Top 100 Michelle Obama Quotes
#1. Moving [to the White House], whatever stresses would be on my husband and me, we could handle; we are grown-ups. But it wouldn't be until the day that my kids came home and said to me, "I like it here," that I'd feel like I could breathe and know that we're all going to be okay here.
Michelle Obama
#2. To me, with age, everything has gotten better. You have way more control; you know yourself better.
Michelle Obama
#3. Every day, the people I meet inspire me ... every day, they make me proud ... every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.
Michelle Obama
#4. Happiness for me is when my kids are good and when my family is whole.
Michelle Obama
#5. I am so tired of fear. And I don't want my girls to live in a country, in a world, based on fear.
Michelle Obama
#6. If we truly believe that every girl in every corner of the globe is worthy of an education as our own daughters and granddaughters are, then we need to deepen our commitment to these efforts
Michelle Obama
#7. Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise.
Michelle Obama
#9. I was too worried about the grades and I should have been more worried about learning.
Michelle Obama
#10. So we know that it's not enough for us to simply encourage more people to study abroad. We also need to make sure that they can actually afford it.
Michelle Obama
#11. This is really what the White House is all about. It's the "People's House." It's a place that is steeped in history, but it's also a place where everyone should feel welcome. And that's why my husband and I have made it our mission to open up the house to as many people as we can.
Michelle Obama
#12. We're going to have to change our traditions, our history
Michelle Obama
#13. We're [President Barack Obama and I] clear on the fact that we have to stay humble and prayerful. We have to dig down deep to our roots. When things come together, we know some of it is Barack, some of it is us-but a lot of it has nothing to do with either of us.
Michelle Obama
#14. And then there's this guy, Barack Obama, who lost - I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures, but - he lost his first race for Congress, and now he gets to call himself my husband
Michelle Obama
#15. There is no magic to achievement. It's really about hard work, choices, and persistence.
Michelle Obama
#16. It's all about patience and persistence - you often have to expose a child to a new food numerous times before he or she will begin to like it. So keep trying!
Michelle Obama
#17. If proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.
Michelle Obama
#18. I've seen how the issues that come across a president's desk are always the hard ones - the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer.
Michelle Obama
#19. Over the years I've become more confident in people's ability to recognize a good thing.
Michelle Obama
#20. If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion
Michelle Obama
#21. I think that people are tired. They're tired of the same old kind of politics. People want a new tone to politics.
Michelle Obama
#22. Even my husband is happier when I'm happy. He has always said, "You figure out what you want to do," because he's discovered that personal happiness is connected to everything.
Michelle Obama
#23. I think that mentoring is such a critical part of the role I can play in my position. I see how little bits of exposure and big bits of exposure really change my girls significantly, and I want that for more girls around the country and the world.
Michelle Obama
#24. Style helps distinguish you ... It's a great potential opportunity that people tend to leave by the wayside
Michelle Obama
#25. If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. I guarantee you that.
Michelle Obama
#26. Don't worry about what candidates have done or said, just vote for the Democrats. Then, afterwards, you can go eat fried chicken.
Michelle Obama
#27. I felt, as a lawyer, when I was mentoring and working with kids, that I gained a level of groundedness that I just couldn't get sitting on the forty-seventh floor of a fancy firm. Selfishly, it gives me joy - it makes me feel like my life has a purpose.
Michelle Obama
#28. Doing the impossible is the history of this nation. It is how this country was built
Michelle Obama
#29. The biggest obstacle facing girls is education, education, education. There are too many kids who think high school is a pit stop to fame and fortune. I want girls in this country to think education is the coolest, most important thing they could ever do in their lives.
Michelle Obama
#30. We should always have three friends in our lives-one who walks ahead who we look up to and follow; one who walks beside us, who is with us every step of our journey; and then, one who we reach back for and bring along after we've cleared the way.
Michelle Obama
#31. When I was younger, I could eat whatever I wanted, as long as I exercised; or if I didn't exercise and just watched what I ate, I'd maintain. Now I have to do both.
