I Am Me. I Am Okay.

This poem was introduced to me in 1993 when I was in college. It has remained a part of my life (both physically – a poster in my private space – and mentally- a poem for which I believe every word). I hope it inspires you also- to be your absolute best every day. – Lisa Spahr


My Declaration of Self-Esteem

by Virginia Satir

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 triumphs and

Successes, all my failures and mistakes Because I own all of

Me, I can become intimately acquainted with me - by so doing

I can love me and be friendly with me in all my 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 do

I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be

Productive to make sense and order out of the world of

People and things outside of me - I own me, and

therefore I can engineer me - I am me and



I AM OKAY

© Virginia Satir, 1975.