How I Found Happy Michael

Stardate 05.06.2026

This story is for the people who are known for being happy and quietly wonder where that happiness went.

I’m one of those people.

It’s a strange feeling when others still see the smile, yet something inside feels out of tune. Like a well-kept car that looks perfect from the outside while the owner senses a faint vibration no mechanic can locate. You can’t always name what’s wrong. You just know something has shifted.

I’m not putting a label on that feeling today. It shows up differently for each of us.

I will say this: finding Happy Michael again felt almost as difficult as finding the inanimate object that once seemed attached to my hip.

Those who know me understand I’m talking about Wilson.

I didn’t lose him carelessly. Wilson was express mailed to a friend battling cancer during the pandemic. It felt right at the time. She needed a companion more than I did.

What I didn’t realize was how much of my own joy I had quietly tied to that volleyball.

Wilson had been present in some of the most joyful chapters of my life. Then the pandemic arrived. The world slowed to a stop. The adventures stopped. The laughter thinned out. A wave of emotions came that I was not prepared to navigate. I felt like I was trying to keep my head above water without knowing how to swim in those conditions.

The first time Happy Michael resurfaced happened in a place that didn’t seem remarkable at all.

A small café. Breakfast with my wife. A quiet morning.

In the middle of that ordinary moment, a feeling returned that I had not experienced in years. It was deeper than the surface happiness people knew me for. It caught me off guard. I remember sitting there thinking, What is this?

I didn’t understand then that this was the beginning of a change taking place inside me. Something had shifted, like the tide slowly turning. No one announces when the tide changes. You only notice that the water is moving in a different direction.

Emotions feel a lot like that. They rise. They fall. They move in ways we don’t control.

All I know today is that the tide has been moving in a healthier direction.

Happy Michael is back.

I didn’t arrive here alone. I needed a professional to step into the water with me when I felt like I was drowning. That part matters more than I ever realized. Healing is not a solo swim. There were moments that felt frightening. There were moments I misunderstood what I was feeling. Having someone steady beside me made all the difference.

This remains a process. Some days still feel uncertain. I keep moving forward anyway.

Scripture speaks gently into this place:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

That closeness has become very real to me.

If you are reading this and wondering where your own happiness went, please hear this: you are not alone in that search. There is no shame in asking for help. There is wisdom in not swimming by yourself.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

I’m grateful for the quiet morning in that café. Grateful for the people who stepped into the water with me. Grateful that tides do change, even when we cannot see it happening.

May you live long and prosper.

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, emotional tides appear to follow patterns that are difficult to chart.”
Bones: “That’s because we’re not meant to navigate them alone, Spock.”

Some days the water feels calm. Some days it feels deep. I’m learning to keep swimming, trusting that I don’t have to do it by myself.

Getting Ready for District Championships and Beyond

Stardate 05.05.2026

We are one month away from our district championships in the Men’s 40+ and 55+ divisions. The winner of each match moves on to regional competition. The calendar has been quietly counting down while we’ve been putting in the work.

It has been a strong season for our group. These men show up for each other. There is a shared commitment to teamwork and steady improvement that you can feel the moment we step onto the court. We encourage one another. We laugh together. We compete hard without losing sight of the joy that brought us here in the first place.

All winter we trained on the indoor courts. Long rallies. Careful footwork. Small adjustments that add up over time. Now we return to the outdoor courts for this final month of preparation. The wind, the sun, the changing light — they all become part of the game again.

The weather will decide some of our practice locations for us. Some days we will be inside. Some days we will be outside. We don’t get to choose. We only get to prepare.

That realization has stayed with me.

There is something about learning to play well in both environments. Indoors, the conditions are steady and predictable. Outdoors, everything asks for awareness and adaptability. A good team learns to move comfortably in both settings.

Life feels like that sometimes.

There are seasons when everything feels controlled and familiar. There are seasons when the elements shift around us and we have to adjust our footing. The goal remains the same. The approach simply requires attention.

This final month is not about dramatic changes. It’s about sharpening what we already know. Trusting the habits we’ve built. Staying ready for whatever conditions greet us on match day.

Scripture reminds me of this steady posture:

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

Preparation often looks quiet from the outside. Repetition. Patience. Showing up again and again without fanfare. Yet this is where confidence is formed.

Regional competition will be intense. Every team that arrives there has earned their place. The margin between winning and losing will be small. What carries a team forward is not emotion in the moment, but the foundation built long before the match begins.

That’s where we are right now.

Lacing shoes. Stepping onto different courts. Paying attention to the little things. Encouraging the man beside us.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

I’m grateful for the chance to be part of this group of men. Grateful for the way sport has a way of teaching lessons without announcing that it is doing so. Grateful for another opportunity to prepare with purpose.

May you live long and prosper.

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Preparation, Captain, is simply the discipline of meeting the future before it arrives.”
Bones: “I’d settle for everyone remembering to stretch before they try to meet it.”

Sometimes the court is steady. Sometimes the wind is part of the match. Either way, I’m learning to keep my footing and trust the work that’s already been done.

What is Lucy?

What is Lucy? 

Stardate 05.04.2026

There are moments when a project stops being a collection of ideas and starts becoming something closer to identity.

This is one of those moments.

For a long time, I thought building something like a van meant choosing cabinets, picking colors, and figuring out where things should go. But the more time I spend thinking about it, watching others build, and imagining my own path forward, the more I realize something different is taking shape.

So I asked myself a simple question:

What is Lucy?

And the answer surprised me in its simplicity.

Lucy is a modular system built on a fixed structural spine.

