Listen To Love And Be Guided To Happiness

“When one door closes, a window opens.” Joanne Moylan-Aube quoted this common phrase during our interview, and it is a perfect example of her outlook on life. Joanne passionately teaches Psychology of Death and Dying, a popular course in which I am lucky to be enrolled, at Sacramento City College. Joanne’s style and mannerisms echoed her warm and welcoming personality. We spoke as she ate her lunch, before her first class began on a warm day in September. Speaking with her was akin to a deep conversation with a friend. Her passion and love for what she does seeps into every aspect of her personality, including the kind smile that remained on her face for the duration of our conversation. Joanne presented extraordinarily helpful advice (not only for people like me, who are interested in pursuing a career in palliative care, but all people in search of happiness), her personal philosophy, and life-encompassing wisdom during our interview.

Joanne’s experience with teaching and counseling exhibits a deep understanding of how to navigate this type of career and continue to feel fulfilled as well as happy. Something important I took away from our discussion is that sometimes a situation that arises in life may seem negative, such as getting fired or losing a loved one, but the universe usually then offers us a new or more valuable opportunity. Joanne has been teaching for thirty-eight years but has not always wanted to be a teacher. She was working at Sacramento City College as an EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) counselor, a job she happened upon because a friend of hers worked in the office as well, when she found herself in an elevator with Tom Bruce — the professor that previously taught Psychology of Death and Dying, along with Loss and Grief. To her surprise, he told her he could not teach Loss and Grief any longer and asked if she wanted to teach the class! I’ll never forget the smile on her face as she laughed and said, “I responded yes before I thought about it because I knew. It was serendipitous and there are no accidents.” Joanne’s faith in the universe is profound and has influenced her life and career greatly. It is because of this faith that she has been able to create the experiences that have driven her to successfully follow this career path.

Joanne’s personal philosophy and love for working with people shapes her choices in life and grants her a unique perspective on happiness. Because she believes in serendipity and the universe providing what is right for us, she has been incredibly open to new and interesting opportunities. I believe this is what has led her to where she is today — happy and fulfilled in almost everything she does. Truth, honesty, and freedom are the primary qualities she values, particularly in the current political climate. Many of her life decisions have stemmed from striving to maintain and search for these qualities in life and death. Her search for truth in death is illustrated by her passion for the exploration of death and dying, the creation of hospice care, along with teaching people about and counseling others through these subjects. Her search for truth in life is seen in her desire to follow her heart and do what she loves, regardless of salary or status. Her values, beliefs, and practice of both have allowed her to maintain happiness while continuing to learn and grow.

Joanne was born on December 1st, 1949. She was raised Catholic and went to an all-girls high school where she thrived. There she was taught by nuns and learned about death and the concept of the “afterlife.” This planted a curiosity about death that grew inside her and blossomed as she learned about hospice and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (a psychiatrist that initiated many important studies on death and dying). She now identifies as spiritual and believes in reincarnation, along with the idea that we learn unique lessons each new life. Reincarnation, curiosity, and loss of loved ones are all reasons she was drawn toward the subject of death and dying. Joanne offered important guidance for anyone looking to pursue happiness in this world. When asked what advice she would give to someone pursuing a career in palliative care (care of dying people) she said, “I would say that if you want to be involved in deeply reflective, spiritual and secular work for the most vulnerable and honest people, engage in end of life/palliative care. It’s very powerful work but so rewarding.” Her passion for this work is contagious and I could feel the emotion behind her words as she spoke them. This statement kindled a new-found excitement in me to do this work and caused me to feel secure in the decisions I will make when pursuing this career. When asked about the most important lesson she has learned throughout her career, Joanne responded, “Love. Love what you do, who you do it with,” and she looked as though she was searching for the exact words when she said, “and [love] who you do it for.” I sat in awe as she spoke these wise and meaningful words. She believes that this is how she has been able to keep teaching for so many years, and when she thinks that if she were to do everything over, she would not change her decision to do this work that she loves. Although she did not always do work that was as exciting and fulfilling, she made a point to mention that those jobs were what led her to where she is today, and she would not be here doing this work if she had not first followed the path that was laid out for her.

Joanne not only demonstrated how to succeed in this field of work, but she helped me see how to succeed in life, regardless of where the universe might lead. Her guidance, experience, and explanation of her personal beliefs and ideology painted a clear path that will aid in my journey throughout my career. Collectively, I have learned that holding love at the center of all life decisions, listening and being responsive to the opportunities life presents, and pursuing truth along with freedom leads to a life of gratification and fulfillment. Ultimately, I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to learn from one of the wisest and most intelligent people I have met, and I feel confident that I will accomplish the goals I have (and will) set for myself.