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.

The View from Below

 Stardate: 08.12.2026

Last Friday, I woke up early.

My shift wasn't scheduled to begin for another five hours, but I wanted to witness the grand opening.

Other teammates wanted to be there too. I invited the manager from my hotel, and she showed up and stood alongside me. Adria, the pickleball pro I had invited, arrived just as the ribbon cutting was happening.

Peter and Laura, people I had met only days earlier, walked over from their home across the street to see what was happening.

There was a buzz in the air.

The ribbon was cut.

I was standing outside the building when it happened. The doors were rolled down, so I couldn't see what was happening inside the vestibule. I knew the mayor and senior managers were inside. I knew Tyler was welcoming our first members.

I couldn't see any of it.

Yet I felt like I was witnessing something extraordinary.

I was surrounded by people who had become new friends during my assignment. We had gathered together because we wanted to be there for the moment.

Four days later, yesterday, my wife and I went to the movies.

We watched The Odyssey.

During the movie, I heard a line that stayed with me:

“To have the best view, one must look from below.”

I carried those words out of the theater.

This morning, during Golden Hour, I began to understand why.

My assignment has reminded me of something about leadership.

I'm not a boss.

I don't have a title.

I'm the servant.

I'm called upon to guide the team and develop them. I get to watch people grow. I get to help people find their way. I get to witness what happens when people come together and become a team.

I thrive on this.

I love being the witness.

Standing outside those closed doors last Friday suddenly feels like part of the lesson.

I didn't need to see the ribbon cutting.

I was there.

I was surrounded by teammates and new friends. People who weren't part of my life when I arrived had gathered around me.

That means something to me.

I've spent much of my life trying to build things. Teams. Relationships. Communities. Something good that can continue after I'm gone.

Maybe this is why serving others feels so natural.

When I'm serving and helping others grow, my flower is blooming.

My part in this universe is shining.

And I know where that comes from.

This is the Hand of God.

I can see His fingerprints in the people I've met. I can see them in the friendships that formed so quickly. I can see them in the invitations that were accepted and the people who showed up.

I can see them in a morning when I had no obligation to be there, yet something inside me told me to wake up and go.

There I stood.

Outside.

Below.

Watching a new chapter begin.

And somehow, I had one of the best views.

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
— Mark 10:43

That verse feels different when you are living it.

I don't need to understand every assignment.

I just need to be faithful to the one I'm given.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Bones: “Michael, you know, most people would have tried to get inside so they could see the ribbon cutting.”

Spock: “Indeed, Doctor. Our Captain appears to have discovered that perspective does not always require physical proximity.”

Bones: “I still think somebody should have opened the doors.”

Sometimes I think God gives us exactly the view we need.

Friday morning, I couldn't see through those doors.

Today, I can see something I couldn't see then.

My flower is blooming.

And I'm grateful to be here for it.

Table 114

 Stardate: 08.11.2026

Sometimes a restaurant review begins with the food. This one begins with a table.

Last week, my family and I stopped at the Etcetera just before the lunch rush. It was another visit to a place I have come to enjoy, and I already knew it would not be my last.

The Etcetera sits along the lake in Oconomowoc, just north of Madison and off I-94. It is a great place to visit with dogs, and the view from the upper deck is hard to beat.

Molly was our food server, and Vincent also helped make our visit a five-star experience. When Molly asked where we were from, she asked if we knew the Driscoll family.

My wife grinned and asked, “Which Driscoll family?”

It turns out Molly had played volleyball at Drake with someone from our church family. A simple question about where we were from opened a door to a connection none of us expected.

Since we were her first customers of the day, Molly let us choose any table on the upper deck. I picked a corner table overlooking the lake.

“Great choice,” Molly said. “That’s the most popular table in the restaurant.”

I immediately asked for the table number. I was already thinking about sharing the experience with my readers.

Table 114.

The view was beautiful. The food was excellent. I had a mushroom burger that was out of this world.

Molly also noticed our grand dogs. She made sure they had plenty of water and shade while we enjoyed our lunch. Then she took pictures of our experience so we would have memories to keep.

Those little details stayed with me.

Good service can be measured in many ways. Sometimes it is the meal arriving at the right time. Sometimes it is a server remembering the people at the table. Sometimes it is making sure the dogs have water on a warm afternoon.

