That Girl Radio

Move In The Spirit, Not In Silence

• Rikki Lee • Season 4 • Episode 6

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Ever chuckled at the irony of 'moving in silence' while broadcasting every step on social media? That's just one of the playful paradoxes we're unpacking on That Girl Radio.  We're dissecting the Biblical blueprints of transformative storytelling. With a blend of humor and candid reflection, I'm opening up about the delicate dance of maintaining authenticity on my platform, all while threading the needle between hard-earned success and unwavering faith.

Strap in for an empowering ride as we champion the notion of 'Moving In The Spirit.' It's all about breaking molds, voicing our dreams with conviction, and leaning into faith for life's fulfillment. As a woman of color, I resonate deeply with the pressure to play small – but not today. I'm sharing heartfelt anecdotes and inviting you to leave your indelible mark confidently. This episode is a clarion call for all, especially women of color, to take up space unapologetically, allowing our individual stories to inspire and testify to the vibrant tapestry of grace that weaves through our lives. 

Did you enjoy today's episode? Leave Rikki a voicemail about what you took away to be featured on the next episode.
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Speaker 1:

Hey guys and welcome back to that Girl Radio. It is your lovely host here, ricky Lee, also known as that Girl, and you are now tuned into your weekly supplement to help you live and design your dream life. For this week's episode, I want to talk about moving in the spirit rather than in violence. Actually, I've been seeing these really funny memes that are making fun of people who say they're moving in silence but they update us on every single thing that they're doing to make said move. And it's funny because I've been the person who's moved in silence and I've also been the person who's moved with the footsteps of an elephant, and so it's all about finding that balance right. There is nothing wrong with sharing your journey. There's nothing wrong with that. I think the Bible, honestly, is a beautiful depiction of so many people being willing enough to share their journey, to share their story, the pathway from not being saved to being saved, from being poor to being wealthy, from being enslaved to being free. There are so many beautiful depictions of how we can walk in purpose in life, and the Bible is just a beautiful embodiment of the balance between moving in silence and moving in the spirit. And that's what moving in the spirit is, rather than in silence. I don't have to tell you that I'm applying for five jobs and I don't have to show you four out of the five didn't give me the job. I can choose to share what I want, but it is about what it is that you choose to share and why you're choosing to share it. That is the most important. There's one person who may be in those circumstances and choose to share each of the four denials and show to someone that on the fifth one, you may be blessed, that you should not give up. And there's another person who may choose to not even share that they had applied to five, but just share the fifth and make you feel like well dang, they are an extremely lucky person and man they got a job, like, but you don't know the backstory. And so we should stop putting an emphasis on worrying about if someone is moving in silence or someone is moving loudly and instead try to focus on what is it that they are trying to translate, what is it that they are trying to storytell as they are walking through their life, and that causes you to do introspection and ask yourself that same very question.

Speaker 1:

So often we look to vloggers, influencers and celebrities, as, like a reality TV series, we tune into their lives and we hold on so strongly, at face value what they're sharing with us, the storyline that they're depicting as though it is the only truth. But think about the things that they don't share. Think about the woes, think about the triumphs, the tribulations that they choose not to share. And that is what really is the scary part, you know, like that's where they're really moving in silence and they're not showing you their temptations, they're not showing you their troubles. And we take at face value all of the good things, the highlight reel, and we're like man, like they're going on vacations, they're buying this, they're buying that, they're getting so many amazing opportunities, but you don't know how many knows happened behind the scenes.

Speaker 1:

And so me, as an influencer, I take a lot of care with my platform and I try my best to do my due diligence to not dissuade any particular person that watches or tunes into my channel or any platform that I'm on and think that by any means, what I have came easily or that I am just such a lucky girl. I had to have not only faith, but also I had to do the work. I didn't just get by by waking up and saying, oh, I'm going to be great. I had to choose to be great. I had to work to be great, I had to believe to be great, and that is what it's all about.

