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Walking in a season where I feel overlooked and unseen, mainly in my career and in dating. And I would say to myself, dang, they're literally choosing everyone but me. And I'd feel unworthy. But the truth is, even if it doesn't feel like it, being unseen doesn't mean that you're unworthy. It doesn't mean that you're forgotten, and it doesn't mean that you're falling behind in whatever it is. Sometimes God hides us on purpose. Not to withhold from us, but to prepare us, to protect us, to position us properly. I had to shift my mindset from why not me? To maybe not yet. And that has been getting increasingly harder the older I get. Because, God, why not me? And why not right now? That's how I've been feeling. But deep down, I know that when the time is right, what is meant for me will not miss me. And if I force it too soon, I might be stepping into something that I'm not even ready for. So if you're feeling like you're always the last one picked, like you're being overlooked while everyone around you is being chosen, let's take a deep breath together. Because you're not being forgotten. You're being positioned. What is going on? Beautiful people, you are listening to the Affirmations for Black Girls podcast where we focus on personal growth and cultivating a healthy relationship with ourselves. I am your host, Tyra, the creative actress, content creator, and mental health enthusiast. And y'all, we are live and in color. If you guys did not know, this is a video episode. So if you're listening, you can go and watch us on the YouTube channel. Or you can keep listening if that's what you want. I have been thinking about what we're discussing today for the longest, y'all, and let me just say, it does not feel nice to feel unseen, to feel constantly overlooked, to see your peers or your friends or, you know, people around you, experience the things that you had hoped to experience along with them at the same time. But before we dive deeper into all of that, let's go ahead and jump into our affirmation of the week. This week's affirmation is the doors with my name on them will open effortlessly. Let's go ahead and drop in, y'all. The doors with my name on them will open effortlessly. The doors with my name on them will open effortlessly. The doors with my name on them will open effortlessly. What does that look like, to open effortlessly? What do you think it'll feel like once those doors are open? The doors with my name on them will open effortlessly. Let's go ahead and say it one last time together. The doors with my name on them will open effortlessly. Oh, Lord, y'all, I be needing to hear this every day. I'm not even necessarily worried about timing so much when I'm thinking about this affirmation. I'm more so worried about all of the force that I'm trying to put behind something. It's just something about when you're living in God's will and you're walking the path that God has laid out for you that makes it effortless. And it doesn't necessarily mean that you won't go through hardship and you won't go through trials and tribulations or have to learn some things. But when you look back, you're like, dang, like, that was prepared for me. And you can tell that it was prepared for you. So with that being said, let's go ahead and dive into all of this. Because I know if I feel this way that I've been in the season of being hidden, I know there's someone else out there who has as well. So let's go ahead and dive in. I've been thinking about this a lot more lately since I have felt or overlooked so much more deeply as in the last, like, year two years. But I've asked myself, what if this waiting season is actually a positioning season? And if you're like, okay, girl, what does that mean? I'm still waiting. There could be so many things in our lives that we're not paying attention to. And rushing to get to X, Y and Z that we are believing God for, that we're wishing for, that we're working towards rushing to those things when we haven't done the proper inner work or we haven't had the right experiences can make us not prepared for those things. We often assume that if we're feeling unseen that we're not enough. But sometimes that unseen season is God protecting us from something that we don't have to go through. It can also be a time to play and figure stuff out. I like to think about it, like, whenever we talk about, like, a season of singleness, I'm like, God dang, like, I'm ready for my husband. What is going on? I want that man to be here. But then when I think about past relationships, I'm like, okay, I just went on a date with this. This is hypothetical. Okay, I just went on a date with this guy and something triggered me and I hadn't dealt with that thing. Or I went on a date with this guy and I had a situation and it triggered me, and I didn't realize that I still felt so strongly about this. Or. Or I went on a date with this guy and he asked me a question, and I did know the answer to it. For me, all of those scenarios are situations where we need to do a little more something on our end. So these waiting seasons aren't just a time for you to just sit down. And by the