Book Chat with Ori: Recap
On Saturday March 2nd I held my very first Book Chat to discuss former First Lady Michelle Obama’s book Becoming! I absolutely loved reading her book learning more about her story and I just had to discuss it with others. I am so appreciative of those who joined me last week to discuss and share your thoughts. I curated the discussion questions to foster self reflection and challenge the group to apply the lessons that Michelle Obama learned, to their life.
Here is a recap of the discussion we had:
The book is split up into 3 section, becoming me, becoming us and becoming more. I developed a list of questions with supporting quotes from the book for more a in-depth analysis of what Michelle Obama experienced and how we can learn from those experiences.
Becoming Me
Michelle shares here story growing up in the south side of Chicago and watching her neighborhood change over time. She also witnessed educational deficits in her school and was fortunate enough to have a mother that advocated for her to be transferred to a different class. As a group we discussed how we can ward off our own fear of failure.
“Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result”
Becoming Us
we discussed Michelle and Obama’s relationship and how Barack challenged her to step out of her comfort zones and figure out what she really cared about instead of working as a Lawyer. We dove into how their upbringing shaped their perception of love and commitment and how they had to work through those differences to make their marriage last.
“He was the wind that threatened to unsettle everything”
Becoming More
Michelle speaks to the difficulties she faced as the first African American First Lady in the United States and how she had to earn peoples grace. We discussed how to navigate white spaces with confidence while avoiding negativity.
“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others. ”
A special should out goes to More Than Java Cafe for hosting us and providing delicious food and drinks. Make sure you stay tuned for the next book chat with Ori and other future events.
