Michelle Obama, lawyer, writer and the first African-American First Lady, is celebrated for her profound commitment to service, education and empowerment.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, she learned resilience and dedication from her parents.
Her father’s unwavering perseverance amidst multiple sclerosis deeply inspired her belief in limitless achievement through dreaming big and working hard.
Michelle’s illustrious academic journey saw her earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School.
On returning to Chicago, she met Barack Obama at Sidley Austin law firm, marking the beginning of their historic partnership.
Her career in public service encompassed roles in Chicago’s City Hall, the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, the University of Chicago and the University of Chicago Medical Center.
As First Lady, she championed numerous initiatives, notably Let’s Move!, aimed at ending childhood obesity and the Reach Higher Initiative, promoting post-high-school education.
Related: Barack Obama Quotes and Hillary Clinton Quotes
She consistently advocated for the education of girls and women worldwide, while also supporting veterans and military families.
Her philosophy of overcoming challenges and her dedication to her family inspire many to this day.
Below is a list of the inspiring quotes from Michelle Obama.
Inspiring Michelle Obama Quotes
1. “Choose people who lift you up.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
2. “You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
3. “Women and girls can do whatever they want. There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
4. “Value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
5. “There is no magic to achievement. It’s really about hard work, choices, and persistence.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
6. “The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
7. “Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody says distract you from your goals.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
8. “Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
9. “The benefits of studying abroad are almost endless.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
10. “You’ve got to make choices that make sense for you because there’s always going to be somebody who’ll think you should do something differently.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
Great Michelle Obama Quotes
11. “As women, we must stand up for ourselves. We must stand up for each other. We must stand up for justice for all.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
12. “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
13. “No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you are beautiful.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
14. “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
15. “Success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
16. “Education is the single-most important civil rights issue that we face today.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
17. “There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
18. “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).
19. “Walk away from ‘friendships’ that make you feel small and insecure, and seek out people who inspire you and support you.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
20. “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
21. “I’ve seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are. It reveals who you are.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
22. “Hope and change are hard-fought things.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
23. “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).
Inspirational Michelle Obama Quotes
24. “I never cut class. I loved getting A’s, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart is cooler than anything in the world.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
25. “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).
26. “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).
27. “Don’t let anyone speak for you, and don’t rely on others to fight for you.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
28. “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).
29. “We’ve got a responsibility to live up to the legacy of those who came before us by doing all that we can to help those who come after us.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
30. “Find people who will make you better.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
31. “Every girl, no matter where she lives, deserves the opportunity to develop the promise inside of her.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
32. “How hard you work matters more than how much you make.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
33. “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).
34. “We have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
35. “Wounded Warriors tell me they’re not just going to walk again, they’re going to run, and they’re going to run marathons!” ~ (Michelle Obama).
36. “Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
37. “Learning through the arts reinforces critical academic skills in reading, language arts and math and provides students with the skills to creatively solve problems.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
38. “My happiness isn’t connected to my husband’s or my boss’s or my children’s behavior. You have control over your own actions, your own well-being.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
39. “Doing the impossible is the history of this nation. It is how this country was built.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
40. “I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
Famous Michelle Obama Quotes
41. “Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
42. “For me exercise is more than just physical, it’s therapeutic.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
43. “Being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline. We need to start focusing on what matters-on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
44. “I was too worried about the grades and I should have been more worried about learning.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
45. “I am only as good as my children are.” ~ (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. “Barack knows that we are going to have to make sacrifices; we are going to have to change our conversation; we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history; we’re going to have to move into a different place as a nation.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
48. “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).
49. “Good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
50. “Good health is multifaceted – it’s physical, it’s internal, it’s my diet, and my emotional state. It’s all tied in together.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
51. “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).
52. “He’s always asking: ‘Is that new? I haven’t seen that before.’ It’s like, Why don’t you mind your own business? Solve world hunger. Get out of my closet.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
53. “Be passionate about something and lean to that strength.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
54. “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).
55. “My goal is to be a great-looking 70-year-old! I won’t mind being 70, but I want people to say, “You’re 70?”” ~ (Michelle Obama).
56. “My message to women: Do what makes you feel good, because there’ll always be someone who thinks you should do it differently. Whether your choices are hits or misses, at least they’re your own.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
57. “I can make choices that make me happy, and it will ripple and benefit my kids, my husband, and my physical health. That’s hard for women to own; we’re not taught to do that.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
58. “I tell this to my girls all the time: This journey we’re on is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
59. “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).
60. “We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
61. “My happiness is tied to how I feel about myself.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
62. “What I tell my kids is, ‘I’m preparing you for college and for life. So, having independence, knowing how to set your own boundaries, figuring out how to make that balance. We still have screen-time rules.’” ~ (Michelle Obama).
63. “The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
64. “Grief and resilience live together.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
Motivational Michelle Obama Quotes
65. “Service is a limitless opportunity, it is the reason why we breathe.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
66. “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).
67. “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).
68. “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).
69. “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).
