positive energy – Page 140 – It’s Shaun’s World

Premature Empty Nest Syndrome

July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 Shaun Bradford

I’m in my feelings right now. What do parents do when their children leave home? I thought I would be okay, but evidently I am not. I have always wanted my children to be independent. I do not believe in kids staying at home and leeching off their parents. I will help, but I refuse to be their caretaker for the rest of my life. Anyway.. I am not an empty nester just yet, but the time is quickly approaching. My son will be a junior in high school and he has already become so independent. Between spending time at his dad’s and with his cousins, he is only home a couple of weeks before he’s gone again. This time he was home for two days, now he’s off living his best life, again. Don’t worry, he’s not out hanging with a bunch of people. He’s hunkered down with family who are taking proper COVID-19 precautions. Anyway, here I am at home trying to adjust to being alone. I always said once my two left I would do this and do that. Well, I guess that was a lie. Did y’all hear Maury? I did! Lol. Maybe if I could travel freely, things would be different, but I’m not sure if they would. I am not going to complain too much. At least God has granted me a couple of more year to adjust. I guess I will consider this my transition period.

Anyhoo… just felt like sharing. Does anyone have any advice? Over the past month, I have signed up to volunteer for different events and serve on a couple of committees. So I will definitely be busy. I guess I’m missing him so badly because he just left a few hours ago. I am pretty sure I will be better tomorrow. Lol

Don’t feel like editing, so it is what it is. Thanks for reading.

Enjoy your weekend!

Shaun

Life

July is Here!

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020 Shaun Bradford

July, I welcome you with open arms and an open heart.

Hello July!
What do you have in store?

Please tell me it is something good. Something that will make my heart sing and toes curl. Something that will keep me smiling all month long.

I’m not being unreasonable, am I? Nah… I am worth it because I’m blessed!

Shaun

Life

Hello Sunday!

June 28, 2020 Shaun Bradford

Today I am choosing to be present. To actively live in each moment. That is what I did on my birthday; and honestly, that was one of the most peaceful days I have ever experienced in my life. No lie. No anticipations– just went with the flow. Y’all, I even worked on my birthday and did not feel the least bit of anxiety because I was not doing what I had planned. That day, I actually let go and allowed life to happen. And guess what– everything worked out perfectly. So today, with God’s help, I know I can do it again.

Praying you have a peacefully, blessed Sunday.

Shaun

Life

Listen to the Vibe

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 Shaun Bradford

It is not even 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning and I am wide awake. Actually, I have been up for a couple of hours, now. Today I was supposed to go to Mobile to continue my birthday celebration with my sisters. They had a day full of wonderful COVID-19-safe events planned. Unfortunately, the celebration must be postponed.

You see.. yesterday I began feeling sick. More than likely it is sinus issues, but I do not want to chance it. The day before yesterday, Mississippi had a spike in new COVID-19 cases. Y’all, over a 1,000 new cases were reported in one day. Yesterday there were half as many. As much as I want to celebrate with my sisters, I have to stay safe and make sure they remain safe, also. Y’all, this virus is something serious!

Right now I am having an early morning jam session. Zhané’s Vibe is currently playing.

Oh… before I go, we did decide to have a video call later today. So the celebration will continue, just not in person.

Forever Grateful

Shaun

Life

My Love-Hate Relationship with Twitter

June 26, 2020June 26, 2020 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

Authentically ME

June 25, 2020June 25, 2020 Shaun Bradford

Yesterday was so AMAZING! I laughed.. and danced.. and sang.. and ate.. took selfies.. and danced some more. Yesterday I let loose! As the old people used to say, I cut a rug!! LOL! I had no worries or complaints, ONLY laughter and love. Yesterday, I was me– authentically ME!

Before I end, I have to give a shout out to my two. Y’all, I know I say it all of the time, but I truly have the BEST children in the world. They know me so well! They embrace my quirkiness, which allows me to be free. I am so blessed to have children who love ALL of me.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday. Y’all, they made me a selfie wall. Lol. For those who know me, know I am the worst photographer but I LOVE taking pictures, especially selfies.