"When they go low, we go high."
Valerie Jarrett's quote "When they go low, we go high" is a call to rise above adversity rather than sink to its level. In other words, it encourages responding to negative behavior with dignity, integrity, and compassion instead of retaliating in kind. The intention is to remain resilient and maintain a sense of moral superiority, fostering an environment that promotes unity, understanding, and positive change, rather than adding fuel to the conflict or lowering oneself to the level of one's adversaries.
"Don't wait until you've reached the top to help others on their way up."
This quote by Valerie Jarrett emphasizes the importance of mutual aid and uplifting others, regardless of one's current position or success level. It suggests that helping others is not a favor but rather an essential part of personal growth and community development. By assisting those on their journey, we create stronger, more interconnected networks and foster an environment where everyone can thrive. It encourages us to remember our roots, share knowledge, and lend a hand whenever possible.
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain."
This quote emphasizes resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity. Instead of wishing for a trouble-free life, we should learn to navigate through challenges and find joy even during difficult times, much like dancing in the rain. It encourages us to embrace life's ups and downs, recognizing that growth often comes from overcoming obstacles rather than avoiding them.
"The future will belong to people who have a vision of what they want and are willing to work hard to realize it."
This quote by Valerie Jarrett highlights the importance of ambition, determination, and vision in achieving success. The future belongs to those who can envision their goals and are prepared to put in the effort required to make those visions a reality. It emphasizes that having a clear idea of what one wants is only half the battle; the other half is the willingness to take action and work hard towards those objectives. In essence, this quote underscores the power of combining aspirations with perseverance for personal and collective progress.
"There is no greater threat to our progress on race than the insidious extension of formal equality into informal difference."
This quote by Valerie Jarrett highlights a fundamental challenge in promoting equity and social justice: while achieving legal or formal equality is crucial, true progress requires addressing informal or unspoken differences that persist after legal barriers have been removed. These 'informal differences' can manifest in subtle ways, such as biases, social norms, and cultural attitudes, which can continue to disadvantage certain groups despite the absence of overt discrimination. Therefore, to truly advance, we must not only focus on formal equality but also address these informal disparities that hinder progress towards a more equitable society.
I know it may be hard to imagine given how broken and gridlocked our politics truly are, but from the White House to, yes, Congress, the government is filled with hard-working, idealistic public servants working incredibly hard on tough issues, trying to make people's lives better and move the country, and our world, forward.
- Valerie Jarrett
Barack's mother was very important to him, but he spent a great deal of his life living in a different place. So, as all kids do, you always have a fantasy of what perfection would be. And my guess is that Michelle's childhood was his idea of perfection. It allowed him to anchor himself with her and with her family.
- Valerie Jarrett
I don't play golf. I don't play basketball. I don't really like cards. I don't think anybody questions whether or not I have a role to play here. And so I think it is irrelevant whether the president wants to do that in some of his free time. What's really important is, when we have something to say, does he listen to us?
- Valerie Jarrett
What do we do to just rebuild and focus on creating a big and inclusive tent, where we're focusing on making sure every child gets that fair shot, that every woman gets to compete on a level playing field, that we are true to the core values of our country, and we're making sure that we honor those values?
- Valerie Jarrett
We need to be investing in manufacturing and small businesses. We need to be creating a workforce where Americans can compete in a global marketplace because they have the necessary skills. And we need fairness, and we need a sustainable, strong economy that's durable for the future.
- Valerie Jarrett
With women composing nearly half the American workforce and increasingly serving as the primary breadwinner for families, we can't afford to treat pregnant women differently than their counterparts, especially when slight job modifications could help them stay in the workforce at no risk to their health.
- Valerie Jarrett
By 30, I was separated from my husband, and I clearly remember sitting in my lovely office with a magnificent view, staring at a very lucrative pay stub, and bursting into tears because I was just miserable. So I had to make a decision: Keep following my plan, or be honest with myself and search for my true passion.
- Valerie Jarrett
Equal pay, paid leave, paid sick days, workplace flexibility, and affordable childcare - everywhere I go around the United States, as I talk to working families, these are the issues they raise... We have over 43 million Americans who don't have a single day of sick leave, but everybody gets sick. Everybody's children get sick.
- Valerie Jarrett
I had a very good friend who was two years older than I was, and she was in law school, and she said, 'It's a great thing to do when you have no idea what you want to do.' And she was right. I learned a lot, I practiced law for 10 years. I've never looked back once I stopped practicing law, but it was a really good experience.
- Valerie Jarrett
We have held forums here at the White House on workplace flexibility, and the first major bill signed into law by President Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Lilly was here a few weeks ago because we were trying very hard to push paycheck fairness through the Congress. Unfortunately, we fell two votes short.
- Valerie Jarrett
If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.