What. A. Week. I attended Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within in London (more about that later). And I got the opportunity to attend Michelle Obama’s book tour in Amsterdam! I admire her strength, leadership and warm personality. And, I actually discovered a couple of parallels with both Tony Robbins and Brené Brown. Obviously, Michelle Obama triggered the entire audience with the main question: Who are you becoming?
Dare to be vulnerable
The main call of Michelle Obama to the audience: “Be open, show yourself and share your story. Dare to be vulnerable! […] This is not about me, it’s about all of us”. It really resonated with me. We are taught to hide ourselves. In Dutch culture for instance, there’s the strong belief that being normal is crazy enough (doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg). And it results in shame (in my case) and not telling our true stories. But if you are vulnerable and dare to be open, it shows tremendous leadership. And it’s contagious. I experienced it myself. This message also shows throughout the extensive body of research of Brené Brown (e.g. Dare to Lead). If you dare to be open and vulnerable, it results in true connection.
The art of fulfillment
Michelle Obama worked hard her entire life and built an amazing career. This is what Tony Robbins calls the Science of Achievement. Work hard, and create outstanding results. Michelle shared with us she thought her value consists of the university she attended or the job she had. Only when she suffered major losses in her private life, she found out her worth wasn’t found in the items on her check list (the car, the job, the corner office). Life can’t be planned, cause there is randomness in it. Also a big lesson I can relate to. Job, house, car, promotion, I had it all, but never felt truly fulfilled. Tony Robbins taught me there should be a balance between the Science of Achievement and the Art of Fulfillment. These are the two master skills for an extraordinary life! So enjoy the little things, be open and show gratitude, live a life full of grace. Because success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure..
I could write on and on about this inspiring night with Michelle Obama. But these were my personal highlights (for now). If you were there or read the book, what resonated most with you? Feel free to share!
Want to see it for yourself? Oprah interviewed Michelle Obama in her Super Soul Conversations series. Click here for part 1 and part 2 of the conversation. Or read the book Becoming!
Essence of Change 