Stardate 03.19.2026
Yesterday I hosted a couple of friends on a Facebook livestream.
Like many of my adventures, it was another one of my clumsy attempts to keep up with technology. Those of us who grew up in the 60s understand this well—the older we get, the steeper the learning curve seems to become.
Still, I’m doing my best to keep up.
What I didn’t realize until the livestream was nearly over… was that once I split the screen with my guests, only the top of my head was showing.
That was it.
Just the top of my head.
So if you happened to be one of the viewers who witnessed that fiasco—I owe you an apology. That one’s on me.
You would think, after a lifetime of mistakes, I’d know better by now.
But that thought took me back.
Way back.
To one of the more… memorable “stupid moments” from my past.
I was 35 years old when I made what I thought was a bet I couldn’t lose.
The deal was simple: winners would go to Disneyland with their families.
I doubled down.
Confident. Certain. No hesitation.
But there was a catch.
If I lost, I would be dropped off on Alcatraz Island and have to swim to shore in San Francisco.
At the time, it didn’t seem impossible. My cousin John—who was attending medical school in San Francisco—had already done it himself. So in my mind, it was doable.
Still crazy… but doable.
What I didn’t account for was my own team.
My coworkers in San Diego—my teammates—completely fell apart. Every single one of them.
They tanked.
And just like that… I lost a bet I was sure I couldn’t lose.
Life didn’t pause either.
During the year I spent training to prepare for that swim, my wife became pregnant with our third child.
Looking back now, that part humbles me more than anything.
While I was out there preparing to prove something… she was carrying something far more important.
When the time finally came, my teammates flew up to San Francisco to watch.
One of them even asked if he could film me in the water—hoping, in his words, to catch a million-dollar moment if a shark decided to make an appearance.
That tells you everything you need to know about my friends.
The night before the swim, I made a questionable decision.
For my last supper… I chose seafood.
Even now, I shake my head at that one.
My wife stayed home—pregnant—and I went through with it.
I made the swim.
At one point, something bumped into me in the water.
I still don’t know what it was.
But I can tell you this—I’ve never swum faster in my life.
When I finally made it to shore, I called my wife to let her know I had paid off the bet.
Thirty years later, I can look back and say this with complete honesty:
I’ve had my share of stupid moments.
Maybe more than my share.
But here’s what I’ve also learned along the way—
Those moments don’t define us.
They shape us.
They humble us.
They remind us that we’re human… still learning, still growing, still figuring things out as we go.
Yesterday’s livestream?
Just another one of those moments.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
But real.
And maybe that’s enough.
There’s a verse that feels fitting here:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
That’s the comfort.
We don’t have to get it all right.
We just have to keep showing up—with humility, a sense of humor, and a willingness to learn.
One percent better.
Captain’s Addendum
Spock raised an eyebrow. “Captain, your pattern of behavior suggests a consistent willingness to engage in high-risk decision making.”
Bones shook his head. “In other words… you keep doing dumb things and somehow live to tell about it.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
Because they’re both right.
And maybe that’s part of the journey.
Not avoiding every mistake…
…but learning how to grow from them.
Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong
Mission Log
We all have moments we’d rather redo.
But sometimes those very moments become the stories that shape us—and connect us.
So give yourself a little grace today.
Laugh when you can.
Learn when you need to.
And keep moving forward.
Thank you for being here.
One percent better. One day at a time. 🖖
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