Make the Reservation

 Stardate: 08.19.2026

Yesterday morning, I made a reservation for dinner.

The weather forecast wasn't encouraging. Storms were expected, and there was some question about whether our date night would happen as planned.

I made the reservation anyway.

This restaurant is popular, especially on Tuesday nights when they feature steak and lobster. I knew waiting until the last minute could leave us without a table.

By evening, the storm had arrived.

Fortunately, we were already inside.

The warnings came over the restaurant's PA system while we sat at our table overlooking the lake. Outside, the weather was doing its thing. Inside, we were having dinner.

We both ordered the steak and lobster.

It was out of this world.

We've had some wonderful experiences during my time away from home. This was our best dining experience so far.

There was something special about sitting there together while the storm moved through.

Today, my wife heads home.

I'll finish the assignment on my own and return to my family on Friday.

The next few days will bring their own questions. I don't know exactly what the schedule will look like after I get home. There is a possibility I could leave Monday morning for the next assignment. That decision is still being worked out.

I've become comfortable with some uncertainty.

Yesterday was a good reminder.

I made a reservation without knowing what the weather would bring.

The storm came.

We had dinner anyway.

Maybe that is one of the small lessons life keeps offering us.

We can spend a lot of time waiting for the conditions to be perfect before making a decision. Sometimes the reservation simply needs to be made.

Then we show up.

I think there is something faithful about that.

Scripture says:

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."
— Proverbs 16:3

I don't know what the weather will bring tomorrow.

I know where I am today.

That is enough.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Bones: "Michael, I have to admit. Making a reservation during a storm warning sounds a little optimistic."

Spock: "Actually, Doctor, the reservation was made before the storm. The Captain demonstrated reasonable foresight."

Bones: "Well, Spock, I suppose that settles it. Steak and lobster under a storm watch. Somehow Michael always finds a way."

Maybe that's the trick.

We don't get to choose the weather.

We can choose whether to make the reservation.

And sometimes the best memories are waiting for us on the other side of that decision.

I'm grateful for last night.

I'm grateful for the time together.

And I'm grateful for whatever comes next.

Live long and prosper.

The People We Meet Along the Way

 Stardate: 08.18.2026

I came to Oconomowoc with a job to do.

I was part of a team preparing a new store for its grand opening. There were goals to reach, problems to solve, details to polish, and a team to support.

I knew the assignment would eventually end.

I didn't know how many people would become part of my story along the way.

That's one of the gifts of traveling away from home. We enter a place knowing very few people. Then the days begin to fill with conversations, shared work, laughter, challenges, and small moments that weren't on the schedule.

Somewhere along the way, people become friends.

Sometimes they become family.

One of those relationships began with a concerned neighbor.

Peter came to me with concerns about the new store. I listened. As we talked, I discovered his concerns were legitimate. We addressed them, and he was satisfied with the solutions.

Then Peter stopped by during the ribbon cutting.

While we were outside, I had the opportunity to share part of his family's story with him and others. His wife's family had arrived here generations ago aboard a ship named the Lyon.

There was another part of their family story that touched me deeply.

When Peter was diagnosed with lymphoma, his granddaughter, Hannah, prayed for his healing.

Hannah is seven years old now.

I asked Peter to carry a prayer from me to Hannah.

I asked her to pray for the community of Oconomowoc. My prayer was that the new store would be a blessing to the people who live here and that we would serve the needs of the community well.

That moment will stay with me.

So will the people I have worked beside these past few weeks.

The teammates who showed up each day.

The conversations between tasks.

The people who helped me when I needed help.

The people I was able to help.

The laughter that made long days easier.

The shared purpose that brought us together.

I have about 28 hours remaining on this assignment.

The work now is final polishing with the team and making sure they are ready to carry things forward. There will also be goodbyes.

Some of these people will become lifetime family.

I already know I will return to Oconomowoc with my family someday. When I do, I'll see more than a building where we opened a new store.

