“What’s truly funny is that something momentous is happening, and it’s so real that the media can’t see it. Here it is, the biggest story of all time, and it goes unreported. If you’re continually focused on this and that media event, the latest celebrity scandal, the scattered wars of duality, the deceitful maneuverings of selfish politicians, and the shifting state of a false world economy, you just might miss the greater story. And this greater story is why we are here and what gives our lives meaning.”

“You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

“To young girls everywhere, it’s sad that our bodies go in and out of style, just like fashion trends. One season we’re supposed to be a zero, and the next you’re supposed to be a six. Then you’re supposed to have a six-pack, but wait, now you’re supposed to be juicy … with a booty! It makes us feel crazy. Many of you are saying, “What the heck am i supposed to be?” Exactly who you are right now: that’s who you need to be.”

“Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss; but every once in a while, you find someone who’s iridescent, and once you do, nothing will ever compare.”

“My last piece of advice is this simple… Persevere. Because nothing worthwhile is easy.”

“The opinion other people have of you is their problem, not yours.”