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WASHINGTON (AP) — michelle obama Say that when you feel out of control, it helps to focus on the things you can control.
Among the things she can control during the death and isolation of a pandemic, racial unrest and threats to democracy are her spools and needles.
She calls this thinking “small power,” and writes in her new book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming Difficulty in Uncertain Times, that by focusing on small tasks like weaving, she was able to overcome worry, Anxiety and the restless stress of the past few years.
“The fun thing about knitting and making things with your hands is that it’s meditative,” the former first lady said Tuesday night at the Warner Theater in Washington, where she kicked off a month-long campaign, Six Cities Tour Promotion to promote the book.
“In a lot of ways, it’s like a faith,” she said as she sat onstage with a friend who was a former daytime talk show host. ellen degeneres, nearly 90 minutes of humorous conversation with Mrs. Obama. “It’s something that shuts off your worrying mind and lets your hands take over.”
That’s power, she said.
“I think of knit and lamé, and knit and lamé, row after row,” the former first lady said, citing the different stitches and techniques used in knitting. “If you stick with it, and you’re focused, you’ve got a sweater.”
In the book, out Tuesday, she shares the contents of her “personal toolbox” — habits and practices, attitudes and beliefs, even the physical objects she uses to overcome feelings of fear, helplessness and self-doubt.
She writes in the foreword: “This book aims to show you what I stand for and why, what I use professionally and personally to help me maintain balance and confidence, what keeps me motivated even in times of high anxiety and stress. It’s time to move on.”
The mother of former President Barack Obama’s 58-year-old wife and grown daughters Malia and Sasha wrote that the book, her third, is not a how-to manual but “a series of honesty about my life experiences. Reflection” taught me so far. “
“Also remember that everything I know, and all the various tools I rely on, came about through trial and error, years of constant practice and reevaluation,” she wrote. “It took me decades to learn, make mistakes, adjust and correct course as I went along. I just slowly improved to where I am today.”
‘The Light We Carry’ Is Mrs. Obama’s First New Book Since 2018’s Bestseller memoirWith more than 17 million copies sold worldwide, Becoming is by far the most popular book by a former first lady or modern president (including her husband).
As First Lady, she wrote “America Grown” A book about the produce garden she planted at the White House in 2009.
Mrs. Obama kicked off her tour in Washington, D.C. with events planned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Philadelphia, the Fox Theater in Atlanta, the Chicago Theater and the Masonic House in San Francisco before wrapping up at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.
From a plush purple chair on stage at the nearly 100-year-old Washington Theatre, Mrs. Obama spoke about how she felt after the 2016 election, when her husband was succeeded by Donald Trump . Coincidentally, Trump announced his third run for president during her appearance.
“If you guys remember, I said, ‘Don’t vote for this guy,'” she said, referring to Trump, who sought to undo most of Obama’s record as president. “Eight years, the sacrifices we made? Is it complacency? What is it?”
The former first lady also discussed overcoming her fear of change and realizing she couldn’t stop her husband’s desire to run for president in 2008. He has given her veto power over his decisions.
“Opportunity is on the other side,” she said of the fear.
She also spoke about the pandemic, saying her family has handled it better than most because they’ve gotten used to eight years of isolation in the White House “bubble.”
She talked about how difficult it was — and still is — to make new friends she can trust as first lady, and how much fun it was to watch her daughters “grow up” and share an apartment in California. The girls have returned to Washington to live with their parents during the pandemic.
Sasha completed one semester at the University of Michigan before returning home. Maria, who attended Harvard University, spent her senior year at home and ended up missing graduation due to COVID-19. So her parents hosted a ceremony in their backyard, complete with a commencement speaker.
“It’s me and Barack,” Mrs. Obama said with a smile. “We told her how lucky she was. She got both of us.”
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