This was a first. After reading Barack Obama‘s book entitled A PROMISED LAND many months have gone by and I’ve decided to read Michelle Obama’s memoir. I’ve never read a wife’s autobiography and a husband’s autobiography.

They tell their story with great eloquence but when they write about similar stories they season it with their different versions; make it worth hearing the same stories of which you already know the outcome again.

She reveals how much of a family woman she is yet how much she yearns for a rewarding professional life. Much of her story traces life with Barak Obama during their days of courtship and his days as a politician. She speaks about her struggle to manage a home with two vibrant and rapidly growing daughters, working as an executive, and being the wife of an ambitious politician.

She has a sleek and elegant writing style. Her narrative focused on family and career and their challenges made me want to keep reading.

Within her nicely written tales she sprinkles great growth principles to live by, here are a few.

Principle #1

Failure is a feeling before it is an actual result.

Michelle Obama

Failure is the inability to attain things you want. Failure in this context begins not from actions but from feelings and emotions. The feeling of failure according to Michelle Obama precedes failure itself.

Do we have control over our feelings? Are we able to change a feeling from one thing to another? Implied in this quote we are able to have some influence over our feelings and if we have influence over our feelings we will have influence over the outcomes of our life.

If failure is something you want to keep far from your life manage feelings that you have about your self failing. if you are able to competently manage those feelings, you will likely not end up in a destination of failure.

This does not mean you will always get what you want. It does mean, however, you will hold attitudes and feelings of success and whatever events take place you will see those events as building blocks for growth rather than failure.

Principle #2

Precise and Practical

This quote is about Michelle Obama’s mother. Michelle Obama speaks about the advice her mother offered. She describes it as simple and practical.

Teachers and parents, our advice to our children must not be lengthy and complex. We must simply distill down the most important ideas which must be received and say them in Waze where they can apply our instruction in every day life. Our words need not be long, But they must be precise and practical.

Relationship

Our relationship with our children and or our pupils must not be one where we strive to be liked but it must be one where we provide advice and in a similar way is Michelle Obama’s mom we must provide space for our children and our pupils to grow and learn for themselves.

Our goal or our end is not to be liked but to be precise and practical.

This book is worth the read especially if you’ve read her husband’s book. It will keep you turning pages and challenge you to become who you’re meant to be.

Dear reader Become,

@growthucator