dreams – It’s Shaun’s World

Hello Sunday (299)

October 25, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Hello Sunday!☀️

Mara Brock Akil (television producer and writer) posted a video about how the television and film industries are changing, just as the world around us is changing. She believes this change is a good thing and necessary, and so do I. In the video, she says the old ways of doing things are slowly dying, giving us the chance to shape the future we want to see. And I couldn’t agree more!

I believe we are here in this time and space for a purpose. It’s not to sit, watch things happen, or complain, but to shape and create the future we want to see. We’ve been tasked with doing what no other generation could do, and what future generations need us to do. If you’re unsure of your task, assignment, or purpose, ask God to reveal it to you. From experience, it’s associated with something you’re already passionate about doing, or that lifelong dream you just can’t shake.

On another note…

The song that’s been playing in my head since I woke up is the Winans “Everything You Touch Is A Song.”

As God’s children, I believe everything we touch is a song, and we have been tasked with creating something meaningful and beautiful. What we create today will not only enhance our lives but also sustain future generations.

Sooo… Are you on board with shaping our new future—with shaping the world you want to see?

This is all I have for now. I pray you have a relaxing day. May it be peaceful and filled with joy.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

“Everything You Touch Is A Song” by The Winans

empowerment, Life

When God Places Something At Your Feet

October 21, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Happy Wednesday!☀️

Thought I’d share another glimpse at how God works in my world. How He loves on me!

In yesterday’s post (see Clyde Kennard and JET Magazine), I wrote that after attending a lecture on Clyde Kennard, I was inspired to find my copies of JET Magazine. I said that I would take a moment this week to begin reading them. Well, I began yesterday, and here’s what I found! Y’all, when I tell you God knows exactly how to make my heart smile, dance, and sing.☺️

JET Magazine, March 22, 1999

This article highlights the work of the late nutritionist Dr. Alvenia Fulton. As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)—a Black RDN—I’m curious to learn more about her story and journey to becoming a nutritionist. You see, her story matters to me because when I began my undergraduate degree in 2003, Black dietitians made up less than 3% of registered dietitians nationally. Now here we are, over two decades later, and this percentage hasn’t changed (2.6–3%).

In graduate school, I wrote my thesis on the importance of multicultural counseling competencies in our profession. I remember mailing over 600 surveys and receiving nearly 300 fully completed returns. Although the return and completion rates were great (yes, this is beautiful in the research world), only 5% of respondents were Black, while 92% were White. Sadly, the majority of the respondents who had never received any culturally competent counseling training (~70%) did not believe cultural competency was necessary to counsel people of different races, ethnicities, or cultures. Back then, our state had, and still has, the highest Black population by state in the U.S. (~38–39%), and also one of the highest rates of health disparities (America’s Health Rankings: Mississippi). In 2016, I became the first Black president of our state’s dietetics association. It’s not something I ever mention. It’s not something I ever wanted highlighted. But now, after learning about Dr. Fulton and seeing that the national percentage of RDNs hasn’t changed, I think it’s worth mentioning. Our association was founded in 1948. In 2016, I became the first Black president, and in 2025, I became the second.

I have to explore Dr. Fulton’s story further. God didn’t drop that article in my lap for nothing. We can’t move forward and grow as a profession if we don’t start addressing the underlying issues and challenges behind the lack of growth in the number of Black RDNs nationally. There’s so much to explore… I have work to do!

This is all for now. I’ll keep you updated on whatever I find about Dr. Fulton. I was gifted a copy of the book from the lecture, “Mixing: Race, Higher Education, and the Case of Clyde Kennard,” and can’t wait to begin reading it.

Wishing you a wonderful Wellness Wednesday! Please take care of yourself.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

My thesis: Multicultural Nutrition Counseling Competencies Among Dietitians in Mississippi (LaShaundrea Bradford Crook, 2009)

Found this picture from when I received my Bachelor’s degree (2006).😊

empowerment

My Journey With God, No. 151

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the past post below. It’s a reminder to LIVE!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve always had to make an effort to put myself first. It never came naturally. One call, one sound, or one look of despair, and I’d drop everything to tend to someone else’s needs. But not anymore. I believe that last conversation with my daughter finally got my attention. She told me that I needed to focus on me, and only me. She was right. My mom’s gone; she and my son are grown; my dad and stepmom have each other; my siblings have their spouses and family; it’s just me! For the first time in my life, I’m solo.

