S.L. Brown's Blog

Happy Monday Inspiration Nation! Over this past weekend I sat in a booth with several independent authors at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show. As I sat talking to other authors and people brave enough to come check out our booth. Over the four days and many, many, many conversations I had a thought which of course I want to share with you all.

What if we put down our prejudices, our assumptions, our personal beliefs and feelings for one minute? What if we did not see skin color, age, gender, sexual orientation, republican, democrat, veteran, hippie, nerd, religious preference etc etc etc for just one minute? What if you just saw a person who you were just meeting for the first time and the two of you got to speak without all that other stuff for one single minute? Kind of like a child would do. What would we learn about each other? What would you learn about yourself? If we put down all that we assume and know for 1 minute and simply are genuinely inquisitive about one another's life, who they are, what they do and vice versa we would see how much more in common we all are on this big ball we live on.

To a child everyone is his/her friend. They play and make games up because that's what imaginative minds do. Yes, they fight, they argue and they get mad enough not to want to be friends any longer and then they forgive. Sometimes it takes an adult to mend the fences but often without intervention kids will make up with one another. How much more would you understand if you knew nothing for the first minute of meeting someone?

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of talking to young and old, veterans and non-veterans, husbands and wives, able and disabled, readers and non-readers and all other types of people. And as I told my story of my book (and other's books as well) many were amazed at my journey to that point. Some walked away with my book and some did not but all walked away with a different opinion of the big guy standing there in front of a book with him scowling. In fact, one guy said, "this can't be you the guy on the book looks older and maybe a little angry. You have have been smiling this whole time." I winked and said the book is about inspiration the guy on the front was simply "thoughting."

Today, I remind you that life is so much better when we embrace the unknown. When we walk and talk with strangers outside of our bubble and comfort zone. When we forget for one minute (and hopefully more) all the things we know to learn about the things we don't know. Be a kid and embrace the differences you just might find yourself in the eyes of someone who looks nothing like you, acts nothing like you, sees the world in a totally different way than you do while being very similar to you. Life is funny that way. Be amazing friends!Just a Thought

(A message from my Inspiration with Sean Puffy Brown page)

Happy Sunday Inspiration Nation. Last night I started thinking about all the people who I meet, talk to and/or read messages from on all these social media platforms. I honestly started feeling a bit sad at the underline (sometimes in your face) frustration, pain, hurt, anger and defeated messages people post. It is in memes, pictures, a word or two within a supposedly positive message. It is everywhere. I asked myself what would I say to this person or that person if it was my place to say something. Each person I thought of (it wasn't many to be honest) I came to the same conclusion he/she is in a battle with him/herself. A battle with self. That is the problem we seem to face in some way or another in today's world. If you are reading this let me take a moment to remind you of something that I often remind myself of from time to time.

You are not in a war with yourself. Your demons and your angels are yours. You are the strength and the weakness that both raises you up and crashes you down. Your thoughts are both damning and uplifting. Your mind is both fragile and indestructible. What you believe you are you are and what you believe you aren't you are not. You are both positive and negative. You are failure and you are success. You are a work in progress and a completed masterpiece. In short, you are the potential to be everything or anything you wish to be BUT you won't be anything if you spend all your days battling yourself.

We have one life. We have one go around. We have one chance to live. Everyone should work to be a better person today than they were yesterday but not at the cost of his/her own sanity. So, stop hating yourself. You are the only you that you can be. Stop taking shots at yourself. You created that person and today is as good a day as any to change course. Stop stepping on others to make yourself feel better. The only thing that comes from stepping on others is a horrible fall to reality where no one tries to stop you from crashing. Be a leader if you found a way and a follower if you are searching. Life is short and it ends in a blink of an eye. Learn to love yourself and evolve with that love not with hate.

Last point, I used the image of this tree because it reminds me of what I see when someone walks into my dance fitness class or my bootcamp class or one of my workshops. I see people for their amazing strength, their core, their reach and abilities to be grand in the field of life. Not everyone sees themselves as strength but taking any step that is scary is just that...strength. Be good to yourselves because you are everything. Just a thought!

