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