Tag: encouragement

hope

I Didn’t Know My Own Strength

Shaun Bradford

This morning I woke up with Whitney Houston’s I Didn’t Know My Own Strength playing over and over in my head. Truthfully, how I have made it thus far is a blur. As I look back over my adulthood, I’m amazed at how many challenges I encountered and actually overcame.

Wednesday Writings

Happy Tuesday!☀️

I pray you’re doing well.

Just finished reading the post that’s quoted and linked above. It’s a post I shared on this day five years ago (October 13, 2021). Smiling through tears (happy tears) because I made it through some really tough times. When I tell y’all I am so very blessed. If you need a little inspiration, click the Wednesday Writings link in the quote above. Listen, life does get better.

Yes, life does get better. I refuse to believe otherwise.

Five years ago, I was listening to Whitney Houston’s, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.” The song says—

I didn’t know my own strength
And I crashed down, and I tumbled
But I did not crumble
I got through all the pain
I didn’t know my own strength
Survived my darkest hour
My faith kept me alive
I picked myself back up
Hold my head up high
I was not built to break
I didn’t know my own strength

“I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” by Whitney Houston

Y’all, sometimes I didn’t know if I’d make it. But I’m here!

Yes, I am here!

And so are YOU!

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

I love you,

Shaun

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

Life

The Present is Now

Shaun Bradford

“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” –Thich Nhat Hanh

Stay Present

Breathe…

The present is now.

Life is happening now.

Blessings are unfolding as you read this message.

Breathe…

The present is now.

It’s a blessing from God to YOU.

Happy Self-Love Saturday!☀️

Remember to do something extra special for yourself. You deserve that little something extra.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

empowerment

My Journey With God, No. 151

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.

empowerment

Your Future Is In Your Hands

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️ And welcome to another Self-Love Saturday.🌸

Today’s quote is—

“The future starts today, not tomorrow.” –Pope John Paul II

Quote of the Day – 9.26.2026

Your future starts today, not tomorrow. God’s already equipped you with everything you need to begin working towards your goals and dreams, today. All you have to do is start.

If you’re like me, with hundreds of ideas floating around in your head and unsure where to begin, ask God for clarity and guidance. Then, allow Him to walk you through the process. From experience, it may not always be the process you’d like to go through, but in the end, it will be worth it. I’m sure of this.

Again, it’s Self-Love Saturday! Do something that makes your heart smile and future self proud.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

By the way, the song that’s currently playing in my head is Marvin Sapp’s “You Are God Alone.” God is good.

You Are God Alone by Marvin Sapp

empowerment, Life

Perfection Is An Illusion

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️ And Happy Friday!🌸

Decided to check my Facebook memories this morning. Something that I rarely do nowadays. And this memory/quote hit me like a ton of bricks!

“You’re not a perfectionist, you’re just scared.” –Gary Vaynerchuk

When I tell you I felt called out! THIS is how God usually gets my attention.

You see, perfectionism is what I’ve been dealing with lately. It’s the real culprit in me feeling drained this past week. It’s not the amount of projects I’m working on or me overcommitting. It’s me overthinking and constantly revising things to make them perfect, when perfect was never possible. Smiling because my daughter said this very thing after I submitted something I was working on.

I just love her!🥰

Here’s a sneak peek at today’s post under Shaun’s Daily Inspiration:

I believe Gary Vee is right. Perfectionism is more about fear than being perfect. Gotta overcome that fear.

Anyhoo… I’m going to take a quick nap before I start my day. Today I’m releasing perfectionism. No more reviews and revisions. Only submissions, publishes, and sends.

Happy Friday to me!☺️

This is all for now. Wishing you a beautiful day and lovely weekend. Be sure to do things that make your heart smile.♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

hope

A Week Of Inspiration

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️ And Happy Thursday! I promise it feels like Friday, but it’s not. Perhaps this is my sign to treat today as Friday. We shall see!😊

As many of you know (those who have been following me for a while), several months ago I decided to separate my daily inspirations from my personal posts. It was time. So, if you’ve been wondering what happened to my “Quote of the Day” and personal inspirational quotes, know that they’re still here! You can find them under ShaunsDailyInspiration.com. If you’re not already following me there, here’s a week’s worth of quotes for you. When I share them on other platforms, I usually share them in pairs.

Note: The following screenshots only show the caption I shared when reposting to social media. Visit ShaunsDailyInspiration.com to see the actual post.

