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8 Michelle Obama Quotes That Will Inspire You to Live Life to the Fullest The first African American First Lady of the United States can teach you a thing or two about being a leader and helping others along the way.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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Lawyer, author and former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama is a role model to many. A graduate of Princeton and Harvard, there's much to learn from the intellectual -- and her expertise goes far beyond the classroom.

Related: 13 Quotes from Today's Most Successful Leaders on Opportunity and Getting Started

As the first African American First Lady, Obama took it upon herself to become a voice for women and an advocate for poverty, nutrition and health. While her husband was the 44th president of the U.S., the courageous woman made a name for herself and used her power to spread awareness and help others.

There's much to learn from the selfless woman.

Check out these eight Michelle Obama quotes that will make you a better person.

On the future

"Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude." -- Michelle Obama

On mindset

"Courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own." -- Michelle Obama

Related: 10 Thought-Provoking Quotes From the One-of-a-Kind Artist Andy Warhol

On passion

"Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals." -- Michelle Obama

Related: 10 Thought-Provoking Quotes From the One-of-a-Kind Artist Andy Warhol

On leadership

"Fear is a useless emotion. Don't ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility." -- Michelle Obama

On resilience

"When I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am." -- Michelle Obama

On empowerment

"We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list." -- Michelle Obama

Related: 12 Quotes on Failure From Super Successful Leaders Like Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban and More

On success

"Success isn't about how your life looks to others. It's about how it feels to you. We realized that being successful isn't about being impressive, it's about being inspired. That's what it means to be true to yourself." -- Michelle Obama

On helping others

"When you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed." -- Michelle Obama

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

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