way, y'all, I'm talking to myself. I'm talking to myself even more than I'm talking to y'all right now. But these waiting seasons aren't a time for you to just sit down, sit pretty. It's a time for you to do all the things that you need to do. Like, in my notes, I put. It's a time where I can play and figure out things without forward facing judgment. Do you know how dope that is to be able to trip and fall and dust yourself off without the peanut gallery looking at you like, that is? I think that's something that we take for granted. And it can look a lot of different ways. Like, I'm gonna stick to my dating life and my career as we talk about these things. But for career wise, I'm a content creator. I'm very forward facing, and I'm also an actress. Like, that is my actual career goal. Imagine if I blew up, right, and I was still trying to figure out who Tyra was, what stories Tyra wanted to tell. And I had all these people looking at me, having this idea of me and what I'm supposed to have going on, and I mess up or I flop. And then they have all of these judgments and these criticisms that if I was still in a hidden place or feeling maybe not feeling unseen, like, these can be two totally different things, right? You can not necessarily feel unseen, but you can feel hidden, right? So if I'm in this hidden place, that is like my shield to be able to try stuff out and really figure out what I want. I also think about it when it comes to relationships, I often ask myself, because I keep saying, God, with my husband at am I ready to be a girlfriend? Or is it just something that I'm ready to check off because of my personal timeline and my biological clock? Amen, God. But is it something that I'm just trying to check off, or is it because of other people around me? A lot of my friends are starting to get married. We're at that age where you start to get married, have babies, yada, yada, yada, all of that stuff. What actually is it? And I went on a date. This was a while ago. I probably told you guys about this, but I went on a date with this guy, and just being around him made me say, dang, maybe I'm not ready to date again. Maybe I'm not ready to be not ready to date. Maybe I'm not ready to be a girlfriend. But then I'm like, okay, well, maybe it's just that I don't want to be his girlfriend. It's just so much nuance to it and being able to, like, fumble around and get your footing and figure that stuff out. I think that's a space that we oftentimes take for granted. Well, for the most part. The easiest way that I can put it, like, whenever I'm, like, journaling about this, is I feel like I'm the last kid to be picked for the team when we playing kickball. And that's not a good feeling to have. And as I was reflecting, even trying to write my notes for today's episode, I was just like, dang, like, where does that come from? Why do I feel like I'm the last kid to get picked? And also, even if you are the last kid to get picked, why does that make me feel sad? And I think a lot of it has. Has. I think it has a lot to do with my attachment style. I have, and I've told you guys this in the past, I have an anxious attachment style, and I am working on it a lot. I think we should do a lot more on attachment styles, but I don't really know much about all of them to, you know, do a full episode. But we'll get there one day. So I think it's very interesting and it helps you gather information about yourself to take yourself to the next level. So in. In a general sense, an anxious attachment style is characterized by a strong desire for closeness and reassurance in relationships, often leading to fear of abandonment and feelings of insecurity when those needs aren't met. It can look like. Often feeling overlooked or unchosen in relationships and particularly in dating seek these people seek constant reassurance and validations from others which can lead to them feeling inadequate when the affirmation isn't received. And feelings of being left out, like not being picked for the kickball team, can be particularly triggering, especially if you fear rejection or you are used to waiting for others to choose you. And that alone is like, dang, that's so real. Because I know I have a fear of rejection and I know that these feelings of feeling unseen can stem from that as well. A fear of rejection is like feeling unchosen and it may resonate with a deep seated fear of rejection often tied to your anxious attachment style. And this fear can make you question your worth. And that alone can make you feel like you're not enough. I have had a lot of times in my life where I have wanted to seek external validation. I will say I have seen a pattern of that in my life. And people with anxious attachment styles rely heavily on external validation. And when I read that I was like, oh yeah, that makes sense. We rely heavily. We, as in people with an anxious attachment style, rely heavily on external validation style to feel secure. And when that validation is absent, it can lead to feelings of being unseen or ignored. And the analogy behind being the last kid being picked for the kickball field could reflect emotional vulnerability and insecurity when validation is