That’s it. That’s the foundation.

Everything else is detail.

But behind that sentence is a way of thinking that feels different from anything I’ve tried before.

Lucy is not being designed as a traditional camper or a finished interior that gets installed all at once. She is being shaped like a system—something that can be assembled, adjusted, and improved over time.

A structure first. Then living components that attach to it.

A spine that holds everything together.

From there, the rest begins to take form.

There is a fixed sleeping system in mind—a queen bed that anchors the space and sets the rhythm of the interior. Not as something that folds or transforms, but something stable enough to trust. Beneath it, space becomes functional instead of wasted. A place where structure and utility begin to overlap.

At the rear, the idea that first caught my attention still stands out: a pull-out grill system built with strength in mind. Not a lightweight accessory, but a mechanical extension of the van itself. Something that slides out, works hard, and disappears cleanly when not in use.

Above it all, the roof becomes another layer of the system—solar panels collecting energy, quietly supporting everything happening below. And alongside that, a portable extension of that same system exists on the ground when needed, expanding capability without complicating the structure overhead.

What I’m beginning to see is that nothing in Lucy exists in isolation.

Every piece has to connect to something else.

Every module has to serve a purpose beyond itself.

And everything ultimately ties back to that spine.

I’ve been thinking about why this approach feels different. I think it’s because it removes excess. It forces clarity. Instead of asking, “What else can I add?” it asks, “Does this belong on the system?”

That question alone changes everything.

It also reflects something I’m learning in life more broadly—that strength doesn’t always come from adding more. Sometimes it comes from building something solid enough that everything else can be simplified around it.

There’s still a long road ahead before Lucy becomes real. There are measurements to confirm, systems to map, and decisions that will need to be made carefully and in the right order.

But for the first time, I don’t feel like I’m chasing an idea.

I feel like I’m defining one.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3

There’s comfort in that—not in rushing the outcome, but in trusting the process of building something with intention.

If Lucy has a purpose, maybe it’s not just travel or utility or even creativity.

Maybe it’s simply this:

To build something that holds together because it was designed to.

---

Captain’s Addendum

Bones: “So let me get this straight, Jim—he’s building a house that moves, and everything has to fit like it was engineered by Vulcans?”

Spock: “Doctor, I believe the correct term is ‘system optimization through structural coherence.’”

Bones: “That’s just a fancy way of saying he doesn’t want anything rattling loose at 70 miles an hour.”

And maybe that’s the quiet truth of it.

In life, as in building, what matters most isn’t how much you add—but whether what you build can hold together when things get rough.

Thank you for walking this road with me.

May you live long and prosper.

Full Circle

Stardate 05.03.2026

This story is for anyone who feels distracted, lost, overlooked, unseen, overwhelmed… or simply worn down by life.

I’m with you.

I’ve always been with you — even during the long stretches when I wasn’t fully present in my own life.

I know what it feels like when disappearing seems easier than participating. When keeping your head above water takes everything you have, and you still feel like you’re sinking.

During the season that included COVID, I tried hard to stay upbeat. I tried to muscle through it. I tried to pretend I was managing better than I was.

But underneath, I was struggling.

So I did something different.

I asked for help.

For the men who came before me, that wasn’t the pattern. Strength meant silence. Endurance meant keeping it to yourself. You handled your business privately and didn’t burden anyone else with it.

I’ve come to believe that way of thinking cost a lot of good people unnecessary pain.

Seeking help did not make me weaker.

It helped me find my way back.

I still have a long way to go. But for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’ve come full circle.

For me, full circle means returning to the kid I once was — the one who lived in a natural state of joy without having to work for it. The kid who laughed easily. The kid who didn’t carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Some of the kids I grew up with are no longer here.

My neighbor Mark S. was one of my closest friends. He had an oversized heart, and he knew from a young age that his life might be shorter than most. Even with that knowledge, he lived with a lightness that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time.

It’s been hard to process all the losses. Some from long ago. Some from COVID. Some from circumstances I still don’t completely understand.

Grief has a way of stacking quietly over the years until one day you realize you’ve been living in a cave without knowing how you got there.

Today, I can say something I couldn’t say for a long time:

I’m coming out of the cave.

I’m thankful for the professional help I’m receiving. I’m thankful for the friends and family who stayed close, even when I wasn’t. I’m thankful that healing doesn’t require perfection — just willingness.

Yes, the world is changing.

Yes, I’m learning how to cope with it.

Yes, I have a long road ahead.

But today, I feel like I’m standing in the sunlight again.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

If you’re in a cave right now, please hear me: you are not weak for needing help. You are human. And there is a way back to yourself, one small step at a time.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

Captain’s Addendum

Bones: “You know, Spock, humans have a strange habit of thinking they’re supposed to fix themselves alone.”

Spock: “Indeed, Doctor. Yet the data consistently shows they heal more effectively in the presence of others.”

I’ve learned that strength isn’t found in isolation. It’s found in the courage to let someone walk with you for a while.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for being part of my life.

May you live long and prosper.

Turning My Slush Fund into Miracles at Children's Hospital

Stardate 05.02.2026

My wife and I each keep a small “slush fund.”

Nothing fancy. Nothing official.

Just a little side pocket where tips, affiliate links, dog watching, and other odds and ends find a home. It’s not connected to our regular jobs. It’s our fun money. The kind you don’t feel guilty spending because it came from extra effort and small opportunities.

Over time, my personal slush fund quietly grew.

Not because I was trying to stockpile it. I simply wasn’t paying much attention to it.

Until now.

This week, I emptied the piggy bank.