I'll remember the people.

I think that is one of the beautiful things about the journeys God gives us.

We often begin with a destination in mind.

Then people appear along the way.

They become part of our lives through circumstances we never planned. A conversation. A shared assignment. A concern brought to our attention. A story about a little girl named Hannah who prayed for her grandfather.

We keep walking.

And somehow, the journey becomes richer because they were there.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
— 1 Thessalonians 5:11

I have been encouraged by the people I've met here.

I hope I've encouraged a few of them, too.

Perhaps that's enough.

We don't always know what our presence means to another person. We may never know which conversation mattered or which small act of kindness someone carried home with them.

We can still choose to show up.

We can still listen.

We can still serve.

We can still be open to the people God places along our path.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Bones: "Michael, you're getting sentimental again."

Spock: "The evidence suggests he has developed emotional attachments to his colleagues."

Bones: "Spock, they're called friends."

Spock: "I am aware of the distinction, Doctor."

There are people I met in Oconomowoc who I expect will remain part of my life long after this assignment is finished.

That wasn't part of the plan I carried with me when I arrived.

I'm grateful it happened.

Live long and prosper.

— Michael

The Joy of Expanding

 Stardate: 08.17.2026

I find myself learning something new almost every day.

Sometimes the lesson is small. I've been picking up a word or two in Spanish. I've learned a different way to approach a difficult situation. I've watched someone on a new team handle a problem and thought, I hadn't considered that.

I've been on assignment for several weeks now, working with people I didn't know when I arrived.

That has put me outside my comfort zone.

I've noticed something during these weeks.

I learn faster when I'm there.

There is a certain alertness that comes with unfamiliar surroundings. I pay closer attention. I ask more questions. I watch how people respond. I adjust.

Two intense days have just passed. I slept well last night, and this morning I can feel the difference. I have five days remaining before I head home for four days of rest.

Then I begin again.

A new assignment. A new team. Another opportunity to learn.

I'm beginning to appreciate these cycles.

There is another lesson appearing alongside all of this.

For a long time, I have returned to the Serenity Prayer when change became difficult for me. I needed the serenity to accept what I couldn't change, the courage to change what I could, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The words have stayed the same.

My understanding of them has changed.

I'm finding myself in situations where I can influence change from a position I once believed was outside my control.

That has been a wonderful discovery.

I think about the people I've been training during this assignment. When I arrived, I was increasing. I was learning the environment and building relationships.

Now I'm watching them increase.

That is a good feeling.

Soon I will leave, and they will continue what we started.

Then I'll travel home and spend four days with my wife before heading out again.

These travels have given us glimpses of another part of our future, too. Retirement is four years away. Every assignment gives us another little preview of what life might look like when work no longer determines where we need to be.

We're learning along the way.

We're paying attention to what we enjoy. We're discovering what gives us energy. We're seeing places and having experiences we might never have encountered if we stayed entirely within familiar routines.

I can make adjustments now.

That may be one of the greatest gifts of having four years to prepare.

I don't have to wait until retirement to learn how I want to live.

I can learn today.

I can try something new today.

I can step into an unfamiliar situation and see what it teaches me.

Paul wrote:

"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

— Romans 12:2

That verse has taken on new meaning for me.

Renewal can happen in very ordinary places.

It can happen in a conversation.

It can happen on a new team.

It can happen when a difficult situation doesn't unfold the way I expected.

It can happen when I discover that I have more influence than I thought I had.

I'm beginning to see continuous learning as part of the journey itself.

Every day gives us something to notice.

Every person can teach us something.

Every unfamiliar situation gives us another opportunity to grow.

And sometimes, when we pay attention, we discover that the boundaries we thought were fixed have moved.

That is where I find myself today.

Still learning.

Still growing.

Still discovering what's possible.

And grateful for the opportunity.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Bones: "Michael, you're learning Spanish now? I suppose we'll have to add that to the Captain's growing list of experiments."