not being received. And I think in this hidden place that I'm in right now, it is my job to heal myself. I need to acknowledge that my sense of worth shouldn't be dependent on others choices. And that's hard. I'm not going to sit here and say that it's easy, especially when this has been my attachment style for 30 years. Right? I have moved towards a more secure attachment style, but little nuance. Things are happening in my life where it's like, okay, I also need to work on that in my career. I also need to work on that in relationship because little morsels of an anxious attachment style show up in different ways. So when we talk about feeling unseen or feeling left out or overlooked as it relates to relationships and singleness. Singleness can be a time where we heal and we learn to validate ourselves. And I really want to focus on growing my sense of worthiness and understanding that I'm not overlooked just because that I'm not overlooked and that I am enough and I'm just being positioned for something else, something better, something outside of what I think I should have in this moment. And I think it's important that we live in that because I'm the type of person that I will just. What's the word I'm looking for? I will just sit in it. I will just ruminate, ruminate, ruminate. And I have to remember like God has a plan for each and every one of our lives. And I can't just sit there throwing myself a pity party. I mean, take like a day or two to, you know, cry, whatever, but you can't just sit there throwing yourself a pity party. So I'll give you guys some practical ways to heal from like whenever you're in a season of singleness or any type of season of feeling unseen and un. And overlooked, practice and this is, you know, if you have an anxious attachment style, practice self soothing. Learn to manage anxiety by grounding yourself in the present moment without relying on others for reassurance. Focus on setting healthy boundaries. We talk about that a lot. Create a space for yourself to embrace self care routines that help you feel more secure. Communicate openly. This has been one of the hardest things at, like when I first started dating seriously like in my early 20s and it's getting so much easier now that I'm 30. But communicate openly. Express your needs and fears in relationships while also practicing patience and understanding with those people and then challenge those negative thoughts. Replace feelings of inadequacy with affirmations that affirm your worthiness of love and respect and build emotional resilience. Focus on strengthening your own emotional stability instead of relying on constant validation from others. Because one thing that I didn't learn is it's not going to always come. You have to be that person for yourself. A couple of years ago we talked about talking to your inner child and that exercise, I do that all the time. I did it then, I still do it now. I have a picture of my younger self. I was probably like 8 in this photo and it's in my bathroom. That's the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning and go and brush my teeth. And I talk to her. Whenever I'm feeling anything or I want to console myself, I'm talking to her. I'm looking at that picture because oftentimes we look at our childlike selves or we look at children and we speak to them with such grace. And we don't always give ourselves that same amount of grace. 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One thing that I've been working on is retraining my brain to know that being hidden is not a punishment. And it's not a lack of something that I am doing. It's a process. It's a refining period. And I'm not missing out. And I'm being made ready for whatever is next to come. So think about things that grow in the dark. Seeds, roots, even diamonds grow under immense pressure. The strongest things are often developed in unseen places. So I really want to take this to the Bible for a second. We're going to talk about Moses and how he spent 40 years in the wilderness before stepping into his calling. So you can read that about that in Exodus, chapter three, verses 1:12. And this is something that I want to study more. I don't know it like the back of my hand or anything, but it's a great story for what we're talking about today. So for context, and I'm going to read directly off my notes for this. For context, Moses had been living in the wilderness for years after fleeing Egypt. He was far from the palace life he once knew and was now working as a shepherd. When God calls him from the burning bush to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses is doubtful and unsure of his worth. He feels inadequate and unqualified for the task at hand. Now I'm going to read two verses, and this is going to highlight his initial response to God's call for him. So In Exodus chapter 3, verse 11, it reads, who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Moses is questioning why he someone who has fled Egypt and felt he had no place, will be chosen for such an important mission. His insecurity and doubts are clear here. And in verse 12, God says, I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that it is I