Life

Hands Off The Brakes, Part 2

Good Morning☀️

I’m just going to jump right into this ramble. I have a lot to unpack. Today, I’m more focused on the release than the structure of how it flows. Please bear with me.

First, when I saw Tyler Perry’s post about this being one of his most powerful films, I already knew it was going to be deep. So I intentionally waited until the end of the day to watch it. I needed to be able to sit in whatever he was bringing. Yeah… he can get deep like that.

Anyhoo… yesterday was already emotional for me. I saw that a magazine article I interviewed for had been published. According to the date, it was actually published two days earlier, but I had just received the link. I had so many mixed emotions about the article. I second-guessed everything I had said. I kept thinking, maybe I had overshared or didn’t share enough. But the biggest thing was what my siblings would think about what I shared. It was nothing bad, just my take on our reality growing up. I wish that I could’ve shone a better light on my mom in the article. It doesn’t mention that she graduated early from high school and went to college. It doesn’t mention her surviving abuse and paving the way for me and my siblings to have better lives than she did. There was so much I wish I’d mentioned, but didn’t. So yesterday, when I received the link to the article, I hesitated to share it with them. I shared it with my daughter first, and she said it was a great article. She couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to share it. But I know my siblings…

I finally got the courage to share it with them and let them know I was going to post it on Facebook. It was my homage to my mom. The sacrifices she made were so that we could be who we are. So that I could be who I am. Here’s the link to the article if you’d like to read it— Conversations with LaShaundrea Bradford

Back to Tyler Perry’s movie, Doing Life, without giving too much away. The story isn’t only a love story but also centers around a sick mother and her three adult daughters and their dynamics. Unlike the mom in the movie, my mother was never harsh or cold. Now, she wasn’t the hugging type and did yell a lot, but she never cussed at us or called us out of our name. Not even when she was frustrated with us and in pain. In all honesty, she was a people pleaser, and she got her heart broken so many times, but it never stopped her from doing for others or giving. That was my mom.

So when I said I was feeling so many mixed emotions, that’s what I meant. The next is about the main storyline itself. I ended my last post with, “Every woman deserves a Carousel.” Well, Carousel was the main male character, and Anika was his love and one of the sick mother’s daughters. Again, not going to give anything about the movie away. I just loved the way Carousel cared for Anika. He kept telling her that he had her, and y’all, he did!

I don’t know about you, but that’s what I’ve always longed for in a relationship. For a man to have my back. For him to be someone I can truly count on. Not someone who talks the talk but can’t walk the walk. Carousel was that man. Whatever he said, he backed it up with action! Now, I know this was just a fictional story, but I truly believe men like Carousel exist. I always have. Hence the reason I want to get married again. I want my Carousel!😂 So, yeah, that was the other part of my mixed emotions.


Y’all, life is something else! It definitely be lifeing. You never know what people are going through unless they decide to share. Like I just did. Smile

Welcome to my world!


This is all for now. It’s Self-Love Saturday. Be sure to do something extra special for yourself. You deserve it!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

**Be sure to stop by Shaun’s Daily Inspiration and get your daily dose of inspiration

Ummm… why didn’t nobody mention that I was misspelling BRAKES!!! I just caught this!🥴

Life

12 Years Ago

Good Morning☀️

Here’s what I shared four years ago—

September 22, 2014 written on September 22, 2022

Eight years ago, I wrote my first “purse note.” It’s the first of several notes I have kept in my purse to refer back to whenever I need encouragement or to be reminded of my dreams, goals and purpose. Yes.. I have eight year old pieces of paper in my purse.

So, I wrote this particular note during a pretty weird time in my life. I say weird, but truthfully, it was almost like an awakening. It was like my spiritual awareness was on 100. No lie! It was like I was connected to the universe and everything I could possibly think of or imagining was coming my way. I felt like a magnet. All I had to do was think of something and it was drawn to me. Y’all, I had never experienced anything like that before. It was pretty surreal!

Here’s a tiny snippet of what I wrote on that day–

“Out of my reach, but nothing is too hard for God.”

