In Glamour's Women of the Year issue, the magazine is honoring the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, with a Special Recognition award.
No, not just for giving us hundreds of Michelle Obama pictures showing the latest style from haute couture to casual chic. For mentoring young women.
You simply cannot talk about 2009 without talking about Michelle, who has thrown open the doors of the White House to local children and families.
In her own modest words, “there’s no magic to being here.” With hard work, she says, any one of us can rise to greatness. Words to live by, for sure.
Fresh off her World Series appearance the other night, here are excerpts from Glamour's chat with FLOTUS on role models, careers, love, and life ...
On mentoring young women: “I think that mentoring is such a critical part of the role I can play in this position. I see how little bits of exposure can really change my girls significantly, and I want that for more girls around the world.”
Michelle Obama: Mother, lawyer, First Lady, role model.
On her "real" role models: “They were the people in my life. My mother, for sure. My dad. The teachers. For me, role-modeling was immediate, touchable. The children connect with who is in their lives, present and accounted for.”
On reaching out: “I was blessed throughout my career. I had people rooting for me. Look for those mentors, because sometimes they don’t find you. Sometimes you seek them out. Often, they will be flattered and glad to lend a hand.”
Don’t put yourself last: “I always try to put my kids first, and then... put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh. One thing that I’ve learned from male role models is that they don’t hesitate to invest in themselves.”
On seeking the whole package when dating: “Cute’s good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it’s, who are you as a person? Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. You should always feel good.”
On setting her own fashion standards: “People are going to have opinions, and they have a right to, when you’re the First Lady especially. You’re representing the nation. But I’ve tried to be at peace with the choices I make first.”
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2 Comments
October 30th, 2009 10:52 AM
Good to see the first lady self promoting rather than doing something productive for America. News to Michele: We are still in a recession with no end in sight.
October 30th, 2009 12:34 PM
dude, the excerpts here (and even more so the full article if you click on the link) are largely about being a role model to young girls. yes we are in a recession but you can still have a positive influence on society and be featured in a magazine, they're not mutually exclusive