find a lovely life

“Life was teaching me that progress and change happen slowly. Not in two years, four years, or even a lifetime. We were planting seeds of change, the fruit of which we might never see. We had to be patient.”

Michelle Obama, Becoming

Becoming Means Progress.

At the beginning of this year, I chose a word. Progress.

I had struggled the past few years trying to meet unrealistic goals and became my own worst critic when it came to creative projects and deadlines I had created for myself. So instead of continuing that journey of self-destruction, I decided to focus on the progress. 

Becoming by Michelle Obama helped define that I was on to something.

Three Parts.

The autobiography is divided into three parts: Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More. It was great to see the progression of a great life, knowing that it was just a slice and there was more to be lived.

The writing in this book is amazing and to no surprise, every time I picked up the book it sounded like she was telling me a story. I’m not going to lie, I wanted this book to be filled with advice but I think I just want Michelle Obama to be my personal mentor. The epilogue does not disappoint in that regard.

I really liked how the book was divided into three parts. You got to see how she became who she was while people and life happened. A lot of times we let life happen to us without realizing it’s helping us progress. Michelle took that life and let herself progress.

There are parts in this book that talk a lot about President Obama. Becoming Us and Becoming More have context around him but the whole time you’re reading about how much she admires him and how she tries her best to be an amazing mother and leader to her country. This goes to show how the people in our lives shape us but they also become a part of us.

Becoming More.

After reading this book, I feel a sense of peace. Knowing that we are all on a journey to become who we are made to be. While sometimes that can feel like a heavy burden, we must remember that it’s all about progress and that your journey to finding that lovely life is part of the process. In fact, it is the process.

I would recommend reading this book in parts and reflect on how you have become yourself, become with others and what you want to become more of. Michelle Obama can be your guru. But go out and spread the lessons you’ve learned in life to others. That’s how we find a lovely life together.