Former First Lady Michelle Obama has shed light on her recent decisions to step back from certain prominent public gatherings, stating that these choices were driven by a need to prioritize her personal well-being.
Obama addressed the speculation surrounding her absence from the second inauguration in January and the funeral of Jimmy Carter. These absences had fueled various rumors regarding her motivations.
Speaking on the latest episode of her podcast, “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” which she co-hosts with her brother, Obama engaged in an open conversation with actress Taraji P. Henson about navigating life in the public eye and the unique criticisms faced by Black women.
The author and activist explained that she had to take deliberate steps to adhere to her decision to skip the inauguration.
She recounted a moment where she ensured no attire was prepared for her, removing any easy option to change her mind should she feel compelled to attend.
“It started with not having anything to wear,” Obama said, describing the point at which her decision was solidified. “I was like, if I’m not going to do this thing, I got to tell my team, I don’t even want to have a dress ready, right? Because it’s so easy to just say let me do the right thing.”
Obama emphasized the importance of practicing the “art of saying no” when it aligns with her personal needs.
She described this ability as “a muscle that you have to build,” noting that it’s a skill she feels she and many others started developing later in life.
Highlighting her aspirations for younger generations, particularly her daughters and young women, Obama stressed the importance of learning strategies for declining commitments.
She expressed a desire to move away from the intense pressure she feels women often face to constantly prove their worth and adhere to exceptionally high standards.
“After all that I’ve done in this world, if I am still showing them that I have to keep- I still have to show people that I love my country, that I’m doing the right thing, that I am always setting, going high all the time, even in the face of a lot of hypocrisy and contradiction, all I’m doing is keeping that crazy bar that our mothers and grandmothers set for us,” Obama stated.
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