Spock: "Doctor, continuous learning appears to be producing measurable expansion. I see no logical reason to discourage it."

Bones: "Just make sure he remembers to rest between missions."

Spock and Bones may have a point.

Five days from now I'll be home for four days. Then I'll head out again and begin building another team.

For now, I'm grateful for this season and for the lessons it continues to reveal.

One day at a time. One percent better.

Captain’s Handbook

Stardate: 08.16.2026

Three years ago, I needed a template to help me tell a story.

Today, I sometimes forget the template is there.

That may be one of the clearest signs that something has changed.

I have been writing every day for 17 years. Somewhere along the way, that daily practice turned into more than 6,200 blog stories and five self-published books.

That's a lot of repetition.

Every morning, I sit down and try to turn something that happened into something worth sharing. Some days the story is obvious. Other days I have to search for it.

That repetition has built some writing muscle.

When I began working with Alberta three years ago, I already had plenty of experience showing up at the keyboard. What I needed was a better way to shape the experiences I was collecting.

So we developed a framework.

Over time, the framework became more detailed. We learned what worked. We learned what didn't. We learned which phrases sounded like me and which ones didn't. We learned how much explanation a story needed and when an observation could simply stand on its own.

Eventually, the framework became Version 8.

Locked.

It might sound strange to describe a writing template that way. For me, it represents years of practice.

Something interesting happened along the way.

I stopped needing to think about every rule.

I began to recognize the story.

A conversation could become a story.

A table at a restaurant could become a story.

A storm could become a story.

A commercial during a movie could become a story.

The framework had become part of the way I looked at the world.

That reminds me of something I recently learned from F. Matthias Alexander. His work centered on the way habits shape us, often without our conscious awareness. Repetition creates patterns. With enough practice, those patterns become familiar.

Writing has worked that way for me.

The template gave me structure. Seventeen years of showing up gave me repetition. Three years of refining the craft gave me a better sense of what belongs on the page.

And somewhere along the way, I started noticing that the practice wasn't staying on the page.

The same habit of paying attention shows up during prayer and meditation.

It shows up when I'm working with people.

It shows up in my marriage.

It shows up when I'm traveling and notice something I might have walked past years ago.

Even yesterday, during a difficult workday, I found myself paying attention to what was happening without letting the pressure take over. There were challenges. We were short on people. Everyone was being pushed.

I stayed relaxed.

Then I punched out on time, met my wife in the hotel parking lot, and we went to worship together. We had one of our best dinners of this assignment afterward.

Those moments probably wouldn't have made much impression on me years ago.

Now I notice them.

Maybe that's what all those repetitions have been doing.

The writing has trained me to look.

A person who practices gratitude begins to notice things worth being grateful for.

A person who practices kindness begins to notice opportunities to be kind.

A person who practices prayer begins to notice God in places that might once have gone unnoticed.

The practice shapes the practitioner.

I don't think that means the framework is finished.

Quite the opposite.

I still have the template.

I still have the guardrails.

I still have the mission.

But after 17 years of writing every day, more than 6,200 stories, five books, and three years of refining this particular framework, I find myself trusting my instincts a little more.

The handbook is still on the desk.

I just don't have to look at it every time.

Maybe that's one of the gifts of practicing something for a long time.

Eventually, some of what you practiced begins to travel with you.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Scripture

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” — Colossians 3:23

Captain's Addendum

Spock: “Michael, it appears the Captain has been studying his handbook for three years.”

Bones: “Three years? I thought he was writing a blog.”

Spock: “Perhaps those activities are no longer separate.”

Bones: “Now you're getting philosophical, Spock.”

I think Bones may have a point.

The stories have changed because I have changed. The framework helped me get here, but the real work happened through thousands of small moments of paying attention, writing, revising, and trying again.

The same thing may be happening in other parts of my life.

The practice keeps following me.

