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Michelle Obama
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Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice
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Michelle Obama

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Born
in Chicago, Illinois, The United States
Website

Twitter
MichelleObama

Genre
Social Sciences, Biography, Nonfiction

Member Since
February 2019


Michelle Obama served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Mrs. Obama started her career as an attorney at the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. She later worked in the Chicago mayor’s office, at the University of Chicago, and at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Mrs. Obama also founded the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an organization that prepares young people for careers in public service. She is the author of the #1 global bestseller Becoming and the #1 national bestseller American Grown. The Obamas currently live in Washington, D.C., and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

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When did you decide to write the memoir, and how did you motivate yourself to keep writing?
Michelle Obama You know, I think it’s expected that a First Lady will write a book after her time in the White House. I started considering it during my time there, …moreYou know, I think it’s expected that a First Lady will write a book after her time in the White House. I started considering it during my time there, even spending some time recording my memories in real time. But somewhere along the line, and I’m not sure exactly when, I decided that I didn’t want to write a memoir just because it was expected of me—I wanted it to be something I was excited about doing, something that felt personal to me.

So I started to think about the kind of book I’d like to write, and more than anything else, I decided I wanted to contribute something that people could apply in their own lives. Because if I wasn’t going to do that, what’s the point of writing a book at all? Over the many months of the writing process, that’s the sentiment that kept me motivated. And that’s why I’ve been so overwhelmed by the response to my memoir—my interactions with readers have been so positive and meaningful. It’s been more than I ever could have imagined.(less)
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What advice would you give to someone considering a career swerve? Were there ever moments when you second-guessed your decision and how did you handle those doubts? PS - Loved, loved, loved your memoir. Your experiences coping with the loss of Suzanne, and how it pushed you to seek more joy, resonated with me as I grieve the sudden loss (at 33) of one of my best friends. Thank you!
Michelle Obama I’m so sorry for your loss, Michelle. It's interesting you mention Suzanne while asking about career swerves because losing her was certainly one of t…moreI’m so sorry for your loss, Michelle. It's interesting you mention Suzanne while asking about career swerves because losing her was certainly one of the major events that caused me to reckon with my path. Suzanne was a free spirit; I was a box-checker. But we were dear, dear friends. She represented a part of me that was always there but I’d usually ignored or pushed aside in my focus on sticking to the path I thought the world was telling me to pursue. Losing her at a young age was absolutely devastating. And her death, coupled with the loss of my father shortly thereafter, caused me to really rethink that path I’d been pursuing. I was sitting in a sky-rise office, doing legal work that wasn’t fulfilling to me, and I couldn’t help but ask—what’s it all for?

Of course, you don’t need to suffer a major loss to prompt a reappraisal of your career. Almost everyone I know has switched paths somewhere along the line. So what I’d say is that reevaluating your career is good. Doing so shouldn’t be a cause for anxiety—it’s a way you can reaffirm who you want to be.

If there’s some part of you that’s questioning your career, it’s important to listen to that. Our hearts sometimes know ourselves better than our minds do. For me, that meant pursuing a life of public service—a path I’ve been able to maintain since that major swerve. But even since I made that change, I’ve shifted roles and jobs as my life demanded it. There are times when you can work 60 or 70 hour weeks for less pay, and there are times when you may need to make more money or be home more consistently for your family. Knowing that at the outset—that any career change will probably be followed by more changes, in varying degrees—can help you keep things in perspective if and when you start to re-evaluate things once again. (less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.42 · 1,347,765 ratings · 84,626 reviews · 26 distinct works • Similar authors
Becoming
4.43 avg rating — 1,234,066 ratings — published 2018 — 10 editions
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The Light We Carry: Overcom...
4.27 avg rating — 101,585 ratings — published 2022 — 60 editions
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The Look
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4.30 avg rating — 4,044 ratings — published 2025 — 8 editions
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American Grown: The Story o...
3.95 avg rating — 2,449 ratings — published 2012
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Becoming: Adapted for Young...
4.43 avg rating — 1,725 ratings — published 2021 — 27 editions
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Becoming: A Guided Journal ...
4.43 avg rating — 966 ratings — published 2019 — 17 editions
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Michelle Obama: In Her Own ...
3.92 avg rating — 465 ratings — published 2008 — 15 editions
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Michelle Obama: Speeches on...
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4.16 avg rating — 227 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions
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Michelle Obama: Speeches by...
4.18 avg rating — 129 ratings — published 2012
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2008 DNC: Michelle Obama 8/...
4.01 avg rating — 91 ratings — published 2008
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Quotes by Michelle Obama  (?)
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“Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child—What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”
― Michelle Obama, Becoming
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“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.”
― Michelle Obama, Becoming
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“For me, 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. The journey doesn’t end.”
― Michelle Obama, Becoming
tags: becoming, end, evolving, journey
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