Tag: Life

hope

Late Post

Shaun Bradford

Just noticed I missed sharing an afternoon post!

Here’s something for you…

Love and be loved. You deserve to receive just as much love as you give.

Laugh often. Belly laughs are the best. I had a few today.

Live life to its fullest. Remember, you only have one life, make this one count.

Y’all, time passes so quickly. One day you’re in your 20s and the next you’re in your 50s.

Today, my best friend celebrated her 51st birthday. What a blessing.🙏🏽

I also discovered that today marks the 29th anniversary of the release of the “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack (November 14, 1995). Boy, do I remember that soundtrack. “Sittin’ Up In My Room” by Brandy was my favorite song back then, followed by “Exhale” (the shoop song), by Whitney Houston.

Good music.

Good memories.

I pray you had a wonderful day, and that you’ll have a restful night.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Are You Thinking About Settling? Part 2

Shaun Bradford

In my previous post, I suggested that we should be careful not to tie our dreams to persons, places, or things, but instead to connect them with our passions, values, and the core essence of our dreams. In other words, we should be cautious not to compromise on the intangibles, or become so focused on things that we lose sight of what’s most important. Compromising, or settling for less, only delays our dreams or prevents us from fully living them out. I’m not only writing this for you, but for myself as well.

Side Note:

Lately, God has been instructing me to do things that have required a lot of trust and faith in Him. Although the outcomes have been me doing what I love, I still struggle with following through without being a little apprehensive. Y’all, the unknown can be frightening and somewhat intimidating; however, I am getting better. Believe me, I want the dream!

What I meant to ask before I published my last post was, are you living out your dreams? Not the perfect dream you envisioned, but the principles of your dreams.

That’s all for now. Hope you’re having a great day!♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Are You Thinking About Settling?

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

Are you thinking about settling for something less than what you dreamed possible?

Well, here’s what I wrote two years ago and a year ago when I shared this graphic.

Caption from November 14, 2022:

“Have you ever settled because you were too anxious to wait? OR…because you believed that what you were offered was the best you could get? You know– “You better take what you can get.”

Nah! NEVER settle for less than what you desire. Believe me, you’re worth it and more!”

Caption from November 14, 2023:

“Don’t do it.
Don’t settle.

If you’re not careful, temporary decisions can easily become permanent. Be patient and keep waiting. God’s got you.”

Word of advice—based on my experience and the knowledge I’ve gained over the years—be careful not to tie your dreams to persons, places, or things. Instead, connect them with what’s in the core of your heart—your passions, your purpose, your values, and the essence behind your dreams.

If you have been following me for a while, you know that going to the United Nations and working with people from different nations is my ultimate dream. However, the core of that dream is to serve others while spreading love and hope. And guess what? I’m already doing it and am preparing to do more. Y’all, I am living my dream. As I have mentioned in past posts, it looks nothing like I imagined; however, it feels like everything I imagined and more.🥰

Listen, I genuinely believe our dreams are God-given, and they are too important and too dear to settle for anything less. Go after your dreams!♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

My Journey With God, No. 16

Shaun Bradford

Today has been a very busy day. I have been multitasking nonstop since early this morning. I just paused for a moment to catch my breath and share my afternoon post.

The following is an excerpt from last year’s journal entry. It references another journal entry I made in 2017 when I thought about the advice I would give to my five-year-old self. Here’s what I wrote—

“You’re going to have some good days and some bad days. Sometimes you’re going to feel like giving up, but you won’t. You’re a survivor. See every moment as an adventure. It will help you through the tough times. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Don’t settle for less than what you want and what you’re worth.”

Whew… ALL of that has been the story of my life—not giving up, viewing difficulties as adventures, taking leaps, being a survivor/superhuman, and not settling. Yeah…that’s been the story of my life, but now I’m tired. Now, it’s time to advise little Shaun on how to thrive without being that survivor/superhuman. On how to take better care of herself while taking leaps. And still, never settling for less than what she wants and what she’s worth—this part is nonnegotiable.

