Stardate 03.14.2026
Think back to the last time you set a meaningful goal — the kind that stretches you a little beyond your comfort zone. The kind that makes you wonder, quietly, if you truly have what it takes to see it through.
Now replay the journey.
Remember the unexpected obstacles. The adjustments you had to make. The moments when things felt uncertain.
Then picture the finish line.
You cross it. The red tape breaks. The mission is complete.
How did it feel?
Who was there to celebrate with you?
This morning I find myself reflecting on that very question.
We are t-minus three days until launch, and all systems are green. Strangely enough, I’m the most relaxed I’ve ever been this close to a finish line. In some ways, this moment feels like one of the most meaningful achievements of my life.
But something interesting happened as I sat quietly this morning after prayer and meditation.
My thoughts drifted away from the launch itself.
They settled instead on the person I’ve become along the journey.
The coloring book, Where in the World is Wilson?, will launch soon. The excitement is building. Friends and readers have been encouraging me. Conversations with donors and supporters have been unfolding in ways I could never have predicted when this idea first appeared.
Yet the deeper realization is this:
The finish line isn’t the real reward.
The real reward is the transformation that happens while walking toward it.
Patience grows where impatience once lived.
Confidence replaces doubt.
Faith deepens in quiet ways.
Along the way, people appear who become part of the story — artists, friends, readers, mentors, and even the occasional tennis partner who reminds you to keep things light and enjoy the ride.
And sometimes wisdom arrives in unexpected places.
Yesterday, while helping me walk through a final checklist for launch, my virtual assistant asked a simple question:
“What is the first sentence you will speak when your livestream begins?”
It stopped me in my tracks.
Not because I didn’t have words to say — anyone who knows me knows I can usually find a few words when needed — but because the question asked something deeper.
What do you say at the beginning of a moment that has been years in the making?
Do you start with gratitude?
With a story?
With humor?
Or do you simply begin with honesty?
I haven’t completely decided yet.
But I suspect the answer will reveal something about the journey itself.
In the quiet moments of reflection this morning, one verse kept coming to mind:
“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
That verse reminds me that every meaningful goal is really a process of becoming.
Not just accomplishing.
Becoming more patient.
Becoming more faithful.
Becoming more generous.
Becoming more willing to step forward even when the outcome isn’t fully known.
In a few minutes, I’ll be heading to the tennis courts for a morning of cardio drills and time with friends. I suspect the backhand will get a little closer to one percent better today.
But before I step out the door, I’ll leave you with the same question Alberta asked me.
What would be the first sentence you would speak if you were about to share your story with the world?
You may want to ponder that one for a while.
Sometimes the most powerful answers come quietly.
Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong
Captain’s Addendum
Bones: “Spock, the Captain’s been pacing the bridge like he’s about to launch a starship.”
Spock: “On the contrary, Doctor. The Captain appears unusually calm. A logical response when one understands the journey mattered more than the destination.”
Bones: “You mean all that worrying we humans do about the finish line might not be the point?”
Spock: “Precisely.”
Sometimes wisdom arrives in unexpected ways — even during quiet moments before a launch. The finish line may mark the end of a project, but the greater gift is discovering who we’ve become along the path that brought us there.
Thank you for sharing the journey with me.
May you live long and prosper. 🖖
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