Waking Up in a New Neighborhood
Stardate 01.31.2026
I know the feeling of being new in a neighborhood.
Not the kind with a welcome mat and a borrowed ladder.
The quieter kind. The place where you show up without history, without familiarity, and without knowing whether anyone will notice you’re there at all.
That’s where I find myself right now.
It’s a strange mix of vulnerability and excitement—standing on a new street, holding the same tools I’ve always carried, wondering if they’ll still be enough.
What surprised me most wasn’t the new environment.
It was being noticed.
Someone slowed down long enough to really read.
Not a drive-by nod.
Not a generic response.
A genuine welcome. The kind that says, I see you.
That feeling is exhilarating.
But it’s also familiar.
I’ve walked into new spaces before.
I once wrote 2,500 love letters to my wife, one at a time, describing what lived in my heart. No audience. No applause. Just the quiet discipline of showing up for love.
Later, I wrote about my dad’s final 35 days. That wasn’t a project. That was presence. Grief doesn’t ask for polish—it asks for honesty.
And then there were the blog posts.
More than 6,000 now.
Written early.
Written quietly.
Written without any promise they’d land where they were meant to.
Still, I showed up.
Not because it always felt good.
Feelings are fleeting. They come and go like weather.
Calling is different.
Calling doesn’t ask how you feel.
It asks whether you’ll return tomorrow.
That’s what keeps me showing up now. Not excitement. Not validation. Something deeper. A quiet certainty that this is what I’m meant to do—whether the street is crowded or empty.
Rain or shine, I’m here.
There’s something sacred about consistency when no one is watching. Something grounding about keeping the porch light on even when the road is quiet.
I’m grateful for new places.
Grateful for kind neighbors.
Grateful for the reminder that being seen is a gift—but being faithful is the work.
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
— Galatians 6:9
Captain’s Addendum 🖖
Bones: “You ever notice, Spock, how some folks only show up when the crowd’s watching?”
Spock: “Indeed, Doctor. Consistency appears most revealing when observation is minimal.”
Bones: “Guess that’s when you find out who you really are.”
Michael: I’ve learned that the truest work happens when there’s no applause. Showing up anyway—that’s where calling takes root.
Join me here: https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong
Mission Log
This morning, I’m at peace.
Still walking.
Still writing.
Still committed to getting one percent better.
May you live long.
May you prosper in purpose.
And may you walk boldly in divine love. 🖖
