Living Without Privilege Makes You Stronger

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

And I know that because I've seen it myself.
Not just as student working my way through school, but years later, before I came to the white house, and I worked as a dean at college.
In that role, I encountered students who had every advantage.
Their parent paid their full tuition, they lived in beautiful campus dorms,
they had every material possessions a college kid could want; cars, computers, spending money.

But when some of them got their first bad grade, they just fell apart. They lost it.
Because they were ill-equipped to handle their first encounter disappointment or falling short.

Life will put many obstacles in your path that are far worse than a bad grade.
You'll have unreasonable bosses, and difficult clients and patients.
You'll experience illness and losses, crises and setbacks, that will come out of nowhere,
and knock you off your feet.

But unlike so many other young people, you have already develop the resilience and the maturity that you need to pick yourself up,
and dust yourself off and keep moving through the pain,
keep moving forward.
You have develop that muscle.

And please, please, always do your part to help others do the same.

Michelle Obama.