Speaker 1:

But there is a great responsibility. We all have to move in the spirit daily to translate a story that he is working through you. You don't have to utter a word, you don't have to speak a word, you don't have to do anything. That people can feel his presence when they are around you, that they know the miracles of God when they are around you, that they know his mercy, that they know his favor. That is the type of movement that you should have when you're flowing through things. I don't care if you're loud, I don't care if you're silent, I don't care what you're doing, but I need to feel him when I'm around you. And so ask yourself, when people are around you, do they feel him, do they feel his spirit? Do they feel him working through you, regardless of if you're the loudest person in the room or if you are the most silent?

Speaker 1:

Because I used to think that, by being humble and saying nothing about any of my accolades or the things that I've accomplished. I was more like him. But I think you have to find about and this is up to everyone's discretion but for me, I have to find a balance, because how could people see the goodness of God if they didn't know what I had been through? How could people see the mercifulness of God had they not seen what I had been through, had they not known the journey that it took for me to get to the point that I am today? Because if you met Ricky today at 21, but you didn't know Ricky at 16, you wouldn't know the amount of hours and time that I put in to be able to live in the space that I do and to do the work that I do. Had I moved in silence, a lot of people would be confused.

Speaker 1:

But since I choose to move in the spirit, the things that are unexplainable about my character, that are unexplainable about my success, they could fill in the blanks and say, okay, god did that. And that's how I want people to be able to view all of you that are listening today. I want them to be able to view you and the parts of you and your story that don't make sense. They can fill in the blanks and say, okay, god did that. There was no other earthly being, no organization, no institution that could have put her on the pedestal that she is on today. And did that Despite coming from a broken home, despite coming from the worst circumstances. God did that.

Speaker 1:

But when you move in silence, how can people feel that, how can people know that, how can people celebrate that? And so many of us who are so gifted and talented and just beautiful, all like, just inside and out, we're trying to diminish ourselves, to shrink ourselves, to make the people around us feel comfortable. Because you've equated sharing your achievements. You've equated even speaking of the things you are trying to accomplish as you being bragging and boasting. But it's like if you change your surroundings, if you change your circle to a group of winners, it will not be uncommon for you to come to the table and say, oh, I'm doing this Because they are also doing something.

Speaker 1:

But if you sit at a table with people who are constantly doing nothing and the conversation is centered around gossip and discussing what everyone else is doing around them, then you will find that, oh, yes, it is weird for you to be doing something Because, babe, we don't talk about us actually doing stuff. We talk about what everyone else is doing, and so if you want to be able to move in the spirit, as loud or as quiet as it is at times, you have to change your surroundings to be in a space where they're willing to listen, in a space where they're willing to tune in and say, oh my gosh, I'm so excited and I'm so proud of you. Please keep me updated, because if you keep yourself in an environment where your success sounds like screeching halting breaks or it sounds like nails on a chalkboard, oh, they are going to encourage you to move in silence because we don't have time to celebrate you over here, boo, boo, and it's so disheartening, it's like it's so uncomfortable. And it's that because, of course, we want to share with the people we love the most the loudest versions of ourselves, the loudest parts of ourselves, and say, oh, my god, I did it, like I'm so excited and I'm doing this and I'm doing that. And when you're met with just such disgust and Such envy, it makes it hard for you to move in the spirit, because people will try to silence you, people will try to quiet your noise, the noise that you are making, the way you are shaking up rooms and making people turn their heads to listen to you. They will try to silence that at any given moment and at any point. That is their goal, and so you have to be willing to say, hmm, am I being silenced or am I just silent? Okay, that was a bar, but really are you? Are you moving in silence? Or were you silenced Because I feel like for a moment in my career and in my teenhood, I was silenced.

Speaker 1:

I Felt like there was no safe space for me to brag or boast Quote-unquote about the things that I was doing for myself, because it was so uncommon it wasn't common amongst my peers to do what I was doing. What I was doing was what they would probably Qualify as the bare maximum. I was doing the most and I liked it. I liked doing things that were different Because it set me up for where I am now. But I was definitely silenced for a good portion of my high school years because I felt like, in order to fit in, in order to be fun, in order to be, you know, cool, I needed to silence those parts of myself so that I could be one band, one sound with my friend group, and I want to encourage all of you to To continue to be as loud and full of spirit as you can.