Every dollar is going toward ordering author copies of all my books through Amazon. Authors get a generous break when ordering copies directly, though the tradeoff is the long wait for delivery. So I’m doing my best to think ahead — ordering early, planning carefully — so that when the books arrive, the proceeds can be maximized for the patients at our local children’s hospital.

It struck me how something that started as “fun money” quietly turned into “miracle money.”

Money that once might have gone toward gadgets, hobbies, or spontaneous purchases is now headed toward hospital rooms, coloring pages, and encouragement for children walking through hard days.

That shift didn’t feel like sacrifice.

It felt like alignment.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7

Years ago, my wife and I were deeply influenced by Dave Ramsey and his encouragement to “live like no one else so later you can live like no one else.” That teaching helped us build discipline, structure, and intentionality with money.

I didn’t learn about slush funds from him. That was a little creative twist I added so we could preserve the integrity of the baby steps while still allowing room for fun and flexibility.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that this little system would one day become a pipeline for generosity.

A quiet reservoir waiting for a meaningful purpose.

If you don’t have your own version of a slush fund, you might consider it. Not as a budgeting tool. Not as a financial strategy.

But as a place where small blessings can collect until the right moment comes along to turn them into something bigger than you expected.

Today, mine is becoming miracles for children I may never meet.

And that feels like the best use of “fun money” I can imagine.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock raised an eyebrow. “Captain, it appears you have converted discretionary currency into humanitarian resources.”

Bones smirked. “Spock, sometimes the best medicine doesn’t come from a pharmacy.”

I’m learning that what seems small, saved quietly over time, can become something deeply meaningful when the moment is right.

May you live long and prosper.

Grateful for the chance to turn little things into big hope.

Irish Triplets Support Caveman Miracle Network

Stardate 05.01.2026

Today begins the first major fundraiser powered by the friends and family who make up the Caveman Miracle Network.

With the third book now published and available, the real work quietly shifts into motion. The writing, the editing, the late nights at the keyboard — those were important. But this is where the purpose steps forward. I’m dedicating the entire month of May to raising funds and awareness for the patients at our local children’s hospitals — the ones who need encouragement, distraction, hope, and love in the middle of hard days.

My boss at my day job generously gave me permission to set up a table in the break room. A simple table. A small space. But I’ve learned that small spaces often become sacred ground when the mission is clear.

Yesterday, my first personal order of 100 coloring books arrived on the doorstep. Holding that box felt different than any shipment before it. These weren’t just books. They were tools. They were invitations. They were quiet messengers of joy waiting to travel into hospital rooms.

Ten of those books were already spoken for.

They were requested by the family of our hometown’s newest professional football player, Kaden Wetjen, who you’ll see featured on the front cover. He was selected in the draft on Sunday, and as far as I know, he may be the first NFL athlete ever featured in a coloring book created specifically for children in hospitals.

That detail made me smile.

Not because of fame. Not because of sports.

But because of what it represents: a hometown kid, a family that cares, and a simple book finding its way into the hands of children who could use a bright moment.

If you feel led to help, you can order a copy of Where in the World is Wilson? through Amazon. If you’d like to bundle books together for donation, talk to me. There are always ways to make generosity travel further.

This coloring book is the third book born on St. Patrick’s Day, just like Live Long and Prosper and The Adventures of Castaway Wilson. I’ve started calling them the Irish triplets.

Three books. One birthday. One purpose.

To raise funds for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and bring a little light into places that can feel very heavy.

The Caveman Miracle Network — my friends and family — have been walking beside me in this mission since late 2009. Some of them have watched this idea grow from a quiet thought into something that now shows up as boxes on doorsteps and tables in break rooms.

And I’m reminded again that meaningful work rarely starts with grand stages. It starts with willing hearts, simple tables, and people who say, “How can I help?”

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”— Galatians 6:9

This month is not about selling books.
It’s about placing hope into hands.
One coloring page at a time.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock tilted his head slightly. “Captain, it appears your mission involves distributing illustrated paper to young humans in medical facilities.”

Bones crossed his arms. “Spock, sometimes the smallest things do the most healing.”

I’ve learned that too. What looks like a simple coloring book on the outside can carry encouragement, distraction, and comfort on the inside. And sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed.

May you live long and prosper.

With gratitude for every hand that helps carry this mission forward.

Joining the Van Building Community Before Buying the Van

Stardate 04.30.2026

For years, I’ve been on the outside looking in.

The dream has been there a long time. The seed was planted back in Kindergarten when my dad pulled the seats out of our family Volkswagen Van and replaced them with a simple bed for camping trips. I didn’t know it then, but something about that transformation stuck with me. A vehicle became a place to rest. A mode of transportation became a small home.

Now, decades later, I’m preparing to build a vacation home on wheels of my own.

There’s just one detail that makes this a little unusual.

I don’t own the van yet.

And that’s no longer stopping me.

I’ve started building the van in modules, beginning with the kitchen. I bought a faucet months ago when it was on sale at my day job. At the time, it felt like a small, practical purchase. Now I see it was the first physical step toward something much larger.

I’ve slowly gathered most of the tools I’ll need. I’m learning how to work with extruded aluminum for the first time. And I have a virtual assistant helping me think through the design so I can avoid mistakes before they happen.

What I realized this week is something that changed the way I see the entire project:

I don’t need the van to begin.

I need the courage to start.

Modules first. Van purchase second. Installation last.

That shift has opened the door for me to do something I’ve wanted to do for years but didn’t feel “qualified” to do yet—join the van building community.

