There is the well-known saying – no pain, no gain.
Do you ever feel like the odds are stacked against you? Well in Michelle Obamas case, this was true. Growing up an African American in the 60’s in a small home in Chicago provided to be her first hurdle of many. With her father falling very ill, suffering with Multiple Sclerosis, this pushed Michelle to be a good, ambitious student.
While studying sociology at Princeton University, Michelle then realised “that everyday drain of being in a deep minority.” Living during a time when schools were white male dominated and the difficulty of standing out was prevalent.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress” – Frederick Douglass
Now; Michelle Obama is a lawyer, writer and the wife of former U.S. President Barack Obama. Prior to her role as first lady, she was a lawyer, Chicago city administrator and community-outreach worker. But how did she get there?
Michelle rose to success through determination and persistence, not letting deterrents such as lack of opportunities affect her and focusing on thriving possibilities and the potential for greatness. Michelle was always captivated with helping others and found that her true calling is working with people to serve their communities. Therefore, when Michelle became the First Lady of The United States she found herself in a position of power and influence.
Now travelling overseas for meetings with officials – Michelle has an epiphany – after seeing that the same girls from ethnic minorities were from uncertain backgrounds – Michelle realised she can open new doors as the First Lady of the United States. This gave her the inspiration to start initiatives such as: Let’s Move! / Reach Higher / Let Girls Learn and Joining Forces; with the aim to bring more opportunities and prospects to children all over the world.
If you want to learn more about Michelle Obamas initiatives click here.
On top of this Michelle is a mother of two and an author. Releasing her memoir “Becoming” was a turning point I think for many of us. Michelle shared deeply personal experiences, her roots, how she found her voice and her time in The White House.
This reflected on work-life, marital and motherly duties and being the first African American First Lady of the United States of America. Undoubtedly helping women overcome their barriers, reaching out to help women figure out how to manage their highs and lows. There are 3 sections – Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More – Encouraging us to navigate life attentively to make the best from our hardships and to never stop growing.
“It’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.” – Michelle Obama
The moral is, try not to ever be deterred. Never stop growing and be the change you want to see in the world – make the most of what you have been blessed with; your wonderful self. One woman doing something positive can lead to 100 woman being impacted, this can lead to 1 million possibilities in which we can continue to achieve great things.
Our mission is to empower 1000 women to ‘climb their mountain’ so that they break down their barriers and reclaim their power. Join us – For more details about how we can help you to ‘climb your mountain’ – check out our free events here.