On another note…

During a meeting today, someone referred to me as middle–aged. I was like, “Who? Me?” Then I thought about it, I am over half a century old soooo… I must be middle–aged. Smile

Life…gotta love it.♥️

hope

Praying For You

Shaun Bradford
Shared last year, November 13, 2023, with the following caption: “Sending up prayers for every single soul on this planet. Yes… Every. Single. Soul. Including YOU!

Guess what?! If you’re reading this, I just prayed for you. Well… I am praying for you as I write. Smile

Remember this, YOU are loved, and someone is praying for you.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Worth The Wait

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning!☀️

Today’s post is short and sweet. It’s a question I ask myself from time to time.

“Is what you’re waiting for worth the wait?”

That’s it. That’s the question—just a little something to ponder.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

Photo credit: Joel Osteen (saved to my photos on July 24, 2019)
hope

It’s Time!!

Shaun Bradford

NOW is the time to take that leap you’ve been dreaming of taking but have been too afraid to take. Yes, it’s time!

Here are a few hashtags I used when I shared this message on social media—

LeapOfFaith

DoItAfraid

GodsGotYou

YouWillSoar

It’s time! As I said in my previous post, You will win! You were born to do so.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

You Are A Winner

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

Guess what?! You were born to win! What may seem like a loss at the moment is a win for the future. God sees and knows things we are not privileged to. So, do not be too discouraged by what appears to be a loss. You will win!

As the song says, “Don’t wait ‘til the battle is over, shout now. You know in the end, you’re gonna win.” — “When The Battle Is Over” by Walter Hawkins (This used to be the song! IYKYK 😁)

And this isn’t about the election, it’s about life in general. YOU will win.

Shared on November 12, 2022 with the caption: “YOU were born to WIN! I love you and God loves you too. Have a blessed day!”

That’s all for now! Wishing you a winning day!🙌🏽♥️

Love you always,

Shaun

hope

Service

Shaun Bradford

Good morning, and Happy Veterans Day to all who have served in any branch of the military. Thank you for your service!🫡

Thirty-two years ago, when I enlisted in the Air Force, I was clueless about the path my life would take. It was a journey I was definitely not prepared for, but one I’m glad I took. Until today, although I always hear “Thank you for your service,” I never considered “service” to be service.

Since childhood, I always wanted to be of service to others. However, I thought I would do this through the Peace Corps, volunteering, or later working for the United Nations in some capacity. I never considered the military as service, mostly because it was not what I had imagined as service. Hmmm… I guess taking an oath to sacrifice our comforts and possibly lives for the freedoms of others and our country is an act of service. The ultimate act of service.

Here are a couple of photos from the beginning of my official service career.

I was tired, but I made it! I didn’t know my own strength.

Smiles were not permitted. We meant business.😁

Y’all, I still can’t believe I was in the Air Force. Forever an airman—always aiming high.🇺🇸

Shaun

A thought…

Thinking about my life and my lifelong mission to serve, does anything ever look like what we imagined? Or happen the way we imagined? When I really think about it, I have been serving in some capacity since childhood. As the oldest child, I served my siblings. As a teenager, I served as our church’s historian. In high school, my sister and I started the first recycling club (this was in the late 80s—we were going to save the planet 😊). I have been doing the work, but never considered it service.

What were/are some of your lifelong dreams and aspirations? When you think about it, have you already been doing them in some capacity? Have you already been living out your dreams?

hope

My Journey With God, No. 14

Shaun Bradford

I will always believe in a world capable of unity, love, peace, kindness, compassion, empathy, equity, and joy. To not believe opens the doors to hopelessness and despair.

Keeping hope and optimism alive.♥️

Doing it for my babies, your babies, and for generations to come. I can’t stress it enough, we are all connected.🫶🏽