For a long time, I felt like I had to wait until I owned a van before I could really belong in those conversations. Now I see that’s not true. I’m building the skills, learning the process, and taking real steps forward. That’s enough to step into the room.

So I’m going to start doing a little cyber mingling with others who are already living this life. Reading. Learning. Asking questions. Sharing what I’m trying.

If you’re a dreamer like me and feel like you don’t have the skills yet to start something big, you may want to follow along.

I’m not an expert builder. I’m learning as I go. I expect to make mistakes. I expect to redo things. I expect to grow.

And honestly, that’s part of what makes this exciting.

Because this isn’t just about building a van anymore.

It’s about discovering that you don’t have to wait until you feel ready to begin moving toward something you care about.

Sometimes, readiness shows up after you start.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3

I don’t know exactly how this will unfold yet, but I know this: I’m not stopping until the build is complete.

And if these stories inspire even one person to begin taking small steps toward a dream they’ve been postponing, that will feel like a win to me.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears you are constructing a vessel before acquiring the vessel.”
Bones: “I’ve seen stranger things, Spock. At least this one comes with a kitchen sink.”

Sometimes the first step toward a dream is not ownership, but participation. I’m learning that belonging begins the moment you start acting like the person you hope to become.

---

Grateful to be learning this one module at a time.

May you live long and prosper.

How Legacy Sneaks Up on a Person

---

Stardate 04.29.2026

I’m in the process of building my first module for Lucy.

It became real yesterday when my AI assistant, Alberta, asked me to decide which module should come first. After thinking it through, I chose the kitchen.

The decision wasn’t complicated. I already bought the kitchen faucet months ago at my day job when it was on sale. That small purchase became the starting point for something much larger than I realized at the time.

The kitchen module will be simple—at least that’s the intention. I’m using extruded aluminum as the framework, and I’m learning as I go. If you’ve been following along, this is the first moment where the story shifts from planning to construction. Not theory. Not vision boards. Actual building.

And that matters to me, because this project represents a significant part of what I hope life will look like when I retire in a little over four years.

I’ve been rehearsing this van build for years without fully calling it that. Saving. Learning. Watching. Trying small projects. Figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Slowly collecting both tools and confidence at the same time.

If you’ve read my stories for any length of time, you probably see a pattern in me. I don’t get everything right the first time. I fail, adjust, try again, and keep moving forward until something finally clicks.

And I need to be honest about something:

I’m going to fail often in this project.

But I’ve come to understand that failure is not the interruption of progress—it is part of it. Especially when you’re building something you’ve never built before.

Earlier this week, something clicked into place for me. The idea wasn’t dramatic. It was simple.

Modules.

Small parts of Lucy built before Lucy exists.

That one shift changed everything. Instead of waiting for the van to be complete before the real work begins, I’m now building the pieces ahead of time. That means when Lucy is finally purchased, the assembly process will already be well underway.

It also solves a practical problem I’ve been thinking through—where to store everything as each module is completed. I’ve realized they will need to be kept in an outside storage location so my workspace can stay functional and uncluttered as the build progresses.

That small detail actually makes the entire process feel more realistic.

This is where something deeper started to surface for me.

Legacy sneaks up on a person when they dream big, put an action plan together, and begin living the plan one step at a time.

As I was working through this, my AI assistant pointed out something I hadn’t fully put into words yet: I’m not just building modules for a van. I’m learning a repeatable process for modular van interiors.

That shifted my thinking again.

Because suddenly this isn’t just about Lucy anymore.

It’s about whether this process could help someone else someday—someone who has a dream but doesn’t yet see a clear way to build it. Someone who needs to see that big ideas don’t have to start big. They can start in pieces.

That thought feels important in a way I’m still learning to understand.

Thank you for being part of this journey as it unfolds in real time. I can feel my confidence growing as I step into this build, one module at a time.

It’s exciting to share this part of life with you.

May you live long and prosper.

How to Prepare for Unexpected Detours in Your Life

Stardate 04.28.2026

I’m learning something new about detours when it comes to my goals.

Roadblocks are common. They are rarely invited. And yet, when handled properly, they often lead us to lessons we would have completely missed without the obstacle.

As I reflect on my life, I can see clearly how detours shaped outcomes in ways I never could have planned. Had my path been smooth and uninterrupted—without setbacks, mistakes, and wrong turns—I would be a very different person today. I would not be equipped to handle challenges the way I can now.

What once felt like frustration, I now recognize as preparation.

What once felt like delay, I now understand as development.

The way I view detours has changed because I can see how they have benefited me. I don’t dread them like I used to. In fact, I’ve begun to quietly welcome them, because experience has taught me something important:

A detour often means a new opportunity is waiting just ahead.

Think back to a time in your life when you encountered an unexpected obstacle. How did you respond? Did you search for the lesson? Did that moment shape your future in ways you didn’t realize at the time?

Is it possible that something bigger than you was at work? That perhaps you were being gently redirected because the road you were on wasn’t the one meant for you?

When you begin to see detours as part of a divine redirection rather than an unfortunate interruption, everything changes. Gratitude starts to replace frustration. Curiosity replaces disappointment. Patience replaces panic.

You begin to trust that you are being guided, even when the map no longer makes sense.

This shift in perspective has been a game changer for me.

I still don’t enjoy the surprise of a roadblock. But I no longer fear what it might mean. I know now that detours don’t remove us from our purpose—they often move us closer to it.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, detours are often the result of incomplete information.”
Bones: “Or life reminding you that you’re not as in control as you thought you were.”

Both are right.