Today – September 24, 2026

September 23, 2026

September 22, 2026

September 21, 2026

September 20, 2026

September 19, 2026

September 18, 2026

September 17, 2026

Shaun’s Daily Inspiration is on several platforms:

Facebook: ShaunsDailyInspiration

Instagram: @ShaunsDailyInspiration

X (Formerly Twitter): @SDInspirations

YouTube: @ShaunsDailyInspiration

I’m also on Substack, but I haven’t posted there in a while. Maybe I’ll restart posting soon.

Feel free to Follow me on one or all platforms. Smile. And please share the inspiration.🌺

This is all for now. I pray that you’ve been encouraged, motivated, and/or inspired. Wishing you a beautiful day!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

empowerment, Life

My Journey With God, No. 149

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️ And Happy Self Love Saturday!

Here’s a quote from Fave #4.

“Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar.” –Michelle Obama

Quote of the Day – 9.19.2026

Comfort zone…

I believe these last three years have pushed me outside my comfort zone more than any other period in my life. I’ve already done more on this side of 50 (at 53) than I’ve done in decades at a time. I asked for my years beyond 50 to be far different from the last, and I’m so in awe of how God is bringing my ask to fruition.

While scrolling through my photos, I came across this text between my daughter and me. Y’all, all I could do was smile. It’s a testament of me asking and God answering.

This was October 2023.

I just love my baby girl!!💗

I was at home that day, reading tweets from colleagues attending our national food and nutrition conference (FNCE). For years, I lived for attending those conferences. They gave me the annual boost I needed to stay motivated, as well as sparked new ideas. You see, after I took my big leap of faith and resigned from my job, I could no longer afford to attend the conferences. I could barely afford to attend our state conferences.

Then, a year later…

Less than six months after my daughter texted, “You are preparing for the next level!!!!”, I said yes to serving as the president-elect of our state’s dietetics association. This didn’t take me outside my comfort zone (I had served years before), but I was at a stage in my life (or so I thought) where I just wanted to live the “retired” life. Smile

Here are more pictures from that day. Y’all, I really love our conferences.

Met my fellow Potter’s House e-church member, April.😊

Okay… So maybe I go for the food.😂 Always a good time!

I also attended last year’s conference in Nashville. This year, I’m planning our state’s conference, so it’s my main focus right now.

A few posts ago, I asked the question— “What do you want most [from life]?” And in another post, I wrote—

“Listen, if you want to truly live, sit and stay in God’s presence. He will give you experiences that will satisfy your soul. Yeah…His experiences are soul deep!”

I know what I truly want, and so does God. Attending the conferences may seem like a small experience, but for me, it’s one of those soul-deep ones. Yes, I love the food (I really think food is my love language☺️), but I love being around the people most. When I’m at those conferences—and that’s any conference or event—I talk to EVERYBODY! I even talk to the janitors cleaning the restrooms. I want everyone to feel seen, valued, and appreciated. Plus, it’s how you make connections. So yeah… it’s soul deep for me.

Listen, there are so many soul-deep experiences outside of your comfort zone. Be open to saying yes to new opportunities and doing something new.

This is all for today. Have a wonderful self-love Saturday. Celebrate it by doing something new!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

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

Life, trust God

Lean Into God

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️ and Happy Friday!🤍

Guess what?!

My song is BACK! (see past posts about Byron Cage’s song “Breathe.”)

I’m really not sure why this song is lingering so long. As I said in my last post about it, I’m going to let it be. Maybe it’s God’s way of reassuring me that His presence is with me. Which leads me to today’s message— “Lean Into God.”

When you find yourself feeling uncertain about your next move(s), lean into God.

When you enter unfamiliar territory, lean into God.

When things seem to be moving faster than your next breath…

Stop…

Breathe…

and Lean into God.

Allow God’s presence to guide and surround you. He’s got YOU!

Wishing you a wonderful day and beautiful weekend. May it be filled with lots of love, joy, and sunshine!♥️☀️

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

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

Put Up or Shut Up

Shaun Bradford

Happy Monday!☀️

You see the title, right?

Listen, God will check you in the most beautiful way ever. He’ll call you out and leave no room to doubt that He’s doing so. And it’s always from a space of love.

Today, God is calling me out. I have to “put up or shut up.” People I care about are watching my next moves, and I cannot afford to play small. So much is riding on how I handle this situation.

“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” –Nelson Mandela

My goal is to build bridges, not burn them.

Y’all pray my strength in the Lord.😊

This is all I have for today. Listen, when God gives you an assignment, management it well—not only well, but give it your best efforts. Also, when He puts people in your path who count on you to have their best interests at heart, you step up and fulfill your duties.

What a way to start the week, right?! I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day and a beautiful week ahead. May they be filled with an abundance of love, joy, and peace.♥️

Stay attuned to that still, small voice. God is speaking. You don’t want to miss what He’s saying.

I love you,

Shaun

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