And tomorrow morning, I'll probably sit down and do it again.

May you live long and prosper.

How to Handle Criticism

Stardate 08.15.2026

I've faced strong opposition over the years when it comes to sharing some of my crazy ideas.

The old version of me would have crawled under a rock, let the critics have their way, and prayed for the courage to accept the things I could not change.

Something has changed.

Lately, I've noticed that a few of those ideas are finding their way into the workplace. I don't claim all the credit. I do recognize the encouragement of one respected leader who challenged me to stop looking only at things as they are and imagine what they could become.

That simple shift in perspective has made a lasting impact on me.

Recently, I watched a video of Steve Jobs handling a tough question from a vocal critic during a live presentation. He paused, took a drink of water, and calmly acknowledged that parts of the criticism were valid.

Then came the teaching moment.

Jobs explained that when Apple designs products, they begin with the customer experience and work backward toward the technology. The philosophy helped create products that generated billions of dollars in annual revenue.

What impressed me most wasn't the business success.

It was the composure.

He listened.

He acknowledged.

He taught.

That lesson immediately reminded me of what we're trying to accomplish at my day job. The best solutions begin with understanding the people we're trying to serve.

Criticism will always be part of life. Sometimes it's unfair. Sometimes it's painfully accurate.

Wisdom is learning the difference.

I'm still learning not to fear criticism. I want to become the kind of person who can pause, listen carefully, find the truth hidden inside disagreement, and keep moving forward without losing my peace.

Perhaps that is one of the most valuable skills we can develop during uncertain times.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
— Proverbs 12:15

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Bones: “Michael, you actually listened to your critics?”

Spock: “An encouraging sign of personal development, Doctor.”

Bones: “I was going to say maturity.”

Spock: “Your optimism is noted.”

I've learned that criticism doesn't have to determine my direction. Sometimes it can help me see something I missed.

I'm still learning to pause.

I'm still learning to listen.

And I'm grateful for the people willing to challenge me along the way.

May you live long and prosper.

What Are We Allowing to Shape Us?

Stardate: 08.14.2026

I gave up television.

That may sound like a small decision. For me, it created something I needed.

It created time.

Over the past several years, morning prayer and meditation have become an important part of my day. I wake naturally, spend time in prayer, sit quietly, and give myself space to listen before the day begins.

That habit has changed me.

I have become more aware of what I allow into my mind. I pay more attention to the thoughts I repeat, the voices I listen to, and the habits that shape the way I spend my time.

Television rarely enters that equation anymore, especially when I am traveling.

Last week, I was in a hotel room with my wife, and we decided to watch a movie. It had been a while since I had sat through a movie with television commercials.

I noticed something I had forgotten.

The commercials.

They kept coming.

One after another, messages were placed in front of us.

Buy this. Try that. Eat this. Look younger. Drive this. Take this. Upgrade that.

Most of the time, we probably don't think much about them. We have become accustomed to the interruptions.

Sitting there that evening, I realized how much noise I had removed from my life by simply removing television from my daily routine.

I don't believe every advertisement is harmful. I do believe repeated messages have an influence. When we hear something often enough, it can begin to feel familiar. Familiar things can begin to feel normal. Eventually, they can influence what we want without us stopping to ask why.

That brought me back to something I recently read from F. Matthias Alexander:

“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.”

That thought has been sitting with me.

A habit seems small when we practice it once. Its influence comes through repetition.

Prayer each morning may seem like a small habit.

Meditation may seem like a small habit.

Turning off the television may seem like a small habit.

Yet these choices change what has access to my attention.

The same principle works in the other direction. The things we repeatedly watch, hear, consume, and think about can shape us too.

Jesus said:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

— Proverbs 4:23

I have plenty of things competing for my attention every day. I have become more intentional about what I invite into that space.

Morning prayer and meditation have given me a place to begin.

The quiet has become valuable.

The time has become valuable.

And I am grateful for the habits that are slowly becoming part of who I am.