Just a Thought In one of my post many moons ago I said that Dr. King's dream had died. I wrote about the turmoil in our country, the racial divide, the black on black crimes and the hate all around us. I painted the picture of America and its brokenness and the hopelessness that seemed to have washed over its grand landscape. I poured my hurt and disappointment into the message and begged for us, as people, to do something. I hoped we would start to see it. His dream had died I said more than once. In one passage (from 2014 I believe) I even said "I'm Sorry" to the memory of the man whose life was taken fighting for equality. I'm Sorry! To be frank I sat on the sideline and told the world how we were failing and I meant every word of it. It was true what I said. It was pointed, it was factual and it was a mirror to the damning nature of a society hell bent on selfishness and hate. This past year has altered that opinion which brings me to today's message.

When I started writing my messages that eventually turned into the book I published my goal was to start talking and getting people to talk. I often said, people need to step up and do something. People need to say what's right no matter their belief, faith, social status, color or whatever else we use to divide us because truth is truth. I walked around thinking someone needed to it. Then I published my book. Then I started talking because people would listen to me. Then I started to listen back. Then I started to understand what I, the guy who eloquently wrote about Dr. King, had been missing all these years. The message in my own words that I sent out like a beacon begging for a savior to come and help the lost souls of our country and world. I am one of those who I was calling for to stand up and make change. Yes, me. A simple retired supply guy who spends most days jumping around doing dance fitness and talking to anyone and everyone about making their lives just a little bit better. Me.

Dr. King's dream isn't dead it was lost in the mix of redirection and misinformation. It was lost in fear of the unknown of strangers who don't look like us or believe what we believe or see things the way we see it. It was lost in the judgement of confused kids who were given too much without understanding that everything has a price and responsibility that comes with it be it respect, pride, honor, hard work or anything else. We honor the things we worked hard for and we take for granted what we have been given in most cases. Dr. King hoped his kids would be judged by the merit of their actions and not by the color of their skin. We still have ways to go as a people but his dream isn't dead. Lost were the warriors of all races and backgrounds who stood up and said this isn't right. The white faces in the sea of black ones singing We Shall Over Come. The black men standing in front of a police line facing a crowd of angry black faces not letting the men and women in uniform be harmed by the angry mob. Lost were the people who rushed to the aide of others not because of what they believed in but because it was right. This year I was reminded his dream isn't dead it is alive and well in us.

On a warm night in Las Vegas as bullets rained down over an unsuspecting crowd Dr. Kings dream showed its life. Men and women of all races rushed to the aide of others risking their lives for humans. No one asked was a person gay or straight, a republican or democrat, black or white, for black lives matter or for blue lives matter, a convict or a non-convict or anything else. The saw humans in need. People ran towards the violence to help others. In the aftermath the politics and nonsense took over but in the moment we saw what American really was and it was watching that I realized it is in us all to stand up for one another especially those who don't believe what we believe. I am Dr. Kings dream. You are Dr. Kings dream. We are his dream. With this in mind I'll add to this last bit.

Humanity does not need more hate it needs more people to stand up to the ridiculous and the absurd. It needs people all races to open their hearts, minds and spirits to the history and heritage of others not to be converted but to understand, learn and share fellowship with one another. I have a dream that people will start to embrace the unknown and see the similarities in them rather than the differences. Here I stand as one of the pillars of Dr. Kings dream because in me it is alive because I HAVE A DREAM!

I make videos for my dance fitness choreography. I do not have a background in dance. I have never been a trained dancer or choreographer of any type. I did learn to salsa dance while deployed to Afghanistan and I can teach the basic steps if I was asked on most days but I am not a dance teacher. I don't pretend to be either. I love to dance and I love to make choreography up for songs I like to use in my classes. I have found that a few others seem to like my style and my choreography. They even use it in their classes. So, I continue share my attempts at choreography. As I have done so I have gained some supporters and my fair share of non-supporters. Which brings me to this point.

