Michelle Obama always knows the right thing to say. Whether she’s speaking truth to power in front of the biggest audiences, connecting with her 57 million followers on Instagram or just saying what you need to hear (or better yet, see) in print, she’s always right on time. So what better time for her to release a workbook on small but significant ways to tackle life’s challenges then at the end of a whirlwind year?
That’s just what she’s done with the release of her new book, Overcoming: The Workbook. The follow-up to her 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, a literal light to people seeking to come out of the figurative rubble left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic, this new work offers advice to readers in an interactive, educative way. It includes prompts, tools to track your habits, and the encouragement to be your best self. And following a dissapointing election season for a collective of folks, and so many dealing with a myriad of personal struggles, Obama is back to help us meet the moment, as usual.
ESSENCE had the opportunity to connect with the former First Lady about the inspiration for Overcoming (Note: It was in the works long before November), the wellness practices she puts in place to help her overcome her own obstacles, and the message she has for Black women after the election, to help us “go high” even if we’re feeling a bit low right now.
ESSENCE: When you released your book The Light We Carry in 2022, we were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, hopeful that we were on our way out of it but still trying to make our way through. What inspired the release two years later of Overcoming: A Workbook?
Michelle Obama: The pandemic may be over, but life always finds a way to come at you hard and fast. You never know what’s going to knock you off your feet. You might get some difficult health news. Your kids might struggle in school. Someone you love might die. A friendship might crumble. In those moments, we need to find ways to steady ourselves. And that’s what this book is about — those time-tested lessons and practices that we can revisit again and again.
Did you find that people who read the book expressed a desire to take the advice you’d given a step further to help them in the day-to-day?
Yes, and my hope was to help folks apply those lessons in their own lives. I’ve had the benefit of working these practices into my life over many years and decades. They’re a part of how I see the world. But for so many readers, finding a way to implement something new into our lives can be daunting. Any kind of change is hard, particularly when we’re trying to shift the way we live our lives — the way we see ourselves and the world. So my hope with this workbook is simply that it can help jumpstart that process. When it comes to change, we can all use a copilot — whether that’s a partner, a friend, or even a workbook. Just something that can provide a little inspiration, a little accountability. We’re all looking for some steadiness, right?
What is your go-to practice for confronting challenges that can feel overwhelming?
This is a good question. There’s a lot out there right now that can feel overwhelming. That’s why I start small. Concrete, finite tasks and activities steady our minds and calm our hearts. It can be anything — like knitting a scarf or making a meal or painting a landscape or working out. But taking a few minutes each day to take your mind off your anxieties and focus on building something of your own just makes life easier to live.
You’ve always been open about your love of movement, inspiring a lot of women to get active. In addition to that, what are other ways you prioritize your wellness post-White House, and as you have more time for yourself?
You’re right: Time is a big factor. I’m no longer fitting a workout in before dawn so that I can hop on a plane to do events in three states and make it back for bedtime with the girls. These days, I’ve been playing a lot of tennis, which I’ve loved for a long time, and now I have the time to focus on improving my skills. And I still make it to the gym — I just have a little more time in my schedule to shower afterward.
And that added time has allowed me to do a better job of approaching wellness from a more holistic perspective. Wellness isn’t just about getting a sweat in. It’s about mental, social, spiritual health, too. These past few years, I’ve really focused on breathing a little more and spending quality time with my loved ones. That’s allowed me to reflect on my life and the world—and to see myself and my story a little more clearly. That’s what this book is about, too: Finding different paths toward being well.
Lastly, if you don’t mind, with the purpose of this work in mind, can you share a message of encouragement to the ESSENCE audience? Many are grappling with mixed feelings these days. In addition to picking up Overcoming, how can we remain positive and hopeful as we prepare for uncertain times ahead?
Well, we had the workbook planned long before we knew the outcome of the election, but these days, most of us can really use some time to reflect, process, and figure out how we want to show up in our lives and our world. Hopefully, this book can help. Of course, it’s not a cure-all. This is such a complicated, difficult time for so many of us — and it might very well get more complicated and difficult in the months and years ahead. That’s true in politics and in life. You never know what’s coming. And that’s why it’s good to remember you’re not alone. If you aren’t feeling good, chances are, others are in the same boat. If you’re trying to figure out how you want to be present, somebody else is, too. So, take a moment to break out of your own bubble and reach out to people. No matter what’s happening outside, it’ll feel good to connect — I promise.
A little more broadly, I just want to say that big change — national-level change — takes real time. You don’t win every battle. As Dr. King said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” When it comes to America, I just want to remind people that this is a beautiful country, full of decent, good people. Barack and I saw that for a decade when he was running for president and in the White House. We visited coffee shops and VFW halls and family farms, meeting with folks one-on-one in their living rooms. As First Lady, I talked with all sorts of folks: military families who’d lost loved ones, moms trying to build their careers while getting kids to school and putting decent food on the table, teenagers dodging bullets on their way to school, first-generation college students struggling to find their footing on a campus where very few folks look like them.
Looking back, what stands out more than anything during my husband’s time in office is the fundamental goodness we encountered everywhere we went. It didn’t matter if folks looked like us or talked like us, or voted like us. No matter where we were, it always felt as though, even with our differences, we were stitched together by the values that have guided and nourished us for generations.
That’s still true. And it will always be true, no matter who’s in the Oval Office. And I have no doubt that if we put in the work, break outside our bubbles, and talk to folks who might disagree with us, then that goodness will shine through once again — even if it takes a little while.
Overcoming: A Workbook is now available wherever books are sold.