Michelle Obama

It was sort of important for us not to deal with a specific policy change, or a specific sort of approach, but to deal with cultural change.

People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.

Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.

The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more.

I’ve seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are. It reveals who you are.

Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.

I have to be in tune with my husband, where he is, how he’s feeling. I have to be in tune with where my family is. The same thing is true in the work that I do. It’s all about me feeling where people are. So that’s why I try to be really present, even when I’m on a rope line. I never take for granted my interactions with people. And it’s never black-and-white. I’m usually reading the crowd, reading the people that I’m with. I guess if this role has changed me, it’s improved my ability to do that. I’ve gotten better at sensing where people are at any given time.

I want my sons to grow up in a world where they’d never think boys are better than girls or that black is better than white.

I was bribing North to wear her butter 350’s by saying they glow in the dark. However, she made me turn off the lights to test it. She caught me lying but Kanye was on speaker phone and said don’t worry I will make them.

How do you build a relationship when you’ve hardly shared a word but suddenly share a child? How do you love a daughter you don’t see for nearly two years? When does she become your daughter? How does she become your daughter?

I am convinced that the norm in Russia should become a family with three children.

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.

I believed in raising my children as I had been raised.

As children we recognized that we belonged to an unusual, even exceptional, family, but the effect was different on each of us.

The family is very important. They make me feel good always because if I won, when I started to be famous, the relationship never changed with my friends and family.

They say that no matter how old you become, when you are with your siblings, you revert back to childhood.

I’ve always wanted to be a mom at 23, 24ish, ever since I was a little girl. I’m right on schedule.

The best thing about having a sister was that I always had a friend.

You have to get that mom face right, like, ‘Oh, did that happen? Tell me more.’ Trying not to react so you get the good information. I tried to tell Sasha and Malia, ‘Do not go to other 14-year-olds for information, ’cause all you all are dumb. Talk to me.’ It’s like, ‘All of you are dumb. You know nothing. Love you!’ So, let’s just talk about it. Don’t ask Olivia what she thinks about sex. She doesn’t know!

What will your children be teaching your grandchildren?

I feel very blessed to have two wonderful, healthy children who keep me completely grounded, sane and throw up on my shoes just before I go to an awards show just so I know to keep it real.