Jet Mariano

Tag: Light

  • MIT8 – Once in a Blue Moon: Don’t Ever Let Them Win

    No matter how busy I was preparing for the IT cutover, I still made time for photography. This is one of my anchors. A moment to pause, to see light, and to remind myself to keep going.

    Excerpt

    Once in a blue moon, beneath quiet light,
    I learned not to yield, but to stand and to fight.

    Intro

    There are moments in life that don’t come often. Rare, quiet, and almost unnoticed. This was one of them. A full moon above the temple, stillness all around, and a reminder that even in darkness, light remains.

    Even in the middle of pressure, responsibility, and preparation, I found a moment to pause. To look up. To remember who I am.

    Notes from Jesus Christ

    “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
    —John 16:33

    Perspective

    Once in a blue moon, when the night closes in,
    When breath turns to fire and strength wears thin,
    When the body says stop and the mind wants to quit,
    That’s the moment you rise… you don’t yield, you don’t sit.

    Through rounds that don’t end, through sweat and through pain,
    Through strikes in the dark that you take and sustain,
    Conditioned to stand when there’s nothing within,
    That’s when you remember… don’t ever let them win.

    Slow is the rhythm where discipline begins,
    Each motion refined so no error slips in,
    For habits once formed will return in the fight,
    When pressure is highest and there’s no room for right.

    In battles of code, where the pressure runs dry,
    Where systems break down and solutions won’t comply,
    No space for mistakes when you’re pushed to the edge,
    At the point of no return, there’s no time for a hedge.

    No exit, no shortcut, no easy way through,
    Just grit in your soul and the will to stay true,
    When everything’s tested and all’s wearing thin,
    That’s where you are forged… don’t ever let them win.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    I move with intent, I refine and repeat,
    No rushed empty motion, no careless defeat.

    Slow to build right, so when pressure begins,
    I stand on my training… and that’s how I win.

    Final Reflection

    Once in a blue moon, everything slows down enough for you to see clearly.

    The struggle.
    The weight.
    The silence.

    And yet… you’re still here.

    No applause. No recognition. No visible finish line.

    But you endured.

    So I made a decision:

    Don’t ever let them win.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Don’t ever let them win.

    What I Hear Now

    “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God.”
    —Isaiah 41:10

    © 2012–2026 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 Don’t dream it’s over. The fight is not Done!

    Salt Lake Temple at sunset. Shot at 50mm to catch the sun breaking through—lighting the place where covenants begin and where light reminds me to endure.

    Excerpt

    Don’t dream it’s over.
    The fight is not done.

    Intro

    Easter came quietly this year. No crowd, no noise—just stillness and reflection. As I listened to General Conference, one message stayed with me: love—not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard.

    Notes from President Dallin H. Oaks

    “Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals are beloved children of God.”

    “As followers of Christ, let us follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers.”

    Perspective

    “The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”
    —Doctrine and Covenants 18:10

    “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
    —Matthew 5:9

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Today I choose to love without contention.
    To stand firm without becoming harsh.
    To help without expecting anything in return.
    To be a peacemaker… even when it’s not easy.

    Final Reflection

    Loving others is not weakness.
    It is discipline.

    It does not mean surrendering truth—
    but choosing peace over pride, and patience over reaction.

    Easter reminds me that because of Him,
    death is not the end… and neither are our struggles.

    There is more ahead.
    So I keep going.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Choose to be a peacemaker. Always.

    What I Hear Now

    “We can follow the example of Jesus Christ… by choosing to love others—even if they show little or no love toward us.”

    “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
    —Matthew 11:28

    © 2012–2026 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • The Unwavering Light (Manila Philippines Temple)

    Manila Philippines Temple — I waited for the exact second the sun aligned with the spire. The light pierced through just as if Heaven itself whispered, “I’m still here.”

    Excerpt

    The sun hid behind the spire—then broke through. That light reminded me of a different storm long ago, when a screen turned blue, and I learned that faith and persistence are built the same way: line upon line, brick by brick.

    Intro

    November 1999. The world was bracing for Y2K. I was working for an aerospace company in Carson, California, getting ready to drive my parents to LAX for their flight to the Philippines. Before leaving, I decided to double-check our Veritas backup on the Exchange 5.5 server running on Windows NT 4.0. Then came the dreaded BSOD—Blue Screen of Death.

    My shift was supposed to end at 4 PM Friday. I didn’t go home until Monday morning. No sleep, no shortcuts—just brick-by-brick rebuilding until email was restored. I missed saying goodbye to my parents, but I kept the company connected.

    Notes from Elder Maxwell

    “You’ve all been in a storm… when you couldn’t see the sun but you knew it was still there. Likewise, in the stormy and dark moments of life know that the Son of God is always there. His light will never go out.”

    That quote became my anchor—both in IT and in life.

    Perspective

    That night taught me more than any certification. There was no Google, no AI, no online forums—just manuals, backups, and faith that the system could rise again. Today, AI fixes in seconds what once took days. But the light that kept me going then still burns now: the belief that persistence itself is a form of faith.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • When systems—or souls—crash, don’t panic. Pause, breathe, and build.
    • Keep working, even if it’s one file or one prayer at a time.
    • Remember: the Light is constant, even if the screen goes dark.

    Final Reflection

    The Manila Temple photo symbolizes that memory. When the sun broke through the spire, I felt the same quiet assurance I knew in 1999: He never left me. The blue screen, the missed flight, the fatigue—it was all part of learning that perseverance is light in motion.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    The Light never goes out—only our view of it does.

    What I Hear Now

    “Faith is not seeing the light; it’s working until it returns.”

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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