Michelle Obama quotes

“Find people who will make you better.”

— Michelle Obama

“I'm a fry lover.”

— Michelle Obama

“My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before. I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong.”

— Michelle Obama

“Choose people who lift you up.”

— Michelle Obama

“I like to talk about my obsession with french fries because I don't want people to think that 'Let's Move' is about complete, utter deprivation. It's about moderation and real-life changes and ideas that really work for families.”

— Michelle Obama

“If proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.”

— Michelle Obama

“See, that's why Barack's running: to end the war in Iraq responsibly - to build an economy that lifts every family, to make sure health care is available for every American - and to make sure that every child in this nation has a world-class education all the way from preschool to college.”

— Michelle Obama

“Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.”

— Michelle Obama

“When I get up and work out, I'm working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I want them to see a mother who loves them dearly, who invests in them, but who also invests in herself. It's just as much about letting them know as young women that it is okay to put yourself a little higher on your priority list.”

— Michelle Obama

“When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, another president. He didn't care whether it was the easy thing to do politically - that's not how he was raised - he cared that it was the right thing to do.”

— Michelle Obama

“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.”

— Michelle Obama

“Exercise is really important to me - it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls.”

— Michelle Obama

“I am so tired of fear. And I don't want my girls to live in a country, in a world, based on fear.”

— Michelle Obama

“I know what it feels like to struggle to get the education that you need.”

— Michelle Obama

“I've seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are. It reveals who you are.”

— Michelle Obama

“It wasn't so long ago that I was a working mom myself. And I know that sometimes, much as we all hate to admit it, it's just easier to park the kids in front of the TV for a few hours, so we can pay the bills or do the laundry or just have some peace and quiet for a change.”

— Michelle Obama

“Sometimes, it's just easier to say yes to that extra snack or dessert, because frankly, it is exhausting to keep saying no. It's exhausting to plead with our kids to eat just one more bite of vegetables.”

— Michelle Obama

“We're all bombarded with so many dietary messages that it's hard to find time to sort through all this information, but we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates.”

— Michelle Obama

“Another suggestion is to cook a meal, maybe not every night, but a couple more times a week than you usually do. That way you have leftovers, and you take your lunch to work.”

— Michelle Obama

“Clearly this is a tough economic time, and a lot of families are hurting. So when we talk to parents, we talk about small changes for kids and things that don't cost extra money. Like adding water and eliminating sugary drinks and sodas. That's going to save money right there. Or adding a few more vegetables.”

— Michelle Obama

“Fortunately, we have help from the media. I have to say this: I'm very grateful for the support and kindness that we've gotten. People have respected their privacy and in that way, I think, you know, no matter what people may feel about my husband's policies or what have you, they care about children and that's been good to see.”

— Michelle Obama

“I am desperate for change - now - not in 8 years or 12 years, but right now.”

— Michelle Obama

“I hate fund-raising. Haaaaate it. Hate, hate it.”

— Michelle Obama

“I have a very eclectic iPod. So I've got my cardio people - so it's anything from Beyonce to some Jay-Z to Janelle Monae, her song 'Tightrope,' that's a good cardio song. And then I've got Sting. I've got Mary J. Blige. I've got The Beatles. I've got Michael Jackson. I try to pick the songs that I personally love.”

— Michelle Obama

“I love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he's going to do, even when it's hard - especially when it's hard.”

— Michelle Obama

“I think that people are tired. They're tired of the same old kind of politics. People want a new tone to politics.”

— Michelle Obama

“I'm not asking any of you to make drastic changes to every single one of your recipes or to totally change the way you do business. But what I am asking is that you consider reformulating your menu in pragmatic and incremental ways to create healthier versions of the foods that we all love.”

— Michelle Obama

“I've seen how the issues that come across a president's desk are always the hard ones - the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer.”

— Michelle Obama

“If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. I guarantee you that.”

— Michelle Obama

“Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much. They didn't begrudge anyone else's success or care that others had much more than they did... in fact, they admired it.”

— Michelle Obama