Michelle Obama

The times when Barack and I are at our most relaxed are when we invite some friends over who we have known forever. And you put a little music on top of that? Some good food? It renews your spirit to get back in the game.

Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we’re scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don’t have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.

Failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience. Don’t be afraid to fail.

Fear is a useless emotion. Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility.

It’s just a matter of managing expectations. So for me, for example, you know, when your husband is President of the United States and you have children, something has got to give. I’ve made compromises in my life and my career, but I’ve also, in exchange, gained a wonderful platform to do some great work.

At the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president, all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.

I am from the planet of elegance.

Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else’s can shorten it.

It is true that I am often startled and even angered and repulsed by the strange directions and provocative content of new forms that seem to pop up every few months.

What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.

To be good is not enough; a man must be good for something.

The concept of shaking hands is absolutely terrible, and statistically I’ve been proven right.

Do you realize if it weren’t for Edison we’d be watching TV by candlelight?

Sometimes, the only way to discover who you are or what life you should lead is to do less planning and more living…

Maybe in the 90s or possibly in the next century people will look upon the 80s as the age of masturbation, when it was taken to the limit; that might be all that’s going on right now in a big way.

Warm summer sun, shine kindly here. Warm southern wind, blow softly here. Green sod above, lie light, lie light. Good night, dear Heart, Good night, good night.

Without risk, there isn’t any living communication.

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am.

True freedom is being free from the search for freedom.

Love is kind, it’s clear. It’s effortless, and it’s irresistible.