
Reflections and Encouragement with Mike Brown
By Mike Brown

Reflections and Encouragement with Mike BrownMar 14, 2022

Jetaun is in the building!
This week I’m joined by fellow ND alum, friend, and former colleague, Jetaun Davis. She’s the third guest to appear on the show. We reflect on her life/career journey, her Journey to Jupiter podcast, and how her interview with me on her show in Feb. 2020 inspired this show, among many other things that have manifested since that time.
We encourage everyone during the days, weeks, months ahead to stay focused on navigating our personal purpose journey, because it can help guide us while we navigate what’s happening in our world and local community.
Check out Jetaun and her work at: https://linktr.ee/jetaundavis
And join/follow the SOULSTIR journey at: www.soulstir.co

One foot in front of the other
This week I process a number of birthdays/anniversaries celebrated the past few days/weeks, and encourage us to allow ourselves to experience all of the feelings we have and use them as inspiration to carry on and put one foot in front of the other as we continue to use our gifts to live out our purpose and make a difference in the world.
Reminder: You can still get an AUTHOR SIGNED copy of Little Netta's Gift (while supporting a great cause) at: https://soulstir.co/products/little-nettas-gift

Msg 92: Checking in.
In this message I encourage us to check in on each other.

Comfort Zones and Kindness

Dad is in the building!
My dad, Charles L. Walton, joins me this week as we reflect on the events that have transpired over the past 30 days and beyond, including our relationship, our family, Little Netta's Gift (my first published book), and the Lil' Jeannetta Robinson Gifts of Love program.

It's still Open Door season.
This week I reflect on my health, the hiring on ND's new FB coach, and provide an update on the Lil' Jeannetta Robinson Gifts of Love program. Through all of the things, I encourage us to maintain a positive spirit of it being Open Door season in our lives no matter what we're going through.

December to remember.
This week I share gratitude for everyone's support during my health, entrepreneurial, and philanthropic journey the past several weeks. Inspired by words of wisdom from Ruby Bridges a few weeks ago, I encourage us to be the ones who make this a December to remember!

Milestones.
Milestones.

Stay patient.
This week I reflect on my continued journey with epilepsy and encourage us to stay patient.

Responding to life's darts
This week I reflect on my sister's birthday, my company, SOULSTIR's, first press release, and the aftermath of having 2 seizures in 24 days, which were life darts I didn't see coming. I'm so thankful for God's grace and mercy, and for all of the thoughts, prayers, beautiful words, and acts of kindness from sooooooo many people. As we approach the week ahead, I encourage us to stay focused on responding to life's darts with a positive attitude/mindset.

The Little Things
This week I reflect on my follow-up appointment with a neurologist and a beautiful #NDFamily homecoming weekend of sorts with alumni and friends returning to campus for ND's home opener. As we continue to navigate the week, I encourage us to pay more attention to the little things, the little moments, the little details - it can make a BIG difference in your life and life of others. Have a great week!

Thank you.
This week I reflect on two words: Thank You! Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, kind words, and love. I'm grateful for each of you. While I still have more doc appointments/tests, etc ahead, the initial diagnosis for my seizure is pointing toward the need for much more sleep and rest - all things I can def. work on. As we approach the week ahead I encourage us to fill our cups, so we can have something to pour as we try to make a difference in the world. Have a great week. Bonus note: This is message #80, WOW! Thank you for being on this journey with me for 80 weeks. God is good. Let's GO!

Grateful to be here.
This week I reflect on the fact that I am truly grateful to be here. I had a seizure Thursday night. What?! (my thoughts exactly). I'm thankful my wife was home and thankful I wasn't driving. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before and I'm honestly still processing it all. I wasn't going to say anything, but It would have been disingenuous of me to have an entire reflection from the week and not mention it. I don't share for sympathy sake. I only share in hopes that it will help someone. Many may have questions and I unfortunately don't have many answers. I'll hope to learn more when I see a neurologist. As we approach the week ahead I encourage us to pay closer attention to our health and wellness as we lean in on living out our purpose for being on this earth.