who. Who have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. God reassures Moses with a promise. It's not about Moses abilities, but about God's presence and the plan. God tells Moses that he will know that it is God who has sent him when they reach the mountain to worship. This reassures Moses that even though he feels inadequate in this moment, that God has already set the plan plan in motion. H. It's already in motion. Everything for your life is already in motion. Even if you're in a hidden place, even if you feel inadequate, unworthy, and all of that is already in motion. So the key things that I want y'all to take away from this and that I'm taking away from this as well, is, number one, Moses felt unqualified. Just like Moses, we often feel unqualified or hidden in seasons of waiting, when things aren't happening as fast as we want them to, or we're not getting results that we thought we would get at a certain time. And in Moses's case, his wilderness experience wasn't wasted. It was preparation for his future leadership. The second thing I want you to take away is God's assurance. God assures Moses that the mission will be accomplished through his presence, not through Moses's own strength in our own lives. Even when we feel overlooked or out of place, God is with us, preparing us for things that we can't see. And that is why when you're in these places where it's like, okay, I feel like I'm just waiting on something to happen. Do the work that is there. Reflect. Do the introspective work to see, okay, what could I be working on right now? What is something that I want to refine within myself? Start there, and I feel like everything else will fall into place. The third thing is the purpose of the wilderness or the waiting. Moses had to go through the season of being hidden in the wilderness to become the leader that he was called to be. Similarly, when we feel like we're not being noticed, it could be that we are in a season of preparation for something greater. We might be in the wilderness period. And I see a lot of, like, people on the Internet talking about they're in their wilderness era. I don't really, like. I don't say it like that, but you know what I mean? Like, they're in their wilderness era. They, it. They are in a hidden place. They are in a place where it is time for preparation. They are being refined. And the fourth thing I want you to take away is there is no wasted time. Even though it feels like time is passing without recognition or without anything happening, God is using these seasons to shape us. You should still be living in these seasons. You should be taking advantage, full advantage of all of the things that you do have control over in your life. The wilderness was not wasted on Moses. It was a time of growth and preparation for his leadership role that God called him to while he was there for 40 years. Moses was in the wilderness for 40 years. I'm not even 40 years old, and I know time and stuff was different back then, but think about that for a second. I'm not even 40. You like, I don't know how old you are watching this, but some people wait a lifetime for their dreams to come true, for certain things to happen in their lives. And if we wait on those moments and if we just sit there and ruminate and pity ourselves when we're in these unseen, hidden places, are feeling overlooked, we will not live, we will not live a full life. That's the biggest thing. Like, I always want to make sure that I'm living a full life. So if you're in a season of waiting, if you're in a season where you feel hidden, like nothing is happening for you, nothing is in motion. Could this be a season that is protecting you from something that you're not aware of yet? And what skills, mindset shifts, or healing do you think you need before stepping into what's next, what God has for you? I think those are great reflection questions. Like I said in dating, for me, when I reflect on past days that I've been on and I really take inventory of how certain things made me feel, I'm like, okay, I gotta work on that. Oh, okay. I need to dig deeper in this way. Oh, okay. I need to figure out what this means for me. All of that stuff is super important. So some examples of some skills that you can build. Patience and self compassion, clear communication. We all could use better communication, no matter how good we get at it, because it's always going to be somebody that we don't know how to communicate with properly. We can always grow in that way. And also resilience, building the ability to bounce back from setbacks and disappointments, like being in a place where you feel unseen, unworthy. We need to build resilience against that. Some mindset shifts. We can learn trust in the process, embracing our worthiness without validation and focusing on growth and not perfection. And in the healing side of things, what do you need to heal from? Healing from rejection. I know I got that. I know I got that. I need healing from codependency, healing from the fear of the unknown. Are there anything or is there anything you need to heal from? Because overcoming the fear of what's next by focusing on the present moment and trusting