I ended the note with this:

Philippians 4:7 (Living Bible version)

If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

It’s taken me a good seven to eight years to finally understand what it truly means to reside in God’s peace. No matter what I had to endure, God’s peace and love always kept my mind and heart stable and safe from harm. 

As for the snippet… Baby, I’ve learned that there’s nothing out of my reach. If I truly want it, I can have it. The catch is, I actually have to work for it. Yep.. gotta put in that work! Smiling 

I truly love my life. Y’all, God is so good. 

Grateful & Blessed


The military has a saying “Hurry up, and wait.”

One second everything’s moving a mile a minute. Then, the next second, nothing is happening at all.

For a few weeks now, everything’s been moving at such a fast pace that I haven’t had a real moment to take a good breather. Yesterday, I was both wired and tired. Had only slept a good 4-5 hours (not consecutive) in 24-36 hours. Nothing bad was happening. I just overcommitted. By yesterday evening, I was definitely operating on autopilot. Today, I have not one once of motivation in me. This engine has run out of steam…

I needed to see that post shared four years ago. I love my enthusiasm and optimism. At the moment, I really want to write about myself in the third person because that Shaun and the Shaun from 12 years ago are so different from today’s Shaun (at least, at the moment—maybe I’m just drained). They were younger and so eager to take on the world. All they talked about were pursuing their dreams and purpose (okay… I guess I haven’t changed much—Lol). They make me smile.

Truth be told, 12 years ago seems like such a distant memory. Four years ago, I could still feel the excitement. Today, it feels like someone else’s story than my own memory. I retired that particular purse note several years ago, probably after I made that post. I said it had fulfilled its purpose for that time and deserved to be placed in my box of memories. However, today I’m thinking I may need to go retrieve it and reread it because I want to feel that energy again.

Nah… I think I’ll find and read it later because this Shaun is a little too drained to get excited about pursuing dreams, goals, and purpose. Smile


This is all I have for today. Let’s chalk this up as a random ramble. I’m pretty sure none of it makes much sense and I have absolutely no energy or desire to go back and proof it. And if you’re wondering why I even stopped to write… Well, I’m 114 days into my new writing streak. I don’t care how much I try not to care about me not missing a day of writing, I care about not missing a day. Ugh…

My life.

Okay… I’m done.

I pray you have a wonderful day!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

**Be sure to stop by Shaun’s Daily Inspiration and get your daily dose of inspiration. 

God’s Timing, Life

Happy Thursday!

Good Morning☀️ and Happy Thursday!

This morning, I spent a little time traveling down memory lane (scrolling through photos on my phone😊). It’s incredible how quickly time passes when so many experiences fit into certain timeframes. What I once considered “passing time” was anything but passive. Even though I couldn’t see it then, life was always moving. I was always moving. Now I see how different events and experiences shaped who I am today. It’s truly amazing. God was definitely working in my life.

Here’s a post I shared five years ago. Looking back, I can truly say my best days have far outweighed the bad. Feeling blessed.


I know sometimes you may feel as if you’re standing still and life just isn’t moving. But it is definitely moving, and in your favor (I truly believe this). Just take a scroll down memory lane and intentionally look for the good, only the good. I promise you, you’ll see how life, in some shape, form, or fashion, is so much better than before.

Remember—only look for the good.


This is all I have for now. I pray you have a wonderful day! May it be filled with lots of love, peace, and laughter.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

**Be sure to stop by Shaun’s Daily Inspiration and get your daily dose of inspiration. 

gratitude, Life

The Air I Breathe, Part 2

Good Morning☀️ and Happy Tuesday!

I’m still singing Byron Cage’s song “Air I Breathe (or Breathe).” Started singing it on Saturday and haven’t been able to shake it since. Thanking God for His holy presence surrounding me and living within me.

How was your extended weekend?

Mine was good! My daughter arrived on Thursday and left yesterday morning. I hated to see her leave, but I enjoyed every minute of our time together. We had a few of our deep conversations while she was here. We didn’t dance, sing, or laugh much this time (we did laugh, just not as much). This time, our conversations were more serious—ones we needed to have. I’m so grateful God placed her in my life. She’s my blessing.