Michelle Obama
#32. I am not asking anyone to take the fun out of childhood. As we all know, treats are one of the best parts of being a kid. Instead, the goal here is to empower parents instead of undermining them as they try to make healthier choices for their families.
Michelle Obama
#33. To be a good parent, you need to take care of yourself so that you can have the physical and emotional energy to take care of your family.
Michelle Obama
#35. Women and girls can do whatever they want. There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish.
Michelle Obama
#37. Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we're scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don't have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list.
Michelle Obama
#38. I don't, as my mom would say, sweat the small stuff in our relationship. Because when I think of day-to-day irritations that you might have with the one you love, they're nothing compared to the bigger task at hand.
Michelle Obama
#39. We learned about dignity and decency - that how hard you work matters more than how much you make ... that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.
Michelle Obama
#40. All of us are driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do - that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.
Michelle Obama
#41. Childhood obesity isn't some simple, discrete issue. There's no one cause we can pinpoint. There's no one program we can fund to make it go away. Rather, it's an issue that touches on every aspect of how we live and how we work.
Michelle Obama
#42. I never thought I'd be on Sesame Street with Elmo and Big Bird. I'm still thrilled. I'm on a high.
Michelle Obama
#43. Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.
Michelle Obama
#44. Even if we give parents all the information they need and we improve school meals and build brand new supermarkets on every corner, none of that matters if when families step into a restaurant, they can't make a healthy choice.
Michelle Obama
#45. I was blessed throughout my entire career. I had people rooting for me. It started with my parents, but it extended to almost every teacher that I had. Even when I was a young lawyer, there were other women and men in the firm who took me under their wing.
Michelle Obama
#46. The arts can enrich all of us in this nation as individuals. The arts can enrich all of our communities and the country. And the arts can connect us to each other like nothing else can.
Michelle Obama
#47. Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis and others for their brilliance and perfection.
Michelle Obama
#48. I know what makes me happy. I pick the clothes that make me happy - sometimes people like them, sometimes they don't. I try to listen to my own internal guide.
Michelle Obama
#49. Do not die in the history of your past hurts and past experiences, but live in the now and future of your destiny.
Michelle Obama
#50. We need to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation. We have lost our way. And it begins with inspiration. It begins with leadership.
Michelle Obama
#51. I hate diversity workshops. Real change comes from having enough comfort to be really honest and say something very uncomfortable.
Michelle Obama
#53. Parents have a right to expect that their efforts at home won't be undone each day in the school cafeteria or in the vending machine in the hallway ... Parents have a right to expect that their kids will be served fresh, healthy food that meets high nutritional standards.
Michelle Obama
#54. We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters ... that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules ... and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.
Michelle Obama
#55. Investing in girls' education is the very best thing we can do, not just for our daughters and granddaughters, but for their families, their communities, and their countries.
Michelle Obama
#56. It wasn't so long ago that I was a working mom myself. And I know that sometimes, much as we all hate to admit it, it's just easier to park the kids in front of the TV for a few hours, so we can pay the bills or do the laundry or just have some peace and quiet for a change.
Michelle Obama
#57. See, that's why Barack's running: to end the war in Iraq responsibly - to build an economy that lifts every family, to make sure health care is available for every American - and to make sure that every child in this nation has a world-class education all the way from preschool to college.
Michelle Obama
#58. I am a sleeper. When you wake up at 4:30 in the morning to do a workout, you're sleepy at 8 in the evening. By 10 o'clock at the latest, I'm in bed.
Michelle Obama
#59. And the first thing we have to do is vote. Hey, no, not just once in a while. Not just when my husband or somebody you like is on the ballot. But in every election at every level, all of the time.
Michelle Obama
#60. I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life's work shows our children that we don't chase fame and fortune for ourselves: we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.
Michelle Obama
#61. The problem is when that fun stuff becomes the habit. And I think that's what's happened in our culture. Fast food has become the everyday meal.
Michelle Obama
#62. Education is the single-most important civil rights issue that we face today.
Michelle Obama
#63. I admit it: I am louder than the average human being and have no fear of speaking my mind. These traits don't come from the color of my skin but from an unwavering belief in my own intelligence.
