‘It Felt Like the Ground Was Moving Beneath Us’: Michelle Obama Reveals Personal Inspiration Behind New Book

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Michelle Obama says she was bound by “anxiety and fear” during the pandemic, and needed to find ways to cope and deal with her stress in order to move forward.

The former First Lady took to Twitter Sunday, sharing the inspiration behind her new book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times. Hitting stores and available online Nov. 15, the 336-page hardcover draws on Obama’s experiences over the last few years, offering what she calls a “toolbox” of strategies to stay hopeful and optimistic amidst the many challenges of life.

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Obama says the pandemic was a difficult time for her, sympathizing that it was “leaving us isolated at home during a time of uncertainty. And like everyone else,” she wrote on Twitter, “I had a lot of questions about how to overcome anxiety and fear when it felt like the ground was moving beneath us.”

The questions from others, and doubts in her own mind, ultimately compelled her to write The Light We Carry, which will take the form of first-person anecdotes and lessons learned from Obama’s time in the White House and her life as a mother and spouse. “It’s a collection of practices and perspectives that I draw on when I need to stay balanced and confident, especially in times of anxiety and stress,” she explains.

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The new book comes four years after the release of Obama’s memoir, Becoming, which sold almost a million copies on its first day of release, and went on to become one of the best-selling books of all time (not to mention a best-selling audiobook).

The First Lady gave a nod to her first book in her Twitter post Sunday, when describing what readers can expect from The Light We Carry. “Some of these tools are habits. Some are actual physical objects. Others are attitudes and beliefs from my ongoing journey of becoming,” she wrote. “I poured a lot into this book, and my hope is that it might give you some ideas for your own journey.”

According to her publisher, the title of Obama’s new book is taken from her belief that everyone possess an inner flame and that people “become bolder with brightness.”

“Even when the world feels dark and uncertain,” she writes, “we always have the ability to kindle our own light by looking inside ourselves and then sharing it with others.”

The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times is now available on hardcover online. It is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the former First Lady herself.

Related: This Audible Deal Gets You One Month of Free Access

Obama will be promoting her new book on her “The Light We Carry Tour,” which kicks off this week in Washington and wraps Dec. 13 in Los Angeles. Obama will be joined by some of her famous friends as moderators, including Ellen Degeneres, David Letterman, Tyler Perry and Oprah. Tickets to the events are still available on Stubhub.com and Seatgeek.com.