that even in periods of hiddenness, you are still being prepared for something greater that is a superpower. So let's talk about validation a little bit more here. There is so much danger that can be associated with seeking validation. Well, seeking validation and then seeking validation too soon for something that you're working on. The temptation to rush the process and wanting recognition before you prepare for it can cause you more harm than good. Because with recognition, because with recognition also comes judgment, scrutiny, and criticism. And I know it's not all bad, but those things do also come with it. Social media makes it easy to believe that visibility equals value in what you do or what you. What you have. But not all attention is good attention. And I'm not talking about all press is good press. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking more so about our mental state with all of this added press, with all of this added visibility and all this added attention. So think about some times where people have blown up. Like, you know, people who are in the limelight have blown up, but they maybe weren't necessarily ready to handle it all, whether it's in their career, relationships or in personal growth and it wasn't sustainable, or they burnt themselves out or they took a step back, all of the things. So I wrote down a couple of people who just came to mind for me. First person is Simone Biles. We know who Simone Biles is. She is the most decorated gymnast. And in the 2020 Olympics, or after 2020 Olympics at Tokyo, she decided to take a step back for her mental health. And while I don't know the full story, I know it had a lot to do with all of the criticism and judgments and scrutiny that were going on and along with her constant need to perform highly and to succeed highly and be at the top of her game. And her mental health took a toll on that. And it was just an overwhelming pressure to maintain perfection. And that can happen a lot, especially when you, like, become an overnight sensation. And I know everybody puts in work, right, and overnight success takes 30 years, like, that's the saying. But what I'm talking about is when someone steps into a new space and they go viral, they have that viral rise and they haven't had time to really stretch their, stretch their wings in this space before they have all these new followers or these new eyes on them. So another person who is more along those lines, her name is Gloria. She's a beauty influencer and she's very, very dark skinned. She's darker than me. And she posts a lot of content about makeup brands that say that they are inclusive on their websites. And then she will swatch their darkest shade or she will swatch their, their. She'll swatch their products. Right? And a lot what happened is a lot of these brands will have products that are not inclusive. The shades would be the darkest shades that they would have. Let's take foundation for example. The darkest shade would be way too light for my skin tone or, you know, I wish I could give you guys like visual examples here. But the thing is, she's a dark skinned girl and not to say that everything has to work for you, but some of the foundations that she was watching look like they were just for white people. And that was supposedly that brand's darkest shade. That is crazy. And that is not inclusive. So her whole thing was don't say that you're inclusive if you're not. And she would also do blushes and things like that. And the issue with those are, and I know I'm kind of deep diving into this, but it makes I have to drop the point home. She would swatch blushes and things and they would all be made with a white base. Now I don't know about you, but with a dark skinned girl or with a lot of brown melanated people, when you put a white base on us, whatever color, whatever pigment you put on top is still going to look washed out and ashy. It's going to look like it has some white under it. And that's not how you want your makeup to look. You want it to blend flawlessly into your skin. So she started to get a lot of hate. If the makeup doesn't work for you, it's just for you. But you don't have to bash the brands and all this type of stuff. And she wasn't bashing the brand, she was just sharing, hey, you're not inclusive and I'm showing you that you're not. And she got a lot of flack for it and she has to take a step back because the Internet can be a very cruel place and that I'm not Saying that she was expecting external validation or whatever. But what I am saying is sometimes when we rise super fast, we are not equipped or have the plans in place to handle the scrutiny of the public eye. In this specific instance, we don't always have that. So my question to you is, have you ever felt pressure to prove yourself before you are ready? And I can just go on that same vein of not being or like, not become an overnight success, but blowing up really quickly. Me, I have felt pressured to prove myself before I was really ready when it comes to this podcast. And I know that may sound crazy to say, but, and I've said this in the past, this podcast was a hobby. It was something that I just wanted to be like