Michelle Obama is one of the most inspirational people of our time. I was fortunate enough to attend “An evening with Michelle Obama” in London, as part of her book tour, she was all the things you’d imagine her to be; classy, warm, witty and tough.

Here are nine reasons why her new book, Becoming, is an essential read to start your 2019 motivated, grounded and empowered.

By Claudia Gonzalez

In today’s technology-obsessed world, Michelle stressed the importance of making the dinner table a phone-free zone in her home. In fact, she attributed this ritual to the strong relationships and open communication that the Obama’s maintained through the challenging years of being the First Family. Check out Truly’s dining ware to create an inviting focal point for your family here.

Yes, even the Obama’s are not “couple goals!” all the time. Michelle said that sometimes, she feels like “pushing Barack out of the window.” However, she said that the key to their success is that they both support each other’s decisions, have great mutual respect and never go to bed on an argument. She was candid about how they had gone through marriage counselling, and it was refreshing to hear someone talking openly about the topic which, even today, has some stigma.

Speaking about the death of her father, Michelle was not afraid to show the pain that grief still caused her. Seated on stage the importance angelic white jumpsuit, she looked an image of bravery and strength, not vulnerability. As a society, it is important that we speak about our mental health, and check up on your friends and family.

Looking at the USA today, it seems that human rights for LGBT and immigrants have regressed. However, Michelle noted that shifting a culture is difficult, and even if there are setbacks you have to keep on fighting for what you believe in, even if change isn’t immediate. This is an important philosophy for personal progress. For example, if your new year’s resolution is to lose weight, or save up for a dream holiday, the journey is likely not to be easy or without hurdles. To keep you energised, always focus on the end goal.

‘Feminine’ qualities are often contradictory to behaviours that drive change and success. Michelle explained that women are often told “not to reach too high, don’t talk too loud,” as they don’t want to be viewed as bossy or unladylike. As a tall, powerful woman, Michelle received lots of trolling in her early years as First Lady, with the media calling her a man, or saying she was unattractive. There will always be trolls or haters that are quick to criticise. This year, force yourself to be confident about your choices and don’t let your voice be diminished.

Today, everyone is aware of their personal brand - how they look on social media the importance other people around them. That’s not surprising, considering that nearly everything we do is immortalised in videos, photos or tweets. Michelle amusingly said that the whole eight years, she was virtually obsessed with the optics of being first lady and not falling over in heels for fear of ‘becoming a meme.’ 'It’s important to be proud of how people see you, but don't be so worried about looking silly that is stops you from trying something new this year'

It’s easy to feel pressure to buy into every new fashion trend, but even the former first lady didn’t technology-obsessed to keep up. “Don’t follow every new trend…find your own style.” Invest in some good quality, key pieces that will stay classic through the years. Have confidence to wear what suits you and your personality, but don’t afraid to be bold, with new colours or shapes. See our range of knitwear to elevate your winter wardrobe.

As an advocate for women and minorities, Michelle explained that she chooses to wear brands and designers whose core principals align with her own. For example, she wears clothes from young, setbacks-technology-obsessed, to support them as artists and entrepreneurs. In 2019, we can in some buy from brands who have reduced the amount of plastic in their packaging, don’t test on animals or give back to people in need. Read about how the Truly Foundation is working to reduce our environmental impact and help underprivileged communities: https://www.truly.co.uk/the-foundation/

One thing people might not know about Michelle Obama is that she was super driven from a young age. She recognises, especially her father, as a key factor in her success, for for always encouraging to work for her goals, including going to Princeton University. Education has been a key priority for her, as she sees it as a route to better lives for young people and their families. Her advice is to support the young people in your life to achieve their own dreams. Know an aspiring author or journalist? Perhaps make a small gesture with our beautiful stationary.