It’s never too late to start planting seeds for the fruit you’d like to see, hold, and eat in the future. If you didn’t plant them 10–20 years ago, or even yesterday, you can still plant them today.
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.
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 just realized I hadn’t spoken yet! I hope you’re doing well. Me, I’m just sitting here laughing at life. Sometimes all you can do is laugh.
Storytime…
A short while ago, I went to take out the trash. Usually, I’m careful when I move the trash can outside because I’ve seen lizards lurking underneath. Well, since I hadn’t seen any in a while, I didn’t hesitate to move it. Big mistake! Or more like BIG SNAKE! A long green snake came from underneath the can. It didn’t run. Instead, it raised its head and looked at me, and I looked at it. I told it that it could have the trash can. Then, I slowly backed away, let the garage door down, and came inside. By the time my son went to pull the trash can to the curb, the snake was gone.
Y’all, life is like that snake. Sometimes things will catch you off guard. However, I’m finding that the way you respond makes all of the difference. Had I started jumping and running, I’m pretty sure it would’ve reacted similarly. The key is to remain calm. Ask yourself if it’s a threat. If not, keep pushing. If it is, remove it or yourself from the situation.
Election Day is right around the corner, and things are becoming increasingly tense. Be careful and be mindful of your surroundings and who’s in your presence.
As life happens, keep this in mind—it all works out in the end.
This is all I have at the moment. Praying you have a wonderful day!♥️
For years now, I have had LaShaundreaB’s Wellness Wednesdays on my calendar; however, I seldom take my wellness day. Well, today, I can’t take the full day, but I plan to take at least half the day to focus on my wellbeing. Yay Me!
Anyhoo… Back to the song of the hour. The song that I’m singing this morning is Yolanda Adams’ song “I’m Gonna Be Ready.” The song says—
I say a prayer every night Whatever I do, I’ll get it right With no regret, no guilt or shame this time No not this time
Once I surrender, I won’t dare look back ‘Cause if I do, I’ll get off track Move ahead in faith, and patiently await your answer What will it be?
Sight beyond what I see You know what’s best for me Prepare my mind, prepare my heart For whatever comes, I’m gon’ be ready Strength to pass any test I feel like I’m so blessed With you in control, I can’t go wrong ‘Cause I always know, I’m gonna be ready…
Y’all, God has been so good to me. I’m so thankful for sooooo many chances to get this thing called life right. I’m finally at the stage in life where I’m moving without regret, guilt, or shame—all three!
I’m so looking forward to where this next stage of my life will take me now that I’m truly committed to taking care of myself first. I know I’ve been stressing this a lot lately, and I wish that I could fully explain what this means to me. Maybe one day I’ll be able to find the words. Just know that I’ve reached another level of freedom that I never imagined possible.
Feeling grateful and blessed.
This is all for now. Remember to take care of yourself, because when it’s all said and done, besides God, you’re truly all you’ve got! Others can only do so much. The rest is on you.
For a few days now, I’ve been dreading this day because I didn’t know how my emotions would be when I woke up. Would I be sad? Would I grieve? Would it just be another day? Well, today I woke up feeling neither sad nor grieving. However, after scrolling through my Facebook memories, I decided to share my experience from seven years ago.
On October 5, 2019, my brother celebrated his 46th birthday. Several days later, he was admitted to ICU, and about a week or so after that, he was gone.
While checking my Facebook memories to see if I had made a birthday post on that day, I saw the post below and decided to share it. Y’all, this particular post drove my anxiety level through the roof! I logged off social media afterward because I was so overwhelmed. You know how you can feel something is about to happen, but can’t pinpoint what? Well, that’s where I was. The caption in the post kind of explains what I was experiencing.
October 5, 2019
The confusion and tears were so real.😔
Here’s what I shared in my journal entry on the same day:
Oh, today and sometime last week, the “Everything happens for a reason” popped up on social media. When I mentioned it today, I only referred to this particular time period. About an hour ago, I remembered that this year started off with the song by Zhane, “Reasons.” For about a month, it was my theme song. I couldn’t get it out of my head. Now, here I am, close to the end of 2019, and I’m hearing it again. God is working.
In the post, I used the hashtag #GodIsWorking, and as you can see, I ended my journal entry with “God is working.” Even though I was experiencing anxiety like crazy, I still believed that everything that was happening—and, unbeknownst to me, would later happen—was still under God’s control. I trusted whatever God was doing.
Now, here I am seven years later…
A lot has happened in seven years. Y’all, I’m sooooo glad I stopped hearing Zhané’s song “For A Reason.” Talk about traumatized every time I heard it after my brother’s death.
Oh, and I had forgotten to mention that my mom (not my brother’s mom) was admitted to the hospital the day before. What a crazy time that was!
My thoughts are still the same today as they were back then— “Rest assured, God’s got you [us]. He already has everything worked out. Just trust Him.”
The other hashtag I must mention before I end is the last one in my post— “Your purpose is too great to give up.” Whew! Talk about powerful! I had no idea what was coming. I’m so grateful I didn’t give up!
Today’s going to be a beautiful day because God is in it and still in control. Despite everything that happened seven years ago, I still trust God and His plan.
