Michelle Obama Stress Importance Of ‘Growth’ In Candid Conversation With Dwyane Wade’s Daughter

Former first lady Michelle Obama recently opened up to the daughter of NBA legend Dwyane Wade, Zaya, about the importance of young people using their teenage years to discover themselves.

During a virtual conversation with Zaya, who identifies as transgender, Obama praised the 13-year-old for openly sharing her experience as she continues to learn about herself.

“I am just so proud of you, you know being just an amazing role model and embracing your truth, right?” Obama said.

The “Becoming” author went on to advise Zaya and other youth not to feel overwhelmed as they try to learn new things about themselves.

“It does take time to know what yourself is, for young people. So, my first piece of advice is be patient with yourself, No. 1,” Obama said.

“This is the period of exploration, and sometimes we put too much pressure on teenagers to know who you’re going to be.”

Obama encouraged teens to journey outside of their comfort zone to gain a true understanding of who they are.

“Teenagers are comfortable in their sameness. A lot of times they like to be in their clique, right? They like to be around people who look like them, who act like them, who like the same things,” she said.

“But what we do know is that growth comes with difference. Growth comes when you try on something new, and you learn from that.”

Zaya admitted she used to mimic that way of thinking, but eventually embraced change.

“We all think we that we thrive with people who are just like us. Getting a different perspective from someone else who isn’t like you really helps. And that definitely helped me in becoming me and defining my truth,” Zaya said.

Meanwhile, Obama revealed she is open to doing things that scare her so her life lessons can continue.

“No matter how confident you feel, by the time you’re my age — almost 60 — you will have tried on so many different versions of yourself,” she explained.

“Hopefully, I have more things to try on. So the journey of learning and becoming who you are — it never ends.”

Obama emphasized that young people use their time to “learn how to do something new...and things that make you uncomfortable.”