an open letter type of thing. And I wanted to post on it whenever I wanted to, not every week. I didn't care about an audience, none of that. And I think that's why it grew the way that it did, because it was so from the heart. But I wasn't prepared for it. And for a while, I didn't really know what to do with my podcast. I was like, what am I going to talk about? Why do they care about what I got to say? I am just a girl. But at the same time, it's like everybody goes through things, Tyra. And I had to make sure that I knew, like, people just want to hear my experience and how I got through things. Because you never know how much your story can help somebody just by sharing it. And another way that I felt that I had to prove myself was with my YouTube channel. My YouTube channel started to blow up last August, and I was like, oh, my gosh, what do I have to do? I have to do this. I have to make sure that I'm following the algorithm. I have to make sure that I'm doing content on top of this and I'm posting this is all of that stuff. And it became daunting. And I say, you know what, Tyra? We're not about to do that. We know about to do that. Because the video that went viral isn't necessarily something that I wanted to continue posting about 24 7. So I stuck to my post schedule and I'm still growing. I'm still growing exponentially. And it's amazing. But that was the time. Those are two times where I felt like I had to prove myself before I was ready. Now, we talked a lot about validation and external validation. So how can we learn to validate ourselves instead of seeking it from external sources? Whether that's people around us, social media, all of those things. Number one, you can practice self acknowledgment. Start by recognizing your own efforts and accomplishments, no matter how small. Celebrate your wins Internally. That is something. We've talked about this and I also put this in our New Year Define Me workbook. If you don't have the workbook, what are you doing? Get the workbook. But anyways, we talked about that. Celebrating our small wins. It's so important because it will retrain your brain to know that everything you do is dope. Everything you accomplish, everything you set your mind to that you accomplish is dope. And it deserves a celebration, even if it's not to the people on the Internet. The second thing we can do is affirmations. This is affirmations for black girls, so we know a lot about that already. You can also set personal goals, focus on what matters to you and not what others expect of you. This creates a sense of fulfillment and direction that doesn't rely on outside opinion, mindfulness and self reflection. You can also do journaling. Stop comparing yourself. That's way easier said than done. Trust and believe. I know that, but stop. Avoid comparing your journey to others. Your path is unique and validation should come from your own standards and not you looking at somebody else's standards and then putting them on yourself. That's not fair to you. And learn to be your own cheerleader. Cheer for yourself. Cultivate the habit of speaking kindly to yourself, especially in moments of doubt. Be your own biggest supporter and practice self compassion. Understanding mistakes and setbacks are part of growth. Instead of seeking external validation, be compassionate with yourself when things don't go as planned. And the biggest thing that I want you to take away from this is the right people will see you when the time is right. The right opportunities will come your way when the time is right. And until then, and even after that, focus on the work. Don't focus on the applause. The Bible mentions a hidden place a few times throughout, often symbolizing a period of preparation, safety or refining where God's purposes unfold in due time. As Isaiah 60:22 reminds us, @ the right time, I, the Lord will make it happen. Our only job through all of this is to trust the process, to remain steadfast and to continue living our life. Embrace the desires of your heart that are within your control and trust that the right opportunities, the right people and the right moments will come when you are fully prepared to step into them. Being unseen doesn't mean you're forgotten. It's simply a pause from the outside world or the outside eyes for your growth. Trust that your hidden seasons are not wasted, but are in fact preparing you for something greater. I would use this time to build my own foundation, to learn my worth and heal from what no longer serves me that I'm carrying around. Get rid of that baggage. The right doors will open for you in the right time. And when they do, you'll be more than ready to walk through them. So let's all stop chasing validation. Let's all stop worrying about being the last one picked and being overlooked. And instead, let's choose to validate ourselves right where we are in this moment. And like I said, I'm saying this to myself even more than I'm saying it to you guys, because I've had this feeling for quite some time. But you are worthy, you are capable, and your time is coming. Foreign, you know what time it is. It is time for our fun closing segment and today's closing segment. In honor of