On Saturday, I spent the day volunteering with a local nonprofit for the International Day of Charity. Y’all, it was so hot! I sweated so much that salt was literally coming out of my pores. I believe it was over 100° F and humid. Listen, it’s not always the heat that leaves you drained; it’s the humidity. I would post before and after pics, but I’m too embarrassed. Y’all, I looked a mess after it was over.😂 Aside from the heat and humidity, I enjoyed every minute of being outside and serving our guests. When I got home, I showered, ate, and went to sleep. Didn’t wake up until after midnight. Yeah… I was tired!

Yesterday, Labor Day, I relaxed a little but still worked some. My sister and her little ones stopped by for a quick visit yesterday evening. So I got to love on them for a minute. I’m so proud of the youngest one because he’s finally fully potty trained, and he was happy to announce that he’s now a big boy. I just love my nieces and nephews. They’re my little hearts.

Anyhoo… that was my extended weekend. This morning, I’m enjoying God’s presence. My heart is full.


Listen, be intentional about recognizing and enjoying the blessings God has placed in your life. They are some of the greatest gifts.

This is all for now. Enjoy your day!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

**Be sure to stop by Shaun’s Daily Inspiration and get your daily dose of inspiration. 

***By the way, today is my 100th Day of posting.🎉 Smiling because I remember when I was so bent on not breaking my 1,800+ day streak. What a ride that was!😊

love

Hello Sunday (290)

Good Morning☀️ and Happy Sunday!

I pray that you’re well.

Since I just shared a post answering the Daily Prompt, I’ll share what I wrote instead of writing something else.

Enjoy the story!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

**Be sure to stop by Shaun’s Daily Inspiration and get your daily dose of inspiration. 

hope

Hello Sunday

Happy Sunday!☀️

I pray all is well with you.🌸


Yesterday morning, I wondered what stories would be shared about me. Well, it didn’t take long for me to find out. A few hours after I shared yesterday’s post, “What Will My Story Be?”, the stories began, and the sharing didn’t end until after midnight.

As soon as I arrived at the family reunion venue, one of my uncles—who’s basically my twin (born a little over a week apart)—greeted me with, “Shaun, you remember when you used to…” Then, last night at my sister’s house, my sisters and cousin shared more stories with my daughter, oldest nephew, and oldest niece. When I tell you they soaked up those stories like sponges.🤭

All I can say is, I was Shaun.😂

Me and my sisters. Dorothy girls!

So, here’s what I gathered from their stories and what I know about myself:

I was never a quiet child. (I’m much calmer now, depending on who you ask.🤭)

I spoke my mind… I mean, voiced my opinions. (Still do, but more tactful now… depending on the situation😊—you might get Shaun or LaShaundrea or a version of both.🤷🏽‍♀️😂)

I was strong–willed. (Yeah… nothing’s changed.😂)

Just know my descendants will have many interesting stories to share about me.😅

Y’all, all while they were talking, I kept saying, “That was me then. I’m not that person anymore. Believe me, I’ve changed.” And they just laughed even harder.😂

Everyone is heading home today. Can’t wait until we meet up again. I love my family.💗


I hope your weekend has been great so far. Wishing you a beautiful Sunday and blessed week.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

hope

Shaun’s World

“Shaun’s World” was the original name of my blog. I’m not sure when I changed it to “It’s Shaun’s World.” A couple of days ago, I celebrated my 7th Anniversary of blogging. I hadn’t realized I had been blogging for so long.

On June 11, 2018, I wrote the following in my journal—

“I launched my birthday blog early. I was bored and had things to share. It’s called “Shaun’s World.” It’s me and all of my quirkiness. I needed this outlet. I’ll see how long I can keep this up.”

I started this blog to commemorate my 45th birthday, but as I mentioned, I launched it early. I needed an outlet besides Twitter and Facebook to express myself without being completely judged. Thank you for allowing me this space.

Here’s what I shared in my first post on June 9/10, 2018 (there are two different dates on the post).

Welcome to Shaun’s World, Again! Lol

Ha! I had published this same blog on my old site. That site is being deactivated. So follow me on this site. My new site.

