“Plan your joy,” suggests Michelle Obama

if you'd like to share a little bit more about that on your darkest days where does our light come from Wow I mean sometimes it doesn't come and you just have to believe that it will that it will come the you know there's that saying no matter how long the night the day is sure to come and you just have to believe in that no matter what the circumstances are it's one of the things that I think we were so impressed so deeply moved in Vietnam the stories that were being shared with us the depth of vulnerability the depth of courage that it takes to share stories like some of the ones that we heard that is what it it wasn't so much about the triumph it was about the vulnerability and the belief that one can hold in oneself that no matter how long the night the day is short to come and for a six-year-old to believe that in themselves that was not the six-year-old I was or the ten year old or the 26 year old so it is so moving and magical and we can change each other's lives in these incredible ways that are big and can be so tiny it is it is the sharing sharing is is such a valuable valuable thing and yeah dudes just get a mahjong group going or something because it really find a running partner you know do anything and and share well it's also it's like you have to plan your joy and we don't like teach that right we plan work you know so that you know to answer your question what happens in the darkest hour it's true those times will come and there isn't a magic answer to that but if you have been thoughtful in your life and you have and you understand how to bring your self joy that's what gets you through it you know it doesn't mean that the dark day didn't happen right it means that because you've planned joy joy is coming but a lot of times we we plan work that's what we're taught to do but we're not taught to plan our lives and plan our joy and it takes planning and it takes practice planning that out so if for all of you all you know I say this because I know you all are burning yourselves out doing the work that you do that's your tendency and that's also the feeling that this is how you make change that I have to be miserable in the process because I'm and and you can feel it because you also juxtapose your life with the people that you're serving and you'll always feel blessed you'll never feel like you should have joy when people are struggling but were you all in order to stay vital in this work you have to plan joy you will burn yourselves out and you will be got no good to anyone so I want you all thinking about that as Julia says she she is thought unlike our mothers right aren't our mothers generations like women didn't have joy you just you know did the work you woke up and you'd wash the clothes and you you know my mom wouldn't even go to the hairdresser she dyed her hair green once and it's like ma just go to the hairdresser it's like not I why why would I spend money on that because it's like that could bring you joy and it is important for the people you work with to see you have joy too so I want you all to think about that what are you doing this week when you leave this conference what are you gonna do that is gonna make you you selfishly smile what do you and and how are you gonna make sure you have that weekly many times a week and I dare say it maybe even every day you have a little joy in your life and that's defined differently for all of us for me it's my kids for me it's anybody's kids it's like you need some kids and I'm you know I know I literally would say that in the White House you know any times it'd be like you gotta get me with some kids because these adults they don't bring me joy [Applause]

Channel: The Star

Views: 125,805

Keywords: obama foundation, michelle obama, julia roberts, malaysia, kuala lumpur, news, hope, light, mahjong, joy

Id: m2felyLKSo0

Length: 4min 46sec (286 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 12 2019