It takes a village.
This week I reflect on welcome weekend for incoming freshmen at ND, and my own welcome weekend when 30 people from my village came to send me off to college. I’m so blessed. I encourage us to express gratitude for people within our village and to do our part to uplift and support others. Have a great week!

Brick by brick.
This week I reflect on a wonderful time spent with my family as we laid my granddad to rest and celebrated his life. He was a bricklayer and this week I encourage us to approach the things we’re working through in our lives brick by brick, with patience, and with care. Have a great week!

Empowerment + Action
This week I reflect on a number of things, including the recent passing of my granddad. My encouragement for us as we approach the week ahead is to focus on putting more emphasis on taking ACTION once we realize we have the power within ourselves to do things that can make a difference our lives and the lives of others.

Protect your peace.
Realizing we have the power to protect our own peace is one thing, exercising that power with our actions is another. This week I reflect on a conversation with one of my siblings and on the courageous Simone Biles. As we approach the week ahead I encourage us to focus on protecting our peace and energy.

Little Netta
During this episode I reflect on my incredible birthday week and share the story of my late cousin, Jeannetta Lacole Robinson (Little Netta). I encourage us to live out her spirit of love, joy, peace, and kindness toward each other this week (and beyond).

The next right thing.
This week I discuss a HUGE birthday month for my family, including my own coming up this week (LET'S GO!). As we approach the week ahead, I encourage us to stay focused on advancing the things we have in our heart to do by focusing on doing the next right thing. Thank you, Disney!

Iron sharpens Iron.
This week on my Reflections and Encouragement show, I discuss 3 conversations that inspired me, and I encourage us to make it a priority to authentically engage with others. Iron truly does sharpen iron.

Personal independence
This week I discuss independence as a personal journey and encourage us to discern things in our lives that are keeping us from being free.

Finish Strong.
This week I reflect on inspiration from Allyson Felix and encourage us to finish the first half of 2021 STRONG!

Father's Day 2021
In this week’s message I reflect on Father’s Day and more. As we approach the week ahead, I encourage us to focus on putting in the work necessary to handle our responsibilities. We got this. Let’s GO!

Setbacks as Setups.
I’m grateful to God for all of the people he’s put in my life. I reflect on some of them in this episode, but also talk about a setback and how I’m approaching it as a setup — and I encourage you to do the same with setbacks in your life. Have a great week!

Swing your bat.
This week in my Reflections and Encouragement show I reflect on my mom’s recent visit and baseball. As we approach the week ahead, I encourage us to swing our bats no matter which pitches life throws at us. Keep swinging! Have a great week.

Mom is in the building!
My mom joins me as the first guest on the show! I reflect on the week and on what has transpired in my life one year since the murder of George Floyd. I encourage us to create the space to reflect on what I hope was a year of growth and development for all of us.

Sleep on it.
This week I encourage us to stay mindful of how we respond to life's megaphones that come our way.

Waves of goodness.
This week I encourage us to ride the waves of goodness that may be happening in our lives (no matter how small they may seem to you), but WATCH OUT for those MEGAPHONES! There is a special audio clip at the end of this message from when I was mic'd up at my first ever pep rally serving as the Notre Dame Leprechaun. Special thanks to my cousin, Demetri, for the cover design and clip at the end of this message. Love you, man.

Appreciation: Talk about it; Be about it.
Happy Mother's Day! This week I encourage us to express appreciation of others beyond our words. Let's try to go a step further and demonstrate our appreciation through our actions.

Courage.

Finding Space for Tough Conversations

Cylces
In this message I reflect on a wonderful virtual Memorial Day celebration with my family...and a tragic global event that unfortunately took place a few hours after that celebration.

Hope.
It had been on my heart to share reflections and words of encouragement and this is the first message I shared. My hope is that at least one person will be inspired by something I share in each reflection.