Michelle Obama Speaks Openly About Being in The White House

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, sat down with Jay Shetty for an engaging conversation about her eight years in the White House.

During their conversation, she covered various topics, including the challenges of being a public figure, personal relationships, mental wellbeing, and the importance of emotional regulation.

Though I'd recommend watching the full interview, here are just a few of the insights she expanded on during their conversation:

1. Not everybody in your life will be there for the long haul, and this can be emotionally hard to come to terms with.
2. Be willing to let new people into your life, as they may develop into valuable relationships. But if they are unhealthy, be willing to let them go quickly.
3. The realities of being a public figure are rarely understood. Don't underestimate the costs that come with the loss of anonymity.
4. We all need to take a break from the incessant noise and information that come from an ever-growing list of media channels.
5. Conflict is a given in all relationships, and committing to dealing with conflict requires resilience and maturity.
6. We all enter relationships as flawed people, so expecting others to meet all our needs is both unfair and unreasonable.
7. Some things are unacceptable in relationships and warrant walking away. That list looks different for everyone, but it is important to have.
8. Though it's important to express your feelings and unmet needs, recognition of the impact of your expression is your responsibility.
9. The need to create spaces for people to be heard, validated, and given a sense of ownership is crucial to individual and societal health.
10. To see change, it's important to be thoughtful about how you communicate. Lack of consideration can be counterproductive.
11. There's always a risk of your message being misconstrued or you being misunderstood. Neither should stop you from communicating what matters.

The stress that accompanies leadership cannot be overlooked. And what Michelle Obama shares is both insightful and helpful.

Watch the full conversation here.