Life is always reshaping who we THINK we are. There are some facets of our personalities that are in place literally from birth and then there are some life experiences and connections we make with people that cause us to evolve. With that said, Michelle Obama’s story is not that different from most. The difference is HER personality, HER upbringing, and HER connections allowed her to become America’s First Black First Lady and so much more. In reading her book, there is really no surprise that she was destined for greatness. She has ALWAYS been highly motivated, focused, and determined. She comes from a family of hard working individuals and their influence and support allowed her the space to become the person she wanted to be. Even with her Ivy League degrees, and First Lady status she is relatable. She is funny, earthbound, smart and charismatic. As a black woman there is a lot in her story that matches my own. God forbid you reach for something BEYOND what others think you should be reaching for, and then to accomplish those feats on top of that? The nerve. To have people in your own community and your own family accuse you of “speaking like a white girl” simply because you don’t use slang and speak in complete sentences. (true story) To be the other only black person in a room of whiteness and going from wondering if you belong to KNOWING that you do. Even though her husband was the first black President of the United States, she still encourages women to know who they are before allowing one’s self to be swept away by someone else’s journey. Her commitment to being a mother, a wife and having a career is remarkable. A lot of women have that same commitment but imagine trying to be ALL of those things while people are watching and hoping to see you fail. Imagine trying to raise two little girls in the White House while trying to keep a sense of normalcy while the secret service is tracking your every move. Imagine campaigning in another state and still being home on time to tuck your babies in at night. The way she documents her and Barack’s time in the White House really make me appreciate how hard the job of President and First Lady is. In her talk on Thursday, Michelle spoke about the sacrifices that both her and Barack had to make to make their marriage work because really Michelle and Barack are opposites when it comes to upbringing and the approach to life in general. Michelle admits that she is box checker and when things don’t go according to her plan she is anxiety ridden and is a stickler about time. ( Same girl, same.) Barack gets more calm the more intense things get and was/is good for being late. She is CLEAR that a future in the political arena (2020 election ahem) is NOT part of the plan and after reading her book I can understand why. The audience was diverse which stands to reason because Michelle Obama’s story could be ANYONE’S story.

“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self.”

-Michelle Obama

Sound in! Are you reading the book?  (The answer SHOULD be yes). Tell me what you think!