—Climbing With Purpose in IT, Life, and Light

They say when you see a man on top of the mountain, he didn’t fall there.

He planned the climb, stumbled on jagged trails, and kept going even when the sky turned gray.

This post isn’t just about photography, or starting a new role, or PowerShell scripts.
It’s about finding your footing again when life shakes your routine—whether you’re debugging a script, chasing stars at 2AM, or collecting a laptop that brings back a hundred memories.

You’ll find stories about IT challenges, career shifts, Milky Way photography, emotional storms—and most of all, how to rise above the blues when everything feels heavy.

⛰️ New Job, New Mountain

They say starting a new job is like standing at the foot of a mountain.
The view is exciting—but the climb? Uncertain.

No one really tells you what it feels like to start over.
You’re learning people, process, and pace all at once.
Even if you’re an expert, you’re blind on day one.
And if you’re in IT, like me, the terrain can feel like a minefield.

Pros:

• A fresh start
• The chance to sharpen or add new skills
• A clean slate to prove your value again

Cons:

• Culture shock
• Pressure to perform quickly
• Emotional whiplash, especially when you’re still letting go of the last place

I’ve lived this cycle more than ten times—moving from job to job, project to project.
From my first IT gig where I got fired after just a few days (yes, really), to roles in telecom, manufacturing, finance, education, government, and now infrastructure engineering—every restart brought unexpected lessons.

That early firing? It broke me. But it built me too.
It taught me to expect the unknowns.
It made this scripture real to me:

“For of him unto whom much is given much is required.” – Luke 12:48

And that’s what they don’t tell you:
Starting a job doesn’t just mean you’re on probation—
it means you’re learning the language, the culture, the personalities, and the systems.
Sometimes you’re expected to run before you even learn where the shoes are.

So how do I handle it?

Soft skills.
Empathy.
Active listening.
And above all, humility.

The technical side is always tough, but people are the real challenge.
Knowing how to adapt, how to read the room, and when to ask versus when to figure it out—those are the survival tools.

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” – D&C 38:30
That verse? It’s more than a motto.
It’s how I show up—every first day, every new login, every fresh deployment.

I’ve seen people not make it past the 90-day mark.
Sometimes they didn’t fit.
Sometimes the job was the problem.
Sometimes—let’s be honest—they oversold their résumé, got lucky at the interview, and then the real work revealed the truth.

Others just get carried by the blues—barely holding it together until their tank runs empty.

That’s why preparation matters.
You don’t go to war without gear.
You don’t climb a mountain without checking your boots.
And you don’t start a new role without anchoring your mindset.

---

Finally, land where you love.
A job shouldn’t just pay the bills — it should fuel your purpose.
When you love what you do, it’s a win-win:
You rise, and so does the company.

But if you’re stuck in a rut just to make ends meet…
eventually, it drains more than your energy —
it drains your spirit.

So don’t just look for a job.
Climb toward work that gives you life.

🌌 Chasing the Milky Way

There’s something sacred about standing in the desert with the Milky Way overhead.

I’ve chased it from Joshua Tree in California to Grand Canyon in Arizona, Monument Valley in Utah, and Moab—and every time, I feel the same awe.

My process is disciplined and deliberate. I survey the area in daylight, using the PhotoPills app to map the galactic core. Then I visualize my composition, mark the safest route from the car, and prep all my gear.

• Primary lens: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G
• Backup: Nikon 24mm f/1.4G
• Tripod, remote shutter, red LED headlamp
• Pre-focus and manual mode to avoid lens hunting
• ISO, shutter speed, aperture—all dialed in

Everything is anticipated—just like in IT. One missed step, and the whole shot—or system—can fail. Just seeing the Milky Way with your own eyes is breathtaking—but to compose it meaningfully, that takes skill.

A great Milky Way shot is not just about stars—
it’s about how you prepare in the dark.

🛠 When PowerShell Becomes Armor

It’s Monday morning. Your inbox is full. A user can’t log in, the SQL service is down, and your boss wants answers.

