Michelle Obama has shared some wise words for Meghan Markle about handling the pressure of being in the public eye and pursuing projects which she's passionate about, two things the former first lady personally had to deal with during her time in the White House.
"My biggest advice would be to take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything," she shares in her cover story for Good Housekeeping's January issue.
The former FLOTUS recalled how she personally had to spend "the first few months" after moving into the White House adjusting to her new life. She was "mainly worrying about my daughters, making sure they were off to a good start at school and making new friends, before I launched into more ambitious work," she said.
"Once I was ready, I chose to work on issues that I had a strong personal passion for," Obama added. She started an initiative on healthy living because she's "lived through the difficulty of raising healthy kids as a mom." She campaigned for college education because she "saw the power of education" in her own life.
"There’s so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that," the former first lady continued, "And I think she can maximize her impact for others, as well as her own happiness, if she’s doing something that resonates with her personally."
It seems Meghan has already started to take Michelle Obama's advice. As a feminist and supporter for women's rights, the Duchess of Sussex followed her passion in launching her first solo royal project, Together: Our Community Cookbook. The collection features recipes from the women of Hubb Community Kitchen, who were displaced after the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Meghan might not have waited long to get started on the work—it launched four months after her royal wedding to Prince Harry, while sister-in-law Kate Middleton's first solo project launched nine months after her wedding to Prince William—but it's clearly a project close to her heart.
Obama also has a new book of her own on the shelves. Her memoir, Becoming, is now available.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