Michelle Obama
#64. My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before. I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong.
Michelle Obama
#65. Believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.
Michelle Obama
#66. It's not about government telling people what to do ... It's about each of us, in our own families, in our own communities, standing up and demanding more for our kids. And it's about companies like Walmart answering that call.
Michelle Obama
#67. Good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don't hurt.
Michelle Obama
#68. And let's be clear: It's not enough just to limit ads for foods that aren't healthy. It's also going to be critical to increase marketing for foods that are healthy.
Michelle Obama
#69. Don't let anyone speak for you, and don't rely on others to fight for you.
Michelle Obama
#70. Slowly but surely, we're beginning to turn the tide on childhood obesity in America. Together, we are inspiring leaders from every sector to take ownership of this issue.
Michelle Obama
#71. It is my hope that our garden's story-and the stories of gardens across America-will inspire families, schools, and communities to try their own hand at gardening and enjoy all the gifts of health, discovery, and connection a garden can bring.
Michelle Obama
#72. Childhood obesity issue is critically important to me because it's critically important to the health and success of our kids, and of this nation, ultimately.
Michelle Obama
#73. The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake. This isn't the kind of problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it can be solved. So, let's move.
Michelle Obama
#74. We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Michelle Obama
#75. A lot of young people think they're invincible, but the truth is young people are knuckleheads. Now young people can get insurance for as little as $50 a month, less than the cost of gym shoes.
Michelle Obama
#76. What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life. And when I think about the kind of president that I want for my girls and all our children, that's what I want.
Michelle Obama
#78. Exercise is really important to me - it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls.
Michelle Obama
#79. The fact is, with every friendship you make, and every bond of trust you establish, you are shaping the image of America projected to the rest of the world. That is so important. So when you study abroad, you're actually helping to make America stronger.
Michelle Obama
#80. We all need to start making some changes to how our families eat. Now, everyone loves a good Sunday dinner. Me included. And there's nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we eat Sunday dinner Monday through Saturday.
Michelle Obama
#81. I am desperate for change - now - not in 8 years or 12 years, but right now.
Michelle Obama
#82. People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions.
Michelle Obama
#83. What I notice about men, all men, is that their order is me, my family, God is in there somewhere, but me is first.
Michelle Obama
#85. My ability to get through my day greatly depends on the relationship that I have with other women ... We have to be able to champion other women. We have to root for each other's successes and not delight in one another's failures.
Michelle Obama
#86. And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values, like you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond; that you do what you say you're going to do. That you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them and even if you don't agree with them.
Michelle Obama
#88. Just keep focusing on the work that you're doing. Focus on what's in front of you today. And don't read the papers, just go campaign. Just do your thing. Talk to people directly
Michelle Obama
#89. Discriminating against same-sex couples just isn't right.
Michelle Obama
#90. I want to send a very clear message to the men and women who are wearing - or who have worn - our country's uniform and to their spouses: when you have finished your service to our nation, you've got 2,000 great American companies ready and waiting to bring you on board
Michelle Obama
#91. When they set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns.
Michelle Obama
#92. I love french fries, I like a good burger, and I like pie. And that's okay. I would be depressed if I felt I could never eat the things that I love. I also don't want my girls to be obsessed about food. We don't have a "no junk food" rule - I just want them to think about their choices.
Michelle Obama
#93. Today Jazz music is performed & listened to by people of all ethnicity, backgrounds, ages & creeds.
Michelle Obama
#94. Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys ... Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house ... and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both.
Michelle Obama
#95. Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable - their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.
Michelle Obama
#96. No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.
Michelle Obama
#97. You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not
always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once
but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have
because history has shown us that courage can be contagious
and hope can take on a life of its own.
Michelle Obama
#98. For me, being a mother made me a better professional, because coming home every night to my girls reminded me what I was working for. And being a professional made me a better mother, because by pursuing my dreams, I was modeling for my girls how to pursue their dreams.
Michelle Obama
#99. You can be a good mom and still work out, get your rest, have a career - or not. My mother encouraged me to find that balance.
Michelle Obama
#100. For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction.
Michelle Obama
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