Michelle Obama has launched a tour! I had the privilege of catching her Philadelphia show. The lessons I learned there were applicable to this topic so I opened my notes app and got to typing! Here are a few of the snippets I captured from the show!

• When feeling doubtful make clear and effective efforts to prove yourself you are capable. When Michelle was in the White House performing impossible feats alongside her husband, she not only suffered from self doubt but also external doubt from others. Being the first of many in history she realized that she was responsible for setting the tone for those to come. This realization loomed great pressure and insecurity over her head. But when she remembers her high school counselor telling her she wasn't "Princeton material", and the incredible accomplishments she's managed since then, she was reminded of one thing. Doubters are wrong 99% of the time. Don't let the 1% scare you into minimizing yourself.

• If you're young, reach out and listen to those more experienced than you. No matter the intrinsic resistance you may have, they probably know more and can offer you useful and valuable advice. If you're older, acknowledge those younger as sources of innovative solutions to some outdated ideas.

• When there are others who deny you of your credibility or capability, extinguish them from your reference circle, they've got nothing to offer you. A reference circle, to me, is the people you go to for advice, venting, and sharing your accomplishments. This may look like a friend or perhaps your parent. Whoever it is, if they seem to always offer deprecating advice, they should be removed from that circle, even if they remain in other circles of your life.

• "Light is what we need, going low is temporary satisfaction, going high has longevity." This direct quote from the show particularly moved me as it ties two of her famous quotes together into one lesson. While she is encouraging us to act and think with dignity and morale she is also encouraging us to make sure those acts are full of passion and light. Mrs. Obama seems to be promoting finding that happy medium between passion and logic which I appreciate as a longtime philosophy student.

• To young people: Don't convince yourself you don't deserve the things you've been granted from elders such as caregivers, parents, teachers, etc. Humility is important but these adults are responsible for providing you with building blocks. Remember you couldn't have grown without them but you're not indebted to them. This lesson is one my mother and I struggle with a lot. I want to thank her in every way for providing me with the life I have but every time I offer her something for compensation she repeats the same phrase "You don't owe me anything, I just want you to be good." In this context, the word good doesn't represent value, instead, it means set for life. Prepared. Mrs. Obama explained it best as she spoke about young/old relationships in America. She examined the lack of young voters in the polls compared with old. As well as the polarization of the two groups. She encouraged a change in this harmful historical trend. And I have to say, I agree with her.

Catch more insightful bits in one of her upcoming shows or the various online reviews of her book and the conversations broadcasted during the tour.