Article By Tara Milton // EEW Magazine Online // Empowerment

Michelle Obama’s best-selling memoir, Becoming, has many nuggets of wisdom inside that we should remember, ponder and internalize.

EEW Magazine Online is sharing 7 of our favorite quotes from the amazing book in which the former first lady tells the story of her upbringing on the South Side of Chicago, her academic and professional careers as an attorney and health care executive, her marriage to Barack Obama, their daughters Malia and Sasha, the 2008 presidential campaign and the election that made them the first black U.S. president and first lady.

On seeing your worth: “Am I good enough? Yes, I am.”

On defining yourself: “If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.”

On consistently improving: “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. The journey doesn’t end.”

On owning your story: “My father, Fraser, taught me to work hard, laugh often, and keep my word. My mother, Marian, showed me how to think for myself and to use my voice. Together, in our cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago, they helped me see the value in our story, in my story, in the larger story of our country. Even when it’s not pretty or perfect. Even when it’s more real than you want it to be. Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.”

On the danger of caring too much of what others think: “This may be the fundamental problem with caring a lot about what others think: It can put you on the established path—the my-isn’t-that-impressive path—and keep you there for a long time. Maybe it stops you from swerving, from ever even considering a swerve, because what you risk losing in terms of other people’s high regard can feel too costly.”

On the power of letting others in: “Let’s invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same. It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about where you get yourself in the end. There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become.”

On the value of hard work: “Inspiration on its own was shallow; you had to back it up with hard work.”

Though there is no way to highlight all the powerful truths in Becoming in one article, these quotes give you a small sample of the wealth of insights contained in it. If you haven’t read Obama’s book, it’s a great one to add to your reading list!