 "Own your space. Our first job in life as women is to get to know ourselves and a lot of times we spend our time pleasing, satisfying and looking out into the world to define who we are." M I C H E L L E O B A M A First Lady of The United States of America 2009-2017 I'm taking a quick break from the #21insights4nights to insert another #iAmHer360 feature. The timing is right as the Obama's prepare to leave the White House after eight years of service as Commander-In-Chief and First Lady. # iAmHer360 speaks to seeing other women as yourself and the celebration of every way that any woman chooses to express herself. If you've missed any of them click this link for the playlist: #iAmHer360. The first time I ever heard Michelle Obama speak in an interview, something stuck with me; that she got up every morning at four am to workout and to see to HER needs first before it was time to take care of everyone else. Being someone who rises before the sunrise myself, I was impressed and sensed a next level solidity to her that I respected. She also happens to remind me of my own mother . . . so there's that too. In this feature, I share some my favorite of the first lady's many inspirational ideas over the years.
Think, Feel & Act Like A First Lady M R S . O B A M A ' S G E M S To Young Girls About Boys: Cute, Interesting & Otherwise "There's no boy at this age that is cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education. If I had worried about who liked me and who was cute when I was your age I wouldn't be married to the President of The United States." . : . "Words matter." . : . On Enduring Insults & Slights "All of this used to really get to me. Eventually I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity and not let others define me, there was only one thing I could do and that was to have faith in God's plan for me. I had to ignore all the noise and be true to myself and the rest would work itself out." . : . On Modeling What You Want "If we want maturity, we have to be mature. If we want a nation that's hopeful, we have to speak in hopeful terms. We have to show love and empathy, If we want smart leaders we have to be smart voters. We cannot vote from a place of fear, but from a place of openness. We have to model what we want." . : . On Your Challenges, Disadvantages & Disappointments "Never view your challenges as a disadvantage, this experience of overcoming is one of your biggest advantages. You'll be equipped to deal with further disappointments and discouragement. You'll have the maturity and wisdom to keep moving forward." . : . On Authenticity . . . "There are no surprises, no tricks up our sleeve. We are authentic, came in that way and will leave that way. The office amplifies who you are. It doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are. I follow my own moral compass. That's the only thing I have to live up to." . : . On Being Complacent "The work always continues. We're never done. Never be complacent thinking you've arrived. We've seen how quickly things can be taken away if we aren't vigilant, if you don't know your history. What are you gonna do? How are you going to be better? What are you going to change in your family dynamic? We can't afford to be ignorant or complacent. Continue to do the work. . : . On Balance & Having It All "Don't beat yourself up about not being able to have it all. No one gets everything. You don't always get your way all the time. You learn that when you're a child. It's about managing expectations. You're living your life through phases. You're compromising for certain phases, then later you may have more of what you thought you wanted. If you're not having it all right now, you're not failing. Take care of yourself so you'll live long enough to make it happen later. . : . On Mastering Your Schedule "If I'm going to leave my house and leave my girls I need to know how is this going to have an impact." . : . A Word To The Men "Be better. Be better at everything. Fathers, who love your daughters and are providing a solid example, that is the greatest gift the men in my life gave me. I've never experienced abuse by the hands of any man in my life. Be a better husband. Be part of your family's life. Don't babysit your children. Be engaged. Be a better employer. Diversify. . : . On Service & Happiness "I left the practice of law and went into public service for selfish reasons. It makes me happy and feel good every single day. I wanted to wake up and be inspired to do something greater than myself. That's what serving and giving means to so many. Get out of the isolation and looking down at your phones. That's not enough, you need people in your lives that you're connecting with and helping. There's nothing better than knowing you're helping to change people's lives. The haters and the doubters? None of that matters because you're getting so much out of the work you're doing. . : . On Bravery "Tips on bravery? I don't know if I ever view it as bravery. I just viewed it as I'm not going to be taken advantage of. I knew my value. And that goes back to knowing who you are. As women and young girls, we have to invest that time into getting to understanding and liking who we are. But you've gotta work to get to that place and if you're going out into the world as a professional not knowing who you are, don't know what you want and you don't know how much you're worth then you have to be brave. Then you have to count on the kindness and goodness of others to bestow it upon you." . : . On Living Without Apology "I"m going work so hard that my actions speak and I don't have to say anything. Let me live my life outloud so people can then see and judge for themselves. Don't dial it back, don't dilute it. Don't apologize for it, it speaks for itself." . : . On Knowing Yourself & Owning Your Space. "Stand inside yourself and own your space. Our first job in life as women is to get to know ourselves and a lot of times we spend our time pleasing, satisfying and looking out into the world to define who we are. It takes taking the time to know who you are to be able to deal with the negative onslaught of the messages you're bound to get. I came into this with a pretty clear sense of self. And some of this comes with age, experience, being fortunate enough to be raised by a loving strong, focused mother and father who loved me dearly. So I fortunately came into this situation with a really clear sense of who I was, It was easy to brush that stuff off because I know who I am." Thanks for reading.
♡ ☆ ♀ Akua Day 15 of 13/13 Moons Full Moon in Cancer |
auset's
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