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"Our parents fueled us with a level of 'can do it, must do it-ness' that would give us armor as we went out and started getting dinged in the world." - Michelle Obama
Growing up on Chicago's South Side with parents who were ahead of their time, Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson developed an unshakeable self-confidence that would later propel them to extraordinary heights. Their parents practiced "coaching confidence" before it was trendy, deliberately choosing to build their children up rather than breaking them down—a stark contrast to the prevailing parenting styles of their era. While neither parent had college degrees, they instilled in Michelle and Craig the belief that they were smart, worthy, and capable of excellence, creating a foundation of self-belief that would prove invaluable as they faced a world ready to lower expectations for "poor Black kids."
The siblings' journey to Princeton University became a pivotal test of this cultivated confidence. Despite Michelle's struggles with standardized tests and encountering voices that said she was "aiming too high," the groundwork of self-belief laid by their parents proved stronger than external doubts. Their story reveals the transformative power of conscious parenting and how early experiences of success—however small—compound into the confidence needed to thrive in environments designed to challenge one's sense of belonging. As Michelle reflects, true self-confidence isn't innate but cultivated through supportive relationships and meaningful achievements that prove to ourselves that we're capable of greatness.
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