70. “I always want to be on the cusp of being in the best shape that I can be.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
71. “The beauty of my job is that I get to see more of that America. And that feeds me.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
72. “Together, we can help make sure that every family that walks into a restaurant can make an easy, healthy choice.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
73. “I have never been proud of America my entire adult life.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
74. “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).
75. “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).
76. “If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn’t be here. I guarantee you that.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
77. “Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
78. “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).
79. “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).
80. “When I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
Top Michelle Obama Quotes
81. “In our house we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and laughter is the best form of unity, I think, in a marriage.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
82. “If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
83. “Happiness for me is when my kids are good and when my family is whole.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
84. “Sometimes, it’s just easier to say yes to that extra snack or dessert, because frankly, it is exhausting to keep saying no. It’s exhausting to plead with our kids to eat just one more bite of vegetables.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
85. “Barack didn’t pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he delivered.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
86. “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).
87. “Barack is one of the smartest people you will ever encounter who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
88. “When I’m unhappy with something, people know, because I don’t want to hold on to it. I’d rather deal immediately with the stuff that bothers me, so using my network – my girlfriends, my husband, my mom – I talk a lot, I vent.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
89. “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).
90. “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).
Powerful Michelle Obama Quotes
91. “I know what it feels like to struggle to get the education that you need.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
92. “Our job is, first and foremost, to make sure our family is whole.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
93. “There is nothing more important to this nation’s future than investing in our young people.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
94. “My most important title is Mom in Chief.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
95. “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).
96. “An educational foundation is only part of the equation. In order for creativity to flourish and imagination to take hold, we also need to expose our children to the arts from a very young age.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
97. “And I come here as a daughter, raised on the South Side of Chicago – by a father who was a blue-collar city worker and a mother who stayed at home with my brother and me.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
98. “People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
99. “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).
100. “Earlier in my college career, there was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the Black community I was somehow obligated to this community and would utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit this community first and foremost.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
101. “I love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he’s going to do, even when it’s hard – especially when it’s hard.” ~ (Michelle Obama).
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Short Biography of Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Obama, born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, is an American attorney and author who was the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
A Princeton and Harvard Law graduate, she began her career at Sidley Austin law firm, where she met Barack Obama.
They married in 1992 and have two daughters.
| Full Name | Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama |
| Born | January 17, 1964 (age 60) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Barack Obama (m. 1992) |
| Children | Malia, Sasha |
| Parents | Fraser Robinson III (father); Marian Shields (mother) |
| Relatives | Obama family (by marriage); Craig Robinson (brother) |
| Education | Princeton University (BA), Harvard University (JD) |
Michelle played a significant role in her husband’s presidential campaigns and focused on issues like poverty, education, and health as First Lady.
Known for her advocacy and style, she remains a prominent figure and was named the most admired woman in America in Gallup’s poll three times by 2020.
Quick Facts about Michelle Obama
- Born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois.
- Attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
- Met Barack Obama at a Chicago law firm, Sidley Austin.
- Served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
- Launched the “Let’s Move!” campaign to fight childhood obesity.
- Authored the best-selling memoir “Becoming.”
- She is recognized as a fashion icon for her elegant style.
- Advocates for education, particularly for girls.
- Has two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
- Grew up in a close-knit family with her parents and older brother.
- She is known for her powerful and inspirational speeches.
- She started the “Joining Forces” initiative to support military families.
- She created the White House Kitchen Garden to promote healthy eating.
- She championed women’s rights and gender equality.
- She played a key role in the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
- She is a talented pianist.
- Won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for “Becoming.”
- Her official portrait was painted by artist Amy Sherald.
- Promotes mentorship and leadership among young people.
- She has appeared on television shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
- Supports military veterans and their families.
- Advocates for arts education in schools.
- She delivered a memorable speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
- Writes articles and essays on various topics.
- She is a lifelong supporter of the Chicago White Sox.
- She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
- She featured on the covers of Vogue and Essence magazines.
- Encourages community service and volunteerism.
- She uses social media to connect with people globally.
- Has been honored with several honorary degrees.
Top Questions about Michelle Obama
A: Michelle Obama was the First Lady of the United States for eight years, from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017.
A: Michelle Obama is recognized as the first African American First Lady. During her tenure, she focused on supporting military families and promoting health and nutrition, famously planting a vegetable garden at the White House to encourage healthy eating habits.
A: Michelle Obama introduced several key initiatives, including “Let’s Move!” to combat childhood obesity, and “Reach Higher” aimed at improving access to education for young people.
A: A famous slogan by Michelle Obama is “When they go low, we go high,” which she explained to emphasize maintaining high standards and moral integrity in the face of adversity.
A: Michelle Obama remains active in charity, notably with her “Let Girls Learn” initiative to enhance educational opportunities for adolescent girls globally. She also supports organizations that benefit veterans and military families.
A: Michelle Obama has shared many insights, including: “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own,” “Failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience,” and “Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
A: Yes, Michelle Obama wrote the memoir “Becoming,” a bestseller released in 2018 that explores her personal and professional life, including her time as First Lady.
A: Michelle Obama continues her philanthropic efforts through the Obama Foundation and remains a prominent public speaker and advocate for various social causes.
