MY DECLARATION OF SELF ESTEEM
I AM ME
IN ALL THE WORLD, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE EXACTLY LIKE ME
EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF ME IS AUTHENTICALLY MINE
BECAUSE I ALONE CHOSE IT-- I OWN EVERYTHING ABOUT ME MY BODY,
MY FEELINGS, MY MOUTH, MY VOICE, ALL MY ACTIONS, WHETHER THEY
BE TO OTHERS OR TO MYSELF -- I OWN MY FANTASIES, MY DREAMS, MY HOPES, MY FEARS, -- I OWN ALL MY TRIUMPS AND SUCCESSES, ALL MY
FAILURESAND MISTAKES BECAUSE I OWN ALL OF ME, I CAN BECOME INTIMATELY ACQUANTED WITH ME -- BY SO DOING I CAN LOVE ME
AND BE FRIENDLY WITH ME IN ALL M Y PARTS -- I KNOW THERE ARE
ASPECTS ABOUT MYSELF THAT PUZZLE ME, AND OTHER ASPECTS,
THAT I DO NOT KNOW -- BUT AS LONG AS I AM FRIENDLY AND LOVING
TO MYSELF, I CAN COURAGEOUSLY AND HOPEFULLY LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE PUZZLES AND FOR WAYS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME HOWEVER
I LOOK AND SOUND, WHATEVER I SAY AND DO, AND WHATEVER
I THINK AND FEEL AT A GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME IS
AUTHENTICALLY ME -- IF LATER SOME PARTS OF
HOW I LOOKED, SOUNDED, THOUGHT AND FELT TURN OUT TO BE UNFITTING,I CAN DISCARD THAT WHICH IS UNFITTING, KEEP THE
REST, AND INVENT SOMETHING NEW FOR THAT WHICH I DISCARDED
-- I CAN SEE,HEAR, FEEL, THINK, SAY, AND I HAVE THE TOOLS TO
SURVIVE TO BE CLOSE TO OTHERS, TO BE PRODUCTIVE, AND TO
MAKE SENSE AND ORDER OUT OF THE
WORLD OF PEOPLE AND THINGS OUTSIDE OF ME -- I OWN ME, AND
THEREFORE PEOPLE AND THINGS OUTSIDE OF ME --I OWN ME, AND
THEREFORE I CAN INGINEER ME
-- I AM ME AND I AM OKAY
By Virginia Satir