Welcome to the world of random thoughts, inside jokes and carefree writing. Yes, it’s Shaun’s World!

This site isn’t meant to be stuffy or too serious because all of that is pretty boring. It takes too much thought and time to create those sites (been there, done that) when all I want to do is share.

So, be warned, grammatical errors will happen; corny jokes will be told; heartfelt and meaningless stories will be shared and life will go on.

Again, welcome to Shaun’s World!

Muah!
#Year45

Again, thank you for allowing me this space to freely express myself and be ME. I truly appreciate YOU!

Love you!♥️

Shaun

hope

My Journey With God, No. 101

On June 11, 2019, I began my journal entry with—

Singing, “Anointing fall on me. Anointing fall on me. Let the power of the Holy Ghost fall on me. Anointing fall on me.” Amen 

I mentioned that I was about to rewatch Sarah Jakes Roberts’ message “Unfinished Business ” from that Pentecost Sunday. I had been on the phone with my mom and had missed most of the message.

I also wrote about Leah Chase being laid to rest the day before, and how my conversation with her was connected with the nutrition sessions I was providing for children attending a summer camp. During our meeting in 2014, Chef Leah encouraged me to teach children about where food came from—that it didn’t come from the grocery store but from gardens and farms. So, on the day of her funeral, I was doing just that.

I wrote so much more on that day (I usually write several times a day); however, I ended the day with this—

“Whew! God just blows my mind. For real.”

And He does. Every day He blows my mind. He’s so wonderful. Just to know Him and be in His presence is indescribable.

God, thank You for loving me. Thank You for showing me YOU!

Amen

Shaun♥️

hope

Faith

Good Morning☀️

How are you?

I truly hope you’re doing well.🌸


Last night, I watched the BET Awards. I’m not sure how others felt while watching it, but this year’s ceremony seemed different—not necessarily different in a bad way, but in an eerily good way. Maybe it was because they were celebrating BET’s 45th Anniversary and I’m old enough to remember what I was doing 45 years ago, or because they celebrated a few 90s music icons who are all around my age. Hmm…

When I think about it, it felt more like a family reunion where one generation was passing the torch to another—and I happen to be in that generation of torch passers. Overall, the entire event was very emotional and felt more significant than past awards shows. If I could sum it up, I would say the mood was, “We are all we’ve got.”

There was one quote that stood out last night that I am still feeling the importance of this morning—

“Don’t let your worry be greater than your faith.” – Tyler Perry

Let that sink in…

Our faith must be stronger than our worries. It’s the only way we are going to make it. It’s the only way we have made it.


I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day. May it be filled with lots of love, peace, joy, and laughter.

On another note …

I will be 52 in two weeks!🎉

Yesterday, it dawned on me that I could have been counting down the weeks from the day I turned 51. My theme could have been “52 in 52 Weeks!”

By the way, besides dropping gems of wisdom, my fav just dropped another hit series on us, “Divorced Sistas”! It’s streaming on BET+. Check it out!

Okay… I’m done. Please take care of yourself and live life to the fullest. Don’t take a second for granted. Not one.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

hope

June 2, 2014

Good Morning☀️

How are you?

I pray you’re doing wonderful!🌺


June 2, 2014 at 6:59 AM

I wish I knew what I was thinking at that very moment. I wonder if I had caught a glimpse of my future. I was in New Orleans getting ready for Day Two of my culinary experience. Actually, it was a culinary media training where I was being trained to speak in front of a camera while preparing food. Even though I still haven’t done much with the training, it was a great experience, and I met some wonderful people.

I really do love my life.

I didn’t write anything in my journal on that day; however, when I returned home, I wrote:

“New Orleans was definitely a great professional experience. I came back with a sense of worth. I felt like I could actually accomplish my goals. I now have a different outlook on life & my role in this universe. I am destined for greatness & there’s nothing wrong with it. Thank you God for helping me realize my potential.”

Wow! So many gems in that statement. What an interesting, roller coaster ride of an eleven years it has been, and now I’m here. Here in this time and space. What will I do with it?

Well, that’s all for now. I pray you have a great day and wonderfully blessed week.

I love you!♥️

Shaun