Here’s the post I shared three years ago, when I was a new 50 year old.

Girl… This Message Is For You! written on October 6, 2023

You better live! Life isn’t slowing down or waiting for you to catch up. Stop putting everyone else first like they’re more important than you. Listen… and hear me good… No one is more important or more valuable than you are. No one! You’re not being selfish, self-centered or inconsiderate. Nah… You’re just recognizing your worth. Now it’s time you start living in it. Love you!♥️ ~Shaun

So far, it’s been a week since I made a conscious effort to prioritize myself and my needs. Seeing this message today confirms and encourages me to keep moving in this direction. Not sure where it’s leading me; however, I’m looking forward to meeting the woman I’m becoming. The woman God predestined me to be.

Shaun, I got you girl!😘

Just a little self-love this morning. Smile

This message is also your reminder that you matter and must take care of yourself first. Take care of YOU before you pour into others.

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.

gratitude, Life

This Message Is For YOU

September 17, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️ and Happy Thursday!

Whether you read this message today—the day I’m sharing it—or months from now, this message is for YOU.

“Keep moving! You’re too close to quit now.“

Here’s what I shared on this day four years ago—

Keep Moving (September 17, 2022)

Keep moving. You’ve come too far to give up on your dreams, goals and purpose. Just because you can’t see or feel God working, doesn’t mean He isn’t. Imagine if you were to quit today and tomorrow everything was set to fall in place. Again– Keep moving!♥️

Listen, God is always working. Don’t give up!♥️

This is all for now. I pray that you have a wonderful day. May it be filled with lots of sunshine!☀️

I love you,

Shaun

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

empowerment, Life

The Journey to “Becoming”

September 7, 2026 Shaun Bradford

“We are on a journey of becoming that which we already are.” –Leonard Jacobson
Quote of the Day – 9.07.2026

Note this part of the quote—

“…that which we already are.”

Yes, it’s who you already are!

Don’t act surprised. You already know who you are. You’ve known it forever. What began as a tiny spark as a child has now grown into a full-blown flame that’s ready to be unleashed. So stop resisting the flow. Instead, embrace it and allow it to carry you where you need to go.

Breathe…

You got this because God’s got you.

Now, walk in who YOU were created to be.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

Life

Question: What Do You Want Most?

August 27, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Finally settling down. This day was anything BUT the “rain day” I had planned. I’m laughing because isn’t that how it is at times. The mistake I made was opening my laptop and forgetting to put my phone on Do Not Disturb. Gotta do better.

Anyhoo… I was sitting here and the question came to mind, “What do you want most?”. Not what you want at this moment, but most from life.

What do you want most?

As I often do, I’m sharing this question with you because I know I’m not the only one who needs to sit with it.

Once you find your answer, strive for that. Make that your focus.

I would say to answer the question without thinking financially or in monetary terms, but if that’s what YOU want most, then that’s what you want most. Don’t let anyone’s opinions or influence stop you from going after what YOU want most. Just don’t make it a person because that would be creepy. Just saying…

You may wonder how you would know when you’ve figured it out. Well, I believe that if you really think about it—as I am doing now—it’s that thing that’s been with you since childhood. It’s the one goal or dream you can’t seem to shake. It’s that thing that’s soul-deep.

By the way, I wish I’d had Dolly Parton on my list of people to meet. She was soooo cool!! Definitely my kind of person. And I didn’t know she loved butterflies as much as she did. I love butterflies.🦋😩

Y’all, we must keep hope alive. We can’t let it die with the greats of our time. We have to carry it on. And not only hope. We must carry on love, kindness, compassion, empathy, and goodness.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

**Can you guess what I want most? **

God’s Timing, gratitude

August 14, 2014

August 14, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Happy Friday!☀️

Reading past journal entries from this date and came across this entry—

An excerpt from August 14, 2014:

“I believe my purpose in life is to get my people from point A to point B. My job is to encourage the young to reach for the stars. They may have so many odds stacked against them, but the sky is the limit. They really need to know that if they dream it they really can achieve it and more. Some may ask why are you not where your dreams take you. My response is, I’m not sure. Bad decisions. Distractions. Maybe this is where God intended for me to be at the moment. But I do know there is so much more left for me to do. I do not desire to lead or be in the spotlight, but whatever God has planned for me I will do. I will do what I must to make sure my people excel!”