Women's History Month, which is now in honor of a black History Month, which was last. Last week, last month, and just the fact that we're talking about feeling unseen and, you know, unworthiness, I wanted to read a poem by the one and only Maya Angelou. And we're going to read Phenomenal Woman because I feel like it's a great poem to go along with what we've talked about here today. And I want to do some. Some different stuff for our fun closing segments. So with that being said, I'm gonna read y'all a poem. Pretty women wonder where my secret lies I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size but when I start to tell them they think I'm telling lies I say it's the reach in my arms the span of my hips the stride of my step, the curl of my lips I'm a woman phenomenally phenomenal woman that's me I walk into a room just as cool as you please and to a man the fellows stand or fall down on their knees Then they swarm around me a hive of honeybees I say it's the fire in my eyes and the flash of my teeth the swing in my waist and the joy in my feet I'm a woman phenomenally phenomenal woman that's me Men themselves have wondered what they see in me they try so much but they can't touch my inner mystery When I try to show them they say they still can't see I say it's in the arch of my back the sun of my Smile. The ride of my breasts? The grace of my style? I'm a woman Phenomenally phenomenal woman? That's me? Now you understand just why my head's not bowed? I don't shout or jump about? Or have to talk real loud? When you see me passing? It ought to make you proud? I say it's the click of my heels? The bend of my hair? The palm of my hand? The need for my care? Cause I'm a woman? Phenomenally phenomenal woman? That's me. Oh, my gosh. I'm about to have that poem on repeat, y'all. I'm gonna have to record me doing a little one, two with that. I'm a phenomenal woman. Okay, we are phenomenal. It does not matter what season of your life you're in. You are not inadequate. You are not unworthy. You are not lacking in any way just because you don't have what Becky down the street got or what Tyrone up the street got. It does not matter. Everybody's path is different. And no matter what season you're in, you're still moving towards your goal. And God has already set it in motion. God has already set it in motion for you. And I'm so excited because as I say all of this to you guys, I'm just thinking about myself, honestly, and I'm just like, okay, God is already in motion, and I'm just excited. So one thing I'm gonna do is go back to Exodus and read more about the story of Moses and when he was in the wilderness and really study that a little bit more so I can really get a full grasp of that entire story and how it relates to my life. So with that being said, y'all, that is all that I have for you guys today. I would love to hear some emails from y'all. Like, if you have anything that you want to add about this story or just. Or this story, about this podcast episode or just any thoughts that you have, go ahead and shoot us an email. I. Or if you're watching, leave us a comment below. Please comment. I really want to create that open line of communication with you guys. But, yeah, this episode is to the person, and I know it says the girl in the caption, but, you know, that's just SEO friendly stuff to the person that feels unseen. I see you. I see you. That thing you want, that plan you have, it is already set in motion. The season that you're in, that hidden season, this is the time to play. This is the time to fumble around, try things, make mistakes. This is that time and it is a blessing. And I'm going to start taking a little bit more advantage of mine because I don't know how much longer I'm going to have this time. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be in this hidden place. And I just. This podcast episode was so therapeutic for me. It really was. I think that's why God allowed this podcast to be more than I thought it would be. Because there are so many times where I am having a therapy session with you guys or having a revelation while I'm talking with you guys. So for that, I say thank you. Now, if you're not already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel. Make sure you give this video a like if you are listening, make sure you are subscribed to the podcast on your favorite listening platform. Follow the podcast. Leave us a rating and leave us a review. The reviews help so much and I thank you guys so much for listening and I'll see you guys again in the next episode. This is Affirmations for Black Girls.
Podcast Summary: Affirmations for Black Girls
Episode 408 | "To the Girl That Feels Unseen.. The Hidden Season: Embracing the Quiet Moments That Prepare You for What’s Next"
Release Date: March 3, 2025
Host: Tyra The Creative
In Episode 408 of the Affirmations for Black Girls podcast, host Tyra The Creative delves deep into the emotional landscape of feeling overlooked and unseen, particularly in areas such as career and dating. This episode serves as a comforting guide for women experiencing similar sentiments, offering insights and affirmations to foster personal growth and resilience.