I pray you have a wonderful day and week. May both be filled with love, joy, and peace.♥️
Y’all, I have gotten more rest in one day than I have this entire year! No joke. On Monday, I accepted that I must put myself first—not second or third, but FIRST! I am my only priority. Then, yesterday, I rested. And not like I had been resting before. Nothing like what I’ve done previously. I’m laughing because I actually cleaned my house and did laundry. The rest I needed wasn’t physical; it was mental. I needed to rest my mind. I didn’t listen to any podcasts, or watch any spiritual or motivational videos. I put on a random show, downloaded a random game on my phone, and did housework in between playing the game and watching the show. I also responded to a few emails. But I didn’t even check my email until sometime yesterday afternoon. Oh! And I also said a few no’s. No’s without the guilt—the guilt I would typically place on myself.
Yesterday, I broke free from the box I’d put myself in. Sometimes, we create our own stress—lol, and I was definitely creating some of mine.
Yesss… yesterday, I set myself FREE!
Here’s to me doing better and being better, because I matter to ME!🎉
By the way, I retired my “Quote of the Day” posts. There’s still a quote, but it’s now part of my daily inspiration message.
This is all for now. I pray you have a wonderful Wednesday. May it be filled with lots of love and peace.♥️
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.comto 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:
I’ve always agreed with the sentiment—“Check on your strong friends”—but I never factored myself into that equation. Yes, I’m usually the strong friend, but I don’t need checking on as others do.
I’m good.
Nothing keeps me down.
I bounce back quickly.
God’s got me.
But yesterday, I needed to be checked on.
I wasn’t depressed or anything. But I was mentally and physically exhausted. And, I really needed to talk to someone. Not text, but talk. It’s crazy that I didn’t realize I needed to hear another’s voice until my phone rang. Then, when the person on the other end asked, “How are you doing?” Whew! Boy did I start talking!!
The funny thing is, we didn’t talk about much. I just needed human interaction that didn’t involve working or solving problems. Honestly, I needed to laugh.
Yesterday, I wrote about how drained I was. Well, this is how drained I really was.
While I was on the phone, I was also changing my bedding. I kept trying to put a fitted sheet on the bed but for some reason it wouldn’t fit. I would put it on one corner and by the time I tried to put it on the opposite corner, the other side would come off. I tried this several times before realizing I was trying to put a twin sheet on a queen size mattress. Ugh!! All I could do was laugh. I was out of it!
After our call ended, I texted my friend and thanked her for the call. It was definitely a God thing. You see, my friend and I rarely talk on the phone. We either text or talk in person, but never over the phone unless we’re working on something.
Again, I needed that call.
I also need to get out of the house more. I work from home and rarely interact with people in person, and rarely for fun. But this is about to change.
It has to change.
Okay… This was another random one. Or maybe I’m finally using my blog for its intended purpose, to share bits and pieces of my world with the world. Yeah… I think I’m back!
I’ve been deep in thought this morning about life—life in general, and where I fit into the scheme of things.
Today’s Quote of the Day is a scripture, Jeremiah 1:5— “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”
Yesterday, my elder friend, Ms. Raylawi, called and asked if I wanted to go to a college football game with her and one of her friends. Although I really wanted to stay home and work on a few things, I said yes. Before I could get ready, she texted me several changes to the plan. Before the last change, I threw a pork tenderloin in the oven and prepared toppings for sliders. Then, right before I left the house, she called to tell me that all of her plans had fallen through and she’d probably stay home. I told her it was okay because we were still going to have a great evening. I let her know I had already prepared our meal for the evening so we could just eat and hang out. And that’s what we did. We ended up watching the first season of LUPIN and talking until I saw that she could barely keep her eyes open. I told her she looked like a toddler fighting their sleep. It was way past her bedtime when I left.
I shared this story because this has been much of my life. As a child, I played with kids my age. However, I spent most of my time with older female relatives and family friends. Y’all, they had fascinating stories, and I sat and listened to them talk for hours. And sometimes we didn’t talk at all. We would watch the stories (soap operas) or their favorite shows together, then sit on the porch and people watch. When I became an adult, I did the same. I spent time with each of my childhood elders until they passed. Sometimes I was the only one who spent time with them before it happened. Now, here I am again. Not saying my friend is about to pass, but she’s been talking a lot about death lately and making sure everything is in order.
I often ask God if this is my life’s purpose. Many, many moons ago, I thought about opening a senior daycare. Then, a few months ago, one of my colleagues asked if I wanted to help her provide nutrition sessions to seniors at a few congregate feeding sites, and I said yes. So, every month I get to meet new seniors and hear their stories, while encouraging them to live their best, healthy lives.
I know this was random. Just got a lot on my mind about life and my role in it. Guess I should have made this one a “My Journey with God” post.
Anyhoo…
This is all for today. Oh… one more thing!
So, Ms. Raylawni told me she doesn’t sleep with her phone in her bedroom anymore because every morning before 5:00, it would ding. She said now when she hears it, she smiles and says, “That’s LaShaundrea.” Y’all, the smile on her face when she said it made my heart smile. Whew!
My life…
Okay… now I’m finish.
Thanks for letting me ramble. I have a few things to do to prepare for the week ahead, but I think I’ll take it easy most of the day.
Please take care of yourself and enjoy your day. May it be just as lovely as you are.♥️
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!♥️
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