Whew!! These past 12 years have seemed like a very long journey. A journey I did not know I would take. But God did. He knew, and He equipped and guided me every step of the way to get to where I am today.

This particular part of the entry has me in tears this morning—

“Some may ask why are you not where your dreams take you. My response is, I’m not sure. Bad decisions. Distractions. Maybe this is where God intended for me to be at the moment. But I do know there is so much more left for me to do.”

My answer today is—I am where I need to be at this moment in time. I’m fulfilling God’s purpose for my life. Bad decisions didn’t stop me. Distractions didn’t stop me. They’re part of my story—part of my journey to becoming who God’s created me to be. I am so grateful and blessed to have experienced such a wonderful 12 years. I am where my dreams have taken me. I’m sitting right in them.

Y’all, God is so good! I absolutely love my life.🥰

This is all for now. Have a wonderful day and weekend. Be sure to treat yourself with love and kindness, and give yourself grace.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

hope

Hello Sunday (288)

August 9, 2026 Shaun Bradford

No matter how many times you have to restart—RESTART!

If God put a dream in your heart, keep striving for it.

You’re here.

You’re alive.

Which means your dreams are still possible.

Listen… Try again!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

believe, hope

Never Let Your Dreams Die

July 7, 2026 Shaun Bradford

I have been singing “Trust in God” by Elevation Worship since I woke up this morning. The song says—

I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail

As long as you’re alive, never ever give up on your dreams. Keep pursuing them because so many never got the chance to do so before they died.

But YOU—you’re still here!

You’ve been blessed with another opportunity to see your dreams come true. Keep going as if you will see them happen tomorrow. If you can’t quite figure out where to begin, ask God for guidance and trust Him to lead the way.

Your Dreams are Too Important to let die.” Shaun’s Daily Inspiration

Never let your dreams die.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

**Please keep the parents, family, and friends of Nolan Wells in your thoughts and prayers.🙏🏽

God’s plan, Life

My Journey With God, 144

June 28, 2026 Shaun Bradford

Question:

Why does God put so many desires and dreams in our hearts only for us to have to choose which ones to fulfill in our lifetime?

Long, long, long sigh…

If you’ve been following me for at least three years or more, you may have noticed that I don’t mind pivoting to follow wherever my passions take me. I truly don’t.

As I look back over my life, I have always followed some passion of mine. From the military to culinary to dietetics to research to advocacy—haven’t even mentioned my creative side—I’m forever following a passion. It’s like I can’t stop. Ugh…

This morning, I’m sitting here trying to figure out how to connect all of my passions. And y’all, I have MANY! Every single passion I’ve ever had still lies within me. I mean every single one.

I must find a way to connect them all.

Yesterday, my daughter’s fiancé took me to tour his new workplace. The last company he worked for had a phenomenal space—it was so nice. I loved the warm and inviting atmosphere. However, this new company has the kind of environment I always longed to work in. From the outdoor spaces to the break areas to the artwork and creative spaces, I was on cloud nine. It wasn’t just the space, but the technology aspects of it all. Y’all, I’m a low-key techie and their setup made my day.

Side note: Since eighth grade, I’ve been in love with coding and technology. Even before then, I was designing flying cars and preparing to live in outer space. I was so ready for this era. At least I thought I was.😅

During the tour, I took a moment to sit in that space, to be in that atmosphere, to take it all in.

There has to be a way for me to do everything I desire to do. I just know there is! God wouldn’t have put all of this in me just for it to remain inside of me. Laughing because He knows I love a challenge, and I believe this one is going to be my biggest yet. I have to create something that will incorporate all of my passions, desires, and dreams.

Here are a few pictures from my tour. I just loved the art. And they had Scrabble games, books, puzzles, and creative spaces everywhere. Y’all, I was on cloud nine, for real.