BECOMING by Michelle Obama

I have been meaning to read Michelle Obama’s book since it came out but somehow I always ordered different books and skipped this one.

Probably I was supposed to wait for the right time. As Mother’s Day came I received it as a present and I can’t tell you just how happy I was when I saw it nicely wrapped.

I started reading it right away and couldn’t put it down. It is unusual obviously as I don’t quite read biographies or if I do I am a bit slow on them. But this story is so beautifully written and it helped me imagine times and places like I was there. I can say that I feel privileged to have read it.

I enjoyed it and I can tell you it is one inspiring books. I was taken through Michelle Obama’s like from childhood to the moment she learned again who she is after not being the first lady anymore.

I learned the struggles of a black woman in those times when society was still full of prejudice and black people were seen as outsiders but I also learned just where determination and ambition can take you.

There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.

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.

Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.

I met the girl, the teenager, the girlfriend, sister, daughter, mother and wife but also the First Lady of the United States. Michelle Obama is one inspiring, brave, smart and beautiful woman who can move mountains if she wants to because she knows how to fight for what she wants to accomplish.
As a mother, I learned how to encourage my child and push her into the right direction without acting like a boring mum. I learned just how important it is to make her understand that she is worth it, that she matters and she is good enough. And I also learned not to punish myself with guilt for working.

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.”

Opening up about her life and giving us all an insight into the life of a First Lady, sharing her miscarriage with the world and their efforts of having children, Michelle Obama showed us just how human we all are regardless of social status, race or religion. Showed us what normality is and how to feel.

I’ve always admired and loved this woman and her family but after reading BECOMING I can say: Hats off to you Mrs Obama. You are one hell of a woman, mother, wife and daughter, sister and you have been one hell of a First Lady.

…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…

Being continuously in the spotlight, Michelle Obama showed the entire world how to be better, kinder, to feel more and follow their passion. She had the strength to not change who she is and stick to her values and morals in a world ruled by politics, money and power, driven by the endless desire of having more and ignoring the basic needs of others.

Reading her book gave me an insight of the White House life, the strict security and the tightness of it all. I realised just how precious it is to have the liberty of going out by yourself without having the world judging your every step and also your outfit choices and every single word you say.

She continues to be an inspiration to us all and I recommend BECOMING to everyone who loves a good lesson of normality, love, ambition, education, family values and what it means to have a backbone.