Whether or not you were a fan of Michelle Obama, or the Obama family as a whole, no one can deny the huge impact she had on people as First Lady of the United States. She was never required to do many of the things she did, yet she went out of her way to set an example for the country, and particularly for young people. Michelle Obama knows that the younger generation is the future of the country, and with that knowledge she made speaking out to students a large part of her platform. Here are just a few of the things she said as First Lady, primarily addressed to young people.

1. "Success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives."

It sounds cliche, but I still think this is relevant to students today. When talking about careers, we are often too caught up in how "successful" we will be with our choice of major. In our terms, success almost always refers to money. Understandably there is a lot of concern for how much money we will make with the career we choose. We want to feel safe and secure once we're out of school. But the amount of money we have doesn't define who we are. The impact we have on others is much more important and a thousand times more rewarding.

2. "Choose people who lift you up."

This is hard sometimes, especially if you've been surrounded by the people you care about for a long time. But who you choose to spend your time with is important and makes all the difference, be it for worse or for better. If someone is holding you back or doesn't support you, then they aren't worth your time.

3. "You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen."

We tend to always feel safe as long as we stay in our comfort zone. And while your comfort zone is a great place to be and good to fall back on, you should never say no to something for the sake of sitting comfortably in the realm of certainty. Sometimes you will encounter things in life that are unknown, and it will be scary, but it might just be worth it in the end.

4. "Stay true to yourself and never let anyone distract you from your goals."

If you have to compromise who you are for other people then you aren't really where you need to be, and definitely not where you want to be. What matters more than anything are your aspirations. No one should ever have to give them up, whatever they may be, because of someone else.

5. "It doesn't matter how small your beginnings are. All that matters is how big your passion is."

We all come from different places and different backgrounds. No person is exactly alike; we all have different stories, different goals. It doesn't matter where you come from or how little you have, because most of the time that is where the strongest dedication comes from. It might take a day, or it might take years, but you will get there eventually.

6. "When they go low, we go high."

Always be the bigger person. It doesn't matter what situation you find yourself in or who is involved. You are not what happens to you, but you are what you choose to make happen.