Speaker 1:

I know the noise that you make to some is very startling. It's unsettling, but you do not need to silence yourself to make other people comfortable, and I don't mean that in the literal sense. Sometimes you don't have to say a thing and you make people uncomfortable. You shake the table and people are just like where does she come from? Like I'm so confused.

Speaker 1:

But you don't have to silence yourself to make other people comfortable. Just change your surroundings, change the table that you choose to sit at, cause, at the end of the day, so many of us are waiting to be picked. We're waiting to be given the opportunity to sit at someone's table and be called a friend, be called a lover, be called an employee of this really big company. But at the end of the day, you should be the one who's picking what table you want to sit at. Am I safe here? Am I allowed to move in the spirit here? Is my movement in the spirit better here? Like that's the type of questions you should be asking, because so many people think oh well, there's no room for God at work, there's no room for God in my relationship. There's no room for God in my friendships. But, like babe, you have to make room and the way you make room is by making noise, and so many of us are willing to be silenced to make others comfortable, to not shake the table, to have friends and community.

Speaker 1:

And it's like you don't get community by going outside of him and thinking that you can obtain it and sustain it by staying outside of him. You have to be willing to say, okay, I went outside of his will to get it. I had to move real crazily to get it and I mean, in order to keep it I'm gonna have to move real crazy. Like, do you not hear how crazy that sounds? If you have to go outside of his will and do crazy things and say crazy things to get something, maybe it's not for you. When you find that place where you don't even have to utter a word, your spirit alone is a magnet and it attracts beautiful things. You don't have to do what other people do. The table, my friend, will be built for you. God will find divine appointments to bring into your life that you can call your sister, that you can call your husband, that you can call your friend, and it will take time. It will take time, but it will take a matter of you being willing to make the right noise and move in the spirit and stop being so silent.

Speaker 1:

So many of us are so afraid to even utter the words of what we want because we're so afraid that we can't get it, and I want you to stop feeling like that, because anything that you want, he will make it happen for you. I am a testament to that. A lot of the things that I've wanted for myself, that I have uttered, that I have literally said and I've spoken to him in prayer he has made come to fruition. He is a very detail-oriented God. God is a creative director, child, he girl, he understands, he knows he built this earth in seven days. I mean that in and of itself is the most beautiful creation you could ever think of. He is the most prolific writer I have ever known, and so if you think he cannot write some of your next best chapters, I don't know what you're thinking, but you have to speak to him.

Speaker 1:

You have to be willing to make some noise and talk about the things that you want. That's just how it works, and at this point in my life, I am making the most noise that I've ever made. I'm moving with not light footprints in the sand, but I'm taking like big leaps of faith. Okay, I'm like you're gonna see that I walked in this space and that I made impact and that I'm taking strides forward. There's a trail that I'm leaving behind. I'm not moving in silence anymore. You will know that I scathe this earth, okay, and I want all of you to have that same posture. There's no reason to be peddling with light footprints in the sand and saying, oh, I don't want anybody to know that I'm doing this, I don't want anybody to know that I'm doing that. Who is that serving? I know that there are spirits, what they call monitoring spirits out there and you just ask God for discernment. But at the end of the day, when you put yourself on a platform and you allow people to spectate you, I mean you have viewers on your story every day. They're not going anywhere.

Speaker 1:

But until you are willing to make some noise and share what you can do, what you want to do, how are you going to align yourself to the things that you want for yourself? Yes, do the work. Yes, show up every day. But, like, sometimes God needs you to make a little bit more noise. What's that mean? Like, make some noise, y'all. What the heck, what the heck? Like, make some noise.

Speaker 1:

And, like I said, at this point in my life I'm making so much noise. I'm coming on this podcast weekly and I'm talking to y'all. This is my way of making noise. I am collaborating with other women who I believe are that girl, and I'm allowing them to use my platform as a means to share their story. I'm making noise. I'm choosing to take up space on my PWIs campus and trying to lead in a lot of the spaces where I used to just shy away and shrink myself because I felt like I didn't belong.