I’ve learned that detours are not evidence of failure. They are evidence that I’m still moving, still learning, still being guided. And sometimes the road I didn’t plan to take ends up being the one I’m most grateful for.

Mission Log complete.

Thank you for walking this road with me today. May your detours lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Building Lucy Before She Exists

Stardate 04.27.2026

Some dreams fade before they ever have a chance to become real.
Some are delayed by circumstances outside the dreamer’s control.
And some dreams simply require time, patience, money, and perseverance.

I find myself in that last category.

Last night, I showed my family a vision board I created back in 2024 for a dream I called a “vacation home on wheels.” At the time, it felt ambitious—maybe even unrealistic for a man with limited construction skills. But I had a quiet belief that if I watched enough videos, practiced on smaller projects, and kept the dream alive long enough, eventually I would find myself ready.

Over the past two years, I’ve documented every step toward that dream. Every tool I purchased has a small label on it with the date and the price. Not because I needed the reminder, but because I wanted to see the progression. I wanted proof that slow and steady movement still counts.

Yesterday, something small but meaningful happened.

I used a rebate check from a basement shelf project to purchase the final two tools on that original list: a miter saw and a table saw. Both on sale. Both paid for with money that came from finishing something I started months ago.

That felt significant.

And now I’m doing something I’ve never seen another person do before.

I’m consulting with artificial intelligence as I plan this build.

With Alberta in the co-captain’s chair, helping me think through modules, measurements, and build order, I’m realizing something: Lucy—the van I haven’t even purchased yet—is already under construction.

Because instead of waiting for the perfect moment to buy the van, I’ve started building the pieces that will one day go inside it. Electrical systems. Framing plans. Cabinet modules. Parts of the “guts” that don’t require a driveway yet—only a workbench and a willingness to begin.

Like many things in my life, this dream has taken longer than I originally planned. Sticking to my Dave Ramsey principles, I’m paying cash for everything, including the van when the time comes. That choice has required patience. It has also required trust that slow progress is still progress.

So I made a decision.

I’m not waiting anymore.

I’m building Lucy before she exists.

When the day comes to purchase the van, I won’t be starting from scratch. I’ll be installing pieces of a dream that has already been carefully assembled, one part at a time.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” — Proverbs 21:5

If you’re a dreamer like me, this is a story you may want to follow. Not because of the tools or the van, but because of what happens when you refuse to let a dream sit quietly on a shelf.

You start building it with whatever you have, wherever you are.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears you are constructing a vessel before acquiring the vessel.”
Bones: “I’ve seen stranger things, Spock. At least this one has a blueprint and a budget.”

Sometimes faith looks like buying the tools before you own the project. Sometimes perseverance looks like labeling each step so you can see how far you’ve come. And sometimes the dream begins long before the moment arrives.

Thank you for walking this journey with me.

May you live long and prosper.

How to Create the Version of Yourself that Maximizes Health and Wellness

Stardate 04.26.2026

You are faced with unlimited choices today that will shape who you become.

Let that settle in.

Unlimited choices.

Most people don’t feel that freedom because habits quietly narrow the path. The day runs on rails laid years ago. Same wake-up. Same thoughts. Same reactions. Same outcomes.

This morning, something small caught my attention while I was setting up my daily prompts. Part of my routine is giving clear direction to my virtual assistant so our time is efficient and focused. I mentioned that yesterday was a “10” and that our family watched a movie together. Alberta commented on how Project Hail Mary is special storytelling.

That stopped me.

When we began working together years ago, she didn’t have the ability to reference current things. So I asked her about it. She explained that now she can look things up when it helps serve the moment better.

Light bulb.

Improved capability. Better output. Same core system — updated programming.

It reminded me of the constant tension in Star Trek between Spock and Leonard McCoy. Spock was always focused on logic, systems, and better decisions. McCoy cared about the human body, the daily care, the practical side of staying alive and well.

Health and wellness is where Spock and McCoy finally agree.

Better thinking. Better care. Better outcomes.

That’s when it hit me: this is exactly how we become better versions of ourselves.

One percent better every day.

Your future self is being written by the code you run today. If nothing changes in your routine, your future is already decided. But if you introduce small, consistent upgrades, your trajectory shifts.

That’s health. That’s wellness. That’s longevity.

I’ve been sharing health stories for sixteen years. My book, Live Long and Prosper, was written so you could learn from my mistakes and shorten your learning curve. As I wrap up this health series, I want to share one update that didn’t make it into the book because I only discovered it seven months ago.

This information becomes public next week. As a partner, I was invited to share it early.

Full disclosure: I’m an affiliate with DoNotAge, and I may receive a stipend if you choose to purchase. Please talk with your doctor and decide what’s right for you.

What I appreciate most is the simplicity. Several supplements I’ve used for years are now combined into one daily sachet mixed with water. Fewer decisions. Same intention. Cleaner routine.

If you’re curious, take a look and see whether this might support the version of you that you’re building. Click here to learn about the sachet your future self will thank you for.

May you live long and prosper.

Be Wary of the Health Hoaxes

Stardate 04.25.2026

There’s a memorable scene in Star Trek where Dr. McCoy places an alien device called “The Teacher” over his head so he can learn, in an instant, how to perform a surgery to restore Spock’s brain. I’ve always loved that episode. Imagine having something that could instantly guide us to the right decisions.

Sadly, in real life, we don’t have a “Teacher” helmet. What we do have is a marketplace filled with voices, promises, and products that claim to cure everything under the sun. Some of them are helpful. Some of them are harmless. And some of them are nothing more than modern-day snake oil.