And sometimes it is discovering that a person you just met has a connection to someone you already know.

Jesus reminded us:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

— Luke 6:31

Molly and Vincent gave our family a memorable afternoon. The food was good, the view was beautiful, and the conversation made the experience personal.

Thank you, Molly and Vincent, for taking such good care of us. We will be telling our friends back home about Table 114 and the experience we had there.

If you find yourself in Oconomowoc, put the Etcetera on your list. And if you visit before Molly heads off to grad school at the end of summer, be sure to say hello.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

May you live long and prosper.

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Michael, you selected the most popular table in the restaurant.”

Bones: “And somehow you turned lunch into another story for the log.”

Spock: “The evidence suggests the Captain knew exactly what he was doing.”

There are days when the story finds us while we are simply sitting at a table, enjoying lunch with people we love. I am grateful for those moments.

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 Storm Was Part of the Lesson

 Stardate: 08.10.2026

Helen and I attended 8 a.m. Mass yesterday morning.

The homily centered on the moment when Jesus sent His followers out onto the water while He remained behind.

A storm developed.

The disciples became frightened. Then they saw Jesus walking on the water. They thought He was a ghost. Jesus called out to them, and Peter responded by stepping out of the boat.

For a moment, Peter walked on the water.

Then he became afraid and began to sink. He called out to Jesus, and Jesus reached down and pulled him from the water.

The priest made a point that stayed with me.

Jesus knew the storm was coming when He sent the disciples onto the water.

We left Mass and headed toward Madison.

A storm was moving through the area.

Lightning lit up the sky as we drove. The flashes were bright enough to turn the dark clouds into silhouettes. We could see the storm around us as we made our way toward my first pickleball lesson with Adria Rushing, the pickleball professional who had visited us during the grand opening on Friday.

I thought about the homily.

We kept driving.

I wasn't afraid. I knew Jesus was with us.

We arrived on time, and the lesson began.

Adria worked with me on the fundamentals. She showed me proper grips, stance, and positioning. Each correction made the game make a little more sense.

I began to understand where my body should be, how I should hold the paddle, and what I should be looking for when the ball came toward me.

By the end of the lesson, I walked away with something I didn't have when I arrived.

Confidence.

I can learn this game.

There is plenty of practice ahead. That makes me smile because I enjoy learning something new.

After the lesson, Adria and I stood beside each other for an interview. We talked about the pickleball project back home, and I had an opportunity to give a shout-out to the committee that has worked so hard to make four outdoor courts possible.

Construction is underway.

I thought about how that project started with an idea. People stepped forward. The idea became a plan. The plan became a project. Now the courts are taking shape.

Eventually, Helen and I headed home.

The storms were still moving through the area. We found a path between them and made it home safely.

The homily from the morning kept coming back to me.

The storm was already there when we left Mass.

So was Jesus.

We kept going.

Peter's story stayed with me throughout the day. The storm didn't need to disappear for the journey to continue. There was still a next step to take.

Yesterday, my next step happened to be onto a pickleball court.

Tomorrow, it will be something else.

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
— Matthew 14:27

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Spock: “Michael appears to have discovered that storms can accompany recreational activities.”

Bones: “And somehow, Spock, he managed to turn a pickleball lesson into a spiritual lesson.”

Spock: “The evidence suggests the Captain is becoming quite efficient at this.”

I smiled when I thought about the day.

The storm was part of the journey.

So was the lesson.

 I am grateful for the worship, the time with Helen, the lesson with Adria, the conversation about pickleball, the people building those courts back home, and the safe trip through the storms.

I have a pickleball paddle purchased from my day job, some things to practice, and another day ahead.

That is enough for now.

The Patron Saint of Grocers

 Stardate: 08.09.2026

Sometimes a day begins with a simple recommendation.

Yesterday, several locals told me about a tower in a park near my hotel. They knew the area and said I should go take a look.

So I did.

On the way to the park, I met a couple who added another recommendation.

"Make sure you visit Holy Hill after you finish here."

I tucked that away and continued toward the tower.

I climbed to the top, took some photos, and then made my way back down.

The park had been worth the visit.

Now it was time to follow the second recommendation.

We drove to Holy Hill, where the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception stands above the surrounding countryside. The basilica honors Mary, the mother of Jesus.