Today, a friend of mines shared a Youtube video of a guy shooting up Christmas ornaments with very big gun. You know "MAN STUFF" (and women too). It was a pretty good video. Stuff was shot and blown up with all the dramatic slow motion images and cool music to go with it.

I have a confession to make at this point I read the comments sections of most things. On the particular video I watched the guy doing the shooting was apparently ex-military guy who made it 95% (according to the chatter) through Navy SEAL training. The comments were both positive and negative but I focus on the negative ones. Such as he isn't a veteran (actually he served so he is), or he is a A-hole (doesn't really matter), or he is a wanna-be because he was released or failed SEAL training (for the record the drop-out/non finish rate is around 85% I believe) or my favorite though was the ones complaining about him having his daddy's money. It is, to be frank, simply amazing how easily we hate each other.

As I published my book I wondered who would be the first to slam it. Who would comment on my lack of grammar skills or proper use of writing techniques. In short, I was waiting for the haters. Then I realized I was doing the wrong thing for not only my book but for myself. I needed to remember some of my favorite lessons I learned throughout my life. Let me share one or two.

Be you. Always and every minute of every day and in every thing you do BE YOU.

Those who love you unconditionally and those who hate you relentlessly can both have the same effect on you, your drive and your belief. Take all praise and criticism with a grain of salt. Everything that is said has background or behind the scene reason for being said and it is rare that reason is known at that point.

Love what you do and give that which makes you happy. When you do it won't matter if no one or only one loves it. You love it.

When it is all said and done those who wish to walk with you on your journey will make it a much better ride than worrying about the people on the side of the road holding up signs of hate.

The last one I like to go to is a personal one for me. None of the people hating me was there when I had to eat noodles for dinner every day cause I didn't have money. They also wasn't there when I was sad, when I was hurt, when I was in war or when I had to deal with the death of my military brothers. In short, if they weren't there when I needed a hand up I don't care if they are there when I'm walking tall on the road.

Maybe the guy in the video cares about what people say. My guess is he does not in any way, shape or form. In the end, when his days are done he will have done what he wanted. There in lies the simple truth. It won't matter in the end. Do what you love and do it for you.

Just a thought!S.L. Brown

Maybe you found yourself reading this out of boredom. Maybe you found it out of curiosity. Maybe you found it because you have chosen to seek out new authors. Maybe you are here for a totally different reason all together. Whatever brought you to this blog post I thank you because you didn't have to stop and check it out. With that, let me share a thought.

I never considered myself a writer. I suppose like many I lacked the conviction or the know how or the understanding or writing to consider myself a writer. As a non-writer I wrote a book and published it. I wrote a book that I was sure no one would read. Yes, I hoped someone not related to me would read it but I did not really know if someone would or not to be frank. I did not consider myself a writer. Then something magical happened. I became a writer.

Someone told me that my book made them cry. Someone told me that my book opened doors for him and his wife to have conversations again like they did long ago. Someone told me that she needed 5 more copies for friends she said, "Had to have it" and proceeded to do so. Someone told me she bought my book for her brother who just got sentenced to 30+ years in prison and he, a man with little to be positive about, loved it. That was it, someone told me I was a writer. No, I am a writer.

I realized then that I had something to say and I, for better or worse, said it to people. I am a writer not because I have sold millions of books or have weekly chats about the wonderfully, wonderful world of Just A thought. No, no one is doing that (yet) but I am a writer. I am because I wrote. I wrote a message that meant something to me and people read it. I became a writer the day I chose to share. Yes, I AM a Writer. And now I am also a blogger too. Amazing what life passes to you.

I am a writer and now a blogger. You too are that as long as you write and share (or don't you're still a writer. So as you sit with my words and messages remember that writing is about your soul. It is about showing you who you are within the words you have put to paper or typed to computer. No one can take your voice or mine either and therefore I am now someone who is telling you that you are a writer.

Someone told me......