Happy Birthday Michelle Obama: Empowering Quotes By The Former First Lady

Michelle Obama, an attorney, author and the first African American 'First Lady', turns 58 on Jan. 17, Monday.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1964, Michelle graduated in Sociology from Princeton University and went on to attend Harvard Law School where she took part in demonstrations to persuade the management to hire professors from minority groups, Free Press Journal reported.

After college, she worked in the law firm 'Sidley Austin' where she met Barack Obama. The two got married in 1992. She campaigned aggressively for Barack Obama during the 2008-09 Presidency Elections and served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009-2017 during which she won millions of hearts with her inspiring speeches and her acts of kindness.

On the occasion of her birthday, here are some inspiring and powerful quotes by Michelle Obama. (Courtesy – Oprah Daily)

• "I am coming down from the mountaintop to tell every young person that is poor and working class, and has been told regardless of the color of your skin that you don't belong, don't listen to them. They don't even know how they got at those seats."
• "Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude."
• "You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms... you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our national conversation."
• "Instead of letting your hardships and failures discourage or exhaust you, let them inspire you. Let them make you even hungrier to succeed."
• "There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there's grace in being willing to know and hear others."
• "It was one thing to get yourself out of a stuck place, I realized. It was another thing entirely to try and get the place itself unstuck."
• "You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages."