Are you loving Michelle Obama’s new book as much as I am? More than 2 million of us snapped up copies of Becoming within its first 15 days of release. It’s now in its sixth printing, with more than 3.4 million copies sold around the world.
From the early chapters detailing her childhood to finding her voice and charting her career in her young adulthood to those golden White House years when she absolutely stole our hearts (and got us planting gardens and moving our bodies) – Michelle Obama’s story is so inspiring that I had to make myself slow down as I read it so that I could savor every word.
One of my favorite passages (and there are many) is in Chapter 19: “If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.”
This is a theme you’ve heard me talk about for years. It’s definitely on people’s minds these days. Recently, I heard Senator Kamala Harris share similar advice from her mother: “Don’t let other people tell you who you are. You tell them who you are.”
My version: If you don’t define yourself, others will – and their definition will be inadequate.
When you own your narrative, you have power – and you empower yourself to move forward in the right direction.
Has reading Becoming helped you better define your narrative and the value you bring to the table? What lessons and passages have struck a chord with you? I’d love to gather your thoughts on the book and share them in an upcoming newsletter issue.
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