Tyra begins by sharing her personal experiences of feeling unchosen and unworthy, both professionally and romantically. She candidly expresses the internal struggle of shifting her mindset from "Why not me?" to "Maybe not yet," acknowledging the increasing difficulty of this transition as she ages.
Tyra (02:15): "Sometimes God hides us on purpose. Not to withhold from us, but to prepare us, to protect us, and to position us properly."
The episode features the affirmation:
"The doors with my name on them will open effortlessly."
Tyra emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's timing and recognizing that hidden seasons are preparatory phases, not indicators of worthlessness or stagnation.
Tyra explores the idea that waiting periods are times of positioning and preparation. She highlights that these seasons allow for inner work and personal development, which are essential for future opportunities.
Tyra (07:45): "These waiting seasons aren't just a time for you to sit down. It's a time for you to do all the things that you need to do."
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to understanding how attachment styles, particularly anxious attachment, influence feelings of being unseen. Tyra explains how an anxious attachment style can lead to a dependence on external validation, resulting in insecurity and fear of rejection.
Tyra (12:30): "People with anxious attachment styles rely heavily on external validation. When that validation is absent, it can lead to feelings of being unseen or ignored."
Tyra uses relatable analogies, such as being the last kid picked for a kickball team, to illustrate the emotional impact of feeling overlooked. She reflects on her own experiences in dating and career, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and personal growth during these times.
Tyra (16:05): "Being unseen doesn't mean you're unworthy. It's simply a pause from the outside world for your growth."
Tyra draws parallels between her experiences and the biblical story of Moses spending 40 years in the wilderness. She highlights how this period of seeming inactivity was, in reality, a time of preparation for his future leadership role.
Tyra (18:25): "Moses felt unqualified, just like us. But his wilderness experience was preparation for his future leadership."
Tyra discusses the challenges faced by public figures like Simone Biles and Gloria, a beauty influencer, who encountered immense pressure and scrutiny upon gaining sudden visibility. These examples underscore the importance of being mentally and emotionally prepared for unexpected attention.
Tyra (22:40): "When you rise super fast, you are not equipped or have the plans in place to handle the scrutiny of the public eye."
To counteract the need for external validation, Tyra offers practical strategies:
Tyra (30:10): "Celebrate your wins internally. It will retrain your brain to know that everything you do is dope."
Tyra emphasizes the importance of healing from past rejections and building emotional resilience. She advocates for practices like self-soothing and grounding techniques to manage anxiety and foster a secure sense of self.
Tyra (34:50): "Focus on strengthening your own emotional stability instead of relying on constant validation from others."
A powerful segment of the episode involves connecting with one's inner child. Tyra shares her personal ritual of talking to a picture of her younger self, providing a source of comfort and self-compassion during challenging times.
Tyra (38:00): "I look at 8-year-old Tyra and talk to her whenever I need to console myself."
In the closing segment, Tyra recites Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman," reinforcing the episode's themes of self-worth and inner strength. She encourages listeners to embrace their unique journey and trust that their hidden seasons are preparing them for greater endeavors.
Tyra (48:30): "You are worthy, you are capable, and your time is coming."
Tyra concludes by reaffirming that being unseen is a period of growth and preparation. She urges listeners to focus on self-validation, personal development, and trusting the process, ensuring them that their efforts are leading them toward their destined path.
Tyra (52:45): "The right doors will open for you at the right time. When they do, you'll be more than ready to walk through them."
Episode 408 of Affirmations for Black Girls offers a heartfelt exploration of the often challenging emotions associated with feeling unseen. Through personal anecdotes, biblical references, and practical advice, Tyra provides listeners with the tools and mindset needed to navigate these hidden seasons with grace and confidence. The episode underscores the importance of self-validation, emotional resilience, and trusting in the divine timing of one's life journey.