Tag: hopeful

Life

One Bad Habit

Shaun Bradford

I really wish I were asleep, but as you can see, I’m not. Y’all, I have one bad habit… and no, it is not a man!

HA!! For a moment I heard Angie Stone singing “2 Bad Habits” when I mentioned “one bad habit.” Lol. My life.

Anyway… my bad habit is falling asleep on the sofa. I know it sounds trivial, but it is affecting my quality of life. On average, I probably spend half of my nights on the sofa 3-5 days a week. I usually wake up somewhere between midnight and 2:00 a.m. (this morning it was 4:00 a.m.) and then go to bed. However, once in bed, I never go back to sleep. I lay awake thinking or writing. Y’all, it is so frustrating. It throws my entire day off. Falling asleep on the sofa is okay on the weekends, but definitely not, on weekdays. You see, on weekends, I can always take a nap. However, on weekdays, I have to be awake and alert for work.

I know this blog seems random.. because the majority of them are. Lol. Just wanted to share my “Aha” moment with you. I never considered this to be a habit. Honestly, I always assumed I suffered from insomnia; and whenever I felt sluggish, I thought it was some kind of vitamin or mineral deficiency. Never connected any of this with the quality/lack of sleep or rest.

Anyway, I need to break this habit. From this day forward, I am going to make a conscious effort to fall asleep in bed. Thinking I may need to set a bedtime. Hmm…

Shaun

Life

My Love-Hate Relationship with Twitter

Shaun Bradford

I have this love-hate relationship with Twitter that is driving me crazy. I created my first Twitter account a little over six years ago to follow other registered dietitians, celebrity chefs, people in academia, and a few colleagues. Slowly, I began adding celebrities, television shows, and began following my followers. About a month later, I recognized I needed another account to separate my professional life from my guilty pleasures of tweeting during my favorite shows. Sadly, those two accounts have transformed into five accounts. Yes, I have five Twitter accounts. This is where the love-hate relationship comes in.

I love Twitter. Y’all, it is my favorite social media platform. I love it because the interaction is constant, especially while live tweeting during shows. Also, unlike Facebook and Instagram, I only know a handful of my followers. Which is what originally drew me to Twitter. I saw it as a place where I could freely express myself and not worry about being judged. Hmm… So I thought. Here is where the hate comes in.

So, why do I hate Twitter? Well.. not necessarily hate, because hate is such a strong word, so dislike.. why do I dislike Twitter? Twitter seems to magnify my insecurities more than any other platform. Honestly, I feel like I am always being judged or scrutinized based on my tweets, replies, and retweets. Since about 90% of my tweets are related to my shows, I feel like an imposter (yes I suffer from imposter syndrome) when attempting to tweet something serious and meaningful. This has really affected the way I interact with followers on my professional accounts. Anytime I attempt to tweet something of worth, I feel like I am being judged. I also have to admit (being very transparent right now) this is one of the reasons I stopped blogging professionally. I began to feel like an imposter.

Right now, I feel like I am at a crossroad. Like I have to decide between professionalism or my guilty pleasures. Tweeting during my shows is my outlet. It is when I unwind. It is where I feel most comfortable being myself. However, I realize it is hindering me professionally. I need to start tweeting more from my professional accounts. I need to start blogging professionally, again. I have so many decisions to make. Is it possible to do both and not feel less authentic? Life…..

Shaun

Life

Hair Woes

Shaun Bradford

Feeling a bit frustrated with my hair. About two years ago, I decided to say goodbye to my short, relaxed hair and go natural. It was not my first time going natural. In 2011, I decided to try the natural thing and was natural for about three years. Then one day I woke up and relaxed my hair. I hate to say it, but I am at that point again. Ugh!!

When I was natural before, I allowed my hair to grow out. Which allowed me to wear it in different styles. This time, I decided to keep it short. Then COVID-19 happened and I could not get it cut. Plus, when I was getting it cut, my haircuts were never consistent. Y’all, I am so cheap when it comes to getting my hair done. Mainly because I do not have the patience to sit in a hair salon for more than 30 minutes. So, whoever could get me in and out in less than 30 minutes was who I went to. Anything longer was a waste of my time. Again, I do not have that kind of patience, which is the main reason I decided to keep it short. What I failed to realize is that short hairstyles are just as high maintenance because they require frequent haircuts. It is like I cannot win when it comes to my hair. What am I to do???

I guess things would be different if I wore wigs, braids or locs. But I have never worn them. They look cute on other people, but probably would not look cute on me. Plus, they require time and patience. Y’all, I do not even have the patience to try to find a wig. I really feel hopeless. I am honestly considering putting this box of Dark & Lovely in my hair. I have had it on standby for two years, now. Hmm…. Wonder if relaxers expire. Lol.

On another note, did I mention how much I spend on products? Y’all, I spend so much money on products. People are always recommending one product or another. I try them, then find myself back where I am today– feeling hopeless.

I am trying very hard to stay natural because my hair is so much healthier, now. It is also thicker and I have less breakage. All of the things that I loved the first time around. However, the maintenance is too much. Y’all, I need help! FOR REAL!

Shaun