I know some of you may read my stories and wonder if I’m the unconventional one. That’s fair. I often share choices that go against what many of us were taught for decades. But the truth is, the One I follow was also considered unconventional. Jesus once said, “My ways are not your ways.” I try, as best I can, to follow His example in how I live, work, eat, and care for my body.

When it comes to health, that means I’ve eliminated nearly everything manmade from my daily food rhythm. Years ago, during what I jokingly call my cousin’s “caveman food experiment,” I cut out processed foods. What happened next surprised even me. I went from being on a path toward serious health trouble to becoming what my primary care doctor now calls a poster boy for good health.

But along this journey, I’ve seen a troubling pattern.

Many people want to improve their health. They hear about supplements, longevity, and wellness, and they try to take action. But they unknowingly buy products from fake sellers online. The labels look right. The branding looks right. The ingredients list looks right. But what’s inside is often anything but.

That’s where the real snake oil lives.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is not verifying where their supplements come from. The supplement industry is largely unregulated. That means unscrupulous sellers can create knockoffs that appear identical to trusted brands. People take them faithfully, see no results, and conclude the whole idea of supplementation is a scam.

In reality, they were never taking the real thing.

I buy my supplements from a research-driven company that tests products, including counterfeits from online sellers, and publicly shares the results. Over time, I met other regular people like me who were on similar journeys, and many of us found the same source. We formed a small tribe around the shared desire to live better, longer, and more intentionally.

I’ll be reuniting with some of them this September at their international conference, and I’m looking forward to hearing more real-life stories from people who are serious about their health.

If you’ve been following my journey, this is simply my encouragement to be careful. Learn. Ask questions. Verify. If you choose to explore supplements related to longevity, make sure you’re buying from someone with credibility and testing behind what they sell.

And always talk with your doctor before changing anything. Blood tests, longevity markers, and simple check-ins can show you whether what you’re doing is helping or not.

Some of my tennis partners joke that whatever I’m doing must be a placebo because of how I perform late in the match. Maybe they’re right. Or maybe consistency, good food, and trustworthy supplementation simply add up over time.

Either way, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.

In the spirit of Health Week, I’m including a link to the company that sponsors my stories and whose products I’ve used for years. I am an affiliate, which means I receive a small stipend if you choose to use my link. I share this openly because transparency matters. I only recommend what I personally use and trust.

As always, take the link, take the information, and take it to your doctor. Let wisdom guide you, not impulse. Click here to get a glimpse of what DoNotAge is preparing to launch in a couple of days.

“The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” — Proverbs 14:15

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, logic suggests not all information presented as truth is, in fact, truth.”
Bones: “That’s right. And not everything in a bottle is medicine, either.”

Sometimes wisdom isn’t about finding the newest solution. It’s about learning to recognize what’s genuine and what only looks the part. That’s a lesson I’m still learning, one careful step at a time.

---

I’m grateful you walk this journey with me. May your steps be thoughtful, your choices wise, and your days filled with strength and clarity.

How is the Aging Process Going for You?

Stardate 04.24.2026

My wife and I were fortunate to discover
Dave Ramsey
at a financial low point in our lives.

What he taught us about money quietly changed how I think about health.

His Baby Steps method for financial peace became, for me, a blueprint for physical well-being. Small changes. Simple disciplines. Consistency over time.

In the spirit of Health Week and the introduction of my blog sponsor’s newest product, today’s story is for anyone who has wondered if we truly have any say in how we age.

We may not be able to cheat death.

But I have come to believe we do have influence over how we travel toward it.

Early in my research for Live Long and Prosper, I came across the work of a Harvard scientist,
David Sinclair,
who argues that aging should be classified as a disease.

Sinclair suggests aging is less about the passage of time and more about a loss of biological information. He explains that as the protective end caps of our DNA — called telomeres — shorten, our cells begin to forget their roles. When instructions get scrambled, disease can follow.

Whether or not science ultimately settles that debate, the takeaway for me was simple:

If our bodies lose information over time, perhaps we should be more intentional about what information we give them each day.

What we eat.
How we move.
What we avoid.
What we add.

Baby steps.

Just like finances.

Start small. Add motion to your life. Reduce sedentary habits. Choose whole foods more often. Do your own research into nutrients and supplements that support cellular health and longevity.

You don’t have to change everything at once. In fact, you shouldn’t.

Pick one small step and let consistency do the heavy lifting.

Last night I recorded a short, five-minute clip at the dining room table as I mixed my first sachet. Nothing polished. Just a simple moment of getting started.

That small moment reminded me how powerful it can be to remove friction from good decisions. One sachet. Cold water. No thinking required. A baby step made easy.

If you’re not sure where to begin, I often point readers to my blog sponsor,
DoNotAge,
a health research company focused on longevity science. They recently launched a one-a-day sachet that combines many of the supplements I have personally used for years into a single mix.

Their name happens to fit today’s theme rather well.

Do Not Age.

I am an affiliate partner, which means I may earn a stipend if you choose to explore their products through my link. Those proceeds help fund my mission to encourage others toward health and wellness. Click here for the link.

As always, I encourage you to review ingredients with your physician and do your own research before adding anything new to your routine.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” — 1 Corinthians 6:19

Caring for the body is not vanity. It is stewardship.

---

🖖 Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears humans resist large changes but adapt well to incremental ones.”

Bones: “In plain English, Spock, the Captain’s saying don’t try to fix your whole life before breakfast.”

Small steps, taken faithfully, often lead farther than dramatic overhauls that never last.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

May you live long and prosper.

How I Found My Food Rhythm

Stardate 04.23.2026

I stumbled onto what I now consider a missing link during a routine eye exam in late 2023.

