Inspiration from our First Ladies

By: Rhea Mahajan

Too often people focus solely on the president and his actions, yet we should not forget that the first ladies too are impressive in their own right. They are in charge of the nation’s social and political outreach plus because of their personal & professional accomplishments, they are a great source of inspiration. So here’s a quote from the 20 most recent first ladies to start your week off right:

  1. “I am naturally the most unambitious of women which makes me seem ambitious.” - Ellen Wilson

  2. “I had 3 brothers, 2 died early, and one of them was living a good long time.” - Edith Wilson

  3. “I know what’s best for the President. I put him in the White House. He does well when he listens to me and poorly when he does not.” - Florence Harding

  4. “If a man amounts to much in this world, he must encounter many and varied annoyances whole number mounts as his effectiveness increases.” - Grace Coolidge

  5. “The independent irl is truly something of quite modern origin, and usually is a most bewitching little piece of humanity,” - Lou Hoover

  6. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

  7. “I’ve liked a lot of people till I went on a picnic jaunt with them.” - Bess Truman

  8. “Every woman every fifty should stay in bed till noon.” - Mamie Eisenhower

  9. “Once you can express yourself, you can tell the world what you want from it. All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words.” - Jacqueline Kennedy

  10. “Where flowers bloom so does hope.” - Lady Bird Johnson

  11. “Helping another person gives one the deepest pleasure in the world.” - Patricia Nixon

  12. “You can make it, but it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.” - Betty Ford

  13. “You have to have confidence in your ability and then be tough enough to follow through.” - Rosalynn Carter

  14. “There’s a big, wonderful world out there for you. It belongs to you. It’s exciting and stimulating and rewarding. Don’t cheat yourselves out of this promise.” - Nancy Reagan

  15. “You don’t just luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it’s friendships or opportunities.” - Barbara Bush

  16. “You have to be true to yourself. You have to be enough in touch with who you are and what you want, how you want to live and what’s important to you, to make your decisions based on that.” - Hillary Clinton 

  17. “The power of a book lies in its power to turn a solitary act into a shared vision. As long as we have books, we are not alone.” - Laura Bush

  18. “You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.” - Michelle Obama

  19. “Nothing lasts forever, so live it up, drink it down, laugh it off, avoid the drama, take chances, and never have regrets. Because at one point everything you did was exactly what you wanted.” - Melania Trump

  20. “Education teaches us compassion and kindness, connection to others.” - Jill Biden