First Lady Michelle Obama participated in the #DearMe social media hashtag on Twitter today, releasing a video to her younger self.
“Michelle, stop worrying so much about getting things wrong, success has nothing to do with perfection,” the First Lady said directly into the camera. “So stop being nervous, raise your hand, use your voice, get it wrong, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving on and don’t worry what other people think.”
The #DearMe campaign was launched by YouTube in honor of International Women’s Day and encourages people to send a message to themselves when they were young, in the hopes that it will inspire other young people.
“It doesn’t matter, I’m fifty years old now, and nothing anyone said to me, when I was young, that was negative, matters, it doesn’t matter,” Obama insisted, apparently referring to her struggles as a young person.
“So be brave,” she advised. “Use your voice. Ignore the doubters, and work hard, because life is hard work. Don’t be afraid of it. Just do it.”