Michelle Obama Posted Advice For Back-To-School Season, And BRB Getting My Notepad
Even graduates will want to hear this advice.
With summer winding down, millions of students across the United States are returning to the classroom to take the next step in their education. For many people, school years are a time to try their hardest, fail miserably, and then get right back up to try again — and one of America’s most accomplished first ladies knows how important that is, no matter what stage you’re at in life. That’s why Michelle Obama's advice for back-to-school season is for everyone, not just students.
“You’re gonna get up every day and practice success,” Obama said in her Aug. 24 Instagram post, which featured video of her speaking with high school students involved in her Reach Higher Initiative. The program, founded by Obama herself, is dedicated toward helping students continue their education after high school, whether it be through “a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.” For this year’s group of students, she highlighted how important it was to stay determined when pursuing your goals.
“You cannot worry about what people think about you, because that will drown you,” she said, adding how people around you may underestimate you, or even count on you to fail while you’re working to achieve your dreams. She also pointed out that failure is all a part of the journey toward growth. “There’s a lot of interesting stuff that will happen to you when you go to college, or when you leave home, or when you try another job, or if you move to another state,” she said. “When you fail, or if you fail, ‘cause we all fail, I have failed at things, you just get back up and keep going.”
Obama’s words of wisdom can be useful no matter what stage in life you’re at, whether you’re studying to ace that final course toward your college degree, working to start your own business, or anywhere in between. As one of America’s most accomplished first ladies, Obama herself has definitely followed her own advice when navigating her career path: She’s a graduate of both Princeton and Harvard University, and during her time in the White House, she was a constant advocate for the importance of education.
“Through my education, I didn’t just develop skills, I didn’t just develop the ability to learn, but I developed confidence,” she said in an October 2016 interview with Glamour, adding that, while failure may seem like a sign to give up on your goals, it’s actually an important part of the learning process. “We think we have to be perfect. We think that we can't stumble. And the only way you succeed in life, the only way you learn is by failing.” So as you’re heading back to class, or the office, or the practice room, remember that failure isn’t the end of the world — according to Obama, it’s a sign that you’re succeeding.