Speaker 1:

I'm making noise and I'm putting large footprints in the sand because I wasn't put on this earth just to get by. I was put on this earth to thrive and getting by and I just feel like when you move in silence, there's just there is one thing to be moving in silence, like I said before, and there's another thing to be silenced. So many societal pressures, especially as a woman of color, can make you feel like you can't share the goodness of God, you can't share your testimony, you can't share your blessings and the steps that you're taking towards your goals. And I'm here to tell you that that's not true. There is someone out there who needs to hear your story. That's why we have a that Girl radio, because we need to hear that just because I came from something that wasn't whole doesn't mean that I can't make myself whole in my next chapter. Just because I didn't have the qualifications or the necessary certifications doesn't mean that I can't get the job. I want this podcast and this community to be a beacon of light and a world full of darkness. I want us to show that the impossible is possible. I want us to show the miracles of God, and that means you're moving in the spirit and you don't have to say anything. Don't tell people what you're doing. Show them what you're doing.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot of things that I have done in the past six months that I never had to necessarily go to my story and say, oh, I'm applying to grad school, I'm applying for jobs. I didn't have to walk people through every single step, but if you tune into my vlogs, you will see that I've taken you through my journey and shown you me connecting with alum from the grad school that I'm looking to go to Me actually going and applying Me, submitting my application and then hearing back from the school on my results, which you guys will have to wait to see. If you're not following me on Instagram, I posted about what the results were, but if you didn't see that, then you will see it on the vlog. But just sharing with you guys my testimony, because the graph that I was looking into is the number one advertising program in the nation and I didn't have to post every single step in the process Me acquiring my letters of recommendation. I didn't have to do that.

Speaker 1:

Some would say that that was me moving in silence because I did the work behind the scenes, but I showed it on my vlog because there is a duty that I have to show other black women that this is a possibility for us. This is a very niche program and there are a lot of you out there who are extremely brilliant, who have creative talents out the wall, zoom, and we think that we have to box ourselves in and go and get an MBA or go get a Masters in Public Health or so many different things, because that's the safe thing to do. That's the thing that we've seen time and time again, produce success. But what if you decided to go all in on your thing? What if you decided to rely on God and move in the spirit and go into the field that you want to? And if I lead by that example, if I show up and I'm moving the spirit first, I don't even have to say a thing, but I just show you what I'm doing. I show you that there is a way. That's how you allow other people to see the endless possibilities that exist. And so by you moving in silence, you don't understand, you're missing your mark. Because there's so many people out there that need to see a you sitting at the table, because time and time again, when they look at the table, it looks and it feels like there's no room for someone like me. But when you show up and you show out and you not only take up space but you make room, you take a seat at the table and you make sure that before you get up from that table, you make another seat so that it's not only room for just another you to sit there, but for someone else too. That's what moving in the spirit looks like. It looks like taking up space and making room for more individuals that look like you to be able to make change, because I don't know about you, but I'm done being silenced.

Speaker 1:

I thought I was moving in silence, but in all actuality I was silenced. There was no room for me to be able to talk about the things that I was accomplishing. But now we're going to talk about it. We're going to talk about it and we are not going to be gatekeepers, because in a way, when you're silent about things, it's kind of like gatekeeping. We are the key holders to a lot of our brothers and sisters' success, I think, especially when we're talking about sisterhood on this podcast. Don't be the one who's gatekeeping. Be the key holder and be willing to unlock a multitude of doors for the women around you and just give them the secret sauce. You don't have to give them your secret sauce, but at least give them some words of wisdom on how they can go about the same thing as you, or sometimes you don't even have to tell them what to do. They've just seen you lead by example.

Speaker 1:

I really do hope you guys enjoyed today's episode on moving in the spirit rather than in silence. This was a tough one to record because there were so many things that I wanted to say and I have to just get it just right. If you enjoyed the podcast, make sure to share it with someone that needs some encouragement to move in the spirit rather than in silence. If you love the podcast, make sure to follow us on Instagram at Thaqro Radio. We have wonderful conversations on there through the hashtag let's Chat series that happens on our Stories Weekly to kind of just digest the topic of the week. Make sure you're following us on there to participate. Also, make sure you're following your lovely host here, ricky Lee. You can find me on Instagram at RickyLeeco. You can also find me on TikTok at the Ricky Lee, and I'm also on YouTube at RickyLeeTV sharing Bite Size episodes to help you live and design your dream life. I love you guys and I will catch you next week.