I climbed the 178 steps to the top.

One step at a time.

At the top, I took more photos and enjoyed the view before making my way back down.

Then we stopped inside the basilica gift shop.

That's where I found the card.

It told the story of St. Michael the Archangel.

I turned it over and started reading.

Then I saw something I had never known.

St. Michael is the patron saint of grocers.

I stopped.

Seriously?

My name is Michael.

I work in the grocery business.

I am currently away from home helping open a new warehouse.

And yesterday, while visiting a basilica dedicated to Mary, I discovered that St. Michael the Archangel has traditionally been associated with grocers.

I had never heard this before.

The discovery sent me down a little historical rabbit hole.

The connection reaches back centuries. Medieval grocers dealt with valuable commodities that had to be measured carefully. Scales were part of their trade, and St. Michael is traditionally depicted carrying scales along with his sword.

The old merchant guilds also carried responsibilities involving honest trade, quality and service to their communities.

Suddenly, this wasn't just an interesting piece of history.

It was personal.

I had gone to a park because locals recommended a tower.

Along the way, I met a couple who recommended Holy Hill.

I climbed the tower.

Then I climbed 178 steps to the top of the basilica.

I took photos.

I came back down.

And in the gift shop, I happened to pick up a card that introduced me to a connection between St. Michael and the grocery business that I had somehow missed for 66 years.

I don't know what to make of that.

Maybe it was simply an interesting coincidence.

Maybe there is something more to it.

I'm comfortable leaving that question open.

I've learned to pay attention to these moments.

They don't always arrive with an announcement.

Sometimes they are waiting on the back of a card in a gift shop.

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." — Psalm 91:11

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Spock: "Michael, the probability of discovering your patron saint in a basilica gift shop after climbing 178 steps is intriguing."

Bones: "Spock, Michael doesn't need a probability. He needs to enjoy the discovery."

I think Bones has the right idea.

Yesterday gave me something I didn't know I was looking for.

A new piece of history.

A connection to my own name.

And one more reason to keep paying attention to the little things that happen along the journey.

I'm grateful for the discovery.

And I'm smiling at the thought that somewhere along the way, Michael the grocer may have finally met St. Michael the Archangel.

The Remedy Is a Walk in the Woods

 Stardate: 08.08.2026

Yesterday, we cut the ribbon.

The opening was successful. The work that had occupied so much of my attention for weeks reached an important milestone. There were people to meet, problems to solve, teams to encourage, and a thousand little details that needed attention.

Today is different.

I woke up knowing I had nowhere I needed to be.

Helen and I shared a quiet breakfast together. There was no rush to get somewhere. No schedule pulling us toward the next responsibility. We simply sat together and enjoyed the morning.

Outside, the sky is clear. The temperature is ideal for being outdoors, and there is a gentle breeze moving through the trees.

We are going hiking.

After weeks of living at a fast pace, walking the trails feels like exactly what we need.

There is something about walking that gives the mind room to settle. The body gets moving. Conversation happens naturally. Sometimes there are stretches of silence. You notice the trees. You notice the sky. You notice the people walking beside you.

Today, that person is my wife.

I have spent a lot of time during this assignment thinking about teams, leadership, responsibility and the people God has placed in my path. Those things matter deeply to me.

So does this.

There are seasons when the work demands our attention. There are also moments when the wisest thing we can do is step away from the work and allow ourselves to recover.

Jesus understood the need for rest.

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
— Mark 6:31

Those words feel particularly appropriate this morning.

The trail is waiting.

The country around us is beautiful, and we have the opportunity to slow down long enough to enjoy it. Helen and I don't need a complicated plan. We need some time together, fresh air and a good walk.

Sometimes the remedy is that simple.

Yesterday was about opening a new chapter for a team.

Today feels like opening a little space in my own life.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain's Addendum

Spock: Michael, the evidence suggests that walking may be an effective recovery protocol.

Bones: For once, Spock, you don't need evidence. Just go take the walk.

Spock: Agreed. And Michael, perhaps today you should allow the Captain to enjoy the scenery.

There are plenty of days ahead for the mission.

For today, I'm grateful for a quiet breakfast with Helen, a clear sky, a little breeze and a trail waiting for us.

That is enough.

And maybe that is the point.

Live long and prosper. 🖖