My optometrist reached into a drawer and pulled out a book: The Diabetes Code by Jason Fung. Because diabetes runs in my family, the title caught my attention. I snapped a photo of the cover and told him I’d look into it.

When I got home, I noticed the foreword was written by Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise. That sent me down a rabbit hole of interviews and lectures. The more I listened, the more I realized how little I had questioned what I’d always assumed about food.

That trail eventually led me to Tim Noakes, an endurance athlete and exercise scientist who had publicly reexamined decades of conventional nutrition advice.

Each voice added a piece to a puzzle I didn’t know I was trying to solve.

What I discovered wasn’t a diet. It was a rhythm.

Before I share it, I want to be honest about something: your brain will likely resist what I’m about to describe. Mine did. Changing how we eat isn’t just physical — it’s neurological. Years of habit, comfort, and routine are wired deeply. Sugar and refined carbohydrates have a powerful pull, and breaking that pull felt like trying to tame a wild stallion.

Slowly, patiently, I learned not to fight my brain, but to retrain it.

I began to understand something simple: when certain foods are constantly available, the body never needs to tap into the energy it already has stored. And most of us are walking around with plenty of stored energy.

So I experimented carefully, with awareness and medical guidance.

Here’s the rhythm I settled into:

• One meal a day, twice a week on days off
• Two meals a day on workdays
• Very few snacks
• Minimal sugar
• Very low carbohydrates
• Mostly whole foods like meat, eggs, and simple ingredients

What surprised me most was this: my energy increased even though I was eating less often. Hunger faded. Cravings quieted. My mind felt clearer. My body felt steadier.

I wasn’t depriving myself. I was teaching my body to access a different fuel source.

Over time, this rhythm became natural. My brain stopped arguing. Autopilot started working in my favor.

Some have asked why I still take supplements if this food rhythm works so well for me. For me, the answer has more to do with longevity and supporting my body as I age. I see the two as partners — food rhythm and nutrient support working together.

In honor of Health Week, I’m sharing a link from my blog sponsor, DoNotAge, who recently released a new daily sachet that combines several supplements into one simple mix. If you explore it, I encourage you to print the ingredient list and ask your doctor if it’s appropriate for you. Click here to learn about the sachet. As a partner, I receive a small stipend if you choose to purchase through this link.

“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31

That verse feels practical to me now. Food is no longer random. It’s rhythmic. Intentional. Supportive.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, the body adapts remarkably well when given consistent input.”
Bones: “Which is my way of sayin’, what you feed it every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”

They’re right. I didn’t change everything overnight. I changed the rhythm.

Grateful for another day to learn, adjust, and move one percent better.

Your Brain's Role Regarding Health Choices

Stardate 04.22.2026

Do you trust your brain to make the best health choices?

It’s an honest question. One I had to ask myself when I realized my own brain had quietly been steering me in the wrong direction for years.

Not because it was broken.
Not because it was careless.
But because it was working with faulty input.

Faulty input almost always leads to poor outcomes. And the surprising part is, we often don’t notice it happening. Most of our daily decisions run on autopilot. We reach for the same foods. We keep the same routines. We live inside patterns we built long ago.

If those patterns serve us, autopilot is a gift.

If they don’t, autopilot can slowly work against us without us ever realizing it.

What changed things for me was a simple idea: awareness.

I began to think of every action as a programmed decision. If I didn’t like the result, it wasn’t a willpower problem. It was a programming problem.

One practical exercise helped me more than anything else. I kept a log for one week of my health choices. What I ate. When I moved. When I rested. What I consumed without thinking. It wasn’t about judgment. It was about observation.

And what I saw surprised me.

The temptation at that point is to try to change everything at once. That’s where many of us lose the battle. Your brain doesn’t respond well to a full-scale overhaul. Too much change at once feels like a threat, and it quietly pulls you back to familiar territory.

So I did something different.

I chose one change.

Just one.

I gave my brain a new direction with a single habit. I let that habit become familiar. Once it felt natural, I moved to the next one. Over time, those small changes became new programming. And eventually, I was able to put autopilot back to work for me instead of against me.

That’s when real progress began.

You don’t need dramatic change. You need gentle reprogramming.

In the spirit of simplifying decisions, I’m sharing something today from my blog sponsor, DoNotAge. They’ve created a single daily sachet that combines several supplements I’ve used for years into one simple mix with cold water. For me, this removed friction from an otherwise complicated routine and made consistency easier.

If you explore it, please do what I always encourage: print the ingredient list and ask your doctor if it’s appropriate for you. Let wisdom, not impulse, guide the decision. Click here to learn about the sachet.
As one of their partners, I receive a small stipend if you choose to use my affiliate link, which helps fund my mission to support others in their health and wellness journey.

This isn’t about adding more to your life. It’s about making healthy choices easier for your brain to repeat.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2

That verse feels practical to me now. Renewal doesn’t happen through force. It happens through small, steady changes that reshape how we think and live.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, the human brain prefers familiarity over optimization.”
Bones: “Which is my way of sayin’, people stick with what’s easy, even when it’s hurtin’ them.”

They’re both right. My brain wasn’t trying to harm me. It was simply repeating what it had learned.

Now I teach it better patterns, one habit at a time.

Grateful for the chance to keep learning, adjusting, and moving one percent better each day.

Please Share This With Your Doctor

Stardate 04.21.2026

There was a time in my life when I thought I was doing everything right.

I exercised.
I tried to make healthy food choices.
I surrounded myself with positive people.

And yet, something wasn’t right.

