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 FAILURES
AND 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