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Michelle Obama and Oprah

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Michelle Obama’s final interview as first lady aired on CBS on Monday night. The FLOTUS spoke with Oprah about her life before, during and after living in the White House, and even President Obama dropped in to have a word.

It was magic. It was hope. It was two of the women I admired most in the world.

“What allowed you to stand in your own truth and find your way?” she asks.

“Being a grown-up,” Obama replies.

And all that hub-bub about being the “angry black woman” — didn’t even make her miss a step.

“That was one of those things that you just sort of think, ‘Dag, you don’t even know me,’ you know?” Obama said. “And then I thought, ‘OK, well, let me live my life out loud so that people can then see and then judge for themselves.”

That’s the attitude that made President Obama, who made a brief appearance into the interview room, respect FLOTUS even more.

“You know, we all knew she was brilliant and cute and strong and a great mom,” he said, “but I think the way in which she blended purpose and policy with fun so that she was able to reach beyond Washington … was masterful.”

 

“The bad stuff I just don’t hold on to.”

“You start thinking, ‘Oh, wow, we’re so afraid of each other. Color. Wealth. These things that don’t matter still play too much of a role in how we see one another.”

“It’s sad because the thing that least defines us as people is the color of our skin….It’s our values. It’s how we live our lives.”

“I thought, ‘OK, well, let me live my life out loud so that people can then see and then judge for themselves,’” Obama said in the interview. “And that’s what I want young people to do: Just live your life. Live it out loud.”

We can all learn from this classy, elegant, down to earth lady. Michelle Obama teaches us that even in the face of disappointment and difficult times, we can be real and honest and hold our heads up high. I will certainly miss you Michelle Obama – and I can’t wait to see what you do next. What do you think about this interview? Did it inspire you? Hit me up on Facebook or Twitter and let’s talk about it!