If you’re not ready, it feels like going to war without armor.

That’s where PowerShell becomes your weapon.

Let’s say you’re troubleshooting remote system uptime across 50 servers. Instead of logging in one by one:

powershellCopyEdit$servers = Get-Content .\ServerList.txt
$results = foreach ($server in $servers) {
    Try {
        $uptime = (Get-CimInstance -ComputerName $server -ClassName win32_operatingsystem).LastBootUpTime
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            Server = $server
            LastBoot = $uptime
        }
    } Catch {
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            Server = $server
            LastBoot = "Unreachable"
        }
    }
}
$results | Format-Table -AutoSize

In just 10 seconds, you’ve got eyes on the entire server fleet. Who’s up. Who’s down. Who’s silent. The sharp tech doesn’t panic—he pinpoints, isolates, and executes. Fast. Focused. Fix deployed.

PowerShell isn’t just a tool—it’s your recon drone.

Like photographing the Milky Way, the best troubleshooting happens when everything is ready before chaos begins.

🎈 Rise Above the Blues

You’re not a machine.
You weren’t built to be immune to fear, fatigue, or failure.

Unlike AI, we can’t predict everything. Life throws us emotional landmines—doubt, loneliness, weariness, fear and grief. And sometimes, it hits out of nowhere. A memory. A song. A walk past an empty office.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

You don’t need to erase the blues—
you rise above them.

Just like launching a balloon skyward, it takes intention:

• You eat clean even when you feel messy.
• You work out even when your spirit is sore.
• You create even when motivation lags.
• And yes, you kneel—asking God for strength.

Whether you’re debugging a failed script, standing under a galaxy of stars, or simply trying to make it through a quiet night…

💪 The Endurance Factor

Endurance isn’t just for the gym — it’s a mindset I carry into every part of my life. Whether I’m hammering out code at 2AM or waiting patiently for the perfect light in photography, the principle is the same: lasting through the grind matters more than talent alone. Battle rope training reminds me that breakthroughs come after fatigue — in the gym, in IT, and behind the lens. Those who endure, evolve. Those who push past comfort zones, create lasting impact.

🎯 Precision Under Pressure: Shooting, Striking, and Showing Up

Whether I’m at the range or on the mat, the ritual is the same:
Prepare. Focus. Repeat.

When I train with my pistols, I practice daily with dummy rounds—loading, unloading, chamber checks, slide control. I break them down, clean them, reassemble them blindfolded—until every movement is instinctive.

It’s the same with MMA and air punching drills. My body is conditioned not just for strength, but discipline. Every strike, every stance, is deliberate. I don’t train to show off—I train to be ready.

You see, when it’s Monday morning and something breaks at work—your system is down, a PowerShell script fails, a teammate’s counting on you—that’s your moment. That’s your live fire.

You don’t rise to the occasion.
You fall back on your training.

Whether I’m troubleshooting a crashed server, hiking a steep trail for that perfect Milky Way shot, or helping someone start their climb—discipline is the thread. I’ve learned that showing up prepared is half the victory.

Just like the range:

• No second chances if you’re not ready.
• Precision comes from practice.
• And calm comes from confidence.

🏁 Conclusion

There are mountains I’ve climbed—in IT, in life, and in silence.

From my early days as a PC Support Specialist at USC, through roles in telecom (Verizon), manufacturing (Alcoa), local government (City of West Covina), law firms, education (The Claremont Colleges), our Worldwide Church, regional banking (City National Bank), fintech (Payforward), retail (Monster Energy), global finance (PIMCO), and now as an Infrastructure Engineer in Utah—none of those summits came easy.

Even when I chase the stars with my camera, it’s the climb that makes the view meaningful.

So to anyone out there starting over, picking up the pieces, or doubting their path:

You don’t fall on a mountaintop.
You climb it.
And you keep climbing.
Even when you’re tired.
Especially when you’re tired.

—Jet Mariano

© 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.

For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.