“The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama has been a 2023 rave amongst women of all ages. Women all over the world have watched her interview “ REVOLT x Michelle Obama: The Cross-Generational Conversation.” She discusses this “top of the chart book” with celebrities such as H.E.R. and Kelly Rowland, supermodel-activist Winnie Harlow, businesswoman Tina Knowles-Lawson, and moderated by radio host Angie Martinez. I had to read it myself to see what all the rave was about. I also believe if I had not put this book on our list to read for BOOKLOVECLUB, I would have been unanimously voted out of the club.
They were absolutely right, the book has countless jewels of wisdom. She starts the book by telling stories about her father and how Covid gave her time to think about her life. This book has a casual tone that is laid back and relaxed. It's like talking to a wise family member after a long BBQ. You try to soak up as much information as you can and linger on to every word. You take mental notes of it all, It gives you a sense of peace that someone of her stature and success can be so relatable.
My Key Takeaways From the Book:
Small Things: Acknowledge the power of small things. Small things help us focus on the bigger picture. In her "When It comes to making a difference in the world, I find that it can also be useful to break down those gigantic, all-or-nothing goals into component parts.” p.43
Fear: Fear is a natural emotion that everyone has just acknowledged and moved on. “ I’ve been practicing stepping back and addressing my fear with my family, offering no more than a half-friendly shrug and a few easy words...” p. 75 such as I see you and I move
Friends: Making connections is scary but we as people need support, love, and validation from friends. Remember to set boundaries. She says “Don’t do life alone.” p145
Only’s: It can be hard being one of the “only’s” to break into a professional field or any place when you are the only one who looks as you do. Whether you're the only woman, minority, or young person in that area there will be naysayers, unfairness, and outright hatred. “ You’ll need to find and protect your own boundaries, watching your time, energy, health, and spirit as you go.” p251
Now, my only flaw is that this is a 300 Page book, I would recommend some time to actually read it or get the audio version of the book. No one warned me, but the beginning just felt like it took a while to really set everything up and start. Overall, the book was a great read. She was honest about her feelings, especially on Trump, and her mom is such a delight to read about. I can't leave out the fact that I just love her and Barack’s love story. Happy Reading My Friends. - Katrina
