself and your own self interests when choosing a career path. It isn’t selfish in wanting to have a certain career path that doesn’t conventionally benefit others. There needs to be a balance between all of the aspects Super emphasizes to allow one to live a life well-lived. For example, as I mentioned above, I want to be a doctor that treats people in developing countries. I think this is the perfect career path for me because being a doctor can save lives and make people feel better and happier, but also, I am very interested in international affairs and global cultures. I want to travel EVERYWHERE and see and meet people I would never meet if I stayed in the States. I want to experience all of what the world has to offer and live my life to the fullest. Another reason why this job career is perfect is because my heart breaks for people who were born into poverty and people who had no choice in living a good life. It pains me that children can’t get an education and aren’t allowed the choice to live a better life. I want to use my education to help the people that can’t help themselves. That is how I am going to live a life well-lived. I believe that the quality of my relationships and connections in my life play a huge role in if I lived a life well-lived. Pope Francis said in a TED Talk, “First and foremost, 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," separated from the other, and we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone.”(“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven) Pope Francis makes a great point, as connecting with others will help us greatly and because of this, I cherish and respect the opinions of the people I love. Now, this is not the same as doing things because of what others want, but it is more like being a good person for the people around you. I care a lot about the opinions of my family and my close friends because I want to make a good impact on their lives, which is why I thought the Week 5 activity was important. I interviewed my dad and he told me “you have a good heart and always make me laugh.” (“Discerning a Life Well-Lived Discernment Conversation Activity” by Moreau - Moreau FYE Week Five) Hearing this was so meaningful, as my dad is someone whom I admire and trust and that his opinion means the world to me .This activity allowed me to gauge how well of a life I have lived so far, and this is important because living a life well-lived isn’t just for me, but also for the people I love. In everyone’s lives, we encounter hardships and downfalls that make it very difficult to live a life well-lived. For example, what happened to Kim Jihoon in Week Six’s course material. Jihoon had many goals and aspirations for life like becoming a sushi chef and traveling the world. However, he got into a serious snowboarding accident that left him paralyzed and losing most mobility other than his arms and neck. (“5 Minutes” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six) This is a very common type of example of how something so unfair can ruin your life forever and in these situations, it is very hard to see yourself living a life well-lived ever again. It is hard to find the good in something that physically and mentally hinders your life forever. However, since there is nothing you can do about it, even though it sucks, you have to find a way to live the happiest, best life you can in the situation you are given. You have to look at the positives and make the best out of what you have and try to live a life well-lived as best as you can. This is how I will live a life well-lived.