From when Barrack Obama was sworn into office as the 44th President of the United States of America, Michelle Obama has been a force to reckon with especially matters concerning Women Empowerment. Michelle's recent interview with Oprah Winfrey during the United States of Women Summit has some real nuggets that I hope you will love.
Here are some pointers she gave that I identified with - I included some personal notes.
Know Yourself - I love the way Michelle describes getting to know yourself as a woman's first job in life. Trust me, discovering and defining who you are is a full time job. It takes a lot of hard work to fight off stereotypes that have for a long time described women. Discovering yourself is not a one off thing cause as time passes, you mature & grow through different experiences which may challenge and reshape your outlook on life. Take the time to know who you are as a woman - it will be slow, painful and at times the most difficult task you undertake but it will help you stand for what you believe in. She says when you know who you are, it is easier to brush off the smack talking from the outside world.
Love Yourself - you've gotta cultivate a good relationship with yourself. Identify and embrace your strengths & don't be apologetic over them; identify your flaws, your weaknesses & shortcomings and find a way to be better and also know your value. If you know your value, it will be very difficult for people to take advantage of you. As Michelle says, it is different for everyone to get to the point of loving self. There are some who have to deal with nasty self esteem issues & get over self hate but its a journey worth taking.
Surround Yourself With Goodness - the people you surround yourself with have a great influence on you hence it is good to be careful when choosing your company. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn. Even the Bible cautions us on this 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character". Trust me, ain't nothing wrong with choosing to surround yourself only with people who emit positive energy, mean well for you, will help you grow and can be brutally honest with you when you stray. Get 'em haters out of the way.
It's Cool To Be Yourself - I love their continuous mmmh's when they start talking about how sometimes it's just cool to be yourself. I mean, savor the moments you are in - take that deep breathe and look around you & go mmmhhh...mmmhhh...mmhhh..."momma I made it" LOL. If you rarely allow yourself to appreciate and pat yourself on the back whenever things are great, start now. {P.S - be careful not to blow your own horn & don't get too extravagant with your mmmhhh moments #StayHumble :-)}
Manage Your Expectations - you don't always get what you want all the time. "It's a ridiculous aspiration to think you can have it all".... "You can have it all but often times it's hard to get it all at the same time", Michelle. I know most of us {I included} have internal conflicts about not having it all and comparing ourselves to our friends, colleagues & even former schoolmates and feeling that just because we are not at par with them, we have failed or we have under achieved. I love the assurance that the First lady gives that just cause you are not having it all doesn't mean that you are failing. There are different phases & seasons in life and it is important to recognize what season you are in and have the confidence that you still have a chance to get whatever it is you want.
The above was just a snippet of my take home from this lovely sit down the First Lady had with Oprah. I hope you enjoyed watching it and have managed to get some of your own nuggets :-).
Here are some pointers she gave that I identified with - I included some personal notes.
Know Yourself - I love the way Michelle describes getting to know yourself as a woman's first job in life. Trust me, discovering and defining who you are is a full time job. It takes a lot of hard work to fight off stereotypes that have for a long time described women. Discovering yourself is not a one off thing cause as time passes, you mature & grow through different experiences which may challenge and reshape your outlook on life. Take the time to know who you are as a woman - it will be slow, painful and at times the most difficult task you undertake but it will help you stand for what you believe in. She says when you know who you are, it is easier to brush off the smack talking from the outside world.
Love Yourself - you've gotta cultivate a good relationship with yourself. Identify and embrace your strengths & don't be apologetic over them; identify your flaws, your weaknesses & shortcomings and find a way to be better and also know your value. If you know your value, it will be very difficult for people to take advantage of you. As Michelle says, it is different for everyone to get to the point of loving self. There are some who have to deal with nasty self esteem issues & get over self hate but its a journey worth taking.
Surround Yourself With Goodness - the people you surround yourself with have a great influence on you hence it is good to be careful when choosing your company. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn. Even the Bible cautions us on this 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character". Trust me, ain't nothing wrong with choosing to surround yourself only with people who emit positive energy, mean well for you, will help you grow and can be brutally honest with you when you stray. Get 'em haters out of the way.
It's Cool To Be Yourself - I love their continuous mmmh's when they start talking about how sometimes it's just cool to be yourself. I mean, savor the moments you are in - take that deep breathe and look around you & go mmmhhh...mmmhhh...mmhhh..."momma I made it" LOL. If you rarely allow yourself to appreciate and pat yourself on the back whenever things are great, start now. {P.S - be careful not to blow your own horn & don't get too extravagant with your mmmhhh moments #StayHumble :-)}
Manage Your Expectations - you don't always get what you want all the time. "It's a ridiculous aspiration to think you can have it all".... "You can have it all but often times it's hard to get it all at the same time", Michelle. I know most of us {I included} have internal conflicts about not having it all and comparing ourselves to our friends, colleagues & even former schoolmates and feeling that just because we are not at par with them, we have failed or we have under achieved. I love the assurance that the First lady gives that just cause you are not having it all doesn't mean that you are failing. There are different phases & seasons in life and it is important to recognize what season you are in and have the confidence that you still have a chance to get whatever it is you want.
The above was just a snippet of my take home from this lovely sit down the First Lady had with Oprah. I hope you enjoyed watching it and have managed to get some of your own nuggets :-).