Guideline #1: Make Jesus the Light of Your Life
Excerpt:
In IT, not every failure is about systems — sometimes it’s the people, the politics, or the process. That’s when you learn that survival isn’t just technical; it’s spiritual.
Intro:
I’ve been in technology long enough to know that the real crashes don’t happen in code — they happen in communication. You can design the perfect plan, follow every procedure, and still watch bureaucracy rewrite the script. It’s invisible at first, but sooner or later, it finds you.
Last week reminded me of that truth — what I now call a 3:1 moment. (Details redacted.) Three hits came hard and fast, but one quiet mercy broke through — proof that when everything else seems stacked against you, grace still shows up.
That’s when the job becomes endurance training.
Notes from Elder Maxwell:
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:
“Make Jesus the light of your life, and by His light see everything else. He is your best friend. If you worry most about what that Friend thinks of you, you’ll be safe… When you are out in the world, away from a special environment like college, and you start to worry about what other people think, don’t worry about that too much. Instead, worry about what Jesus feels towards you and how He regards you.”
Replace college with work, and you have a perfect roadmap for surviving the modern workplace.
Perspective:
The IT world can feel like a contact sport — part Navy SEAL, part MMA. You prepare, you adapt, and you always keep contingency plans. Because if you don’t, you’ll get run over by process, politics, or ego.
Even world champions know this truth.
Manny Pacquiao was knocked down before — but never stayed down. In his fight with Keith Thurman, ten years younger and undefeated, the odds were stacked against him. Yet in the very first round, he delivered a lightning-fast two-punch combination — a left to the body followed by a right hook to the head — and Thurman went down.
That wasn’t just speed. It was preparation. It was discipline meeting opportunity — a reminder that when life corners you, your response determines the outcome. Manny didn’t rely on luck; he relied on the quiet confidence of someone who’s trained for every possible contingency.
Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
His words mirror the same principle: failure isn’t final — it’s part of mastery. In sports, in IT, and in faith, the ones who rise are the ones who keep taking the next shot.
That’s what faith and readiness look like.
And that’s what integrity demands. Sometimes the test doesn’t come from code or systems, but from people — from moments when ego challenges your principles. When faced with the choice between comfort and conscience, integrity means standing your ground. As President Monson taught:
“Just be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light.”
Practice (today, not someday):
When systems fail or meetings go sideways, pause.
Ask, “Am I reacting through the light of Christ or through the frustration of the moment?”
Then answer with calm precision, integrity intact.
Be the same person in the dark server room that you are in the spotlight of success.
Final Reflection:
The week tested me — a 3:1 kind of test. (All redacted.) Yet through it came the same whisper that I’ve heard again and again:
“Make Jesus the light of your life, and see everything else by His light.”
Because in this field — and in this life — even the best plans break. But faith doesn’t.
Pocket I’m Keeping:
True uptime isn’t about servers — it’s about keeping your soul online with God.
What I Hear Now:
“Make Jesus the light of your life, and see everything else by His light. Worry most about what He thinks of you, and you’ll be safe.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell
“Be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light.” — President Thomas S. Monson
Photo Caption (BTS):
“Lightning Strikes During My Hike” — halfway up a 500-foot trail, a storm rolled in. Lightning flashed all around, but I steadied my iPhone and captured the moment — proof that even in turbulence, light still finds a way through.
© 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.