Maybe that is worth considering today.

What are you doing every day that is quietly shaping your future?

What have you allowed into your life simply because it has always been there?

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

May you live long and prosper.

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Michael, you have eliminated television and replaced it with meditation.”

Bones: “And now you're writing about commercials.”

Spock: “Perhaps the Captain has discovered that removing one habit creates room for another.”

Bones: “Just don't tell him to give up the movies, Spock.”

I am grateful for the quiet I have created in my own life. It gives me room to begin each day choosing what gets my attention.

Captain’s Note

“Our calling is not to write perfect words, but to reveal perfect grace through imperfect moments—one percent better, one day at a time.” 

 

The Night My Body Said Thank You

 Stardate: 08.13.2026

I woke up this morning feeling great.

That might not sound like much of a story, but when you pay attention to your sleep, sometimes the numbers get your attention.

Last night was one of those nights.

I recorded 7 hours and 29 minutes of actual sleep.

Deep sleep: 1 hour and 41 minutes.

REM sleep: 1 hour and 33 minutes.

I was awake for 1 hour and 1 minute, with a sleep latency of 23 minutes.

My sleep score was 73.

That last number caught my attention because 73 doesn't sound like an extraordinary score.

Yet I feel great.

Yesterday was a day off from my assignment away from home, and I spent it with my wife.

We went to Lake Michigan and found ourselves in a place that felt almost dreamlike.

It was foggy.

I couldn't see very far across the water, but I could hear the small waves rolling onto the shore.

There was something peaceful about being unable to see the horizon.

It felt like living inside a dream.

During our walk, I told my wife about something that happened a couple of days earlier.

A large white feather, probably 12 inches long, had floated down from the sky and landed ahead of me as I walked.

She told me she had heard there can be spiritual significance associated with finding a white feather.

I don't know exactly what the feather meant.

I do know how it made me feel.

Peaceful.

That sense of peace stayed with me through the day.

By 7:23 that evening, I was tired.

So I went to bed.

I listened to my body.

This morning, the numbers gave me something to consider.

My body gave me something else.

I've become increasingly interested in the science of healthspan and longevity. I'm tracking my sleep. I've experimented with nutrition. I've had a DEXA scan. I've been learning more about biological age and the things we can do to understand our health as we grow older.

DoNotAge has been part of that journey as my international blog sponsor.

Disclosure: DoNotAge sponsors my blog, and I receive a stipend when readers use my code LLAP. I want you to know that connection whenever I mention them or share my code.

If you're interested in learning more about DoNotAge, you can visit their website here:

DoNotAge

And if you choose to use my code, it's LLAP.

That's the commercial part of today's Health Update. The rest is simply me sharing what happened.

There is another chapter coming soon.

At the end of September, I'll travel to London for an international gathering of longevity doctors and researchers. I'll have the opportunity to listen, ask questions, and learn from people who spend their lives studying many of the things that have become increasingly interesting to me.

I'm curious about what I'll learn.

I'm even more curious about what questions I'll bring home.

For today, though, I'm grateful for a foggy day at Lake Michigan, small waves rolling onto the shore, a mysterious white feather, an early bedtime, and a night of sleep that left me feeling great.

Perhaps Psalm 46:10 says it best:

"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10

Yesterday gave me plenty of stillness.

Maybe that's part of why I slept so well.

Join me here:

Michael Mulligan on Substack

Captain's Addendum

Bones: "Michael, you're going to London to talk with longevity doctors, and you're analyzing your sleep numbers before breakfast?"

Spock: "An accurate observation, Doctor. The Captain appears to be gathering data."

Bones: "I just hope he remembers to enjoy the journey."

And perhaps that's the reminder I needed this morning.

Pay attention.

Keep learning.

Listen when the body says it's tired.

And when the day gives you a quiet beach, a little fog, and a moment of peace, stay there long enough to notice it.

Live long and prosper.