I didn’t see it at first because the people around me looked just like me. Tired. Inflamed. Slowing down earlier than we should. It felt normal because it was common. Only later did the light bulb come on: I had been participating in a long-term health experiment without even realizing it… and I was getting a failing grade.

What startled me most was this: almost everyone I knew was failing too.

I remember being a teenager and hearing my grandfather — a primary care physician who raised ten children — say something that made me roll my eyes at the time. He would say, “Ketchup and mustard are poison.” I thought he was eccentric. Maybe a little extreme.

Years later, I realized he wasn’t being dramatic. He had simply noticed something most of us never questioned. He had watched the food landscape change during his medical training. He saw what was being introduced into the American diet, and he understood where it would lead.

I didn’t.

Not until I had two clear health strikes against me and couldn’t explain why. That’s when I started looking closer at what’s commonly called the Standard American Diet. I began to see how easy it is to slowly drift into patterns that don’t serve our bodies well — not because we’re careless, but because we assume what’s normal must be safe.

My international friends once commented on how many pharmaceutical commercials run on American television. They were stunned. To them, it felt strange. To us, it feels routine. That contrast stayed with me.

It made me ask a simple question:

What if there’s another way to run the experiment?

What if we could learn from a time when obesity wasn’t common? When certain modern ailments were far less prevalent? What if we approached our health with curiosity again, instead of assumption?

That’s the spirit behind what I’m sharing today.

Not a prescription.
Not medical advice.
Just an invitation to ask better questions.

I wrote Live Long and Prosper as a story of mistakes, lessons, and small course corrections. It’s a testimony to the fact that we don’t have to stay stuck in patterns once we see them clearly. Along the way, I developed a daily health routine — a simple stack of habits and supplements that, for me, made a measurable difference.

But here’s the key: I didn’t move forward blindly.

I talked to my doctor.

And that’s what I’m encouraging you to do.

If you’re curious, take the list from my routine and bring it to your physician. Ask if it’s safe for you. Ask if it makes sense for your situation. If you receive the green light, then you can decide whether you’d like to try your own version of a health experiment — one rooted in awareness instead of autopilot.

I’m also sharing a link today from my blog sponsor, DoNotAge, who has invited me to introduce one of their newest products to readers. If you explore it, treat it the same way: print it out, share it with your doctor, and let wisdom guide the decision. Click here to explore. As a partner, I receive a small stipend if you choose to purchase through this link.

Because your health is too important for guesswork.

This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about learning to pause, ask questions, and take ownership again.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit… Therefore honor God with your bodies.”— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

---

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears humans often accept the environment they are given without analyzing its long-term effects.”
Bones: “Which is another way of sayin’, they don’t realize the soup’s gone bad until they’re already sick.”

I smiled when I wrote that, because that’s exactly how it felt for me. I didn’t realize the soup had changed. I just kept eating what everyone else was eating.

Now, I ask more questions. And I’m healthier for it.

Grateful for another day to learn, adjust, and move one percent better.

2 Ways to Learn About Your Health

Stardate 04.20.2026

When I look in the rearview mirror at my past health choices, I can clearly see the missteps. The trial-and-error method is one way to learn what works and what doesn’t. It’s slow. It can be frustrating. At times, it’s even humbling when you realize how far off course you’ve been.

And yet, if you stay with it long enough, you eventually begin to understand your own body.

There is a second way to learn about your health.

You can learn from others.

That’s what these daily stories are really about. I’ve spent years learning from my own mistakes and from people willing to share what they discovered through their own trials. Their lessons saved me time. Their honesty spared me from repeating certain errors. Their examples gave me direction when I didn’t know where to start.

My hope for you today is simple: whichever method you use — personal experimentation or learning from others — stay with it long enough to reach your own “light bulb moment.”

Those moments don’t come overnight. They arrive after enough small daily choices stack up to reveal what’s actually working.

One of my greatest challenges over the years has been sleep.

I’ve learned from others who study sleep. I’ve also conducted my own quiet experiments for nearly three years. Adjusting routines. Changing food timing. Watching patterns. Paying attention to what helps and what hurts. Both methods — learning and doing — helped me slowly discover what works best for me.

If you decide to improve your sleep, I encourage you to document your journey. Write things down. Track patterns. Notice trends. You won’t find instant success, but if you stay with it, you will eventually uncover your own ideal rhythm.

Later this week, I’ll be sharing a couple of live streams about this in more detail — one focused on sleep itself and one on the evening routine that supports it.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” — Proverbs 21:5

Diligence is not dramatic. It’s steady. It’s patient. It’s one small adjustment at a time.

I’d also like to acknowledge my blog sponsor, DoNotAge, for being part of my health journey. Their research-first approach is one of the reasons I became interested in their work years ago. As I’ve worked to improve my sleep and overall wellness, I’ve learned how important it is to give the body what it needs to function well.

Recently, they refined several of the supplements I’ve been using into a single daily sachet that mixes easily with cold water. For someone like me who values simplicity, this has been a welcome change.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

If you’re curious to learn more about what DoNotAge is releasing, you can explore it through my partner link. I do receive a small stipend when readers purchase, which helps support this mission. Only explore it if it feels right for you. Click here for the link.

---

Captain’s Addendum

Spock studied his console. “Captain, it would appear that health improves through careful observation and repeated adjustment.”

Bones shook his head. “In other words, pay attention to what your body’s telling you.”

I smiled.

Learning about my health wasn’t a single discovery. It was a series of small realizations, one after another, until the pattern finally made sense.

One percent better. One day at a time.

I’m grateful you’re here on this journey with me.